The Billion-Dollar Marriage Contract Read Online Free Page A

that there’s nothing else I can do and that the whole business will become lost in my hands. I wanted you to inherit this. I wanted to see you sit at its helm and make it prosper even more...but I might not for this would be the end of our ancestors’ hardships,” Stavros whispered weakly.
    He leaned back in his chair and Nikos noticed that his entire body seemed to sag. Gone was the ruthless business tycoon and in its place was just a frail old man. Nikos felt his chest tighten and he immediately regretted his words. But still, it was a huge sacrifice for him to make.
    “ Pappou ...you cannot ask this of me,” Nikos pleaded.
    “I understand, Nikos. No one should impose something this big on you. And I will not hold this against you. Just go...I will talk to Costas tonight,” he said in a defeated tone.
    “ Pappou--”
    “Go, Nikos. I will deal with this,” Stavros said and then pressed the button that opened the door once more.
    Then, he rotated his chair and stared out of the window so that he would not be able to see his grandson leave, taking all hopes for the company with him. And Nikos Demakis turned his back and left his grandfather’s office with a very heavy heart.
    But before Nikos closed the door, he heard one last defeated sigh from his grandfather which tore at his heart.
     
    A few hours later
Vrettos Bar
Athens, Greece
     
    “Where are you?”
    “At the oldest bar in Athens, getting myself drunk until all this crazy bullshit disappears,” Nikos replied dryly. He perched atop one of the stools in the crowded bar while nursing a glass of brandy in his hands.
    “A drink sounds nice. Mind if I come over?” his college friend Antonio Velez asked.
    “Go ahead,” Nikos replied and then gave his friend the address of the bar.
    “Great. I am ten minutes away, my friend. Be right there.”
    Nikos ended the call and glanced one more time at the name of his friend.
    Antonio Velez was one of the richest men in Spain. At a young age, he inherited and led his family’s business. In all those years, their business of exporting the best seafood in the entire world flourished. While Nikos ventured into the hotelier business, Antonio ventured into the food industry. Right now, all of Nikos’ hotels housed Antonio’s restaurants making a more profitable trade for both of them.
     
    “Hi there! You look as if you could use some company tonight.” A blonde sidled into the recently abandoned stool beside him and slanted him a seductive look. She also leaned forward and bared her lovely breasts to his gaze.
    Before Nikos could reply, she spoke again.
    “You seem familiar...I think I have seen you somewhere,” the blonde whispered.
    Nikos inclined his head to the side and waited for her to recognize him.
    “You’re Nikos Demakis!” the blonde exclaimed and then clapped her hands together.
    Her eyes lit up and Nikos could almost see the dollar signs flashing in them. All his life, women looked at him as though he was a walking bank account. They craved the things he could give them rather than the depth of a relationship, which was alright with him since he didn’t want to form any attachments.
    Yet why did this bother him now all of a sudden?
    “So how about a drink at my place?” the blonde moved closer to him until her breasts were pressed to his arm.
    “Hmm...some other time, maybe? I am meeting a friend here tonight.”
    The blonde pouted. “I could do things to you that no one has ever done before,” she whispered.
    Nikos almost snorted. He doubted that this blonde could do anything he hadn’t experienced yet. At his age of twenty-four years, he had dated the most beautiful actresses, models who wrapped their long legs around him, ballerinas who were so flexible that they could take up the most outrageous positions, and many more.
    “Sorry, sweetie. Not really in the mood right now,” Nikos answered and took another swig of his drink. The blonde pouted yet again and left the stool to search