Until the Contract Ends

3

Nadia really needed that lunch considering all she'd been doing to keep WhitCo afloat, but she had to do way more, and fast. After just 3 months of working as the CEO of WhitCo, she was able to clear $5 million. That's almost half of the debt. But almost half simply wasn't good enough. The investors were getting impatient. To them, things were moving too slowly, and the thought of the company going down at any moment meant losing money from the stocks they bought.

Nadia sat in her office thinking to herself "what haven't I done?"

Then she heard a knock on the door. It was Kim

"Come in" Nadia said as she sighed

"Good afternoon boss. Some dude is here to see you. He said I should tell you he has all the answers to your problems" Kim said almost laughing

"I don't get paid enough for this. Does he have an appointment?". Nadia sighed

"No but... he said he's a busy man and today's the last chance you'll get with his offer"

"Tell him I'm busy or something I don't know. Ugh. Or just send him in. I want to see where this goes" Nadia said

3 minutes later he walked in. Kim followed in behind him.

"Boss, Xavier Sterling"

Xavier Sterling? The guy Jaqie was telling me about? Is she behind this??

"That'll be all Kimberly" Nadia said as she gestured towards the door

"I prefer not to be kept waiting Ms. Whitmore" Xavier said in a tone that commanded respect

Nadia raised her head with a look of amusement.

"That's a lot of audacity for someone who shows up at my office unannounced"

"Xavier Sterling" he said as he stretched out his hand

"I'd introduce myself, but you already seem to know who I am," Nadia said, squinting her eyes a little.

"So, what can we do for you today Mr. Sterling?"

"I'm actually here to make an offer," he said as he sat.

"Go on," Nadia said already slightly intrigued.

"Whitmore Co. is struggling. The public just doesn't know it yet. I've been noticing your movements for a while. Your most successful branch in London, Whit Hospitality, has lowered the prices of stocks by 65%. That's a desperate move..."

"Are you here to give me a quarterly report on what I already know about my own company? Or are you here to make an offer? Nadia said getting impatient

"I'll clear your debt" Xavier said

"Thanks, but Whitco isn't a charity case"

"I'm not helping you, Ms. Whitmore. I said I was making an offer"

"Okay... So, what do you want in return?"

"Marry me".

Note to self: Journal about how a man I've never met casually walked into my office and offered to clear my company's debt in exchange for my hand in marriage. Nadia thought while looking at Xavier like he was a breed of mad she'd never encountered before.

"Excuse me?" Nadia asked genuinely surprised

"I'm about to sign a contract with Enzo pharmaceuticals. I'm not the only one looking to sign, and they have just one slot. I'm obviously the better pick... but I'm not married. And my contender is"

"And so, you want me to marry you because..." She said still puzzled

"The contract I'm chasing isn't brief. Enzo Pharm is known to be very traditional and they aren't looking for just a partner. It's all cheesy. On their website they say at their company they're all family. You get the point. They want someone stable, so... If I come out to the press as engaged, they'll have no other choice but to select me for the contract," Xavier said. He leaned back on the chair

"So... since you're so hot and successful. Why didn't you just hire a wife? Then pay her a salary like any other employee"

"I can't marry just anyone. People will ask questions. And since you're so famous for keeping your dating life private, as am I, we can just say we kept things private cause we didn't want the media to know. Also, you're good for my image. Strong, independent, and capable. Enzo would eat that up" he said

"This is... a lot"

"But it's convenient"

"I'll get back to you Mr. Sterling," she said.

"We both don't have time to waste. You can't convince those investors more than that Nadia..." Xavier said still trying to convince her

"It's miss Whitmore, please..." Nadia shot back "when I've decided I'll come to your office. I need to discuss it with my bosses" she continued

"You have 7 days, Miss Whitmore" Xavier said as he stood up

"Mr. Sterling..." Nadia said just before he walked out. He turned around and raised an eyebrow. "You don't happen to know a Jaqueline Laurent, do you?" She asked. He was puzzled

"Doesn't ring a bell, why?" Xavier answered

"No reason. Enjoy the rest of your day"

He didn't answer her. How rude. She thought.