As a member of one of the richest families in Greece. Nate had known from an early age that when he finally got married, it most likely would not be for love. That was the world he lived in. But he'd held on to a little bit of hope. Then the family business, Vorche Enterprises, had run into a bit of trouble. Dealing with the global market, the company stocks dropping to an all time low. To add to that his wayward older cousin, the heir, Chuck, had refused to come home and take over from his ailing father. Too busy partying up a storm across Europe.
It was how Nate, who'd been content to stay in the shadows, a scholar at heart, had found himself forced into the light. Chosen as the acting CEO, not because the board of directors believed in his ability to do the job. But because they needed someone to take the blame. But shocking all of them, Nate had not become the captain of a sinking ship. Instead, under his guidance Vorche Enterprises had stabilized and then it had begun to soar. Even branching out into sectors such as tech, and becoming a force to be reckoned with in the security circles.
With him at the head, the company was growing from strength to strength, For all his hard work, he should have long been appointed as the real Chief Executive Officer instead of just being a stand in. But there was one thing the board loved almost as much as money…tradition.
It was an air tight clause, created by his great grandfather, way back when the old man had started the company.
The CEO had to be married.
An archaic view that linked family with business, but one that their company still believed in. When he had been digging the company out of the trenches, his status as a single man, had not been an issue. At thirty-two, he had been in charge for five years, the company now ranking in the top three most successful in the whole country. All thanks to his blood sweat and tears. But not that things were going well, the board members were suddenly bothered by the fact that their leader was not married. At first he'd ignored the whispers of unseating him. Dismissing them as the grumbling of those with too much time on their hands.
But then a name had started to pop up.
"Chuck is the true heir, and he's married," They whispered, when they thought he wasn't listening.
"Chuck would be what is best for the company," They said, faces hidden by glasses of wine.
Chuck, Chuck, Chuck.
So drunk on success, all of them were willfully blinding themselves to how awful his cousin would be for the company. All of them becoming bolder in their claims that Nate was only there because his mother, the late Chairman's sister, had pulled some strings. The longer he remained single, the greater the chance that the stubborn idiots would ruin the company. Either by handing it to Chuck, who had not set foot on home soil in years. Or by driving Nate crazy with their constant nagging. Before it could come to that, Nate had taken action. He'd had his personal assistant ,Ron Danvers, draw up a list.
A list of all the single women from prominent families. Then he'd spent nights going over it, thinning the herd. First went the heavy drinkers, the smokers, and all those who had scandals plastered all over the news. The media was something Nate avoided, his picture rarely taken. He did not need trouble magnets like that.
Then he'd taken out the ones content to sit back and live off their family fortune.
He wanted a woman with dreams and goals of her own, he didn't want someone with no passion, or ambition. After a long elimination process, he and Ron had settled on Melanie Ntanos. The daughter of a famous movie director. A model who ran her own agency and was known for her philanthropy.
On paper, she had been perfect. Busy enough with her own life that she wouldn't mind that he worked a lot. And when they'd finally gone on a date, he'd been convinced that she was the one, Polite, gentle, easy to talk to, and knew how to handle herself in public. She hadn't even minded when he'd said he wanted to keep their relationship quiet.
"It's alright," A smile had dimpled her cheek as she'd tucked her hair behind her ear.
"I share so much of my life with the public, it would be nice to have something to myself,"
Their courtship had been smooth, too smooth. No arguments whatsoever as they'd prepared for life after their wedding. Looking back, she'd been playing him from the beginning. She was fine with their relationship not being publicly announced because she was already with someone.
To make matters worse, Nate had not even suspected . He had been attending a meeting at the hotel, and had been speaking to an attendant when the young man( nervous, flighty, clearly on his first job) had tapped his ear and taken off. Offended by his rudeness, Nate had followed him. But whatever complaint he'd had, had died away when he had walked into the fight the young man and several others were trying to break up.
There was petite woman, legs swinging midair, face red, tears running down her face, he absently noted that even looking a hot mess, she was pretty. Behind her a man, naked from the waist up holding her as she tried to attack a woman who was no doubt his mistress. Deciding the hotel worker had bigger problems, Nate had been about to leave when he'd caught sight of something.
A handbag.
One he recognized since he'd bought it for his fiancé the day before, and that was when he noticed the half naked woman in the room. Even with her back to him, Nate had known it was her. But he had still waited for her to face him, his core turning to ice as her panicked eyes met his. Heart in his throat, red clouding his vision, Nate had only managed one word
"Melanie," He had forced himself to leave then, steps slow and measured. Betraying none of his cold rage, nor the sudden sharp pain coming from his heart.
It was a business engagement, he was not hurt. He repeated the words over and over, hoping if he said them enough, he would stop feeling like the earth had fallen out from beneath his feet.