Chapter 2: The Convenience of the Arrange Marriage

"Arranged marriage is like a blind date...except that date is supposed to last a lifetime." - Unknown

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Nicolai Petropoulis' POV

I woke up with the incessant ringing of my phone. I groaned loudly and curse whoever is calling me right now. I am so sleepy because I went to bed very late last night or I would say morning and I was downright wasted.

Alexandros and I had the best life last night.

Peeling my eyes open and squinting simultaneously until my eyes gets adjusted with the light, then curse my head when I felt the pain.

I got up and swung my legs out of my bed and made my way to my discarded suit pants that were laying on the floor as I couldn't make another step to the washroom last night from being drunk.

Alexandros and I went clubbing and hit some models. It was fun.

I don't know what happened between us and that brunette. As far as I remember we made out in her car.

Pulling out the phone from my dirty pants and tossing it on one of the chairs in the corner, I saw the call from dad.

I groaned.

Ignoring the throbbing headache starting to build up, I connected the call.

"Yes, dad?" I asked right away without decorum as I walk back on my bed and lay flat on my back, massaging my temple with my free hand.

"You need to go home today," He ordered coldly. I could hear mom blabbering in the background.

For sure, she's demanding my dad to order me to go home, knowing mom. Dad is like a puppet when it comes to her, well most of the time. I know dad loves her so much and I couldn't be happier, but I would never succumb into that kind of love.

Women these days. They thought they had the power and rule over man.

I snorted, shaking my head involuntarily. I thought it was ridiculous.

Don't get me wrong, I love my mom so much, but not going to indulge myself into anything like love and be a puppet of love.

My ass. No woman ever make me do what dad did. It's ridiculous.

"Nicolai!" Dad's impatient voice resonated in my ears dragging me back to reality and I rolled my eyes.

"Dad, I have to go to work." I reasoned out.

Dad grunted. "I need you home right now!" Dad grits out and I knew this must have been very important to postpone. "I have an important thing to say. So come here and your mom misses you." Dad barked impatiently and I sigh.

I missed mom too and it's been a while since I went to visit them.

I moved out when I was 21 and bought my own condo.

"Alright." I agreed, then he ended the call.

That's my dad. And why would I be surprised. I was like him. In everything, as my mom always tells me. And mom always mad because dad spoiled me when I was a kid until I grew up. Just when I became the favorite topic of all the magazines in Greece that dad started to bark at me, and I knew mom had pissed him off already always telling him, "stop spoiling your son".

Grunting loudly, I lazily got out of my bed and made my way to the washroom to have a shower, ignoring my aching head.

After a long shower, I quickly got changed and headed out.

Soon enough, I was inside my latest sleek orange Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 with scissored doors, emerging with the traffic and damn at ten in the morning, the traffic is pretty bad. Dad's estate is like a half hour, away from the busy city.

I turned the radio on and a new song was on. I have no idea who sang it and I just listened as I tap the steering with my fingers- with the beat, as I drive slowly moving with the slow traffic.

The only consolation driving slowly is that my car gets so many glances from the people around me. Hoots and compliments have been thrown into me as I pass by them. Women give me their million-dollar watt smiles and I just smirk.

Women and money plus fame, never forget that. I thought to myself.

After like hours and hours of driving, finally, I pulled into the ironworks gate and Jorge salutes at me as I pulled into the long curvy driveway, just giving him a light nod of acknowledgment, ignoring his apprehensive smile.

I park right in front of the mansion and tossed the key to our Valet and I walk inside. Mom is already in the grand foyer, looking magnificent always in her midnight blue knee length fitted bodycon that shows off her curve. She doesn't seem to grow old. Still my sexy mom with whom my dad had fallen head over heals as they the years past passes by.

Dad still madly in love with her so was she.

"Welcome home, son." Mom said sarcastically and I just gave her a small smile and pulled her for a hug.

"Adelfós!" Natalia ran to give me a hug as well. She looks so like mom, beautiful and still hyper.

"Iya..." I smiled and swept her off her feet as I hug her. She's just 5'8 and slender like mom, but they look shorter when closer to me. I'm tall. A bit taller than dad.

Natalia was still giggling when I put her down on her feet. She's still acting like a kid at her age, twenty.

"I'm glad you visited us," she pouts and I laughed.

"Did mom also brainwashed you?" I teased and mom smacks my head, bearably.

"Don't ever talk like I'm the villain here!" Mom snaps at me, and I laugh. Mom was still the fireball and I respect her.

"Sorry, mom." I grinned and she just widened her eyes with a warning.

"Where's the twins?" I tried to drop the topic as I curled my hands around her neck and kisses her cheeks, trying to comfort her and she smiled. She always loves us. When it comes to her kids, her smiles are the sweetest smile you've ever seen.

"Oh, those two. They give me a headache with their fighting all the time." Mom complained but with a wide smile.

"Let's go to the library. Your dad is waiting for you." Mom gave me a saccharine smile and my heart skips a beat. Something is oddly wrong here. And that smile I never saw in her face only when there's something fishy going on.

Then I heard the ringing of the phone.

"Nat, please take the call baby." Natalia nodded and went on to take the call while mom led me to the library.

The library is at the end of the hallway, to the right when you walk in the door. Passing through doors, we finally reach the wide tall double doors. I push the door open and let mom walk in first then I followed her.

Dad was still on the phone when we both walk in. Mom walks straight to where dad's sitting behind his mahogany cinnamon color rectangular desk and the two as usual shared a hard lingering kiss.

I almost gag.

Seriously these two never failed to show their love and adoration at each other. Dad pulled mom on his lap and I rolled my eyes.

Great, I'm going to watch their kissing, cuddling, and sweetness that always irks me, though I'm happy they are still in love, but sometimes too distracting and annoying already.

"Alright, we will see you at dinner buddy." Dad ended the call and face me while mom still sitting on his lap.

My face is disgruntled as I watch the two and waited for this important meeting that dad couldn't wait for tonight.

"I'm glad you came home." Dad started. His face matches my face.

Cold and dangerous. I'm like seeing my future self in a mirror as I stared at his sea green eyes like mine.

We are alike, in every way and angle. Dad still had his body maintained due to every day in the gym with his best friend/ partner Demetrio.

Sometimes, I joined them if Alexandros couldn't make it.

"Thanks, dad," I said lazily. I was trying to hold on my temper at bay. I don't want to piss dad even more, than what he looks right now.

"I want to give the CEO position of the PP Holdings to you," dad declared coldly and I look at him, too curious as to why?

He loves what he's doing and he's still strong to work. I'm happy with my position right now, but I always wanted to be the CEO of the half of the PP Holdings. My excitement rushes within me.

"But-" I look at dad as he stared at me and I felt discomfort. I knew there's a condition and I don't like the sound of it, "you have to marry Victoria."

"What .... WHAT?" I stood up angry, clenching my jaws as I stared at him in disbelief.

He looks unfazed and his demeanor never changed.

"Sit down, Nicolai. I'm not done yet!" Dad snaps at me and mom was just watching us. Too comfortable sitting on dad's lap while dad was running his palm on her arm.

"We wanted to keep the company intact. Give it a try. Victoria is not bad. She's beautiful and sexy. Boys are swarming around her, and besides you're not dating anyone. Who knows you will both fall in love in the process?" Dad explained and I sat back down, feeling more exhausted and the throbbing pain in my head, starting to resurface.

"Why Victoria? Why not Elle?" I said absentmindedly as I stared in his eyes.

A smile broke into dad's lips.

"You know Elle is too young, and Demi wouldn't want his princess to get married yet." Dad explains and I rolled my eyes.

"Vicky is out of control, dad." I uttered feeling getting more headache as I thought about it.

"That's one of the reasons why we wanted you two to get married. Maybe each one of you can tame each other."

"She's hopeless, dad!" I retorted. I just wish it was Elle. I like her, she's timid and easy to go along with and not too flashy.

Mom rolled her eyes. "Well you two matches, since you are hopeless too." Mom piped in looking unimpressed with my remarks and I just brushes it off.

Dad spoke. "There's always hope, Nico." Dad grinned and look at mom adoringly. I rolled my eyes at them.

Of course.

"What if I fell in love with another girl?" I asked out of the blue, but the thought of falling in love makes my skin crawl in disgust.

"Then, we will break the engagement." Dad shrugs his shoulders.

My forehead furrowed. "How about the shame we will bring to Victoria?" I asked, too confuse and curious.

"Same goes with her. If she found her one true love, then she can break the engagement." Dad explains and I thought it's fair.

Why not try?

I will definitely start giving these women a try and try to find a love in it.

Gosh, I hated this.

But the thought of promoting to be the CEO is more exciting.

"Alright." I agreed.

Dad and mom's smile widened as they look at each other happily.

"Good. We have dinner at their house tonight for the announcement." Dad said and my eyes widened.

"So it's all settled then before you talk to me?" I snap at him and he just chuckled.

"Yes, son. Now get out so I can have your mom all by myself. Get ready tonight!" Dad glared at me and I rolled my eyes shaking my head in disbelief.

"Please dad, mom, use some protection. Ember and Markus are old enough to be followed." I glared at them and they just laugh at me.

I left the room giving them space and headed to my old room, thinking to just sleep again.

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Victoria Pallos' POV

I was sitting on the love seat in my room, a small mini-setting just before the balcony with my laptop on my lap as I look on the new catalogs of the Flamy that came out as I was one of the models and my heart sunk when I saw I wasn't in the cover.

I didn't get in the cover.

Last year I was, now it's Petrina Bratcher got it. The Flamy's Clothing is one of the well-known stylist and high- quality clothing line and has thousands of stores worldwide. I work with them multiple times already, modeling their clothing for their catalog every season and I was once in the front cover and now, Petrina got it.

Dammit! I hissed and went on my emails for all the agencies I work for and found few emails. I decided to check it later to see what's next project I'm going to do.

I sigh.

I folded my mac pro laptop and place it on the love seat and made my way to the bedside table and grab my phone sitting on it and sat on the edge of the bed.

Then I saw a missed call from Alexandros Mailov.

What does he want from me now? After ditching me in that party with another girl? How dare him!

Instead of calling Clara Bell Valiente, one of my best friends I dialed Alexandros.

"What do you need?" I snapped without preamble.

I heard him chuckled and again, I felt my heart hyperventilating. His voice is so smooth, confident and sexy, sounding so relax.

Damn this guy.

"I just want to say sorry, my ice queen." He's always confident and it really pisses me off.

Sorry, my ass.

"You should have just told me the truth, instead of lying!" I spat as I huffed furiously.

I hate him so much and so myself for letting him play my feelings. He will pay my wrath.

My family never knew about our relationship when we were in high school. He broke up with me one day saying he doesn't really love me because he loves someone. I was so broken.

I had to date a lot of guys until dad and mom decided to send me to boarding school in London, in my midyear of high school. And when I came back, I was the different Victoria.

Cold and heartless, bitch and revengeful.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Ask me anything and I'll do it. Just forgive me." His voice is low and I sense pain, but I don't know.

Who knows?

Alexandros Mailov is the epitome of SEX-STARVED. He would date any human with a skirt and ditch them the next day after getting what he's after for. And those bitches just kept on coming even if they knew they wouldn't last a week and not even a pint of conscience this jerk would feel for them.

He did it to me. He was my first boyfriend and nobody knew it because he wants it secret and I couldn't argue because I don't want my parents to get angry too since I was still young. I didn't think anything negative why he wanted to hide it. That jerk was dating another one while we are on.

Hitting two birds with one stone.

Gosh... I really hate him!

"I should have learned my lesson the first time you ditch me with someone." I uttered with so much pain in my voice. I heard silence from the other line, but I went on and on. "I think I will just stop talking to you and seeing you." I finally said it.

I've been mulling to say that and do it.

Stay away from him. Avoid him like a plague as long as I can do and completely forget him.

"Fine. .. Again, I'm sorry Vicky." His pained voice is evident and he ended the call. I felt hurt and broken. He just agreed. Just like that. It was too easy for him.

I felt the tears rolled down my cheeks and I wipe it out, heaving a heavy painful sigh, I tried to concealed that hurt, broken feelings with nothing. Null, void feelings.

My face pasted a cold facade as I always wear. A cold exterior, impenetrable.

A knock on my door drags me back of my trance.

"Coming," I said coldly as I stood up and fixed my red mini dress that clung sexily with my slender body. I opened the door and mom was standing in my door frame, looking stunning in her lilac sleeveless maxi dress.

"You looks beautiful, honey." Mom beamed at me and I smiled at her. She's always the sweet mom, although she could be a tough one if it needed, especially when dad is doing something she never likes.

Speaking of dad. He always makes me feel bitter because I felt like he adores Elle more than me. I always find myself competing with Elle. I felt rebellious when he started telling me that I hang out with wrong friends. They didn't know they weren't my real friends.

They were just there to fill the void my true friends emptied since we were all far away.

I needed someone to accompany me to bars to get myself drunk and forget about my troubles. They aren't my friends, since they also slept with my ex-boyfriend, aka man-whore Alexandros.

Dad always sees my failing actions, and not where I excel. He always points out what's wrong with me, but never complimented what I did right.

Everything with Elle is perfect.

"Honey, are you alright?" Mom puts the back of her hand close to my forehead and she sighs with relief. " I thought you're sick, honey. You were zoned out and looks sad." She continued on, dropping her hand on her side, with her eyes still trained on me.

"I'm fine mom." I responded and she nodded. "You look beautiful mom. You never seemed to age." I complimented and smile, putting my other hand around her shoulder and led her to the stairs.

"Thanks, honey. So do you!" She chuckled and we both walk down the staircase letting her paced down as I followed her.

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Everyone sat around the oval long dining table in the formal dining room after a long happy chattering between my family and the Petropoulis family. Dad and mom sat beside each other in the middle chair, while theíos Nick and theía Addy sat on the other end of the table.

Nicolas sat beside me because dad said so and I quirked my eyebrow in curiosity, but I bit back my tongue not wanting to ask to fill my curiosity.

Natalia, Ember Lynne, and her twin Markus seated together. Luke seated alone leaving a spot between him and mom. Then I realized my sister Elle is not present yet.

That is strange.

She was never late.

Was she okay? Even though sometimes I hate her for taking all the credits, I still love her. She's my sister after all.

Shortly, Burt our butler announced her arrival and my eyebrow cocked up. She really knows how to get attention.

I smirk.

When she walks in, my eyes almost popped out from its socket.

She's wearing a black sleeveless pleated mini dress and it looks gorgeous on her. Even with her eyeglasses on, she is really beautiful. Her gray eyes I always envied that I wish I had.

She still looks shy. I wonder what motivated her to a sudden makeover. Dad and mom so as Luke was also surprised. She never wears clothes that were too revealing or shows skin. They usually argued and mom about her clothing, to which dad approved her sense of fashion.

I thought the surprised ends there, but then it went on. Dad and uncle Nicolas drop the bomb.

Dad made a fake cough. "This dinner is set up because we wanted to announce an important event between this family." Dad started and he shifted his gaze to me.

I suddenly have an idea as my eyes met Nicolai's eyes. My eyes were asking him if he knew what's going on, and I'm hoping he gets the message, but he only gave me a poker face.

Since they arrived, he never showed any emotions, but his ruthless, cold exterior.

Suddenly, it was so quiet that even a pin drops you could hear.

"We wanted to keep the family business between this family so we decided to plan a wedding." Nicolas continued on and I knew it.

Oh God.. Nicolai is not hard to love. I had a crush on him too before. Maybe if Alexandros didn't court me, I would have dated him, but I knew his ways.

"My son, Nicolai will be wed with Victoria-" Suddenly, Elle's cough took all the attention as she incessantly coughs with her head down low. She looks like she's struggling, then she excused herself.

Mom, dad, theia Addy asked her if she's ok and she said yes and then left. Mom excuses herself and followed Elle, looking worried. Dad just nods and watch mom's back until she's out of sight. I knew dad wants to go and see her, but he doesn't want to leave our guest.

Then, shortly the conversation went on about the wedding. I'm still lost and couldn't think. Why, me?

Why not Elle?

God, I am arranged with Nicolai Petropoulis. Another man-whore.

They are friends and Alexandros, what so surprising?

"So what do you think, Victoria?" Dad's excited voice. I could see the pride shimmering in his eyes and I couldn't turn him down. Maybe when saying yes, he would appreciate it and looks highly on me and be proud of me.

And maybe, I would forget Alexandros and would definitely learn to love Nicolai. I had a crush on him before so it's not hard.

What would he thought when he found out I was engaged to his best friend, Nicolai?

"Vicky, honey?" Dad's expectant voice drags me out of my trains of thoughts.

"If Nicolai will agree, then yes dad." I gave him a small smile.

"Then it's settled. You two can pick the date whenever you want it." Nicolas said excitedly and then he propose a toast.

After all the excitement between the two best friend, Nicolai's face never altered.

Still the cold Nicolai.

He never smiles and never seen him smiled yet ever since I met him. Still the cold brooding ass.

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Nicolai Petropoulis' POV

The conversation went on and on as we eat in the Pallos' dining room. Once in a while my eyes involuntarily sneaking to see Elle. I can't believe her transformation except her distracting glasses covering her beautiful gray eyes.

She looks so sexy in her mini dress.

Her legs are flawless, and I could feel myself turning on just by staring at her exposed broad sexy shoulders. I'm just glad that the table cloth is covering my crotch, but the discomfort I felt while finding an angle to lessen the unpleasant feelings.

Good lord, why are you doing this to me?

And she's twenty, well not too young, but still.

Her sweet innocent face kept taunting me.

I can't touch her. She's not like those girls I bedded. I chastised myself for thinking about her.

Ignoring her, I tried to focused myself on Victoria, but still found my eyes sneaking to Elle's direction and she looks sad, for some reason.

Suddenly, I heard Elle's coughing and I wanted to get closer to her and rub her back and soothe her, but I kept my ass in my chair. Glancing once in a while at her. I couldn't see her eyes since it was trained on her lap and excused herself with her head hanging down low.

Theia Yvonne followed her with worries written all over her face.

Everything went in a blur, not saying anything as I just nod my head whenever they talk to me. Dad and theios Demi settled the engagement. To my surprise, Victoria agreed. I was expecting her to throw fits and even get myself ready for her outburst, but it never came.

A lot of surprises with the two Pallos' ladies today.

Victoria was tame today while Elle blooms into a beautiful flower.

This is fun, I must say, and getting interesting.

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A/N: Here you go SC readers.

Hope it's not bad. I was so sleepy last night I couldn't finish it. So I decided to finish and update this morning while sipping my coffee.

I hope you all like it.

Please leave your comment, will help to get this in the hotlist.

Thank you and again, this is another rough draft. So expect all sorts of errors, I apologize.

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Thank and have fun reading!