Amelie’s POV

This.

Can not.

Be.

Happening.

Someone, please wake me up from this awful nightmare. I have been at the hospital for 3 hours now, and still no word on what is going on. It was driving me crazy. I felt nauseated. Just then, Tiffany ran into the waiting room.

“Ame! Oh my gosh! I heard, and I had to come and see you,” Tiffany said as she hugged me. “Is Zander ok?”

“I don’t know, Tiff. I honestly don’t know.” I burst into tears.

“Shhhh, he’s going to be all right.” Your love will pull him through.” She wiped my tears away and hugged me for what felt like an eternity. It was exactly what I needed.

Man, I loved Tiff. She was the best friend anyone could ever have. For the past five years, she has been my rock, comfort, and shield to weather any storm. We always joked that we should just get married and forget about men. Then Tiff messed up our plans and found the most amazing boyfriend, Peter. You could tell their love for each other just by looking at them. Honestly, Peter was a god among men for the way he treated her and the depth of his love for her. He had the purest heart, and it showed in everything he did. I just hoped that someday, I would find that kind of love.

Tiff hugged me again. “I hate to leave you, but I’m already late for work,” I told Darcy about your brother, and she has covered your shift at the coffee shop tomorrow morning.

“What would I do without you, Tiff?”

“Probably lose your mind?” We both laughed at her comment. It was true; she held me together for more days than I’d like to admit.

“I love you, Tiff. I promise to text you when I find something out.” I watched as she walked down the hall and faded into the distance.

I spotted the doctor walking towards me.

“Ms. Cavanaugh?” he questioned.

“Yes,” I blurted out as I stood.

“I’m Dr. Carrera.” He extended his hand to shake mine. “Can you follow me to my office?”

“I’m sorry about the delay. We needed to run a battery of tests on your brother to determine the cause of the issue. Were you aware he has a heart condition?” Dr. Carrera queried.

“No, a heart condition?” I gasped in shock.

“Yes, he has a small hole in his heart called a Ventricular septal defect. Normally, the smaller holes close independently in childhood or without symptoms.

“What does this mean?”

“Since it is not closing on its own, we need to perform surgery,” he stated. “Don’t worry, most medical insurance coverages will cover this type of surgery.” If you would just reach out to your parents….”

“We don’t have parents, and we don’t have insurance.” The tears welled up in my eyes.

“Oh.” Dr. Carrera spoke.

“If he doesn’t have the surgery?” I whispered.

“Well, I wouldn’t recommend it, but if he is kept from activities and looked after, you could postpone it for a while. He must undergo surgery as soon as possible.

Zander couldn’t be held down. He was a free-spirited 17-year-old boy. He was the star quarterback for his football team and a member of the swim team. How was I supposed to tell him he had to give up everything he loved?

“How much does the surgery cost?” I felt the panic start to overtake my breathing.

“Well, I’m sure we can apply for some assistance for you, but it would probably be about $100,000.”

My heart was in my throat. I stood up, and a wave of panic overtook me. How was I supposed to get that type of money? That was the last thought I had before everything went black.

“Ms. Cavanaugh? Ms. Cavanaugh?” I woke up to Dr. Carrera leaning over me.

“What happened?”

“You fainted, Ms. Cavanaugh.” He stated.

“I’m sorry,” I blushed.

“Understandable, news like this can be quite shocking. When was the last time you had something to drink or eat?

“Yesterday,” I said.

“You need to get some food and fluids into your system," he chided. I will have one of the nurses walk you to the café in the lobby. After that, you can visit your brother. He is now stabilized and will be moved to a room soon.

“Thank you, Dr. Carrera.”

Nathan’s POV

Oh, shut up! I thought to myself. Why do they need to keep emphasizing the company's potential? I don’t care. I’m buying the company to break it up. As of tomorrow, Blake Industries will cease to exist. Don’t people understand that’s what I do? I swear if I hear the word potential one more time…

“Dr. Michaels,” my PA spoke, “Are you in agreement?” He nodded slowly and inconspicuously.

“Yes,” I responded. “It was nice doing business with you, gentlemen.” We shook hands. Thank God that was over.

Samuel, my PA, followed me out the door. He advised me of all the upcoming appointments for the next day.

“I’ve cleared your schedule for the rest of this afternoon. Mr. Michaels is requesting your presence at the hospital.

I sighed, “Tell him I’ll be there in half an hour.”

My grandfather’s requests were never to be ignored. Even in his old age, he continued to demand respect from everyone around him. He was a powerhouse, and everyone in the finance sector and beyond knew it.

I wonder what he wants this time. I thought to myself as I climbed into the back seat of my limousine. It was probably to scold me again about not being married. Honestly, I was only 25 years old; what was the rush? I was single and having fun, lots of fun. I had only ever had one serious relationship, but I was young and unprepared for commitment. Why would I shackle myself to one woman when there was a smorgasbord of flavors to taste, and boy, did I have a huge appetite? I smirked, thinking about the brunette I had left at the hotel the night before. She had the perkiest round tits of any woman I’ve ever been with. She was the type of girl that I was almost willing to break my rule over, almost. I never slept with the same woman twice. It saved the hassle of them getting attached or needy. I didn’t want my life to get messy.

Marcus, my driver, pulled me out of my thoughts by announcing that we had arrived at the hospital.

“I shouldn’t be more than an hour, Marcus. I’ll message you if I’m going to be longer.”

“Yes, sir. See you in an hour.”

I headed towards the cafe in the hospital lobby to grab my grandfather his large dark roast coffee and chuckled as I heard in my head. “Nathaniel, don’t think about stepping into this room without my coffee.” He was a demanding older man, but I loved him more than anyone.

Standing in line, I glanced around the café, taking in the people as they went about their daily business. My heart stopped. Who is that?

In the corner, tucked away at a small table, was a woman. No, not a woman. A goddess. Even though she was slouched over and crying, she was stunningly beautiful. My cock sprang to attention. She took my breath away. Long, luxurious, dark chestnut curly hair pulled back in a ponytail. Creamy, pale skin that begged to be caressed. She wore a Columbia hoody and leggings, but I could tell a prize was hidden underneath them. Her angelic face was tear-stained, and when she looked up with her big brown eyes, my heart broke for her. Why was she so sad? I felt compelled to walk over to her when my thought was interrupted.

“Next,” the barista yelled.

“Sorry,” I said as I moved forward.

The barista swooned at the sight of me. It was nothing I hadn’t faced countless times. I was good-looking, I knew that. Women threw themselves at me all the time. It had come to the point that I would be more shocked if they didn’t flirt.

“I’ll have a large dark roast coffee, black, please.”

“Yes, sir.” She said, batting her eyelashes at me, “Can I get you anything else? Anything…at…all?” She pushed her chest forward and bit her lip.

“No, that’s everything, thank you.”

A pout appeared on her lips, and she scurried off to pour the coffee.

While waiting, I turned to catch another glimpse of the saddened goddess, and an empty table greeted me.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Who was she, and where did she go?

Nathan’s POV

As I pressed the elevator button to head to the VIP ward, I still thought about the beautiful goddess I had seen in the café. Why didn’t I approach her right away? I blew that chance. I sigh and run my hand through my hair.

My grandfather’s room was the largest on the private VIP floor. Corner room, of course. Just like his office at Michaels Investment Group. It would be my office one day, but it is now vacant. Carrington Michaels had a larger-than-life persona. Everything he did spoke of power and dominance. He garnered attention everywhere he went and demanded excellence from everyone around him. When my father passed away when I was 14 years old, my grandfather stepped in to be the father figure I needed. My mother, in her insurmountable grief, had stepped away from me after my father’s death. I had lost both parents the day my father died. I owed everything to this man. Even during my years away at boarding school, he was just a phone call or a plane ride away. He was my inspiration at university, where I earned my doctorate in Economics. He was my rock. When he was diagnosed with cancer 3 months ago, it set my axis off-kilter. He had told me not to worry. He had the best doctors at the best hospital, and “No damn cancer” would take him out.

I opened the door to his room and laughed at the sight that met my eyes. My grandfather was in his flirting stance. I knew it well. His sparkling grey eyes, cocked brow, and grinning smirk were undeniable. I had seen it many times being used on women everywhere. Hell, I think it's where I learned it from. The Michaels charm, people called it. It oozed pure sexuality and got me anything and anyone I wanted.

“Ahem,” I coughed out.

The young twenty-something nurse turned around. “Oh, it looks like you have company, Mr. Michaels.” She smiled.

“Bethany, didn’t I tell you to call me Carrington?” my grandfather mused.

She giggled and touched my grandfather’s arm, then left the room.

“Still at it, I see,” I laughed at my grandfather.

“I’m not dead yet,” he winked.

“You’d probably still be doing it in heaven if you were.” I joked.

He laughed and smiled his debonair smile.

“Ahhhhhh, my coffee. Good boy.” I handed him his coffee and sat in the chair beside the hospital bed.

“So, Grandfather, what did you need to talk to me about so desperately today that you had Samuel reschedule all my afternoon appointments?”

“Well, Nathaniel, I’ve decided that maybe it's time for me to retire as CEO of Michaels Investment Group.” I cringed at my full name; my grandfather was the only one who dared call me by it.

What? I never thought I would see the day. I thought they would carry him out of the office straight to the hearse when he was 99.

“Why now, Grandfather? Is everything ok?” I questioned.

“Nothing to worry about, Nathaniel. Things are improving with the cancer, but I’ve time to think laying here in this damn hospital bed.” He sighed. I know he missed working; it was his life. Long hours and endless meetings were his lifeline.

“You have proven yourself as interim CEO in my absence; I want you to take over as CEO, but…”

I cut him off, “Grandfather, nothing good ever comes after a but.”

“The board of directors is leery of your playboy ways,” he stated. In fact, they are pushing for Alfred to take over.”

Fuck no! Alfred, my cousin, was a bigger playboy than me. He couldn’t keep it in his pants for more than a couple of hours. He only hid his ways behind the premise of being a family man with a wife and the standard two kids. He couldn’t lead worth shit, either! There was no fucking way I was letting him run our grandfather’s company into the ground.

“What must I do, Grandfather, to gain the board's favor?” I asked.

“The answer is simple, my boy. You have until December 31st to get married.”

“You must be joking.” I look at my grandfather incredulously.

“I’m dead serious, Nathaniel,” he answers. “You secure a marriage by New Year’s Eve, or Alfred will be CEO.”

My mind was reeling. How the hell was I supposed to find someone to get married to by December 31st? That’s only 6 weeks away. All the women I had ever been with were disposable. Golddiggers or no one of consequence. This marriage had to look genuine. Where was I supposed to find a girl who looked worthy of marrying?

My thoughts were interrupted by Nurse Bethany entering the room. “Carrington, it's time for your treatment.” My grandfather stood up and walked to the wheelchair.

My grandfather turned to me, “You better get a move on it; the clock is ticking, Nathaniel.” He then sat in the wheelchair, and Bethany wheeled him across the room and out the door.

I sat there for 10 minutes, my mind racing a hundred miles per hour, ticking, ticking, ticking, Nathan. I leaped to my feet and headed to the door. I dialed my phone as I marched down the hall.