Kim Sunghoon sat at his enormous, elaborate desk in his well-appointed office on the twelfth floor of his building. He was staring at some figures and projections on his computer screen. While his corporation Kim Worldwide Incorporated had a solid reputation on its own, he knew that other companies established ties to each other. He knew that these ties tended to involve an advantageous marriage. Most people of the highest ranks married only those of the same rank. That's how wealth was maintained and increased.

Sunghoon had not followed that custom because KWI had been at the forefront of the hotel business industry since before he took over from his father. Therefore, Sunghoon had married not for dynastic purposes but for love--or what he imagined was love. He realized his mistake after his first wife left him. She had not been affiliated with a powerful family, so he was left with nothing to show for it. Except for his son.

For his second marriage, he went the traditional route and chose a woman whose family had some wealth and standing. Micha was pretty and well-connected. She was also fifteen years younger, and he would be a fool to think that she was madly in love with him. Not that he was in love with her either--he had learned from his first wife to keep his heart out of his relationships with women. A corporate wife was not meant to be a partner, just an asset.

But then her family's business had suffered some setbacks, and the connection was no longer as advantageous to him. He knew that leaving Micha was not an option at his age, so he had to think of another way to make sure his company regained a solid financial footing.

His eyes fell on a frame at the corner of his desk. The boy staring out from the picture was about thirteen or fourteen years old. He looked at another picture behind that one of a young man in a graduation cap and gown. The boy had grown into a devastatingly handsome man. He must be twenty-four now. He could not recall the last time he had seen his son in person. A smile broke out on his face.

He picked up his phone. "Mina, can you call the office of Fred Gettis? Yes, at Coastal. I would like to invite him to lunch. Check what day I have available. Let me know when the day is set." He put the phone down, knowing his efficient secretary would take care of all the details. Frederick Gettis' company had been on the upswing in the hospitality and entertainment industry, which coincided well with KWI's interests. The Gettis casinos and KWI's hotels seemed a good match. And so did their children. He had just read an article that Fred's daughter was just about to graduate from university. It was a perfect business opportunity.