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PROLOGUE (Part 2)

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September 15, 2003 (Later that Day)

Office of the CEO

Andrade Shipping International

"Stavros Demakis is here to request a meeting."

Costas Andrade of Andrade Shipping International turned his chair around and pressed a button on his intercom.

"Show him in," he replied to his personal assistant. The corner of his lips turned up in a sneer and his blood sang with triumph and delight.

He had waited for this meeting for a long time now. His arch nemesis would finally come to him grovelling.

Costas personally set out to ruin his competitor's shipping business. He just didn't expect  Stavros would be able to hold out this long but it didn't matter.  Everything he worked for was now in the palm of his hands.

Why did he do this?

Because forty years ago, Stavros Demakis stole Costas' intended bride. Yes, it was an arranged marriage but she was the most beautiful girl and Costas truly wanted her to be his. The girl, however, fell in love with Stavros and eloped with him, thereby crushing all of Costas' plans.

"Come in," Costas said when he heard a knock on the door.

His personal assistant opened it and nervously ushered Stavros Demakis inside. He felt a flash of annoyance when he saw Stavros. The man he hated most looked the same even after all these years, aside from his grey hair and the lines around his eyes. It seemed as though time had treated him more kindly than it had Costas.

"Please sit," Costas gestured to the couch in front of his desk.

Stavros folded his tall frame in the seat and glared at the man who ruined his company. He looked like a man who was only here because he had no other choice.

"Now, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Costas asked.

"You damn well know what this is about, Andrade! Every chance you got, you ruined me. Now, the bank and the board are pestering me because I am losing my company! I came here to tell you about it so that you could start gloating. That's what you wanted, isn't it? Now, tell me: are you happy now? In your own twisted version of justice, does this pay what I did years ago when I took your intended bride?" Stavros snarled.

Never. That debt can never be repaid, Costas thought to himself.

He clenched his fist under the table and fought for control. He sat back in his chair, feigning innocence while he watched the other man with amusement in his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he lied.

"Bastarde," Stavros growled. Costas only raised an eyebrow. "All of this is because of Prudence. It all boils down to her. But you know what? I'd give it all up again for her. I regret nothing." Stavros dismissed Costas' beautifully decorated office with a wave of his hand.

Stavros' only sadness was that she died at such a young age.

Costas' eyes flashed with fury at Stavros' words but he quickly tamped it down for he did not want to give Stavros even a bit of satisfaction.

"I repeat, I do not know what you are talking about. However, I am aware of the financial situation of Demakis Shipping. I am willing to offer you a solution," he said with smug satisfaction. This was the moment he was waiting for.

Stavros looked as if he was going to have a heart attack after Costas' words sunk in.

"And what would this be?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"A merger."

"A merger?!" he repeated incredulously.

"Ne. Combining the strengths of Andrade International and Demakis Shipping. I am willing to settle your debts and get the company back on its feet. But it's never going to be separated. The two companies will forever be merged as one."

"And what might this cost me, my soul?!" Stavros snarled incredulously.

"Contrary to popular belief, I am not a devil and this merger would not be signed with your blood. Nor will I have your soul. I have no use for it," Costas laughed, feigning amusement. But deep inside he was boiling with rage at how his enemy could still ridicule him on a time of need such as this.

"And what must I give up to gain your help and save my company?" Stavros asked.

"Your grandson."

"My grandson?! What does Nikos have to do with anything?!"

"He will wed my granddaughter, Cassia. Think of this as my safeguard. Their wedding would secure the merger and the ownership of the company would pass on to both of them. Your Nikos is legendary in business and my only heir, my granddaughter Cassia, knows nothing about its intricacies."

Stavros was drinking the coffee that Costas' PA gave him when Costas said the words. They caused him to choke on it so he set the cup down before the warm liquid sloshed all over him.

"That girl? Why do you need to secure a marriage for her? Are the rumors true that she's not right in the head?"

"Silence! I will not let my granddaughter be insulted like that! Cassia is a smart girl. She was just brought up by her mother in a different country and in a totally different culture. Let's just say that she's not yet used to this kind of life."

Stavros Demakis picked up his cup once more and sipped his coffee while he pondered on the merger. It sounded simple enough but he knew there was truly something behind the offer. Costas Andrade was not known for being a generous man. He tried hard to look for it but he couldn't quite find what Costas would gain from this merger.

"And what are the other details for this merger?" Stavros asked.

"I have some conditions. Andrade and Demakis Shipping will be merged as one. Nikos and Cassia's son will inherit everything. They would not be able to divorce each other unless there is an heir. If they do, the one at fault will lose all the money," Costas ticked the conditions off his fingers one by one.

"What do you mean by the one at fault?"

"Well for example, let's just say your grandson takes a mistress and it doesn't sit well with my granddaughter. If she chooses to divorce him because of adultery, then Nikos loses everything. Same goes if it's my granddaughter who is at fault. They would have to stay married for them to retain the company in their hands."

Stavros thought of Costas' words and he tried hard to find something wrong in those sentences. But no matter which angle he looked at it, it sounded like a valid offer especially when everything was placed in black and white. But he still had to be wary, for he knew Costas was a ruthless and devious man.

"Why are you doing this?" Stavros asked.

"Let's just say that I am feeling very charitable today. And I think your Nikos and my Cassia would definitely make a good match," Costas lied through his teeth. He knew that Nikos Demakis was a man not suited for married life. If the divorce occurred, the entire Demakis Corporation would fall into Costas' hands. Not only that, the added humiliation and the thought that the company fell because of Stavros' own grandson would surely kill the old man.

"Put all of your conditions in writing."

Costas grinned. "You will receive the papers within a week. And then I'll expect your reply within three days after you have received them. The negotiations will start the moment you sign those papers and then the merger itself will commence right after the wedding."

"Nothing is set in stone yet. Yet you sound so sure of yourself, Andrade," Stavros bit out.

"I always get what I want." Costas answered with a huge grin.

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Next: Chapter 1- Mesmerized