A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault.

- John Henry Newman

"The deal is yours, Mr. Sanders."

The file in front me represented all the beneficial factors for my company. It was accurate but it was not what I wanted. I briefly checked it once and sled it toward the man sitting across from me.

Three drops of sweat covered his forehead. His eyes flickering from my face to the file on the desk, his beefy fingers loosening his collars as if to let in some air. Even though it was summer, my office room did not feel that way. It was air conditioned and the the room was cool enough for us to be comfortable and not sweat.

Hence, there was no way this man was sweating because I had poor access to cool air. No, he was sweating because he was nervous. He already knew he had lost his chance and I bet he was imagining what his boss might do to him when he informed him that I refused to strike a deal with his company.

If this man was that scared of loosing the deal then he shouldn't had bragged about his boss's reputation and mostly he shouldn't had acted like as if making this deal with me was a favour to my company. The one thing I hated about these appointments with the messengers were- when they started bragging about their offer, their company, their boss.

This investment and construction corporation of my family did not reach one of the top height that easily. I did not make my place in business within just the blink of an eye. The plots that I choose to buy were examined thoroughly by my soil specialists. The owners were checked by my informers. Before I even accepted the appointments, I had a full length of information on a paper about both the plot and the owner of it.

Being a picky investor helped me reach wherever I was. Many were aware that getting any type of information about any one in this city was very easy for me. They knew I had people all around the city watching their movements, watching the way they do their business. Learning the weaknesses of the people who choose to deal with me comes in handy sometimes.

I reckoned this man in front of me, worked for a compatible establishment. So, I had no intention of declining his offer when I accepted his appointment but the moment he opened his pitiful mouth, my decision was made.

Standing tall, I buttoned my suit jacket before shaking the man's hand. "You will get my answer in a day, Mr. Smith."

After the man left, I made my way out of my office and passed by the reception where my secretary, Mary was. "After an hour, inform Mr. Smith I'm not interested."

All my employees parted for me and passed greetings to me to which I nodded. They were my faithful workers. I never employed anyone who had less loyalties than the dogs. When the elevator reached my floor, I went in and made it downstairs without any interruptions from other floors.

Immediately, I spotted my bodyguard who could be a driver when needed and now, I needed a driver.

Taking out my phone, I noted it was nearly 12 in the afternoon. I got off work early today. Well I postponed a few meetings today thus I was free now. If I wanted that deal back in the office, then I would have been sitting there finalising every aspect but no, I didn't want that deal.

A small bling from my phone indicated I received a new mail.

Mr. Tom Wilson received the full payment. He will vacate the place by tomorrow. The plot is yours, Mr. Sanders. Congratulations.

Finally. After all, it was meant to be. Another one added to my collection.

The loud noise of children made me glance outside the window and I noticed, I reached my destination. I looked up at Simon, my head of security who stayed with me at all times whenever I stepped out of my safe zones.

"Go and get her."

Simon nodded and went out of the car toward the entrance of the school.

While I was checking my mails on my phone, the door on the other side of the car opened and the little girl got in. Remembering the pitchy wake up call in the morning, I realised today was going to be just another tantrum day but the happy face said it otherwise.

"Hello, Lydia." I greeted her, cautiously.

She smiled at me wholeheartedly. At most times, she would grace me with some of her strained smiles but today wasn't that time.

"Hi, daddy!"

Lydia Helen Sanders, was just a six year old but she had a tendency to behave like a girl older than her age. Though most times she would act like a toddler throwing daily tantrums.

"How was the sch--ah I mean carnival? Did you have fun?" I asked, showing interest in her activity.

Even though I was not comfortable around children, I had to treat my daughter humbly. And thankfully I remembered today was the carnival and from tomorrow, it was the start of summer vacation.

"Yes, today was the luckiest day ever." She sighed dreamily, palming her hands beneath her little chin.

Looking at her behaviour, my curiosity sparked up. "And why is that?" I inquired, narrowing my eyes at her slightly. While looking her way, I signalled Simon to start the car. If her behaviour had something to do with a boy, I was changing her school.

She was only six years old. Even if she was sixteen, no boys would get near her if I had my way. That was what all daddies do, right? So, I was not doing anything wrong. I was just doing my daddy job.

Suddenly, Lydia started giggling. "She called me Little Ariel, you know. And she did not even ask for my real name."

She? Little Ariel?

My confused eyes dropped down to her lap and noticed the red rose with a packet of candies. Lydia stopped giggling when she noticed my frown. But before I could explain myself, she started shouting and pointing at something outside the car. "There! There! That's her. Look at her daddy. Isn't she pretty?"

I looked at what she was pointing and found two woman talking with each other near the school gate. One was a blondie in a dress with fine long legs. That was my kind of woman. The other was definitely not the woman I would choose. Brunettes were not to my liking but I wasn't looking for choosing in the first place.

Still staring at the pair of different women, I asked. "Which one?

"The one with the big smile. Isn't she pretty?" I heard her voice from my side, which had a happy jump to it. It had to be the other woman who was smiling because her companion seemed to have an annoyed expression on her face. I couldn't check the other woman's face properly since the car already moved away from my sight.

I was about to tell her that when I noticed her warning look as if she was daring me to deny what she said, so to be on her good side today, I agreed. "Yes, she is. But who is she?"

The reply soothed her because she smiled brightly at me and said something very unexpected. "That's my new mommy."

Two things happened after she said that. One- I choked on air. Literally I had to pound my chest to stop coughing. And two- Simon abruptly stopped the car. Thank god for seat belts or else we would had been flying by now. I and Simon, both looked at Lydia as if she had lost her mind but the little devil was gleefully smiling as if she did not just drop a bomb like that. Moreover, the little she-devil asked me. "When can she come and stay with us, daddy?"

I refrained myself from answering her question and shook my head, saying to Simon, "Just drive. Just get us home quickly."

Lydia shifted on her seat to look at me closely. "But daddy--?"

I locked my jaws tight and showed her my index finger. "Not a single word till we get home, Lydia."

While pouting, she completely turned away from me. Good, let her be angry. I already had this mommy tantrum. I thought she was going to forget the whole matter but no, she started selecting new mommy for her. As if mommies could be found on the street easily.

Well, technically she did but that was on the school grounds. Anyway, she shouldn't be selecting any mommy. Period.

Damn it!

She always had everything she ever asked for. I had always tried to give everything to her. Be it be the most expensive toys, or take her to the places she wanted to visit. I had always fulfilled her every single wishes but why did I get behind on this?

These days she started praying to God for a mommy every night before she slept. And today was her another antic toward the mommy issue and I bet this was going to get worse as the days passed. Then I would not be able to handle more of this. I could provide her with just about anything but this? This getting her a mother? How could I do this?

How could I when in order to do that, I had to bring a woman in my life? Even If a woman came in my life, how could I guarantee that she was here to stay for good? That she wouldn't stray like...like her!

Gritting my teeth, I turned toward the window, hiding my snarl from my little daughter who was unaware of the turmoils I had to go through, six years ago.

I made sure my family was the most well tucked one among the elite society but with an absence of a mother for my child, it never would be a complete one unless I did something about it. I never thought of remarrying. I did not need to remarry. I thought if Lydia had a perfect nanny and my mother to guide her, then she would have grown up to be a proper lady.

Maybe I should think of marriage again, it had been six years already and I was not getting any younger. The big thirty was the proof of my age. It was back in the age of twenty-four, when Lydia was born. I was out of college and doing internship on my dad's company to take over it.

Even though I tried hard to venture away from the thoughts of Lydia's mother, my mind eventually took me back to the day when all my being broke apart.

The day Lydia was born was also the day of her real mother's death.

Laura.

Every time her name shimmered in my head, my whole body turned rigid and repulsive. Once again, it felt like it was just yesterday when she ripped away my heart and walked out of our house to never return again.

We married young and at that time, I was warned by my parents, not to rush into marriage but I was a young fool in love.

But after her death, I never mourned for her. Instead, I mourned for the memories of our school time and the blissful first years of our marriage. I mourned for Lydia who would not have a mother. I never mourned for that woman and never would. How could I mourn for someone who betrayed me in the worst way possible with my own best friend?

As I said, I was a young fool in love. I never noticed the daily visits of my friend to my own home when I was not present, I never noticed how he stayed late. I found out about it when my mother went for a surprise visit to my pregnant wife. My very pregnant wife who never denied it. She said she was in love with him. And that was the last straw for me. We had a nasty fight which made her drive away angrily. I should have stopped her but I was drained by her betrayal and declaration.

It was later on the night I got news of my wife's death and my daughter's birth. I lost a wife that day but I gained a daughter.

Since, there was no connection between Laura and her family. No one came forward for her or my daughter. I gave a proper funeral for the wife I had lost, even if I was betrayed. I did what all husbands would. Then I closed that chapter of my life along with the burial of her body. I had no clue on what happened to my friend and I never wanted to know anyway.

I had my doubts on Lydia's paternity. When the test result came out positive, that was the day I made a vow to fulfil anything for my little girl. My life was fully devoted to her. Lydia knew she had a mom, sometimes she would take out her picture and talk to her. She would ask questions about her but I wasn't the one who would answer her.

Never again had I brought up her name out in the open. Lydia never heard me speak of her mother and never would. When she would ask me about her, I called my mom for it. I never knew what she said but Lydia started saying her real mommy was an angel now and that she would send a new mommy to take care of her. But that was just a little girl talking, I never paid much attention to it.

Maybe I should have then I could have prevented her mommy wish. I thought she didn't need a mother but I was wrong. She needed one. My mother said so too but the thought of marriage disgusted me. It still did.

Through out all this thoughts of mine, we reached home. My housekeeper, Gemma, a fifty something year old kind lady took the duty of being Lydia's nanny since she scared away the recent nanny too.

I immediately went to my study room and called Jax, a man of many talents who could get any information I want in just a short amount of time. He was a loyal informer, working under me for four years now.

Before going upstairs to her room, Lydia said the woman who was with her new mommy was her teacher, Miss Chloe and that was enough for Jax to get me all the information about the woman who caught my daughter's interest. I needed her information at all costs, let it be public or personal information.

This time with marriage I would be prepared, I would find out every little secret of this woman before I made a decision, though one thing was certain that I would keep aside my dislikes about marriage and think about getting married.

Since my daughter needed a mommy, I would get her a mommy anyhow possible, let it be that woman or another.