One

Amelia heard a knock on her office door, she looked up to see it was Jemma, her personal assistant and secretary. "Yes Jemma," she answered.

"Ms. Cotton, Mr. Connor is here for the merger meeting, I must warn you, he is darn good looking," Jemma said fanning herself.

Mr. Albert Connor, the strongest Alpha in the United States of America and the CEO of CIL, Connor's International Limited, a company that does everything and Amelia's biggest rival in the events planning industry in her small country of Trinidad, an island in the Caribbean.

"Are there any conference room free for the meeting now?"

"To be honest, with all the events happening over this weekend, all the conference rooms are full with all the planning material and decoration."

"That is okay, we would have to make my office do for the meeting then. Is everything prepared for the meeting as yet?"

"You give Jenny the day off so I was only able to get a few cookies in the shop across the street."

"That would have to do, what about things to drink?"

"There is orange, sorrel and guava pineapple orchard juice in the refrigerator, do you have any particular flavor you want?"

"Bring some water, glass for four of us and all the juice since we not too sure which one he might drink."

"Yes boss, I am my way," Jemma said handing Amelia her notepad before she hurried to the kitchen to get the snacks and drinks.

In her office, Amelia ensured that there were five chairs, two on the opposite side encase Mr. Connor brought a colleague with him, one for Malcolm since it was a very strong Alpha that was having the meeting with her and Jenny, her personal assistant. Amelia stood and straightened her black pants suit, and tried to calm herself, because from the research she did, Alpha Connor was a very aggressive man that had a no none sense attitude, he was also a person that prefer his way of things to happen to suit him, and she needed the courage to face that man.

From her office, she heard Malcolm locking the main entrance door, she also heard him trying to calm the staff. Amelia had done many events for many different types of races but there was never a man that was like Mr. Connor to approach her in the ten years that she managed the company. She knew that, that meeting could have some dire consequences if it did not go the way the man wanted it to go.

Malcolm entered the office with Tracy Jackson in a creams mid-thigh skirt suit that hugged her like a second skin, blonde hair and sky blue eyes and behind them was Albert Connor about six feet five inches. He was wearing a black suit, black tie and a white shirt. Amelia avoided having eye contact with Albert which seemed to irritate Albert because he wanted her to look into his eyes, he wanted to confirm that the scent of her was not denying him that he finally found her, his second half.

At that moment he felt the determination to acquire the company so that he can take over her business and have her work for him. He wanted her close to him but he had to see what she had to offer. Malcolm pulled the chair for Tracy to sit on, and walked to the chair on the right side of Amelia. Amelia was about to introduce herself and Malcom when Jemma walked in with the tray filled with a plate of chocolate chipped cookies, five glasses and the three different flavored orchard juice.

"Oh my god, is this what you serve your clients when they visit," Tracy asked with disgust in her voice and face.

"We are sorry but our caretaker was given a day off today," Jemma said.

"Huh, I know we sent notice before that we would be coming today, you didn't even prepare lunch for us. Now if this was our company, we would have prepared lunch and dessert as well as tea," Tracy said as she tried to make them feel poor.

"Ms. Jackson watch your mouth," Albert whispered in her ear. Hearing her speak was irritating him more as the second go by.

"Good day Mr. Connor, I am CEO of MEPC, Amelia Cotton, to my left is my personal assistant, Jemma Peters and to my left is my security guard, Mr. Malcolm Bernard," Amelia started with an introduction as she wanted to ease the tension in the small office space as she extended her hand to shake Albert's hand.

"I am Tracy Jackson, Mr. Connor personal assistant and I would be doing the talking since Mr. Connor is a man of limited words," as she shook Amelia outstretched hand.

"Jemma and I had draft a merger contract for the two companies, we are also open for any terms and agreement. We are fortunate enough that your company noticed our company in this small island."

"About the merger, there would be no merger, instead we came here to buy this small company of yours, what do you say one million?" Tracy started, wanting to get out of this building that had more humans than anything.

"Sorry, the company is not for sale," Amelia replied to cut her short.

"Two million, how about ten million?"

"No, it is not for sale," Amelia said, getting madder the higher the price went up, she would never sell the one thing that reminded her about her mother.

"Twenty million, that must be a lot for a small islander like you?"

"Still not for sale."

"Someone is getting greedy, did I say it would be US we are talking about?"

"It don't matter, it can be billions, trillions, gazillions, but it still will not be for sale."

"How unfortunate, the Connors' wouldn't be happy to hear that," Tracy said looking at Albert to hear what he had to say.

"I will agree if it is a merger, but nothing else," Amelia said getting up from her chair but then take up the merger agreement file on the desk and drop it in front of Albert. Albert instantly looked up and see that she was looking at him to hear what he had to say.

Albert took up the file and flipped through it, he wanted to read what she had to offer but he couldn't concentrate on the paper work, her scent was driving him crazy, he wanted to claim her as his right there and then but there was a human in the room which wasn't good. He wanted to see how she would respond to him.

"I want to buy the company," Albert said breaking the silence in the office.

"Sorry, as I told your personal assistant just a few minutes ago, this company is not for sale."

"Then why should I merge my company with your small company that has little or no benefit to me?"

"There would be a higher chance for you to enter into our small country through merger since the citizens of Trinidad hate foreigners that enter and take away businesses of the locals."

"Still, I have my way to persuade them to become my clients."

"Even if there are many ways for you to persuade the citizens, the company is still not for sale."

"Why is that?"

"This company was established by my mother and is it the only thing that she had left in this world."

"Still not good enough for me. What would you gain if I merge you're your company?"

"My main interest is for my employees, here in Trinidad events planning are seasonal. During the Carnival season which is usually between February to March there are a lot of fetes which you all may call concerts, then during the June to September period is the wedding season, then late November to early January are the Christmas season. Also there are the few in between holidays but then there are times there wouldn't be any work, my employees need to have a job, during the down periods I would like the company to work with yours to help them have a steady income while during the seasons, we can slowly introduce your different products and services to our clients and help your business be established here."

"Sounds good but there is nothing really beneficial for me," Albert said looking at her face, he saw the disappointment and all hope lost. "There may be a way but it would have to change from just a merger, now we would have to include acquisition."

"How do we go about doing that?" Amelia asked with hope in her eyes and face.

"Mr. Connor, I don't think that is a good idea," Tracy said, hoping what she was thinking was not what he was implying.

"If we merge what would you gain?" Albert asked Amelia while ignoring Tracy.

"All I want if that the business name stays the same, fifty-fifty profit sharing, permanent employment for all my employees and probably a bigger and better building for the business, and I to remain the CEO."

"The fifty-fifty sharing, and permanent employment for your employees, I could work with that. As for the business name, that would change," Albert says looking at her.

"What? No, the name has to remain the same, I have worked very hard for ten years to save this company."

"Just listen, your company is still liable, it would still be named after your mother just it would be a limited company, so it would be MEPLC instead. As for being the CEO, we would both be CEOs so then we would be Co-CEOs. To become that Co-CEO, I already planned to purchase land, so I would still purchase the land, we would develop a building that would have a multiple amount of halls, a restaurant, and a headquarters for the company where all your employees would still have their own office space. I can also make the building big enough like a mall so that I can have a branch of all my other companies here in your country."

"Sounds good enough, what would I have to give to get this merger?"

"I am not finished. The building would be yours as well as all the other businesses in it. The profit sharing would be the same, fifty-fifty, just there is one thing that I would need."

"This sounds too good to be true," Jemma said in disbelief.

"There is a catch in it," Malcolm said.

"I agree, but I want to hear what it is."

"Marry me, like now and I would give you everything I promise. Just you would have to go with me back to America and I would send someone to manage and expand your company," Albert said.

"What if I don't?"

"Then there would be no merger and I would forcefully take the company from you and change the name completely."

"The only way I can keep the business and its name is through marriage?"

"Yes," Albert said.

"I agree then," Amelia said putting out her hand for him to shake.