17 – The Contract is Signed

The young woman stepped cautiously into her mentor's hospital room (following Hamir closely), her heart pounding in her chest. Her mentor had been in the hospital for quite some time now, and the prognosis had not been good. She was relieved to find him awake and alert, a small smile on his face as he looked up at her.

Qaya watched silently, with a small smile on her face, as Hamir scolded his father for not taking proper care of himself and giving all of them a fright!

President Goldstein listened obediently to his son, and when Hamir was finally done, he turned to look at Qaya.

"Ah, my protégé – my little Qaya," he said, his voice still a little weak and not as robust as Qaya had become used to hearing over the last decade. "It's so good to see you again, and so soon, too. I'm feeling much better, thanks to the wonderful care of the doctors here. Don't listen to Hamir, he tends to worry a bit too much, and he's probably pulled you into it as well."

Hamir glared at his father and Qaya chuckled.

"Who's fault is it that I am worrying too much? Who was the one saying things like his last wishes and impending death and all?" Hamir demanded.

President Goldstein smiled guiltily. "Sorry, sorry," he murmured. "I'll stick to the diet, just get me out of here, please!" He looked at Qaya balefully. "I really am fine, Qaya, I just want to go home!"

The so-called icewoman smiled warmly, wiping a tear from her eye. "I'm so glad, President," she said softly. "I was so worried, and Hamir was even more worried than me."

The President sighed and nodded. "I know. But I'm going to be okay. And I'm so proud of you and all the progress you've made while I've been away – both of you," he said gently. "And most of all, I am so, so happy that the two of you listened to me and decided to get married! Little Qaya, let me officially welcome you into the Goldstein family, and I promise you that I will be personally taking you to the headquarters of the Goldstein Group and show you around very soon!"

Qaya blushed, her heart swelling. "Thank you," she said. "It's been hard for everyone without you."

The President smiled. "Well, now I'm back. And we can continue making progress together," he said to her with a cheeky wink.

Qaya nodded, feeling a deep sense of relief wash over her. She had been so worried about her mentor, but now she could see for herself that he was doing much better. She knew that with his help, she would be able to continue growing and learning in the coming months, and she would be able to protect Hamir and his passion, just like the President wanted. As for her personal troubles, she had already made adequate preparations to delay them to next year before coming to Z Country.

She turned to Hamir. "Is it ok to take the President home now?" she asked.

Hamir tapped his chin thoughtfully, amused at the puppy dog expression of his father, who was known as the most powerful businessman in the world in current times.

"You stay here and be a good boy, Papa," Hamir said finally. "If you behave yourself for a full day, I will make arrangements for your discharge tomorrow. And if you get yourself ill again because of your own lack of care, I swear I'll stick you in the hospital for an entire year!" he threatened.

President Goldstein smiled at his son and winked at his soon to be daughter in law.

Hamir kept his promise and the President was discharged the next day. The news of his discharge had leaked, though!

The streets of the city were lined with cheering supporters as President Goldstein stepped out of the hospital. He waved to the crowd and smiled, looking healthier and more confident than ever.

The President, escorted by Hamir and Qaya, was greeted by his friends and employees and well-wishers, who were all overjoyed to see him back home and healthy again. The President was the epitome of a healthy, powerful figure as thanked the crowd for their love and support throughout his recovery, and thanked the hospital staff for taking such good care of him.

The President was then escorted to his limousine, where he climbed in and waved once more to the crowd. The car drove away slowly through the cheering crowd, and the President looked out of the window and smiled. He was finally going back home and ready to get back to work.

Once they reached home, President Goldstein led Hamir and Qaya to the drawing room. He sat down in his armchair, his son and his fiancée sitting on the sofa opposite him. He smiled fondly at the two of them and began to speak.

"My dears, I have been married for many years and I have seen enough to know the secrets of a happy marriage. The first is to never take each other for granted and always let each other know how much you care. The second is to always be kind and understanding, never letting anger get the best of you. Third is to always be honest, even when it's hard. Lastly, always keep the flame of your love alive. Go out on dates and show each other how much you appreciate one another," he said softly.

He paused, looking at the two of them with love in his eyes, while Hamir and Qaya simply looked confused. Why was the President talking about love? Theirs was simply a contract marriage.

"The paperwork is ready," the President said, smiling slightly. "Thomas will come over with the lawyer soon."

As if on cue, Thomas – the President's assistant, entered, followed by a well dressed lady, who Qaya was already familiar with. She was the head of the legal department of the entire Goldstein Group, and a close friend of the President.

Hamir and Qaya looked a little nervous and shy.

The lawyer put the marriage contract on the table in front of Hamir and Qaya, and explained the clauses and conditions to them.

Hamir took a deep breath and looked at Qaya. He smiled slightly and she smiled back, her cheeks going slightly pink.

Hamir then looked back down at the contract and signed it with a flourish, finishing the paperwork and making their marriage official.

Qaya followed suit and signed the contract, a tiny smile gracing her lips. After she signed, Hamir reached out and held her hand, giving it a small squeeze.

Both sat there, still a little shy and a little happy, in the knowledge that their lives were now officially intertwined – at least for one year.