A Perfect Wife

The woman I saw in the mirror was beautiful. Her blonde hair was tied in a bun. An elegant chignon highlighting her oval face, bright gray eyes accentuated by expensive cosmetics, a subtle sheen on her lips, and the glimmer of pearls on her earlobes and neck. She continued to stare at herself for several minutes, unblinking. Then, abruptly, she stood up and turned around, the long skirt of her evening gown brushing the floor as she headed for the bedroom door. She couldn't delay any longer. Nikos didn't like being kept waiting. In his head, amidst the sadness of his life, an old saying kept going around: "Take what you want. Take it and pay for it." She swallowed as she went down the stairs. Well, she'd taken what she wanted and was paying for it. How was I paying for it… Six months before –Do you realize that, with your unsustainable financial situation, you have no choice but to sell, Diana? She clasped her hands in her lap, but did not respond. The St. Clair family attorney continued: –Unfortunately, they won't pay what it's worth because it's in poor condition, but you should get enough to live on. decently for the rest of your life. I'll contact the real estate agency and get it set in motion." Gerald Langley smiled, as if trying to encourage her. "I suggest you take a vacation, Diana. I know this is a bad time for you. Your father's death has been a terrible blow..." Gerald frowned. "But you have to face reality. The money you receive annually from shares and investments could pay for the upkeep of Greymont. You might have enough for the most necessary renovations, but the last appraisal you commissioned shows that urgent repairs are more expensive than we thought. After paying the death duties, you won't have any money left to do so, and there are no more works of art to sell because your grandfather sold most of them to pay his death duties and your father sold everything else to pay his." The man paused for breath. "So, unless you win the lottery, your only option would be to find a billionaire and marry him." The man stared at her silently for a few seconds and then continued his tirade: –As I said, I'll contact the real estate agency and… –Don't bother, Gerald –Diana interrupted him, getting up to go to the office door. –Where are you going? We have a lot to discuss. She turned to look at him without blinking, trying to hide her emotions. She would never sell her beloved Greymont, which meant everything to her. Never. Selling it would be disloyal to her ancestors and a betrayal of her father, of the sacrifice he had made for her. Greymont, she thought, feeling a pang of emotion, had provided her with the security and stability she'd needed as a child while dealing with the trauma of her mother's desertion. No matter what she had to do to keep Greymont, she'd do whatever it took. "There's nothing further to discuss, Gerald. And as for what I'm going to do, isn't it obvious?" she asked, pausing. "I'm going to find a millionaire." Nikos Tramontes stood on the balcony of his luxurious villa on the French Riviera, flexing his broad shoulders as he looked down at Nadya, who was swimming languidly in the pool. He had once liked looking at her because Nadya Serensky was one of the most beautiful models in the world, and he enjoyed being the only man with exclusive access to her charms. His relationship with her had sent a clear signal to the world: he had reached the top. He had acquired the enormous wealth that a woman like Nadya demanded from men. But now, two years later, her charms were starting to bore him, and no matter how much he commented on what a great couple they made, she with her flaming red hair and he with his impressive looks, the truth was that he had lost interest.