chapter 2

Nathan Tate’s POV

Sitting in front of my computer,  I glance once again at the photo of Elizabeth MaryAnn Richards. A cosmic smile plays on my lips at the thought that she was going to be my wife. At least then, the media would stop running my name through the mud, jumping to conclusions. 

Today was the day I would officially meet her, I have a lot of expectations. Any woman in the world would want to be my wife. To be in that position. I can only wonder how Elizabeth reacted when her parents gave her the news. 

Picking up the tablet on my table,  I begin to tap on it accessing the area where the debts are recorded. 

Ever since I was a little boy, Dad had introduced the family company with a new branch. A lender. 

flashback

“Sir, Fitz has collected Mr. Andrew Richards. He is in the conference room.” 

“Very well, I’ll be right there.” 

Picking up the tablet, I rise from my chair and advance towards the conference room. 

“Sir..do you need me to co..”

“I can handle this on my own. Revise the details for the project and order more security for the company anniversary celebrations. I’ll be with you shortly.” I interrupt my secretary, moving past her with dismissal as I push open the door to the conference room. 

When I walk into the room, Fitz, my bodyguard, stands at the side of Mr. Richards. 

“Sir! Sir, please. I will pay you back. As soon as I can..sir please.” He starts to beg. Pulling up a chair at the edge of the glass table, I take a seat, smiling sarcastically at him. The begging will always be hilarious. And it never stopped. 

“1.2 million dollars. With the promise of paying it back as 1.5 million dollars within nine months. It has been 13months Mr. Andrew, and my company was not built of forgiveness and innovation.”

“Please Mr. Nathan...I will pay you back every dime..every..”

“Of course, you will, And you are going to do that now.” The shock and confusion that rocks up his face are not hidden. They all look the same in these circumstances. 

“What?” He asks, settling back into the chair as he looks at me with wide eyes. 

“Your house. Did you forget that you signed a loan-against-property agreement document? Here, let me read it out for you..” My voice is hoarse and serious. I hate it when I have to keep following up on the people that were supposed to give back the money. it's a waste of time. time energy and Resources. 

“In the instances that I, Mr.  Andrew Richards failed to pay back the loan within the agreed period,  I am entitled to an adjusted repayment time of an extra two months.  After this,  if the loan is still not repaid, Anderson Industries and Co-operation, under the LendMe institution, are entitled to my home, a property on the east side of Virginia..”

“No...Please! It is all my mother left for me. It’s all I and my family have.”

“Come down there Mr.Andrew..there are still several ways to remedy the situation.?” His face had lit up after hearing that statement. the way you looked at me with expectation and desperation told him that I had him exactly where I wanted him. That I could easily get what I wanted.

“ What?” He asks, displaying confusion.  I understood enough about this man. Sometimes it's usually about taking risks. when Mr. Andrew came to take the lawn one year ago he was in a much better position to pay it back. that lead us to believe that it was much easier. right now things seem to have been falling apart on his side. and his gambling addiction may or may not be the main reason why the money went down the drain.

“Your daughter., I say to him.  I watch the expressions on his face. I wait for him to react with fear. with horror or with denial. But nothing like that happens. he only looks back at me and then stared ahead into nothingness.

“ I want to marry your daughter and in exchange, I'm going to forgive that debt and give you an extra six million dollars,”  I speak with a much more effective tone. his eyes should have towards me with shock. but the surprise wasn't about his daughter but the money. I hide the disgust on my face for him. how the hell could a man be so ready and desperate to give out his daughter just like that?  being the leader of this whole company meant that part of the Education I needed to go through was also psychology. my dad had told me that it will pay off. And right now I can see it. I can read the emotions that register in the space. I can tell what he's feeling and it isn't guilt, it is excitement.  Greed. 

“Six Million Dollars?”  he asks in disbelief, staring between my bodyguard andI.

“Yes.. you heard me correctly. I'm pretty sure the money will play a great role in aiding you financially tribu..”

“When is the wedding.” He suddenly asks, with a big excited smile.

End of flashback.

Telling a man that I was willing to marry his daughter in exchange for six million dollars and in the forgiveness of the loan that he owed should not have been enough. I had expected a little bit of resistance. I had expected that it would require more Persuasion to get Mr. Richards to accept my offer. But he had become acquainted with the idea in a heartbeat. Almost as if he was desperate to get rid of his daughter. Almost as if she didn't matter to him. the reality of that scared me. I had monitored Elizabeth for the past four months now. I knew every little thing about her. I understood that she was a sweet young woman and she never give her parents trouble. 

She wasn't even a burden to her father. She paid for her education. working as a cleaner at the lousy hotel down the street and then as a waitress in the cafe.

I cannot wait to meet her. it would be much easier to get Elizabeth in agreement with my terms. She craves to be loved. She craves affection. The things that have parents have not been able to give her. if I post as a loving man willing to give her the world, then, she will jump at my suggestions in a heartbeat. 

Stepping out of the shower,  I drive myself and then send the coordinates of our destination to my driver. The security that I had designed for myself dictated that only one person would know about where we were going. and that was my driver. the rest of my bodyguards would only follow blindly. they had been a lot of instances in the past where both my life and my father's life had been threatened. and there were traitors among us. posing as servants. impersonating others in hopes of getting closer to me.

And I have worked too hard to be where I am right now. to appeal to my father. and make him believe that I am indeed the perfect person for this role. I can't lose it for anything. That is why I need to marry Elizabeth Mary Ann Richards. because if I don't marry this woman, then I'm going to lose the company.