Michael and Arabelle

Chapter 1

Michael

Travelling by rail from the French capital back to London had generated a lot of heat between Michael and his father.

"You can't travel by public means. Have you forgotten who you are?" His father argued

"But dad am 22 years old no longer a child. I have a master's degree in business economics and run this multi-billion company of ours and you believe I can't be able to survive a train trip? Michael almost shouted.

"That's just the point. We have a lot of enemies and an opportunity by some of our rivals to do you harm is very tempting considering that you are our only child?"

"Now, boys. What is the uproar all about. You both seem as if you are going to go at each other's throat very soon. Discuss your issues like the well-bred men you both are." Michael's Mother joined them from the kitchen where she had been supervising the kitchen hands.

Alice Daniel was a strikingly beautiful women and not showing any of her 47 years. She could pass of comfortably as 30 years of age. Her husband Malcolm Daniels, head of Daniel Industries and a self-made man, was also a pleasant sight to look upon. Tall and well-built with features of a Greek god made many a men stumble with words when faced by his glare. But not his son who could be mistaken to be his kid brother as they both were well-built and of the same height though the father had a bigger body frame. Mr. Daniel as he was commonly referred to did not show any of his 50 years.

He had built his company from scratch from shrewd investments on the stock market and hotel industry. The family wealth built over an period of 20 years spread of from Britain, France Germany and America.

What disturbed Mr. Daniels so much was that his headstrong son wanted to jeopardize everything by making a trip by public transport instead of using their family jet as he always did. Furthermore he wanted to make it by train; a two day train journal from France to London via the English Channel. The threats to his safety would be numerous, even the two body guards assigned to him would be useless in the face a planned attack on his life.

"Your son here wants to travel by train to France to check on our newest hotel acquisition at Nimes. Can you make it clear to him the repercussions of such a decision?" His father pleaded with his wife.

"Ok, I will go by jet. We are already wasting precious time making a fuss over nothing." Michael coincided because he knew his mother would surely change is mind. But he had his own plans.

Arabelle

Arabelle was in shock. How could her auntie and uncle be so evil? They had arranged a marriage between her and a local multimillionaire behind her back.

Arabelle's parents had died in a road crash fifteen years ago when she was only 3 years of age. How she survived, was a miracle as her parents vehicle was a total wreck. Her rescuers found her strapped in the back seat crying.

Her father's brother took her in as their child as they were the only kin and had no child of their own. Her aunt had complications in a system that made it impossible to have a child. The wealth of Arabelle's father was also an incentive to take in the child since the legal minds argued now that the child being in her uncle's, would automatically become here trustee even if Arabelle's father had not done up his will.

Arabelle's father had four retail stores and a supermarket which had built from scratch and his elder brother had lost his job due to irresponsibility.

As much as the accident was a sad affair for Arabelle's uncle, it was a blessing in disguise on the other had. And Arabelle's uncle and aunt did not take long to bring the business to its knees.