A deal with the devil

A deal with the devil

Salvatore's office ...

One third of the walls enclosing the spacious office were made of glass. The interiors were intricately decorated with furniture, emanating a majestic and egocentric aura. Damien Salvatore was a handsome, tall man who had spent twenty-eight years of his life gathering all fortunes which he is being surrounded by, within and beyond his reach.He is known to be a man of wisdom, principles and a firm believer of the concept of give and take,as he always says, nothing in this world is free. This man was no ordinary man.

Damien sat in his brown polished Italian chair, soft rays of light escaping from the window blind bounced on his sleek curly dark brown hair, radiating Its beautiful lustre. His fiery amber coloured eyes were fairly squinted and intense, indicating all elements of seriousness; from those eyes, one could tell he was a no nonsense man. Thoes narrow eyes that would devour a prey just at a glance. Dressed in a blue suit, relaxed in office seat, he set his territory in the whole of the tall building. Damien was the element , the missing piece that complimented every area of the building as a whole. His thick auburn eyebrows met each other, his fingers fiddled with the silver pen which he used to sign contracts and conclude business deals that bought companies and business corporation, letting it dangle freely from his strong hand.

Of course, being a man from Athens, his countenance could be compared to those of the Greek gods. Damien enjoyed the peace and quiet of his surrounding ,as his mind wandered off to who knows where as he continued fiddling with his precious weapon.

. "Sir, there's an Andrew Harris waiting to see you again! "Carlos, his assistant barge in , interrupting the tranquillity of his mind. Carlos was a man in his early twenties. He was of fair complexion and average height... He also had his charm and as Damien's childhood friend, he at least knew how to manage some of his narcissistic personality but today wasn't the right day for trespassing.

" I have warned you never to barge in, especially In the morning as now..." Damien's husky deep voice sounded like the roar of a hungry lion. " I apologize for the sudden inept attitude of mine..." Carlos bowed his head at attention.

" I detest apologies, making sure this ugly attitude of yours never repeats itself is this best way to apologize, don't you think so?" Damien's eyes still fixed on the silver pen in between his fingers

" I do sir." He nodded his head.

" Whatever was so important that made you barge into my office better be urgent , otherwise.... You know the rules or do I have repeat myself?"

" No, sir! I am well aware of the rules." He gulped hard.

" Hmm Andrew Harris" Damien stroked his jaw "how is he coming to my official today so special?"

" He has vowed to not leave until he has had your attention,sir."

"Andrew Harris," Damien slowly called out his name, wondering why the owner of wood dealers corp , was so determined to see him even though the end result remained the same.

"Do the usual!" Damien gestured with his hand, waving him off .

." Sir, I suggest you have a meeting with him and know his reason for his persistence after six failed attempts to meet with you." Carlos adjusted the collar of his shirt . Damien inhaled deeply as he relaxed back in his chair.

"What other reason could he have for coming other than to have a business collaboration with me!" his fiery eyes looked in Carlos direction.

Carlos pushed his glasses closer to his eyes.

"Sir, I have this gut feeling that you will benefit greatly from this encounter!" Carlos pushed further as if convincing him to buy into his notion.

Damien stroke his chin gently as he finally began to see some sense in Carlos' words. His slightly pouted lips suggested a mode of agreement.

"Send him in!"

"Yes!" Carlos elated, gestured silently , almost screaming but held back once Damien darted a sharp gaze towards him. He left quietly and in some minutes, he returned with a man dressed in a black plain satin suit.

The man who was behind him was Andrew Harris, a man in his early fifties whose business suffered a great deal of bankruptcy. He was once a business tycoon not until the onset of his predicament reduced him to the pitiful man he had become.

The name, Andrew Harris which once rang a bell of importance to the caller was now considered a burden, Damien Salvatore was his last hope as other investors and business dealers had refused his offer for a joint collaboration.

"Sir!" Carlos called out.

"You may leave us now!"

Carlos took a bow and left.

" And you are? " Damien asked, acting like he didn't know who that middle aged man was.

"Andrew Harris, Chairman of..." Andrew nodded. He was happy that he finally got to get Damien's attention and it showed on his face but now,if only he could convince or at least leave a strong impression on Damien , He would be saved from his tormenting ordeal.

"please have a seat!" he gestured at the seat opposite him. Andrew sat down, his hands trembling beneath the table but he still managed to keep a smile on his face.

"It's very rare to have this meeting with an important and busy man like yourself! What they say is true, you are indeed a handsome young man, you know in my …!"

" You've got a pretty smooth tongue ,old man. Enough of that, let's cut to the chase.." he paused then leaned closer to the desk ,with his fingers locked.

" I believe you are here because you have a predicament and not to praise my looks because I am well aware of what I look like. " Damien fixed he's intimidating gaze at him.

" Y_yes of course! Excuse my ignorance… I'll just hit the nail on the head!"

"I heard that your company, 'wood dealers corps' has gone bankrupt for the past five months and you are desperately in need of an investor!"

"Yes, you're right about that." He nodded

" We can seal a partnership deal to buy the wood your company produces and use it to manufacture more furniture, that way, wood dealer corp. will rise back up!"

"Oh yes, mr Salvatore! I would be glad to work with you.!" Andrew stood up and bowed severally while a sinister smile crept across Damien's lips.

"Am afraid this won't happen!"Damien's words sounded like a resounding echo that pierced Andrews heart deeply. It was as if his world had shattered before his eyes.

Just when he thought he had already gotten an agreement with Adrian, his world came clashing back at him. The sadness and disappointment was spelt across his face. he stopped bowing and sat back slowly in his seat. His face was sour as if had just suffered from an intense attack. The sudden switch from happiness to downright sadness thrilled Damien, as his gaze never left Andrew's sight.

"Wh-why, why can't it happen!" Andrew stammered as if he was about to suffer from heart attack.

"Werent you told that I'm a firm believer of give and take, nothing in this world free in this world," he raised a corner of his lip ,relaxing back in his seat.

" it's only you who will benefit greatly from this deal if there would be one." he continued.

Andrew looked perplexed and confused at Damien's words but he was still determined , he wouldn't care whatever he had to give for this , he would do it. Yes, he was that desperate.

" what do you want in return !" he asked egearly.

" I hear you have a mature, beautiful daughter!" Damien's eyes wandered as he stroked his chin.

" Yes , you heard right, sir!"

"Indeed, every good thing comes with a price but am afraid you don't have something worth my value." He smiled, a smile not pure of heart.

"I am willing to sacrifice anything to have this partnership deal with your company!"Andrews face became serious.

"You have the spirit, Mr Harris! but when I think of it, it won't enough to get this deal … come to think of it, what am about to ask from you as a price for signing with my company, I don't think you are mentally fit to handle it," He got up .

"Test me and see, I am much stronger than you think..." He got up from the seat,posing like someone who was about to take a death blow from a wrestler.

" Mr Andrew, please have your seat... I wouldn't want to cause one untimely death but that's the only valuable thing in your possession!" Damien stood behind his seat facing the glass wall, his hands tucked the pockets of his blue pants. His face turned blank.

"Name your price, Mr Salvatore! Whatever you ask, I am willing to give to you no matter how difficult it will be. You have my word!"

Damien turned his head to the right.

"Your daughter!" He looked forward.

"Wh-what! my daughter!" Mr Harris stood up from the seat.

"What's with that attitude now? Aren't you willing to do whatever you can to get this deal no matter how difficult it is or are you no longer interested? "Damien turned to the old man, leaning on the desk.

" Phoebe is all I have, she's my life!" he gasped .

"Then I think I made a good choice of price. don't worry, this is a contract for a marriage!" Mr Harris stared perplexed at Adrian's blank emotionless face. He watched Damien pull out a bunch of white papers from the drawer and drop them on the desk.

"Sign it now or never!" Damien peered into Mr Andrew's eyes while offering him his silver pen.

"I am doing this for especially for her , there is no regret." Andrew inhaled deeply as he murmured beneath his breath.

"Once you sign this document, we become partners and your daughter will become mine! Failure to keep to the terms of this contract, I personally will take everything you own, including your mansion and your already bankrupt company!" Andrew could only stare In utter shame.

Now he was being asked to give out his lovely daughter but what about his company, he needed to save it or else , he and his family will be in the streets and be ridiculed by ordinary people who they normally would not communicate to .

He feared that his lovely daughter would have to become the wife of this cold blooded, tyrant of a young man that stood in his presence , how would she cope ? when It came to the idea of a father giving out his daughter to a man he trusts , every man with a daughter new that joy. But him, he doesn't even know much about this Damien of a man talk more of trusting such a cruel human being with his lovely, delicate daughter.

He inhaled deeply amidst the bitterness of heart and untold sadness he felt within him for his daughter. He grabbed the pen Damien offered him and peered absently at the paper. His eyes were clouded, he knew what he was doing and that this was a lifetime deal.

After all, he was the man of his family, he was going to face this sooner or later. He gazed at Adrian whose bright eyes, urged him to sign. He slowly put the pen to paper, signing away his daughter, Phoebe.

"Welcome on board, Mr Andrew!" Adrian offered handshake which Mr Andrew hesitated but returned the handshake.

"I have done my part in signing this paper, I hope you do as you have said!" he sighed

"You have nothing to worry about ,Mr Andrew, I'm a man of my words. I'll have my assistant send you a full report in two days!"

"It's nice doing business with you!" Mr Andrew offered Damien a handshake. "I hope so!" Damien smiled slightly , accepting the handshake.

( ( ( (

Mr Andrews' house…

The sun was gradually retarding to the west Mr Andrew sat by the dining, absently staring at the cup of coffee he held in his hand. he was back home but his mind wasn't with him. Maria, his wife, watched him quietly from a distance. his strange behaviour made her worried.

"Darling, what's wrong? why haven't you drank your coffee yet?" Maria asked as she sat beside him.

"Nothing's wrong!" Mr Andrew chuckled as he took a sip of the drink.

"Dear, you know well that you can't lie! You've been acting strangely ever since you got back and now, you were just staring at your coffee… tell me what's wrong!" Mr Andrew looked at his beautiful worried wife and smiled.

Placing the cup of coffee on the table, he held her hands and stared deeply in her eyes,

" Well, the thing is, our company just signed a contract with Ace Furniture!"

"Wow, really!" Maria gasped.

"Yes!"

"That's so great! Now our company can be saved!" Maria was overwhelmed with joy that she hugged her husband.

" This is good news!" words couldn't express the extent of her happiness.

"Yes but…! " Andrew's countenance changed ..

"But what?" Maria noticed the sadness on his face.

"It came with a price!"

"A price? What price?" Maria was confused.

"Our lovely daughter, Phoebe!"

"Phoebe? what has she got to do with business issues?"

"Like he said, a contract for a marriage!"

"You mean he wants to take our daughter as a price for a business deal with him?" she was shocked.

"Yes!"

"What? this is impossible! there's no way we are giving our daughter out to some stranger!" she stood up immediately.

"Maria, there's nothing I can do now … I've already signed the contract; I can't back out! Besides, he is no stranger, he is Damien Salvatore!"

"Damien Salvatore?" Maria gasped, " The youngest billionaire in the whole of Athens?" Her face lit up like the morning sun.

"Yes, my love!" Andrew replied

"Mother, father, tell me it's not true!" Phoebe spoke in a soft voice as she approached the living room. Her wet eyes were about to unleash its tears. It hadn't been long since she stood by the door eavesdropping her parents' conversation.

"Tell me it's not true!" she yelled this time.

"Phoebe , calm down!" Maria went over to her and held her hand.

"I will not calm down! Father, how can you play with my life? How could you give me off to a complete stranger… am I a burden to you? am I?" she was quite a pampered brat.

Mr Andrew was quiet.

"You would not understand! whatever I did was for you, only for you … now the only thing you can do is to be prepared!" he yelled back...

"How does it benefit me? Have you ever asked me what I wanted? but guess what father, I am marrying no one!" Phoebe withdrew her hand from her mother and stormed out of their sight.

"Phoebe, Phoebe!!" Maria called out.

" Leave her be… shell get over it soon!"Mr Andrew said, leaving maria in the sitting room.