A Deal With Mr. Baron

On a chilly evening, Sofia Winters stood right next to her fiance at the foot of the five-star hotel. She was dressed in a black rosette gown and the winds rustled through her soft brunette hair.

She heaved in a deep breath but you could see in her pale face just how nervous she was. However, she looked to the man beside her, Damien and summoned enough courage to whisper to him—"Everything is going to be fine"

Tonight was the first time Damien was to meet his father-in-law and the rest of the family, hoping to secure their blessings. His hands fell around her waist and she turned to adjust his suit jacket. Holding up her chin, he leaned in for a kiss and her hands pushed the door open behind her.

"My father can be scary." She said.

"But I bet he's going to like you just as much as I do" Her voice fell into a whisper and he smirked. "That's weird" He croaked in response before they made their way through the doors.

Sofia had no idea when her life began to fall apart, but if she was to take a wild guess, her memories would bring her back to this very night.

The night that changed her whole life.

"Sofia!"

The stern voice of her father drifted her out of thoughts and her eyes settled on the table between them. The night was as black as ink and a jazz sombre played from the orchestral band. "So, tell me about this man of yours" Mr Winters requested, slicing into his plate of food and Sofia lifted her gaze to face him.

"Damien is the love of my life and I can't imagine spending forever with someone else" He reached for her hands across the table and Ferdinand, her father looked down at the union. "You're going to have to" He scoffed and with prying eyes, Sofia looked to Theresa, her mother.

"What does this love of your life do for work?" Her father asked.

"Dad" She was embarrassed but the truth was Ferdinand was an old-fashioned mogul. He was a wealthy merchant across the States so money was never a problem for the Winters. However, what was a problem was the fact that his daughter wanted to marry poorly.

"It's okay" Damien whispered.

"I'm an artist."

"My daughter says, what kind of artist?" The cutlery chimed against the saucer and Damien cleared his throat. "I'm a painter" The way Sofia cupped her chin showed her slight displeasure of his words and her father looked at her.

"So he's the painter?"

"His name is also Damien and he's the man i want to marry" Sofia gritted through her teeth, ashamed of her father. Or maybe of Damien. The conversation however, was like pin to her ears.

"Well possibly I can't marry you to a man that won't be able to earn enough to take care of his family" Ferdinand replied and she pushed a hard lump down her throat. She soon regretted ever coming for this dinner and her mother didn't dare say a word even though she actually liked Damien.

They'd been inseparable since high school and through all the phases of life. When he'd lost his entire family, Sofia was there. He lost his house, she was there. His sobriety, she was also there.

He'd lost everything but this dream he had for arts. And Sofia had supported him ever since, financially and emotionally for many years to help chase this dream of becoming a professional painter.

It was hard, most especially because he didn't make so much.

But then she was never with him for his money, Sofia genuinely loved Damien for himself and was it a crime to want her father to like him too.

"How much do you make, annually?" Ferdinand interrogated. "I'm just asking to make sure my only daughter isn't fooled by love and making a regrettable mistake here" He turned to his wife and in that moment, tears filled Sofia's eyes.

"Enough!" She pulled away from Damien's grasp and slammed her hands into the table. "Why does everything have to be about money?" She yelled with the halls bringing back an echo and her father struck a finger in her face.

"You say that because you've been privileged all your life. But you have no idea what it took to be the man that I am today and it's not because I was a painter or some stupid job. It's because i had to work twice as hard" He yelled back at his daughter, veins protruding the side of his frail neck.

"You do realize that once you get married, that's it. You can't come back and you most certainly can't ask me for money for your kids or whatever. You're done" His voice was hoarse and his words were clear as a whistle. The tears trickled down Sofia's face as she grabbed her purse. "Yes you're right" She whispered.

"I am done. But with this dinner" She brushed into her mother's shoulders as she reached out to her. "Sofia—" Theresa called and Ferdinand arose from the chair. "Leave her" He whispered, folding his napkin to the table.

"I'll handle her" He threw one last look at Damien before taking his leave. Ferdinand followed his daughter unto the rooftop and she clung to one side of the ledge. Sofia closed her eyes to the breeze and heaved in a deep breath.

"You know i'm just trying to protect you" His voice filled the atmosphere as he slipped his hands into his pocket. "I don't need you to protect me, i'm not a little girl anymore" Sofia turned to face him and he hummed.

"You'll always be my little girl"

"I love him dad, and shouldn't that be enough?" There was a crack in her voice as she twirled the ring over her finger. "Should not that be enough for you? He may not rack in six figures in a day but you of all people know how hard it is to actually become something. A successful artist would bring twice as much, Damien just needs time and he just needs the resources" She whispered.

"I understand" Ferdinand cleared his throat and her eyes lit up for just a second. "You do?" She was doubtful at first, but comfortable. And so she asked for a second thing—the actual reason she came to the dinner that night.

"What kind of resources?" Her father asked.

"He could use an exhibition father, and you know people" Sofia was stuck at crossroads because even though she knew it was an impossible ask, it was still worth a shot. She had given Damien more than she had but there was no way she could afford an exhibition.

She decided to ask her father.

Ferdinand tightened his face and Sofia inched closer to him. "An exhibition would be a huge success and could finally set him up for something bigger. If you loved me dad, you'd do this for me" She cried to him but Ferdinand pushed a lump down his throat, as if it was something he actually pondered on.

"Absolutely not" He said the next second, outraged.

"But father—"

"There's simply no way i'm letting you marry that man. He can't provide for himself and he most certainly can't provide for my daughter!" Ferdinand yelled and she gazed into his dark iced eyes.

"Dad." She called his name softly and he pushed a lump down his throat. "That is my final say, and it's the final say" He replied and the tears came falling down her face. Sofia didn't know what she expected from tonight but it was most certainly not this.

"I love him" She whispered.

"Well love is not enough, i'm afraid" Ferdinand replied. "You shall marry a man that only i deem worthy. And i know just the person for you, Sofia" He grazed the sides of her cheeks before Sofia brushed past his shoulders.

"We'll continue this conversation later" She closed the door on her father, making her way into the diner. And across the table was only her mother left.

"Where's he?" Her arms fell by her side.

Theresa shook her head which only meant Damien had left—out of anger at that. When she got home that night, the first thing she did was retire to her bed with the telephone in her hands. Her eyes were sore from the tears and the phone rang in her ears.

Damien didn't pick up.

And she ended up smashing the phone against the walls before screaming into her pillow. She sat up with a sore throat and bit into her fingertips. Sofia was flustered, heartbroken and deserted.

It was then her mother knocked on her doors.

And seeing Sofia cry melted her heart that she sat right next to her. She was still in her black rosette gown as she brought her head to rest upon Theresa's shoulders. "He wants the best for you" She whispered into her ears and Sofia sobbed just a little.

Was that it?

Was that the end of Sofia and Damien, just like that?

The same questions ran through his own mind as Damien mounted the front porch before him. He knocked on the door before it was drawn open and he was met with a familiar gasp.

"Damien" It was an effeminate voice and the woman in front of the door set her sights on his quivering hands. He was both hurt and angry and his instincts brought him here. "Emma, i want to talk" He muttered from beneath his breath and once she saw that he leaned in, she wedged him with her hands.

"Suddenly it doesn't bother you that i'm her best friend anymore?" Emma asked and Damien breathed heavily. He shut her up with his lips as he lifted Emma with his hands. She was Sofia's best friend and this wasn't the first time this was happening.

It was always when there was a fight between the two of them.

But tonight was more than fight—Damien didn't think they would survive this. And with an engagement ring around his finger, he cusped the back of Emma's head, closing the door behind her. He had his tongue down another woman's throat, all whilst Sofia rattled her head for a plan.

She suddenly arose at midnight, realizing he never picked her call. But now she did have a plan. "I'm going to run away" Sofia whispered to herself.

And like i said, that was the night that changed Sofia's whole life.