Page 34 of The Billionaire's Last-Minute Marriage
But today was the day she had returned, tonight would be their wedding rehearsal and tomorrow he would stand in front of a crowd of people he barely knew and cement his position as one of them. Their wedding guest list included politicians, actors, even a couple of well-known rock stars. It was the kind of PR power move that he had long dreamed of.
The elite events team he’d hired had planned the weddings of royalty but still Xander had ensured certain accommodations were made for his bride. The team had been discreet and thorough, even arranging for a full run-through of the ceremony before the event itself.
Pandora had assured him that she was prepared for the pressures of such a large event and despite his own reservations he knew she would be. So why then did he suddenly wish they had planned something smaller? Something more intimate? Something...real.
The thought jarred him, making him rock back on his feet for a split second. He knew the terms of their marriage. He had set them, after all. They both knew what this was and what it could not be. Why then did he have the sneaking feeling that he had decided, in his usual way, that she somehow had become his?
He knew that was ridiculous, Pandora was not an object to be possessed, but whenever he thought of their deadline divorce date looming in the not-too-distant future...
But before he could finish up his working day and head off to the Hamptons, he had to deal with one minor annoyance in the form of his brother’s arrival in his office. He made Eros wait, his usual move when he wanted to maintain control of a meeting. Eros might be his brother but, as far as he was concerned, this was not a house call. There would only be one reason for Eros to come here when Xander had already had word that he’d been spotted in the Caribbean on honeymoon with his new wife.
As he stalked into the room to face Eros, he waited for any hint of resentment or anger at the fact that his brother had married his ex-fiancée, but nothing came. His and Priya’s match had been short-lived and strictly professional, after all. To his own surprise, he bit back the urge to congratulate his brother on his nuptials, but then remembered that they were still technically rivals in this race.
‘You look...tanned,’ he said simply.
‘You look like death warmed up. Clearly marriage has affected us in very different ways, brother.’ Eros quirked one brow, leaning back in his chair in a way that made Xander’s teeth grit hard.
Though there were only six years between them, Xander had always envied his younger brother’s youthful energy. He remembered the first day they met, and Eros had introduced himself loudly as the other bastard, much to their father’s horror. They hadn’t always been rivals. In fact, he would go so far as to say they had been friends once. Until Xander had been forced to make a choice that still haunted him to this very day.
‘I hear you’ve neglected to invite me to yet another one of your weddings?’
‘If you came here to ask for an invite, you could have just emailed.’
‘Don’t worry, your wife already ensured we were sent an invite. Priya has been video-calling her about renting office space when she returns to the city.’
Xander stilled. His wife and the woman who’d jilted him were working together? But strangely, it felt...nice. He imagined a future where he and Eros ran in the same circles once more, perhaps even had a friendly dinner party with their wives. Would it be strange?
He shook off the thought, knowing it was far too early to entertain such thoughts. He didn’t even know why Eros was here. He crossed his arms, staring out at the view he had coveted for most of his adult life, the view that was now his so long as he maintained control of the board. Eros had already informed him he’d forfeited his right to the inheritance; Nysio was still unmarried and determined to remain unconnected to the Mytikas name.
‘I have a wedding rehearsal to attend shortly,’ Xander said stiffly.
‘Well, then, allow me to get straight to the point.’ Eros stood up. Placing his tablet on the conference table, he tapped the screen a few times, then extended it for Xander to take a look.
Xander peered down, taking a moment to make sense of the charts and projections in his brother’s trademark chaotic organisation. But then he realised exactly what he was looking at...and his blood turned cold.
‘Arcum...’ he gritted. ‘You mean to tell me that the shadow corporation that’s been buying up Mytikas shares all over this city—that was you?’
‘That is correct. And you are Titan Corp.’ Eros’s face was devoid of humour for once, his expression one of utmost seriousness that reminded Xander of...himself.
‘How did you come by this information?’
‘For the past ten years, I’ve made it my business to know everything that my enemies have done.’
Taking a deep breath, Xander scanned the charts again. ‘If you are here to leverage me or try to buy me out...’
‘Let me clarify. Things are not the same now as they were fifteen years ago. Zeus is dead and through my relationship with Priya I’ve come to realise a great many things. She made me realise, rather.’ He smiled ruefully, then straightened. ‘I’m not here as your enemy, Xander. I’m here as your brother. I’ve contacted the Italian too. I have a plan to propose that I think may just change everything for all of us.’
And so Xander found himself seated side by side with his brother for the first time in more than a decade as Eros outlined the details of his proposal to conspire with his brothers in a coup that would shock the business world for evermore. Together they controlled the majority shares of Mytikas Holdings.
It was scandalous, it was aggressive...it was brilliant.
Zeus had always made it clear that his youngest son would have been his first choice to carry on the Mytikas name. Though technically Xander had been given the powerful name at birth by his socially reaching mother, he hadn’t truly felt as if it was his until Eros had left. With no one else there to challenge him, his victory had felt hollow.
His resentment for Zeus had only grown, fuelling him to investigate the accusations of corruption himself. Unlike Eros, Xander had the patience and foresight to play the long game. On the surface, he had been the dutiful son, Zeus’s right-hand man. But beneath all his blind faith he had been laying the foundations for this very moment. He had trapped the beast that was Mytikas Holdings in a snare of its own corruption and, in doing so, he had aimed to make himself their only possible saviour. But taking the glory for himself had never been the plan. He hadn’t been the only person that Zeus had hurt and therefore he wasn’t the only one who deserved a chance at retribution. His brothers did too.
‘What you are proposing is unheard of.’ Xander finally spoke after a long silence.
‘I don’t expect you to trust me,’ Eros said, his features hardening. ‘But considering our history, I didn’t need to bring this to you at all.’
