Elise.

Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Disclaimer Dedication Quote Contents Facebook Group Reading order Prologue THREE YEARS LATER... Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Reading order Facebook Group About the Author Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Reading order Beginning About the Author 
 
 
 
 
 Elise.
 
 
 
 Melanie Martins
 
 
 
 VAN DEN BOSCH BOOK 3
 
 
 
 
 Copyright © Melanie Martins 2022
 
 All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of its publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar conditions being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
 
 First published in the United States by Melanie Martins, LLC in 2022.
 
 eBook ISBN 9798986162638
 Paperback ISBN 9798986162645
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Disclaimer
 
 
 
 
 
 This novel is a work of fiction written in American English and is intended for mature audiences. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. This novel contains strong and explicit language, graphic sexuality, and other sensitive content that may be disturbing for some readers.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 To all of you, my dear readers.
 Thank you.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 “The universe has a way of bringing fated lovers together.”
 — Dan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Contents
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Reading order
 
 
 
 
 Prologue
 
 
 THREE YEARS LATER...
 
 
 Chapter 1
 
 
 Chapter 2
 
 
 Chapter 3
 
 
 Chapter 4
 
 
 Chapter 5
 
 
 Chapter 6
 
 
 Chapter 7
 
 
 Chapter 8
 
 
 Chapter 9
 
 
 Chapter 10
 
 
 Chapter 11
 
 
 Chapter 12
 
 
 Chapter 13
 
 
 Chapter 14
 
 
 Chapter 15
 
 
 Chapter 16
 
 
 Chapter 17
 
 
 Chapter 18
 
 
 Chapter 19
 
 
 Chapter 20
 
 
 Chapter 21
 
 
 Chapter 22
 
 
 Chapter 23
 
 
 Chapter 24
 
 
 Chapter 25
 
 
 Chapter 26
 
 
 Chapter 27
 
 
 Chapter 28
 
 
 Chapter 29
 
 
 Chapter 30
 
 
 Chapter 31
 
 
 Chapter 32
 
 
 Chapter 33
 
 
 Chapter 34
 
 
 Chapter 35
 
 
 
 
 Reading order
 
 
 About the Author
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Don’t forget to join my Facebook Group where I share teasers, release dates, and answer all your questions!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Reading order
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 While you don’t need to have read the Blossom in Winter series to start this book, you do need to have read the first two books of the Van den Bosch series:
 
 
 
 Blossom in Winter series (Petra & Alex’s story)
 1. Blossom in Winter
 2. Lured into Love
 3. Lured into Lies
 4. Defying Eternity
 5. Happily Ever After: Part 1, 2, 3, and 4
 
 
 
 Van den Bosch series
 1. Roxanne.
 2. Andries.
 3. Elise. (You are here)
 4 Dan.
 5. Julia.
 6. Sebastian.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Prologue
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 V.D.B. estate, September 15, 2019
 Dan
 
 
 I can feel the breeze through the holes in my sweater; it’s crispy and the smell of leaves pinwheeling down from the trees around the Van Den Bosch estate overwhelms me. Had I been standing still, I might have even caught a chill, but as I move across the terrace opposite Andries, he's actually pushing me hard enough that I’m breaking a sweat.
 Despite being outside, the only thing that can be heard is our loud breaths, footsteps, and the occasional blades colliding. Andries might be smiling, but there is always this edge of seriousness to him that permeates everything he does—including the playful fencing match the two of us are currently engaged in. I can see it in the line of concentration between his eyebrows and the exhales of frustration when I best him.
 “Fuck,” Andries mutters under his breath as I win against him once again.
 “That wasn’t too bad,” I tease, walking slowly back toward him. “You even made me sweat a bit.”
 Losing against me isn’t out of the ordinary for my friend. After all, I’m five years older and have much more experience in fencing than him. All in all, it’s a beautiful day to have a few playful matches outside. The sun is shining and there aren’t any obligations looming over my shoulders.
 Andries’s mom, Julia, is sipping coffee at the terrace dining table, caught between reading what seems to be paperwork and watching the two of us.
 “Let’s start again,” Andries says, his excitement matching his expression as he puts himself in position.
 “Very well.” I do the same, but when he’s about to strike, he pauses mid-move, holding up his hand to tell me to halt, but I playfully poke him with the foil anyway. He scowls, one of his most common expressions, and waves me away.
 “Knock it off,” he grumbles, turning fully to the railing overlooking the rest of