The Billion-Dollar Marriage Contract (29 page)

That snapped him out of his trance and he hauled her into his arms. He hugged her tightly and she realized he was shaking. She pulled back and lifted her head to look at him. For the first time in her life, she saw Nikos Demakis with tears in his eyes.

He grinned, picked her up and twirled her around.

“Thank you,
glikiamou!
Nothing could have made me happier!” he shouted.

He set her down gently but he still did not let her go.

“Never think that I am not happy about this or that I would not accept our child. I want him or her. You’re stuck with me from this day forward.” Nikos smiled and embraced her tightly.

“I’ll go wherever you go, wife.”

Those words echoed in Cassia’s mind until tears fell from her eyes. She hastily wiped them away with her fingers and looked down so he wouldn’t see her cry. Nikos embraced her again and said nothing. He just let her cry on his expensively tailored suit while he rubbed her back.

“Is everything okay?”

She nodded.

“Can we continue our celebratory dinner now? I really love the food and the place you chose. But I do love your news a thousand times better.”

Nikos led her back to her seat and they ate their dinner with huge smiles on their faces. He spoke animatedly about his plans for their future and she found herself agreeing with everything he wanted. He promised to cut down his work hours and delegate more especially after their baby came.

They only started to argue when it came to baby names.

When their plates were cleared, Nikos stood up and led her to the bed.

“Should I show you how I want to celebrate?” he purred.

Cassia giggled, “No. I still have one more surprise for you.”

She took his hand and led him downstairs to the bigger balcony which overlooked the sea. It was where their wedding and the reception was held. It was also where Cassia asked all their friends to hide and wait for them.

The instant they opened the doors, the lights were opened, confetti was thrown and everyone shouted “Congratulations!”

Nikos laughed as he saw his friends wearing party hats in baby blue and baby pink. He hugged his wife once more and kissed her deeply.

“I said this day couldn’t have gotten any better. I was wrong. What the hell was I doing with my life without you
, glikiamou
?” he whispered tenderly before they joined their friends.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards one of the quiet corners.

“Am I winning your heart yet?”

Before she could reply, he continued, “...You sure as hell won mine,
agape mou
.”

Tears welled in her eyes again and she blamed it all on pregnancy hormones and not on the fact that her husband was being his charming self once more.

About thirty minutes later, e
veryone was having fun when suddenly, there was a loud bang!

Everyone looked around and Cassia was the first to scream as the bodyguard beside her fell.
There was a bullet hole on his forehead and his eyes stared up sightlessly. It was followed by more gunshots. It was almost drowned by the screams of the other guests as more bodies fell. Those bodies belonged to their bodyguards who were with them in the balcony.

Instantly, everything was in an uproar.
Guest screamed and ran everywhere. Suddenly, the door was kicked open and their remaining guards who stood outside entered and ran to her and Nikos. Four of them remained and they circled them with their weapons drawn. Their eyes darted around the room as they herded her and her husband to the exit.

But their path was blocked by
huge, burly men clad in black from head to toe. Their faces were covered with masks and they were holding guns. Several weapons were also strapped across their bodies.

Their bodyguards fired their weapons but the men who just arrived were much quicker. Plus they had the advantage of several snipers placed God-knows-where who first killed their guards in the balcony. Cassia whimpered in fear and Nikos held her closer. Slowly, they backed away from the exit.

“Everyone, on the ground now!” one of the masked men shouted.

Their guests immediately
complied. Nikos shoved Cassia behind him and looked around. Dread settled in his gut when he saw that none of their guards remained. Antonio and Alex quickly moved behind him. Alex reached for his gun but one of the men kicked it away.

“What do you want from us?” Nikos shouted.

The man in the middle nodded and two of his men moved forward.

“No! Let me go!” Cassia shouted as they grabbed her.

Nikos, Antonio and Alex all tried to fight but the men kicked them back and pointed weapons at their heads.

Cassia’s arms were pinned behind her and a pistol was pointed at her temple.

“We need one billion dollars wired to our account or she dies.”

Nikos choked on his own breath.

“One billion dollars? Where the hell would I get that much money in such a short time?”

“We don’t give a damn. But you should if you want your wife to live.”

He sounded a bit familiar but Nikos couldn’t recall where he heard that voice. Maybe it belonged to the leader of the group that kidnapped them?

“It’s too much! I can’t get that much money in a short span of time!” he snarled.

“Then we’ll be holding on to her until you get the money ready. Don’t do anything funny, Demakis. First your child dies.” The pistol was aimed at Cassia’s belly.

She gasped and so did all of their guests. Nikos had the urge to jump towards his wife but Alex and Antonio held him back.

“No! Let go of her! I swear I’ll get the money!”

Tears fell from Cassia’s eyes and every one of them felt like a dagger being plunged in his heart.

“You have fifteen minutes, Demakis. If we don’t have the money by then, we plunge a dagger into her belly. Then you have an extra fifteen minutes. By the end of that and still no money? She dies.”

Nikos stood there dumfounded.

“Clock’s ticking. I suggest you do whatever you can.”

The man took out his knife and ran it along Cassia’s neck. She whimpered in fear.

Nikos reached for his phone without taking his eyes off her and dialed his assistant’s number. He kept his movements slow so as not to agitate the men.

“James. I need to transfer money. One-billion dollars.”

His assistant gasped with outrage.

“Sir! That’s too much! It will take time!”

One of the masked men approached Nikos and handed him a slip of paper with the account number where the money should be transferred.

“I know. We have a situation. I need it now and I need it fast. Empty as many accounts as you can. Sell my stocks if need be or ask for a loan! Call whoever can help. I need it in fifteen minutes. Listen carefully, here’s the account number...”

Nikos dictated the numbers on the paper and James repeated it to him for verification.

“But sir—“

“Lives depend on this, James. Hurry up,” he pleaded.

“Tell your assistant that if he alerts the authorities, all of you will die.”

His lips pinched in a tight line, he repeated the words to James.

Then, all Nikos could do was to wait. He prayed to all the gods listening that James could find away and beat the odds. He wouldn’t let Cassia and his unborn child die. If they did, he’d die along with them.

Antonio approached him.

“Call my assistant as well. I can give you two hundred million.”

A look of understanding passed between them. Nikos squeezed his friend’s shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief. He called Antonio’s personal assistant and asked for the money to be transferred.

“Eight hundred million to go,” the leader remarked cheerfully.

Something in his voice was really familiar, even if it was a bit muffled by the mask he wore. He also made an effort to make his voice lower but still there was that niggling feeling that Nikos knew the man.

Ten minutes down on the clock and Nikos started sweating bullets. He kept his eyes on Cassia, and Cassia kept hers on his. He saw her love and her fear shining in them. His own eyes started to water for the second time that night.

“Time’s nearly up, Demakis.” There were just two minutes to go on the clock.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

“Sir! I managed to get eight hundred million right away. I emptied one of the Swiss accounts and called in a favor from the bank owner himself. Antonio’s assistant called me and I already had the money wired to the account. Please confirm.”

Nikos faced the men.

“My assistant says the money has already been transferred. Release her.”

The leader tipped his chin towards one of his men. He had a laptop with him and quickly confirmed the money transfer.

“You have what you need. Please let my wife go,” he begged.

“So sure that I already have what I need? Well, not yet. I’ve waited for this moment for a long time, Nikos.”

“Who are you?!” he growled.

The leader pulled off his mask and revealed a mop of sandy-blonde hair, blue eyes and an evil smile. Cassia gasped while Nikos roared with rage.

“Hector? Why?” Cassia whispered.

“Why? That’s a really good question. I’ll tell you why. I was born the year 1975. My mother was from America and she chose to live in Greece. Why? Because she fell in l
ove
. She became mistress to Andrei Demakis—your father, Nikos”

Nikos inhaled sharply.

“Stavros Demakis hated my mother. She was an actress from America. It was not a noble profession for him and because of that, he refused to give us anything. Eventually, Andrei Demakis lost interest with my mother. He accused her of cheating and threw her out the street. He treated us like trash and we were forced to live in the slums.”

Nikos paled for he knew where Hector’s tale was heading.

“We begged Stavros Demakis for money. My mother just wanted to go back to her family in America. But he turned his back on us and didn’t even spare a single euro. When I was four years old, Andrei Demakis married your mother and she had you. You became your grandfather’s golden boy and he gave you everything.”

“Hector—“

“Don’t call me that! I am the first born son of Andrei Demakis. Everything should have been mine! All you have is mine! But what did I have? I had a life where I had to eat scraps, beg for coins. Eventually I joined the drug cartel and they took me in. They taught me everything. Most of all, they gave me the instrument for my revenge.”

“Hector...don’t do this, please,” Cassia begged.

“Shut up! You’re one of them now, Cassia! I thought you were the only thing he wanted that he’d never get. I was
wrong
. You fell at his feet just like the rest of them!” he roared.

Hector took a deep breath and then continued. “I came to your wedding ten years ago hoping to steal you away. I was only supposed to get you away from your own wedding and then discard you. But one look at you and I was lost. I fell for your beauty and your kind heart.”

Hector cupped her cheek and forced her to look at him. “I changed my plans for you, you know. I thought that maybe you’d divorce him and the company will be ours. I thought you’d help me reach my revenge! But I was wrong. Clearly you’re not as immune to his charms like the others. Look at him Cassia! I am so much better for you!”

Hector tugged on her hair and forced her to look at Nikos. Cassia winced in pain.

“I loved you and gave you everything but you gave up a life with me for him!” Hector roared.

“Let go of her!” Nikos shouted.

Hector turned his attention back to Nikos.

“I’ve waited for this a long time now, Nikos. I was the one who had you kidnapped two years ago, you know. I wanted revenge and at the same time I wanted all your stocks at the company to be turned over to me.
I should be the one handling Demakis International! It is my right as the first son!” he shouted.

Then Hector shook his head. “
But my people were so gods-damned incompetent and you were able to escape.”

Hector sighed
and when he looked up, there was a malicious glint in his eyes.

“I will kill your child and then kill your wife. Finally, I will kill you and take your head to your beloved grandfather.”

Hector retrieved his gun and pointed it back to Cassia’s temple while his knife was on her belly.

“Say goodbye,” Hector commanded.

“Hector...don’t,” Nikos begged.

“Don’t call me Hector. My name is
Sebastian
... and I do what I please.”

He pushed Cassia forward. At the same time he pulled the trigger
twice
.

Chaos ensued.

Nikos roared and sprang towards him. Antonio rolled to the side so he could catch Cassia. Alex jumped from his crouch and aimed a kick at the man nearest him. The man staggered backwards and Alex wrested his weapon from his hands. He quickly turned around and started to fire.