A Bride for the Billionaire

The General Meeting of Jonas Enterprise Shareholders has yet to reach a consensus. Shareholders objected to Mrs. Sonya Jonas relinquishing the CEO position and appointing Andrew Jonas to replace her.

"How will the fate of this family company be in the hands of someone with no heir?" Arthur Jonas reiterated the argument.

Mrs. Sonya looked at him with anger. If it weren't for the fact that he was her late husband's brother, she might have ordered security to kick him out of the meeting room long ago.

"What do you mean by no successor?" Mrs. Sonya asked sarcastically.

Adam Jonas, her late husband, was the one who founded this company. Therefore, it's only natural to appoint Andrew Jonas to the highest leadership position in the company. Andrew is the only grandson she has, the sole heir to the business empire established by Adam.

"Mrs Sonya, please don't misunderstand. We are all family here. We don't want this family's company to fall into the hands of outsiders, right?" Arthur said.

Mrs. Sonya is about to turn seventy soon. She feels it's only fitting to step down from the leadership position in the company and ask Andrew to take over so that she can enjoy her old age more leisurely. At times like this, she laments the tragic death of her only son, Harris, in a car accident. The family has been blessed with abundant wealth but not with many descendants.

"Don't worry. This company will not fall into the hands of outsiders," Mrs. Sonya replied in a low and profound tone.

"The continuity of this company must be preserved," Arthur said again. He is the youngest brother of the late Adam and the most ambitious one to take over the company. "We all regret Harris's death, but you must still fulfil the CEO's duties in times like this. If you decide to pass this responsibility to Andrew, what guarantee do we have that the company will still be under control twenty years from now? Or should we change the company's rule stating that the highest leadership position must come from Adam's lineage? Andrew seems uninterested in getting married and having children. After all, what's the difference between Adam's lineage and mine? We are all Jonas."

Participants in the meeting whispered to each other after hearing Arthur's opinion. Since the company's establishment, it has been an initial agreement that the majority shareholder and the highest leadership position must be from Adam Jonas's lineage. However, since Harris Jonas's death ten years ago, Mrs. Sonya had to take over the CEO position while preparing Andrew to replace her.

"Mrs. Sonya, I think what Arthur said is not wrong," Alpha, Adam's second brother, spoke up this time. "Shouldn't we just abolish that silly rule so that we can prepare our other children even if Andrew is uninterested in getting married and having descendants?"

"What do you mean uninterested in having descendants?" Mrs. Sonya retorted loudly, startling everyone in the meeting room.

This company was built from scratch by Adam Jonas without anyone's help. Mrs Sonya still vividly remembers the ridicule from her husband's brothers, who thought she was crazy for dreaming of establishing a shopping centre in the middle of a plantation. When one supermarket stood and attracted crowds of visitors, her husband's brothers came closer and asked to join one by one. When the number of shopping centres established by Adam Jonas exceeded the number of fingers on his hand, he decided to distribute some of the shares to his brothers.

"I've already decided that Andrew will succeed me," Mrs Sonya said firmly. "And my decision is final."

"But..." Arthur tried to interrupt.

"You don't need to worry," Mrs Sonya added before Arthur could finish his sentence. "Andrew will be getting married soon. He will get married before my birthday."

Arthur looked surprised at Mrs Sonya's statement. How is it possible that Andrew will get married? Has he already proposed to Rose William? That woman should not marry and give children to Andrew.

Mrs. Sonya stood up from her chair. "I believe today's meeting is over." She left the room, leaving behind the buzzing whispers of the meeting participants.

***

Rose William walked gracefully into the restaurant on the rooftop of a five-star hotel. Her maroon V-neck dress perfectly complemented her ten-centimetre stiletto heels, making her look like a Greek goddess. She approached a table and saw a young man in a blue tuxedo smiling at her.

"Are you booking the whole restaurant again?" Rose approached her lover.

"Of course. I won't let interruptions spoil our romantic dinner," Andrew Jonas stood up and welcomed Rose, gently kissing her cheek. He then pulled the chair before her and gestured for her to sit.

"I prefer dining in public places. There are many girls stealing glances at you," Rose said.

Andrew chuckled at Rose's statement. "No other girl can divert my attention from you," he said. He picked up a wine glass and took a sip.

"I know, but I enjoy seeing those girls look at you with hope and give me cold stares," Rose said, sipping her wine. "So, what's so important that you booked the entire restaurant just for us?"

"The night is still young, Sweetheart. Let's eat first," Andrew glanced at the waiter standing by the corner of the room, signalling him to serve the main course.

"I'm inquisitive," Rose said. "Do I have to wait until after dinner?"

"Your patience will be rewarded, Sweetheart," Andrew replied warmly.

There was nothing Rose could do but return the warm smile. Andrew's smile was something she loved the most in the world. Andrew rarely smiled; he always seemed cold and aloof. However, no one could doubt his handsomeness. It took Rose a year to see Andrew's smile.

Rose reminisced about the night when she was first officially introduced to Andrew. Who didn't know Andrew? He wasn't a celebrity like Rose; he would never attend parties or social events if they weren't related to the company. But Andrew's reputation was well-known among various circles in the city, from business people to celebrities. Being the sole heir of Jonas Enterprise, with a face and body that seemed to be sculpted to perfection, made Andrew the most wanted bachelor in the entire region.

Frida Jonas played the most significant role in bringing Rose and Andrew together. Frida introduced Rose to her nephew during the inauguration of one of Jonas Enterprise's shopping centres.

"Andrew, this is Rose. Nick's niece," Nick William was Frida Jonas's husband. "She's a top model. Beautiful, isn't she?"

Rose distinctly remembered how Andrew only glanced at her briefly before turning his attention back to the MC hosting the event. Rose knew a lot about Andrew Jonas. The woman had yet to succeed in getting close to him. It was as if an impenetrable wall surrounded him, making him cold and unreachable.

For Andrew, all women were the same. Would they still approach him and swarm like flies if he wasn't the sole heir of Jonas Enterprise? That's why he chose not to get involved with any woman. He preferred to expend his energy on work and advancing the company.

"Relax, Rose," Frida whispered when she saw the disappointment in Rose's face. "Auntie will help you win Andrew's heart. If there's any woman who should marry Andrew, it's you."

Frida Jonas proved her words. One year after their first meeting, Andrew invited Rose to a romantic dinner and expressed his feelings for the beautiful girl. Rose instantly became the happiest woman in the city. Newspapers and gossip columns displayed Andrew's face having dinner with Rose. Since then, every woman has looked at Rose with envy, hoping to take her place.

Their relationship had been going on for almost five years. Rose followed Frida Jonas's advice on everything she needed to do to win Andrew's heart.

"Andrew likes tenacious, independent, strong-willed, and smart women. Those are all traits that his mother had, and he will certainly look for a woman like that to accompany him."

From then on, Rose always tried to appear independent whenever she was with Andrew. She drove her car, carried her shopping bags, and even cooked independently. Occasionally, she would cook for Andrew and bring the food to his office. Gradually, these efforts made Andrew open his heart to Rose. The final step that made Andrew confident in Rose was when she expressed her intention to pursue a master's degree in communication. Andrew fully supported Rose's desire, but she had not realized her initial plan.

"Cappelletti di Agnello con Crema di Parmigiano eTartufo, tonight's special menu." A chef approached the table and began to serve the dinner. "Cioccolato Albicocche eMenta for dessert. Mr. Andrew didn't order an appetizer."

"We should head straight to the main course as there's something important we'll discuss afterwards," Andrew smiled at Rose.

"Okay then," the chef replied politely. "Please enjoy your dinner, Sir and Madam. Excuse me."

Once the chef disappeared behind the door, Andrew spoke up again. "So, will you apply for the master's program this month?"

Upon hearing Andrew's question, Rose nearly choked on her food. She quickly reached for the glass beside her and drank the red wine until it was gone.

"Are you okay?" Andrew looked concerned.

"I'm fine, darling," Rose said. "I have a fashion show in London a few months from now. I'm worried that if I enrol in the master's program this year, I won't have enough time."

Andrew nodded, trying to understand Rose's reason. What made him fall in love with Rose was not only her beauty but also her strong determination. Andrew was impressed when Rose expressed her desire to continue her master's degree. She said she didn't want to be a model forever. She wanted to build and run her own business. The stereotype of beautiful girls having no brains did not apply to Rose.