The Billion-Dollar Marriage Contract (6 page)

“It’s fine. Do you need me to leave?” Cassia sniffled.

“No ma’am...it’s fine...you are welcome to stay here and I’ll be the one leaving,” he replied.

Cassia heard his footsteps and then assumed he was gone so she let her tears fall once more.

What surprised her was when a shadow loomed over her. She looked up and saw the waiter with his hand held out as he offered her a handkerchief.

“T-thanks...” Cassia stammered.

She accepted the item and then used it to wipe away her tears.

“You can also blow your nose if you want to,” the waiter said in a teasing tone.

Cassia couldn’t help it and a bubble of laughter spilled from her lips.

“There, that’s the smile I’ve been waiting for. You know, brides should smile on their wedding day...not cry like their heart is broken.”

“Not this bride,” Cassia whispered under her breath.

Indeed, her heart truly was broken. The waiter seemed to have read her thoughts somehow and sighed.

“I heard what happened and I am sorry for it,” he told her.

“Thank you,” Cassia replied curtly.

“Would you mind if I sit here?” the waiter asked as he indicated the opposite edge of the sofa.

Cassia shook her head and she felt the other side of the sofa depress as he sat down.

“My name is Hector, by the way. Would you mind if I asked for your name?”

“My name is Cassia...”

“They say that the best thing to do when you’re feeling nervous or in an unhappy situation is to talk about it. I hope I am not overstepping any boundaries ma’am but I would really like to help. I could lend my listening ear to you,” Hector said with a warm smile.

Cassia wasn’t able to reply for a long time for she was pondering what to tell him. She was very glad that he was here to take her mind off some things but she just didn’t know what to say. It was definitely a long story and one that only seemed to happen in soap operas.

Hector mistook it for her unwillingness to talk and he stood up. Cassia quickly grabbed his hand and tugged it so that he would be forced to sit on the sofa once more.

“No! I am sorry. It’s just that I am thinking of how I should say things to you...
”

“It’s alright, take your time,” Hector replied and then he leaned back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling.

“Today, I thought I’d be marrying Nikos Demakis, a man almost every woman wants. And I thought I was special because he wanted me too. I thought he was able to see through my ugly face, my half-Greek, half-American background. I thought he was able to see that I am not as shallow as those dumb blondes and that I could have a very intelligent conversation with him,” Cassia said and then more tears started to fall.

She used Hector’s handkerchief to wipe all those away.

“Hmm...may I be blunt?”

“Y-yes,” Cassia stammered.

“First, I do not think that you are ugly. You are very beautiful. I just don’t think that blonde hair suits you and I do not think that is the original color of your hair. Second, what is wrong with being half-Greek, half-American? I am half-Greek, half-American and I think there’s nothing wrong with that. Third, I see the intelligence shining through your eyes. If you were given the opportunity to do whatever you want to do, what would it be?”

“I want to become a fashion designer,” Cassia replied with all of her heart.

“Then why not go to college and make those dreams come true?”

“My grandfather won’t allow it.”

Cassia sighed. Hector was silent.

“What about you? Did you grow up here in Greece?” she asked.

“Yes. But this is actually my last day of work and my last day here in Greece. Later this day I’m going back to America and I’ll be trying to make all of my dreams come true.”

“What are those dreams?”

“I want to have my own business. I’d start with a few restaurants. I’m a really good cook, have I told you that? If there was time, I’d cook something for you and I’m sure you wouldn’t cry again,” he bragged.

Cassia laughed and something softened in Hector’s eyes. He, too, smiled and the overall mood suddenly became light.

“I hope all your dreams come true. Invite me to the grand opening of your first restaurant. Okay? I want to taste that food you are bragging about.”

“I most definitely will invite you. But I think that’s still a long time in the future. Of course, capital is hard to come by. I need a big one for my business.”

Again there was a huge amount of silence between the two of them.

“If a groom gets drunk on his wedding day, what does that mean? Be blunt please. I can handle it.”

“Maybe his friends just played a prank on him...” Hector answered first to lighten the mood.

“Or?”

“...Or maybe he needed the confidence that the alcohol brings,” Hector shrugged.

He flinched when he saw pain come back to Cassia’s eyes.

“He really needed that to marry someone like me.”

“No...don’t put yourself down like that. Never ever see yourself through other people’s eyes. If at first you do not respect and believe in yourself then other people won’t either and they’ll continue putting you down. You must show the world what you are capable of. Show them that you are better than those airheads,” Hector lectured.

Cassia smiled amidst her tears.

“If there was only a way to escape this island...” Cassia mused.

“What if there is, would you take it?” Hector asked.

He sat up a little straighter and looked at Cassia directly in the eyes.

Cassia laughed, a hollow and bitter laugh.

“Me? Escape? That’s hard. My grandfather has this whole place locked down with his security. And n
o one would dare drive me out towards the dock. Even then, I’d have to wait for a boat to take me to the mainland and then wait for a plane. I don’t have any ticket or money with me...”

“I have a motorcycle. And I have a small boat I use to travel to the mainland. I can get you there. Speaking of the tickets...I have two. My girlfriend was supposed to return with me to America but we broke up. I can loan the extra ticket to you. Hmm...about money? I’m sure we can sell one bauble you have on you and there’ll be plenty of money to start a life back home. If you sell all of your jewelry, I am sure you could even go to college,” Hector explained with purpose.

In a flash, Cassia was already standing. Hope surged within her and for the first time, she started to believe that she could still make all her dreams come true.

“We can go home?” she said in a voice filled with longing.

“Yes,” came Hector’s determined reply.

“Let’s go!” Cassia eagerly exclaimed.

Hector threw the door open for her and the two of them dashed down three levels of a narrow, winding staircase. Cassia’s silk gown and her veil billowed in the wind as she ran.

And she never felt freer in all her years...

Cassia and Hector laughed as they both continued to run. Cassia slipped one time and Hector offered her his hand. Then hand in hand, they ran for their freedom...

Hector climbed in his motorcycle and it took a few tries before it was able to start.

While she was waiting for the motorcycle to start, doubts crept into her mind.

Was this truly the right thing to do?

If she fled, then Costas would win. The merger would not push through; Nikos would gain nothing and lose everything. But if she married Nikos today, and divorced him tomorrow stating that she was at fault and she had a lover...then she would get back at her grandfather. Nikos would get back the
Demakis Shipping Corporation
as their merger contract stated and her grandfather would be the one who lost everything.

After she had set everything right, then she could leave this life behind and go back to America where she could finally have the life she wanted.

“Let’s go, princess,” Hector said with a smile as he offered Cassia his hand to help her climb onto his motorcycle.

For a moment there, Cassia stood motionless as she debated what to do.

Freedom or revenge against her grandfather?

How could she choose when freedom was this close? When freedom just meant climbing on to Hector’s motorcycle and throwing all caution to the wind?

But as always, her good heart won over and she sadly shook her head.

“I am sorry, Hector...I have to set everything right. I have to marry him today. If I d
o that and divorce him tomorrow, all the money will go to him and my grandfather would be left with nothing. You see, it’s all because of Costas that all this happened to Nikos’ family. I have to correct all my grandfather’s mistakes. I have the power to do it and I will.”

“Is that it then...is money truly everything?”

“For them...not for me. Wait for me in America. I’ll try and find you. Hopefully I’ll be on my way there tomorrow or within the week after I shock the world with my divorce.”

“Such a kind heart, princess. N
ow I know why people step all over you. Just promise me one thing: never ever allow anyone to do that ever again. Hold your head high because
you
are better than all of them.”

“I promise. But you have to promise me something in return...”

“Anything, princess,” Hector replied.

Cassia smiled at the endearment.

She reached over to her left wrist and unclasped her diamond and sapphire-studded gold watch. It was supposed to be her “something old and blue” for her wedding. But right now, it looked as if it was some silly superstition. Her wedding was a sham and she needed no good-luck charm in this part of her life. Besides, it would be better suited for Hector’s purpose.

“Go and fulfill your dreams, and I still want to be present in that grand opening!” Cassia said with a tender smile as she reached forward and placed the watch in Hector’s stunned fingers.

“No! I can’t possibly accept this.”

“You are the first person who’s been kind to me in Greece. I have more where that came from and I know that you’ll put the money to good use. Think of this as a loan from me. And when you’re already making it big in the restaurant industry, you can always pay me back. And I won’t take no for an answer.”

“This is too much... I thank you for this gift. I vow that I will work harder and reach my dreams. And when the time comes that I’m making it big, I’ll buy you a treasure trove filled with these,” he promised.

“I’ll hold you to that promise.”

“Last chance for freedom, princess...come with me,” Hector said as he offered his hand once more.

It was tempting - oh, so tempting to just take his hand, forget everything and start a new life. But just like before, the other side of her won and Cassia shook her head.

“I really have to do this.”

“I understand. Well...see you in America!” Hector shouted over the roar of the motorcycle’s engine.

With a last salute towards Cassia, he sped off into the driveway and then into the city.

Cassia watched him go with
heaviness in her heart.

When he was gone, she steeled herself and prepared to come back to her sham of a wedding. She would do this for Nikos’ family. She would make her grandfather pay for all the times that he manipulated people’s lives.

First Costas would pay...and then she’d be free.

“Mama...I’m here,” Sebastian whispered as he laid flowers above his mother’s grave. Today was her death anniversary and it was one of the days in the year that he hated the most. She would not be dead if not for Stavros Demakis. This was all his fault.

“I will be away for a while. I’ve decided to move on, ma. I cannot stay this way. I want another kind of life. The one we deserve. If only you were here now, I would have bought you everything your heart desired...”

Tears stung his eyes but he dashed them back with his hand.

“But I will just settle for revenge on the people who did this to us. I will stop at nothing until we get what is our due. Because of that, I would have to leave. But I promise you, mama...I will never forget you. You’re forever in my heart.”

November 15, 2003 (A few hours earlier)
Antoniou Winery
The Island of Santorini, Greece

Nikos Demakis flung open the doors of his suite and stared out into the open ocean.

The breeze blew cold air towards his face and he closed his eyes in bliss. He arched his back and tilted his head towards the sun to feel the early morning warmth on his skin. Afterwards, he stretched and opened his eyes to watch the seagulls flying around and
marvelled at the freedom they had.

They could go anywhere they wanted to be and more importantly, they could pair with whichever seagull they wanted to be with.

Unlike him.

Nikos closed his eyes once more and sighed.

This was a beautiful morning. The signs were all pointing to this being a beautiful day. But not for him.

Why?

Because it was his wedding day.

Nikos snorted at the irony. Weddings were supposed to be fun things. It was when grooms looked forward to seeing their brides in that white dress as they walked down the aisle. It was the time that men were supposed to be nervous about starting a new life together with the woman they loved.

But that was not the case for him.

He did not want this wedding and he would have given anything just to escape his current situation. But giving away everything so that he wouldn’t have to marry would really leave him with nothing. Not only would he lose all he had, he would also lose his grandfather’s beloved company.

And there was no other way but to get this marriage over with.

Nikos heaved a great sigh at his inescapable reality.

He entered his room once more and glanced at the wrapped parcels placed in his table. All of those were gifts from his friends and he knew that they all contained the finest, most expensive wines and alcoholic beverages in the world. Suddenly he was transported to a few days back when his friends held his bachelor party for him.

“For your wedding, my friend.”

One of his male friends laughed as he handed over a wrapped parcel.

“What is this?” he asked teasingly.

“The
finest Ouzo in all of Greece. I give you this, my friend because I think you need some liquid courage to marry Cassia Andrade,” his friend said and the entire group laughed, including him.

“I think I do. Thanks for this,” he replied while he still chuckled.

The rest of the group whipped out their own presents which consisted of different bottles of the finest wines. He raised an eyebrow in inquiry which just made their group laugh harder.

“And this is to make it through every single day after the marriage. I suggest you use Dylan’s
Ouzo for the wedding night,” another one jested with a wink, and that comment brought on another round of laughter.

But the one that laughed the hardest was him. And it was at the expense of his own bride-to-be.

Nikos walked over to the table and unwrapped said
Ouzo. He wanted to have maybe just one shot to calm his nerves today. His friends warned him that the Ouzo was simply lethal but he was confident in his ability and his tolerance for alcohol since he had been drinking for years already. He even considered himself a connoisseur of the finest wines.

Nikos uncorked the bottle and read the label. He let it sit on the table for a few minutes to expose it to air as he tried to find a glass from the mini-bar in his suite. He sat on the stool in front of the marble countertop of the mini-bar and began to drink. The liquor was cool on his tongue and yet burned a path down his throat.

For the second time that day, Nikos found himself laughing at his current situation. Here he was, supposed to be wed a few hours from now and he was drinking just to be able to go through with it. He definitely did not want to be drunk but he just wanted the kind of buzz to make him not care about anything anymore.

With that, he poured himself another glass.

He even grabbed some lemon from the refrigerator to act as his chaser and wash away the bitter taste in his mouth. He downed another glass and then another before he found the will to stop himself.

Nikos knew his tolerance level and the amount he just consumed would definitely give him the buzz he wanted, yet was still far enough from being flat-out drunk. He stood up and then immediately felt that something was wrong.

His head was spinning and he had to brace his body on the side of the counter to avoid falling down. The room around him continued to spin and Nikos lost his balance. His hand immediately went to his head as he started feeling faint.

He frowned and then pulled himself up to a standing position. He reached for the bottle of
Ouzo which was still about two thirds full. He sniffed it and his body became taut with rage as he realized what happened.

Damn
those bastards for spiking my drink!

That was his last thought before the world did another spin and he crashed to the floor, taking the bottle of liquor with him as he lost consciousness.

A few hours later...

“Shit, Nikos!”

“Wake up, goddammit!”

“Nikos!”

Nikos reluctantly opened his eyes and lifted his head. However, his brain felt as though it was laden with lead. He groaned and then closed his eyes and flung his arm across his face to block out the light.

However, his agony was doubled when the owner of the persistent voice started to shake him.

“Damn it, Nikos! It’s your wedding! You should not be like this!” Antonio lectured as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

He loosened his bowtie and released the buttons on his cuffs so he could move more freely and help his friend. While he did this, he also cursed fluently in Spanish.

He hauled Nikos to his feet and dragged him towards the bed, muttering curses as he tried to figure out what to do. He checked his watch and knew that the groom was definitely going to be late for his own wedding.

Antonio sighed in frustration and then walked outside of the room to call for Nikos’ bodyguards. Three of them entered the room and he quickly started barking out orders.

“Strip him and then get him to the bathroom. Bathe the alcohol off him,” he instructed. The bodyguards look baffled but they quickly hid their expressions when they saw the state that Nikos was currently in. They set to work and Antonio helped them carry Nikos to the bathroom. Then, he stepped out for he was also afraid to ruin his own tux for the wedding.

“You’re going to pay for this one day, Nikos,” Antonio growled low.

He exited the room to deliver the news to Nikos’ bride and to her grandfather who was known for his ruthless temper. Antonio hated to be the bearer of bad news but there was no one else to do it.

Well, wish me luck.

Two Hours Later...

“Come on, drink a little more,” Antonio urged as he handed the barely-awake Nikos some more coffee.

“Nooo.Lemme lone,” Nikos slurred

“I can’t do that! You are very late for your own wedding!” Antonio shouted in extreme frustration.

It only heightened another notch when Nikos started to laugh.

“Zat’s the point! I donwanna go to that wedding!”

Antonio had the sudden urge to slap his best friend.

“You can’t do that! We have been
over this a thousand times already! Look at me Nikos,” Antonio commanded and then tugged on the lapels of Nikos’ jacket so that he would be forced to look at him.

Nikos’ head lolled but he was able to look at his friend.

“Your grandfather’s whole company depends on your marrying this girl. Remember your plans? You were going to do it and then you were going to do your best to raise your company from the shambles it’s in. One day it can be independent from
Andrade International
and you can have your divorce and live the life you wanted. But for now, you have got to go through with this wedding!”

Nikos leaned back across the couch and closed his eyes.

His friend’s words finally penetrated his haze-filled mind. He remembered the things he had to do and all the responsibilities that were in his shoulders.

“How? How am I to marry like this?” Nikos asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“That’s what a best man is for,” Antonio smirked as he clapped his friend on the shoulder.

Nikos accepted the cup of coffee and began to drink. He winced at the extra strong coffee his best man prepared for him.

“You know, Cassia is really beautiful today... You should see her.”

“I know she’s beautiful...but that’ll be doubled coz I’m hammered,” he teased and both of them laughed.

“Let’s go do this, then?”

“Let’s go,” Antonio replied with a determined grin.

Two hours later, Nikos had enough coffee to be able to stand up straight. The room didn’t spin anymore but instead, he felt terribly drowsy.

“Look now, Nikos. Here she comes, your bride,” Antonio ordered.

Nikos lifted his head from his brief nap on his best man’s shoulder and tried to look as attentive as he could as his bride walked down the aisle. However, he found himself nodding off to sleep every couple of seconds or so and just woke up when Antonio nudged him in the ribs.

Nikos opened his red eyes and tried to squint to see his bride. But his vision was blurred and all he could see was the white dress and the veil she wore. He couldn’t even make out the details of the dress to compliment her on it. She walked beside her grandfather who beamed like an idiot.

That was the last thing he saw before he dozed off once more.

“Nikos!” Antonio nudged his friend on the ribs. He sighed when he saw Nikos shake his head in order to remain awake. They were standing beside the aisle and Nikos leaned heavily on him in order to stand.

Without him, Nikos truly wouldn’t be able to attend his own wedding.

Again, he sighed as he watched Cassia walking down the aisle. She had her head down and was staring at the floor instead of staring all teary-eyed at her groom like brides were supposed to. Antonio couldn’t blame her. People were laughing at her because they had all heard about her drunken groom.

This was truly a huge jest if this was not his best friend’s wedding. He would have laughed himself hoarse. But right now, the situation did not warrant any laughter and he sure as hell could not laugh after seeing the pain in Cassia’s eyes.

Finally, she reached the aisle and her grandfather reached over to take her hand and give it to Nikos. But Nikos miscalculated and took Costas’ hand instead of his bride’s. He even had the nerve to laugh loudly.Costas laughed too and then everyone followed suit. Antonio poked Nikos’ ribs once
more when he noticed that Cassia was staring at the floor as though wishing that it would just swallow her at that moment.

“We are gathered here today to witness the joining of Cassia Andrade and Nikos Demakis in holy matrimony. Marriage is a huge step in life for it brings two souls together as one. Two people enter a covenant with each other and they are bound forever. That binding starts with love. Their life together starts today.”

Again, Antonio sighed and rubbed his temple when Nikos snorted at the word
love
. That act alone caused some of the guests to also snicker and point their fingers at Cassia’s stony profile.

“Don’t mind him, he’s drunk,” Antonio told Cassia in an attempt to lighten the mood.

She managed a weak smile for him and answered in a soft voice, “I can clearly see that.”

And Antonio’s heart broke for her.

“If there is someone who objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace
.”

Antonio saw Nikos raise his hand
slightly and it was a good thing he was able to stop it. He saw Nikos’ intent before he carried it out so he was able to take hold of his friend’s arm and pin it to his side.

“Mama wh
y can’t the man stand straight?” a child’s voice rang clearly from the audience.