Making A Deal

Azriel walked into his mansion, his tailored suit and crisp white shirt perfectly pressed, his shoes polished to a mirror shine. He strode through the house, exuding an air of power and domination.

His mind was already working, planning his next business move, his eyes glinting with the excitement of combat in the boardroom.

But as he reached his study, Loan, stopped him with a worried look. "Master Azriel," he said, his voice low and serious. "I have some bad news. It's about your daughter."

Azriel's heart sank. Ever since his wife died, he had been trying to do his best for his children, but he was still learning how to be a father.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper.

"She's been crying all night," Loan said. "She won't eat, sleep, or bathe. And she won't go to school. I've tried to talk to her, but she won't say anything. I think she's very upset about something."

Azriel nodded, his brow furrowed. He knew that he had to do something, but he wasn't sure what.

He hadn't been paying enough attention to his daughter's emotional needs, he realized now. He had been too focused on work, on making more money, and on building his empire.

But he couldn't let his daughter suffer. "I would go see her right away."

The PA nodded and left the room as did he. Minutes later, he stood outside her door, gave a knock and walked into the room.

The small trembling figure of his daughter on her bed, accompanied by one of the servants caught Azriel's eyes and his heart broke as he saw his daughter's tear-streaked face, her eyes red and swollen.

Seeing him, the maid lowered her head and excused herself quickly, giving them time alone.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked, trying to be gentle.

But his daughter just shook her head and buried her face in her hands. "I don't wanna talk," she said, her voice muffled.

Azriel sighed and knelt down in front of her. "I know you're upset, but I need to know what's wrong. I can't help you if I don't know what's going on."

She turned around on the bed, giving her back to him as she folded her hands underneath her bosom.

Azriel's mouth hung open. She was giving him the cold shoulder, wasn't she?

"Seriously, young lady?"

"Go away."

"I can't."

"I'm not talking to you."

"But you will make Daddy's heart hurt if you do."

"Daddy is bad."

0_0

"Excuse me?"

For a moment, there was silence. Then, his daughter sniffled, turned on the bed and looked up at him. "You were mean to that aunty yesterday. Mum taught us not to be mean."

"Wait, you are angry at me because of a stranger?"

"Yes, and you shouted at me. You're mean. I do not want you. I want that Aunty. She is much nicer!"

"I…"

"Daddy is mean!"

He face-palmed himself, holding in the anger that was rising. Here he was, hoping to have a nice talk with his daughter but she was throwing tantrums for a stranger?

"I see you are all right then. Have fun."

Without petting her, he stood up and left her room. He disliked women most and to be cajoled using one…

Azriel massaged his temples and headed for his room when he met Loan on the way. "Send me every detail concerning that woman from yesterday."

A couple of hours passed and then a knock came on his study door.

"Enter."

Suited up in a loosed white T-shirt and black pants, Loan walked into study with a serious face on.

"What is the matter this time?"

"It's the Young Miss. She hasn't stopped crying and this time, she is thrashing her room."

Azriel heaved out a deep sigh. He was never good at cajouling kids even though he wanted one.

"My suggestion, give in to her. Recall the last time this happened when you annoyed her? She fell sick."

"I will not be misled by my..."

Knock! Knock!

Azriel paused, shifting his eyes to the door. "Enter and make it snapy."

The door pushed open and one of the maids rushed in, panting. "Master… The Young Miss has collapsed."

As if on cue, both Loan and Azriel cast a glance at each other. While Loan had the look of 'I told you so', Azriel had one of frustration.

As annoying as it was, he found himself bending to his daughter's will.

"Call the doctor, Lisa. Loan, let's go."

***~~***

Astra shifted on her sick bed and slowly opened her eyes to the blinding light of the hospital room when her eyes landed on the last person she ever thought she would see.

Quickly, she rose to a sitting position, her eyes glaring at the man in front of her.

"Glad you enjoyed your beauty sleep," his cold voice uttered with no emotion in them.

"What are you doing here?" she asked before scanning the room and settling her eyes back on him. "Did you lose your way perhaps?"

He just gave an amused chuckle which made Astra snort. His laugh held absolutely nothing amusing about it and yet for some reason, the sound irritated her even more than usual.

"I'll cut to the chase. What did you do to my daughter?"

"Excuse me?"

"Ever since she saw you, she's been crying and... she collapsed."

'Wait, what? The little princess is ill?" she asked hurriedly and frowned. "Are you sure you didn't hurt her and now you are looking for whom to put the blame on?"

"Hurt? How could I have possibly—" He paused and averted his gaze from hers. When he turned around to look out the window, his eyes were guarded and tense.

Astra studied his profile from head to toe, searching in vain for signs of guilt. Nothing came up and then suddenly a thought came.

"I am guessing you fail at parenting or should I say, how to be a father." She smiled softly at that part but kept her words venomous enough so they left scratches behind as well. She watched as those piercing gray eyes flinched away like two mice being caught by cats as their tails stood upright high above them.

"Tell me everything—how much time do you spend with her?" Astra said pointedly before getting tired of waiting for his answer and shifting on the bed. "I think I can guess why she hates you already. You're mean," she mimicked his daughter.

"I..."

"What do you want? I do not owe you anything but if it's advise you need, I can spare a few for the sake of your daughter."

"You do not owe me?"

She felt the tension in the air, as though an angry tiger had awoken. "No." Still, she held her head high.

"I wonder how that is, giving you dented my car, I paid your hospital bill and you hurt my daughter."

"Wait, what now? You paid for my hospital bill?"

"Yes and given I was generous before to drop it. I won't now. You owe me so much. How do you tend to pay for damages when you have no job?"

Her brows contorted into a frown. "You investigated me."

"So?"

"That is..."

"Given your current state and whatnot with your sister, I am guessing you won't be able to pay. So, I have a proposition for you."

As much as she hated him right now, she knew he was wealthy judging from the aura he exuded. He was one of those she could not afford to anger - not now at least.

"What preposition?"

"A deal."

"A deal with the devil," she chuckled. "Next you will be asking for my soul. I'll pass."

"That should be my words. I'll pass on a tainted soul like yours. Choose, you work for me and take care of my daughter, seeing as your name is the only thing on her lips recently," he said the last parts in a whisper but Astra heard it all.

"Anyways, I want you as her caretaker. In exchange, you can get pay off your debt to me, quickly."

"I..."

He cut in sharply, "Or would you spend the next five months searching for a descent job and lose, seeing as your sister has made a move to have you unemployed."

Astra gritted through clenched teeth. She hated him but compared to her useless sister, he was the lesser devil.

"What's your pay?"

"Five times your previous one."

Her eyes widened briefly. "Are you bluffing?"

"No. A contract will be made for that, including the dos and don'ts in my home. My PA would see to it."

She did not think too much about it. She needed this money and she needed a comeback against her sister, boss and useless friend.

"Just your daughter, right?"

"What? Do I look like I need to be taken care of?" She eyed him and he frowned. "Fine, my daughter and her twin brother."

Astra rolled her eyes and mimicked his last sentence in a clumsy way and when she looked up once she finished speaking; his face was cold enough to kill even the sun's rays—that was how angry his expression was.

It scared her. Even his eyes were glaring down at her. Yet she remained unfazed. Not because she wasn't afraid or anything else silly such as that. No. She hated losing to him.

A lopsided smile tugged on his lips and he regarded her with a look that seemed like he knew there had been a lie behind the facade of an expression she had on.

"Deal? Either that or my lawyers would contact you with a court..."

She did not let him finish and interjected sharply, "Deal."