De Rodenburgs

Rodenburg Investment Co. founder Karel 'Carlo' Rodenburg decides it's time to hand over his CEO post. His wife Bénédicte 'Bea' expects it to go to their eldest son Frederik 'Fred', who is about to marry model Maaike. But Fred isn't up to the job, a real estate agent without brains or conscience. Therefore Karel offers the job to outsider Stijn De Ridder, who is prepared to move to Kortijk with his wife Hanne and unruly daughter Freya. Fred's junior brother Olivier, a brilliant MP and lawyer, warns bratty Fred what deep trouble a zoning offense already brought him in, but instead of settling (expensively) Fred beats up client Janssen, who already contacted the press. Bea tells Fred to fight anyhow, and just when Karel is to announce Stijn's appointment at the wedding, he has a cardiac crisis.

Patriarch Karel Rodenburg has had a cerebral bleeding, which left him comatose before he could announce Stijn De Ridder's appointment as next CEO. His wife and firstborn son Frederik 'Fred', who both want to succeed while his brother Olivier isn't interested, make that speech and the unsigned contract disappear. Fred's blackmailer now demands 20,000 Euros. The board is convened. The family majority isn't qualified to appoint Fred if hostile stock-holder Mrs. Marie-France Cénépart votes against him, but ma Benedicte is confident to convince her. The De Ridders consider legal action, and hire Stijn's ex Camilia.

The hospital announces patriarch Karel is about to awake from his coma. His wife Bea insists Fred, the scorned heir, must quickly relinquish the throne he now couldn't keep anyway. So Stijn, whose lawyer told him the retrieved contract draft is an unsure claim in court, is offered the CEO post in a hurry and accepts. He decides to move and gets his sister Maaike, Fred's wife, to negotiate a perfect villa. The owner, old widow Vandepas, agrees but had already signed over attorney power to Fred's real estate firm. The fickle daughter objected to the move, until she instantly fell for Vandeplas's grandson Simon, whose band would be allowed to keep practicing in the garden shed. Fred quickly arranges an alternative buyer, who signs a contract first.

Fred manages to make Stijn pay 20,000 cash extra for the villa. Freja is happy the sale is back on, now she can help Simon stay in the garden shed. Ma Bea persuades the doctor to let Karel have re-validation at home, where she can physically control him. Still he visits RIC, to check up on things. Fred makes sure Stijn is buried in files as well as social functions, till he literally drops. The real estate deal (with dodgy contractor Serge Vriendts) Fred hoped to make Stijn sign for half-blindly ends up tabled at a family dinner, where Ollie saves the day.

Karel refuses to fire Stijn for his political naivety but gets an office again to keep on eye on him. Simon could be happy with Freja, despite Claire, who pretends not to miss him but plans her revenge. Alas, his mother becomes Hanne's psychotherapy patient, likely to spill the beans. Simon even starts a fistfight with a friend of hers. Stijn plans to show the Rodenburgs he can succeed ethically. Oliver helps Fred overcome the crucial politician's objections to the Greninge project their way.

The XTC Claire planted in Simon's jeans convince Hanne, who washes his cloths, the boy must be addicted, even lover Freya doubts him. Stijn examines the Groeninghe file endlessly, but drops everything when his college-ex and family lawyer Camilia visits unannounced. In therapy, Lise tells about her youthful operatic career and Simon's dad. Simon tells them she's the mythomaniac. Claire tells Maaike she's just dad's plaything of the year. She manages to make step-ma run away from the photo-shoot with Carlos and blame Fred for paying him. Although Stijn takes absurd credit for the brothers' done deal, Karel still supports him as CEO.

Simon and Freja realize Claire set him up with drugs. She turns on pa Stijn for meddling now, while absent almost always. Hanne takes their side and stops taking Lise's rape story on face value. Stijn's bullying makes Simon move out. Fred refuses to choose between wife and daughter after the sabotaged photo-shoot, so he demands Claire involves Maaike in her own contract negotiation. Posing as a journalist, Olivier finally meets and charms his flame, yet she scares back. After another fall, Karel despairs about his recovery. Bea makes Fred use the opportunity to bond with dad again. Blackmailer Jansen is back, for more.

Fred hopes to pay blackmailer Jansen with RIC cash, but Karel already emptied the safe, or borrow against private assets. Family accountant Eric Stoops informs Karel, who makes Ollie tell the truth and takes charge. Band mate Bas refuses to tell Freya Simon bunks with him. Simon goes see her, but refuses to move back. Bea enjoys humiliating Stijn by arranging a TV interview with Ollie and her without even telling Stijn. Lisa's former therapist De Vusscher threatens, disgusted, to have unethical Hanne disbarred unless she stops her therapy. Karel's mistress Isabelle rejects his offer to go public. He buys a luxury yacht as surprise present for Bea.

Karel handles Fred's blackmailer by counter-threats and -offer: a job, to turn him into an ally. Olivier combines a political interview with sex, but remains obsessed with Isabelle. Furious her scheming didn't break up Simon and Freja, Claire decides to play nice. She treats Freja to her sexy Norwegian masseur Lars, who finds the virgin frigid, and promises Simon's band a pool party gig. Lise begs Simon to make Hanne accept her as patient again, but her ethics won't allow that. She curses, threatens and turns up dramatically at the Rodenburgs's yacht warming party.

The police investigates Lise's drowning in the river as a suspicious suicide or murder. Son Simon gets prudish lover Freya to lie as his fake alibi, but Claire finally seduces him back into her bed. Hanne has none and must admit her therapy license wasn't renewed. Olivier dates her in Stijn's absence, while Fred and secretary Agnes dig for 'dirty secrets', which a PI can't find either. But subsidiary manager Antoine suggests Stijn procrastinates intolerably, so on Beatrice's advice Fred gives the go-ahead for a Norwegian offshore drilling participation.

Oversleaping with Marie-Claire, Simon nearly misses his murdered ma Lise's press-attended funeral. The police finds she was drugged before the drowning. Grandma admits she 'helped' providing the pills. Simon dumps Freya for having intended to blow his alibi but also refuses to stay with Claire. Stijn tells from Singapore, too late, the Norwegian investment is a nightmare money-drain, Karel blames only Fred. Olivier discovers Isabelle is pa Karel's lover and tells Fred he craves her and Hanne. Oli agrees with Hanne to be just friends again although Isaballe still shows no interest in him. Simon takes Freya back.

Simon is such a wreck during the pool party preparations that Freya fears he's back on drugs. Karel orders Jansen to sell Isabelle's villa, discretely. Jansens shows Karel 'as proof of loyalty' a picture of her kissing Olivier, confirming Sir's fear after finding a card from him he found there, ignoring Ollie was hidden there. Olivier found a picture suggesting Isabella has a son, but agrees with Fred they'll tell nobody. Karel summons Olivier to tell, order or beg him to step back, in vain.

The preparations for Claire's luxury pool party go well. The scantily dressed 'please anyhow' staff and Simon's band please the happy crowd. Claire expects drunk Freya to fall for womanizer Daan, but Simon finds and 'rescues' her in bed. Yet when he brings her home, Stijn rudely 'forbids seeing my daughter anymore'. His wife is so disappointed to be neglected after his Singapore trip she gets drunk, he starts an affair with his lawyer and college ex. Jansen is told to back off by Karel and Fred. Karel fails to explain to Olivier how Isabella is 'not what you think', but she tells he's- his sister.

Politician tells Fred their corrupt game was noticed, by Jansen. Fred feels this can break Stijn, who unknowingly signed the deal, but Karel promises the blackmailer a fortune to avoid a scandal. Stijn is furious hearing Freya smoked pot, actually with Simon, ma figures a bit didn't harm herself either. Simon lies to Freya he's done with drugs now his band can make a record, managed by, who hired a producer to get time with Simon.

Hannah is against when Stijn wants to dip into Freya's college fund to pay for the RIC stock Karel promises he can acquire 'soon' as reward for some successful deals, especially avoiding a financial disaster in Bulgaria. Simon still isn't rid of his drug problem. Isabella comes closer.

After Fred exposed Isabella as his illegitimate sister, everyone blames him rather then discrete adulterer Karel. Ma hisses exposing her publicly only strengthens her hand if she wants a share of the Rodenburg inheritance. Hoping the record Claire arranges will provide ample income, Simon lives dangerously, in debt with drug dealer Goran, who starts charging interest. After the Bulgarian debacle, Stijn gets inside information about a British bank RIC is involved with, but hesitates to risk prosecution.

Fred helps himself to proof of Stijn's insider trading. Maaike found out he got sterilized behind her back and warns Stijn, who tells Karel but is commended. After Maaike says she'll leave Fred for denying her a child, he abstains from actually reporting to the Belgian SEC. Manager Claire skillfully makes sure Simon spends all his time with her and pretend in public to be available, for the girls fans' favor. Freyya wines even more jealous once she discovers she's expecting his child. On Maaike's advice she tells him, is ordered to have an abortion but rather dumps him. Bea pretends to befriend Isabella but tells Fred that's only to keep an eye on Karel's bastard.

Marie-Claire has car-crashed and needs serious facial surgery, likely to leave her scarred for life. Passenger Freyya is almost unhurt, but admits she was stoned. Stijn absurdly blames and nearly beats up Simon, who later gets to make up. Stijn has been committing adultery during the accident with Camilia, but afterward dumps her, which she refuses to accept. Now the elections approach, Olivier sets up his HQ in RIC and enlists Hanne as campaign helper.

Marie-Claire needs recovery and further surgery, so she must leave Simon's management largely to Freyya till further notice. His drug-dealer makes sure they know about his debts. Furious about a strike, Fred abuses construction union rep Joost Dierix and is forced to spend a day laboring on a site. Olivier moves his campaign into the RIC offices and considers Hanna's suggestions to appear more a man of the people. Stijn still trusts Roodenburgh vassals stupidly. Vindictive dumpee Camilia tries in vain to let Olivier expose his adultery for her.

Although Simon paid his debts, he's stabbed into a coma by his drug dealer for refusing to keep buying. Freyya just freaks, but Claire cleverly confers with his band producer to use the free publicity for his record. Camilla sends the adultery pictures to Hanne, who throws Stijn out and makes love with Olivier on the Roodenburg yacht. He and Fred feels it's worth a punch from Stijn. Marie-France announces she already signed the sale of her shares, so the family must match 30,000,000 Euros. Karel orders the books doctored so the bank while grant such a risky loan.