A Betrothal For Wealth
1219 Words
CHAPTER FOUR
As the security guards dragged Zaire to where they normally detained tresspassers, they could hear the police cars getting closer.
"You dare to harass one of our guests?" The burly security sneered as he manhandled Zaire roughly "Today, when the police finish dealing with you, you'd wish you were never born!"
Zaire kept quiet and allowed himself to be dragged to the detainment room. His gaze was drawn to a door which had a sign on it that read 'stairs' and he immediately saw his chance.
Mustering up his strength, he pushed the guards on both sides of him and bolted for the door.
The security men yelled in shock as they tumbled to the floor, due to the force Zaire pushed them with. Before they could scramble to their feet, Zaire was running up the stairs with full speed.
The guards chased after him but he swiftly diverted to another floor and took an elevator, straight to the penthouse. He rapidly pressed the button to close the doors as he saw that the guards were gaining in on him.
By the time the guards could get to him, yelling and pointing their fingers, they could only meet the doors closing as the elevator took Zaire to the appointed meeting room.
The guards swore and shook their fists at the door, their faces red with anger at the fact that Zaire escaped
Panting, he leaned against the elevator walls and tried to catch his breath.
"That was a close call" he thought, breathing heavily and smiling mischievously "But thank goodness I made it"
He leaned forward with his hands on his knees and tried to calm down. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, taking deep breaths, and by the time the elevator got to the penthouse, he was calm.
He walked swiftly out of the elevator with long strides and walked down a long, red carpeted hallway.
Suddenly, he stopped when he saw that someone was ahead of him. It was a middle aged man, dressed in a suit and his face was quite impassive, showing no emotion.
He looked at Zaire out of sharp black eyes below thick bushy eyebrows as he said in a deep voice.
"Zaire Langdon?"
"That's me" Zaire said carefully, keeping his voice and emotions in check "Chairman Robert?"
"I'm Paul Stevens, the chairman's Butler and assistant" As Paul spoke, he turned and started walking down the hallway to a door at the far end "Come with me, the Chairman awaits"
Zaire nodded and followed after him, carefully taking in what he saw.
Paul opened the door and Zaire walked in, and the door was closed after him.
"Zaire?" An elderly man who stood by the huge floor to ceiling window in the room, turned and said.
He left his position by the window and walked towards them, leaning slightly on a golden walking stick.
As he approached, Zaire could see his features clearly and realized he was standing in front of the Chairman indeed.
Chairman Robert had a full hair of grey and no balding spot, he was quite tall even though he was leaning on a stick. His skin was quite ashy as though he was ill and his bespectacled eyes were sunken behind the lenses.
He smiled as he extended his hand towards Zaire and shook it heartily. There was something about his smile and cheekbones that made Zaire feel like they'd met before
The chairman looked very familiar but Zaire could not quite pinpoint where he had saw the chairman before
"Let's sit down" Chairman Roberts motioned to a set of chairs in the study. Zaire sat down on a beige coloured armchair and watched the chairman settle into his, at the head of the table in front of them
Paul walked behind a counter and soon returned with two, steaming cups of black coffee on a tray. He set them in front of the duo and stood beside the chairman, awaiting further orders
The chairman, however did not pick up his coffee but sat, staring at Zaire directly, his countenance taking on a sad and wistful look.
Zaire did not know what to make of it but he respectfully averted his eyes. Paul saw that the chairman was out of it, then he cleared his throat.
"Chairman?"
Chairman Robert jumped slightly as though he were just awakening out of a trance
"Right" he smiled cheerfully at Zaire "there's no need no mince words. Let's get right on to business. You know why I called you here, don't you, Zaire?"
"Actually, I do not sir" Zaire said, politely. He still could not believe he was sitting in front of the chairman of the Ludovic empire and he expressed that thought "I still can't believe I'm sitting here. It all feels like a dream but I believe this dream is going to end well"
The chairman chuckled and Paul just stared straight ahead, although he was thinking how shocked Zaire was going to be in a few moments when he gets to know the true reason why he was there
"The reason I've called you here, Zaire, is because I've decided to appoint you heir to my estate" The chairman said seriously, staring at Zaire directly in his eyes.
Zaire blinked, unsure if he heard correctly. He c****d his head and his voice came out in a choked sound.
"Y...your e..estate?" He stammered "You mean...like the Ludovic Empire?"
The chairman turned and nodded to Paul, who walked straight to a safe behind a black curtain in the room.
He put in the combination and the safe opened, revealing a file.
The file was thick
Paul opened the file and took out the documents in them one by one, reading the contents, loudly and Zaire listened with his mouth wide open.
"I, Robert Ludovic, hereby appoint Zaire Langdon as the heir to my estate. He shall be in control and shall have to his name the following: The Company as well as it's subsidiaries and malls, both here in Emerald city and globally in foreign states, the three private jets, fleet of cars, the residential estate and the other seven residential estates across the city, priced artworks as well as the Ludovic museum, the COSMOS building as well as a cash flow of ten trillion dollars ..."
As Paul read the last document, it suddenly dawned on Zaire that this was real.
Surely, the chairman of the Ludovic Empire would not just single him out and play a prank on him.
This was real. His life was going to change from that very moment.
He was thinking such happy thoughts that he almost missed the last line that Paul read off.
"Wait...what?" He frowned slightly, an eyebrow c****d as he looked at Paul to repeat what he said" I'm sorry, I could not get that last part. Can you repeat what you said?"
Paul looked at him squarely and read the words a second time in a loud, clear voice
"In order for the inheritor, Zaire Langdon to completely take charge of the aforementioned estate and everything it consists, he must get married to his betrothed , Miss Elena Whitmore, daughter and sole heir of the Whitmore Empire. The inheritor can only have the estate if he successfully completes this task"
- Writer
