THE DEAL

Fourteen

Ashanti sat on her bed as she was engrossed in the book she was reading when Hailey walked in. She was holding a small shopping bag with a bright smile on her face.
Ashanti looked up from her book to see the little girl with a smile. "Hey, baby," she cooed. "Hi," Hailey smiled shyly as she approached her. Ashanti closed her book and placed it aside before getting off the bed and walking towards Hailey.
"How was your outing with Aunt Camilla?" She asked her.
Hailey went to hug her, "It was fun. She took me to get ice cream, and then she took me to this large pizza place!" Ashanti chuckled and led her to the bed.
"Did you taste the pizza there?" She asked and the little girl nodded. Hailey then handed the small shopping bag to her. Her cheeks turned a little red as Ashanti smiled at her. "For me?" Ashanti asked and she nodded.
Ashanti opened the bag and let out a sound of gratitude. It was a beautiful pearl bracelet with little diamonds in between the pearls.
"Hailey, it's beautiful. How thoughtful of you," Ashanti said and pulled her in a hug. Hailey blushed at this reaction. "I just wanted to say thank you for accepting me," she said shyly and Ashanti laughed lightly.
"Don't thank me for that, sweetheart," she said as they pulled away. She then wore the bracelet on her wrist and admired her wrist.
"This is beautiful," Ashanti said and Hailey blushed. The little girl was about to say something when Andrea walked in.
"Ash, Marcel asks for you," he said. Ashanti sighed as she stood up from the bed. "Look after her please," she said  to Andrea who nodded without hesitation. "I'll be back soon, sweetie," she said and ruffled Hailey's hair before. walking out.
Andrea the smiled at Hailey. "Hey princess," he said and Hailey jumped down from the bed to hug him.
Ashanti walked down the hallway. She had no idea how she knew where Marcel's office was but she managed to get there without stress.
She got to the door and after two knocks, she opened the door and walked in. "I figured that your office is soundproof," she explained as she walked in.
Marcel was seated on his swivel chair behind his large mahogany desk. She couldn't deny how hot he looked at the moment but she decided to keep her mouth shut.
Marcel looked up to see her. "Smart girl," he thought to himself as she went to sit in front of him. She looked around his office in admiration.
His office was large with gray walls with only two pictures, which were of his mother and sister. His mahogany desk was in the middle of the office while a shelf was at the end with books neatly arranged in rows. There were also a set of couches that were at the other end and a door that led to the balcony.
"It's about Hailey," Marcel told her. He picked up a file from his table and handed it to her. "My men did a research on her and this is the result. You were right when you said she went through a lot of things," he said as Ashanti opened the file.
The first thing she saw was a photo of Hailey. She was smiling brightly abd Ashanti felt her heart melt. "This girl has beautiful," Ashanti thought to herself as she admired Hailey's beauty.
She turned to the next page and her eyes widened as her jaw dropped. It was a photo of Hailey being forced on by a large man.
"That was on the fourth of July, a week after her parents were killed," Marcel said to her. She looked at the corner of the page and saw the date.
"She was raped countless of times without being treated. Andrea is a doctor,he found bruises in her private parts. Her thighs were badly bruised too," he said. Ashanti's hands began to tremble as she flipped through the pages.
Photos upon photos of Hailey getting molested filled the pages. She then closed the file and dropped it on the table before exhaling sharply. "They are brutal," she said as he voice broke. Marcel chuckled, "They are monsters; worse than us if you think that we are the real monsters."
Ashanti looked up at him. She couldn't help but be grateful that he listened to her and spared Hailey's life. She wondered how the little girl felt at the moment.
"Thank you for sparing Hailey's life," she said with gratitude. Marcel smiled and Ashanti suddenly found herself being fascinated by his perfect dentition.
"His teeth are too perfect to be real," she thought to herself.
"I never actually planned on killing her, only said those things out of anger. I was going to put her in an orphanage home. I do that with the other kids that I saved before her," Marcel said and Ashanti blinked in surprise.
"So you mean you weren't actually planning on killing her?" She asked.
"I think that's exactly what I said," Marcel said with a shrug. "I've never killed a child and I never will. I was only angry at the moment.
"Your anger is scary," Ashanti thought.
Ashanti didn't know how it happened but she found herself hugging the life out of him .
"Thank you very much, Marcel. Thank you so much!" She kept saying as she hugged him. Marcel was surprised by her behavior but he didn't question it.
"It's fine," he said as they pulled away. He was about to say something when his phone began to ring. Then he picked up, "Si?" (Yes?)
"Capo, the Edwards have arrived. They're heading to the hotel," one of his men said and Marcel hummed I. response. "We will be on our way," he said as he got up from
his chair and hung up.
"What's wrong?" Ashanti asked. "Your parents have arrived," Marcel said as he took Hailey's file from the table and went to place it in the shelf at the far end.
Ashanti's heart began to swell with joy at the thought of seeing her family.
"Are we going to see them now?" She asked him as they walked out of his office. Marcel raised a brow at her.
"Do you want to see them later?"
Ashanti shook her head in reply. "Is Hailey coming along?" she asked. Marcel nodded, "Yes she is." With a happy smile, Ashanti quickly made her way to get room. "Be down in the next five minutes," Marcel said after her. "Alright," she said and walked I to her room.