"The Billion-Dollar Marriage Contract" by Alyssa Urbano is available internationally through: Amazon, Kindle, Smashwords, CreateSpace, Barnes and Noble, Nook, Itunes/Ibooks.

For the Philippines, printing is per batch. You can pre-order and the books will be shipped to you.

Full details and links are on my blog: http://aerithsage.tumblr.com/tbdmc

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CHAPTER 7- REALITY (Part 4)

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"Please leave. I have to speak with my husband," Cassia calmly implored.

"Husband, huh? Well, that marriage contract and the ring is all you're going to get from him anyway. He's still mine," the woman said in heavily accented French.

Cassia felt the threat of tears in her eyes so she blinked them away quickly.

"Mademoiselle, I am not looking for a fight this morning. I just want to speak with Nikos. So if you could please leave us...that would be great," Cassia tried to stay calm as she said the words.

The woman inclined her head and slowly sat up on the bed. She shrugged then rose from the bed in all her naked glory. She even stretched before reaching for a robe beside the bed. Cassia saw red when she saw Nikos watching his mistress flaunt her body.

"I don't really know what he saw in you. Hmm...then again, maybe it's because of all the money to your name," Marietta told her with ice in her voice before she started to walk across the room.

"All right. Get out!" Cassia shouted. "Nikos, we need to talk."

"You don't have to tell me anything. Your grandfather already said all you wanted to say," Nikos replied in a bored tone.

"What? What did he say?!"

"That you don't want to live with me...you don't want to be my wife. You want to receive a big monthly allowance. Does that sum it up?"

"What? I never said that!"

Nikos threw back his head and laughed.

"Do not lie to me Cassia. I am perfectly agreeable with your terms. I thank you for letting me keep my mistresses. So quit the wounded wife act at seeing me here with Marietta. You practically gave your consent for this."

"What?! I never said anything like that! In fact, I am wondering how you could jump from my bed to another's in such a short span of time!"

The man even had the gall to laugh.

He gave her a patronizing glare and spoke, "I have no wish to discuss my personal affairs with you. I don't even know why you are acting like this when you told your grandfather that I can keep my mistresses so long as I am discreet about it."

"Nikos...I didn't say that! Can't you see that Costas is lying to you like he's been doing right from the start?"

"As they say, the fruit never falls far from the tree."

Cassia flinched as if she's been slapped.

"Nikos...please. Listen to me. I don't know what happened but Costas must've heard of my plans of divorcing you—"

"Divorce? Dear gods, where did you get that idea, wife?" Nikos asked in a mocking tone.

He finished dressing and turned to glare at her. He wrapped his arms around his chest and then casually leaned his hip on the side of the desk.

"Nikos—"

Nikos held up a hand. His green eyes burned with his fury.

"Stop it. There shall be no divorce. I think I know now what this is. You conspired with your grandfather for him to tell me to carry on with my mistresses, with my previous lifestyle. Then minutes after, when you found me in my mistress' bed, you now want a divorce. I see what's going on here," Nikos laughed and strode towards her.

He gripped her arms and forced her to look at him.

"You want the divorce and you want to blame me for it so that my family will lose everything and you and your grandfather will get your greedy hands on what we own!" he roared.

"It's not—"

"Silence! I will not listen to any more of your lies! I've tolerated enough, Cassia! You already have me! You have what you want! You bought me, correct? You just told your grandfather that you wanted me and he bought me for you! I've fulfilled the terms of the merger. I married you even though I did not want to! I even bedded you to completely seal the deal! Look at you. Who would go and marry someone like you? Good thing I was drunk or I would've run! Now just accept what fate has dealt your greedy little hands. We are married. This is what you wanted. This is what you're getting. There'll not be any fucking divorce and you'll have to deal with me for the rest of your miserable life!" Nikos snarled.

Cassia's eyes started to fill with tears at his hateful words.

At that moment, Hector's words came back to her.

"Such a kind heart, princess... Now 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..."

She promised him she'd never allow that again.

"You are wrong, Nikos. I'm as much a victim of this as you. My grandfather forced me to marry—"

Nikos threw back his head and laughed.

"Save it for someone who's dumb enough to believe your lies."

"If you would just listen to me!" Cassia shouted.

"Never ever shout at me," Nikos said through gritted teeth and tightened his grip on Cassia's hand causing her to whimper in pain. "If you think you can control my life just because you are my wife, then you are wrong. I will live my life the way I want. No one can tell me otherwise! Once is already enough."

He tugged on Cassia's hand and brought her towards the door.

"Stop it, Nikos! I don't deserve any of this!"

"You signed up for it when you asked your grandfather to buy me. Now, tell me princess: was it worth it then? Am I still the husband of your dreams? Or have you finally woken up to reality?"

This time Cassia's tears spilled over as she shook her head. She did not want to cry in front of him.

"You don't know anything about me Nikos. Stop presuming that you have me figured out! I told you that I was a victim of this too...if you would only listen, I can explain everything."

"I don't want your explanations! I just want you out of this room!" Nikos growled.

He reached for his bag and his luggage that was already packed.

"Here's the number of my personal assistant. Call him to ask for anything you need. Honeymoon's cancelled. I have too much work to do," Nikos kept on talking as he continued to rummage around his bag.

With each word, Cassia felt her hope and strength draining further.

"By the way, your grandfather told me you wanted to live with him. But if you change your mind, you are welcome to any estate of mine you want, except the one where I am currently staying. Don't like my houses? Go buy one for yourself. As for money, don't worry. Even before we got married, I already opened an account in your name. Call my assistant James if you need anything more," Nikos tossed her the calling card of his assistant.

Again, Cassia flinched but Nikos was beyond caring at this point.

"In case that's not enough. Here. Sky is the limit," he tossed her a black credit card.

Cassia ignored the card yet she paled even further at Nikos' gesture. Her vision blurred as more and more tears drifted down her pale cheeks.

How could he have gone from the tender lover last night into this hateful man before her today?

 "Even if this marriage isn't real, I still can't believe that you are this kind of person. I thought you were a good man. It turns out I was wrong after all!"

Now it was Cassia's turn to laugh sarcastically.

Nikos scoffed.

"Yes. You are wrong. I am not the knight in shining armor that you bought with your money. I am just Nikos Demakis. I live my life the way I please. Don't go flaunting your influence over me and threatening me with a divorce. Whatever you are planning with your grandfather, it's not going to happen. I wed you because of money. Nothing more, nothing less. One day, I'll be able to repay every single euro and I'll throw all of it back into you and your grandfather's faces!" Nikos shouted.

Cassia flinched from his tone and yanked her hand so that she could free herself from him. However, Nikos grip was like steel.

"Let's set everything straight right now, wife. I will not let you dictate any part of my life, as I will not dictate yours. Live your life as you please and I will live mine as I please. Right now, what pleases me is to leave this place. I'm taking Marietta with me for she pleases me, not you."

Cassia opened her mouth to reply but before she could, the door opened and Nikos friends' including Antonio entered. They must've heard all the shouting and came here to investigate. Cassia heard Antonio groan as he saw the scene that was playing out before him.

"Whoah, Nikos! One day and you're already back with Marietta? Sweet," his rowdy friends cheered.

They added several lewd comments and did not even consider the fact that Nikos' wife was here at this very room and that she could hear every word. What added more salt to the wound was that Nikos laughed at the things his friends said.

"Have you no respect?!" Cassia shouted.

Immediately, everyone fell silent and some even stared at her as if this was the first time they were truly seeing her.

"Cassia...come...let us go and leave them be," Antonio offered as he took her arm.

She yanked her hand back.

"No! This is too much! I told you I was a victim of this marriage too but you did not want to believe me. You have insulted me at every turn when all I wanted was to help! I could have left and you wouldn't have had the merger but I did not for I felt as if I owed it to you. But I owe you nothing! Nothing! And I sure as hell don't deserve all the humiliation that you're giving me! Getting drunk at your own wedding and then flaunting your mistress in front of me? You may all be rich and educated but you know nothing!" Cassia shouted as she reached the end of her patience.

"Take those words back. I will never let you speak ill of my friends and of Marietta," Nikos snarled close to her ear.

"No! Never! I do not deserve all of this! You do not deserve me."

Nikos threw his head back and laughed. His friends did the same.

"I think you are living in an illusion. You do not deserve someone like me," Nikos growled while his friends laughed and nodded in approval.

"To think that I suffered through everything just for this. To think I considered defying my grandfather just to give you back all you lost. But no, you do not deserve even a single penny."

"So what are you saying? Are you threatening to go to the lawyers and tell them it's my fault and you want a divorce so that all the money goes to you according to our contract? You can't do that. You won't be able to prove anything. I'll fight you every step of the way," Nikos threatened.

"No...but I can do something worse. You know, I considered divorcing you today and telling them I had a lover so that all the money would go back to you. You would win and my grandfather would lose his revenge scheme. I want no part of the money and to think I was willing to give all of it up. Now...I don't think so," Cassia said in the bravest and iciest tone she could muster.

She smiled when she saw that this time it was Nikos who was stunned speechless.

"I don't believe you. You are as cunning and as conniving as your grandfather. Like him, every word that comes from those pretty lips is a lie," he shouted.

"Nikos, stop it!" Antonio ordered. He surged forward and placed a restraining hand on Nikos' arm.

"Stay out if this," Nikos growled.

He yanked Cassia back and stared at her. This time, Cassia tugged her hand away and rubbed some blood back to her wrist.

"Go on, Nikos. Go live your life the way you please and I'll live mine. For all that I've been through, I'll make sure I make your life a living hell," Cassia said sweetly.

"Get out!" Nikos shouted and he pushed Cassia towards the door.

She stumbled and fell on the corridor and Antonio ran after her. He helped her to her feet but she denied any further assistance. Then, she did what she promised Hector: she drew herself to full height and held her head up for she truly believed that she was better than all of them.

"You made a big mistake, Nikos. One day you'll realize that."

Then, she walked away without another backward glance.

Cassia went back to their suite and grabbed her belongings that were already neatly packed for her supposed honeymoon. As she waited for a taxi, she saw Nikos boarding his private yacht with his mistress. His arm was wrapped around her while she was giggling at something he said. He stepped onto his yacht and never even looked back.

Then again, maybe she was not supposed to forget all of it.

She'd remember this day. She'd remember Nikos and the pain he dealt her. She'd remember how much she thought she loved him and how he smashed her heart to pieces. One day, she'd have her revenge.

One day she'd make him pay...

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