Diehard Desire

Stranger

About an hour after the stranger going inside the office, Miss Dermen and he came out with some documents in hand. The staff was painfully aware of what went inside the room. They tried to act nonchalant and not look at the new arrival with disgust in their eyes. 

Mr Salvatore quietly observed all of them. He was aware of the look of disgust and want coming from different staff members but acted oblivious to their obvious stares. 

He watched as Miss Dermen talked to a lady and showed her the documents that he had his lawyer arranged as soon as he got the information about the girl. 

The girl was important to him. He had to make sure she didn't get in the hands of the wrong people. Thus, he flew all the way from his peaceful life to this non-existent town. 

"Miss Dermen, he is too young. He is only 23, for God's sake. How will he be able to raise a child?" Mr Salvatore heard the lady say abominably, "And she has police background, we cannot let him adopt her." He heard them talk in hushed whispers. 

The kids in the confines of the orphanage were delighted upon finding out that he was there to adopt someone. Most of the kids could not wish for anything else but a place to call home and a family. 

Some of them didn't want to leave with anyone. They had waited for long. When you have been in the freezing water for too long, even slightly warm water can seem boiling hot. 

Ivy was all the way back in her usual position in her room as she observed the men outside. She saw them standing silently without uttering a word and found this behaviour very unusual. 

She didn't understand why they looked so tensed as if ready to attack any threat that came their way. 

She also admired them for their alert behaviour as she remembered something her father taught her, 'A soldier always needs to stay alert in a battlefield to eliminate any possible threat. This world is a battlefield, my flower, and you are a soldier.' She nodded her head nonchalantly. 

Ivannah didn't understand why her parents never came to take her back. Miss Dermen told her that her parents went to God and were watching her from above but she didn't understand why they chose to leave instead of staying there with her. 

Her mother had told her to always remember that they loved her. Ivannah did remember. She reminded her everyday. She still missed them though. 

Her parents, her home and Mr Richard too. She hoped that Mr Richard would visit her soon as she clutched the dried rose he gave to her to her chest. She also understood that he wouldn't be able to visit her. 

The old man only left his home to look after his flowers in the garden. The rose he gave her had dried up and lost it's beauty but it still gave her hope. Hope that someday someone would come for her and protect her, just like Mr Richard had said. 

She was lost in her thoughts when a member of the staff, Jenny, came and sat by her side. She was a beautiful girl around the age of 20 with long strawberry blonde hair. 

Her eyes were a bright hazel and she always had a smile on her face. Ivy liked her alot and secretly, when no one was looking, she even talked to her. Ivy, however, noticed something else today. Jenny's eyes were dull and she looked unhappy. 

"What happened, Jenny? Is there some problem?" Ivy whispered, careful that no-one was watching them. Ivy just wanted to dissolve in the background and didn't need any unwanted attention. 

"No problem for you, Ivy. Infact, I have a good news for you. Someone is here to adopt you." Jenny said with a strained smile. In a short time, Jenny had grown very fond of the little munchkin. She was going to miss her dearly. 

"Adopt me?" Ivy said, suddenly excited by the thought of having a new family. 

"Yes, adopt you. That means you will have a new home and a new daddy." Jenny said smiling, sensing the child's excitement and feeling happy for her. 

"Infact, I'm here to take you to him. Now, hurry up, we must not make him wait." Jenny said, suddenly remembering the man waiting downstairs. A pretty blush coated Jenny's cheeks as she thought about him. 

Ivy hurriedly put the little clothes she had in the orphanage and kept it in the bag that the nice lady detective had bought for her on the day of her arrival. She also brought a picture of her and her parents with it that Ivy remembered lay on the mantelpiece in the living room. 

She neatly kept the picture on the top of the pile of clothes and closed the bags. She took the one story book in her hand that the officer had brought from her home and given her, and inside which she had carefully preserved the flower. 

She dragged the bag behind her as she went towards a smiling Jenny. 

"Ready to go?" Jenny asked the smiling kid infront of her. 

She had heard about her parents brutal murder and just hoped that Ivy got all the happiness she deserved. 

Jenny carefully took Ivy's belongings in one hand as she took the little girl's hand in the other. They slowly made their way downstairs and looked at the scene ahead. 

Ivy curiously watched the two men that stood in the centre of the large hall. The usually large hall appeared to be small and cramped due to the two stranger's large structure. 

One of the two men had light brown hair and appeared to be around her father's age. He was talking to the orphanage's head, Miss Dermen. But Ivy's attention was completely focused on the other man in the room. 

Oblivious to the look of envy from the other orphan kids, Ivy released Jenny's hand and walked curiously towards the man that stood quietly in the corner of the room. 

He had jet black hair that was styled to perfection with not even a single strand of hair out of place. His green eyes looked at all the people with a monotonous expression. Ivy had a feeling that he was the same man from the office. 

His black suit was clean and looked very expensive. He wore a white, linen shirt beneath. When Ivy was only a few steps away from him, he finally noticed her. 

Mr Salvatore narrowed his eyes as he observed the small girl infront of him. The girl's almost golden blonde hair was tied in a ponytail at the back of her head. Her large sapphire blue eyes looked up at him with something alight curiosity reflecting in them. 

She too observed him for a few seconds before giving him a huge smile. 

Mr Salvatore noticed the lack of her two front teeth. He raised his eyebrows in surprise with the girl's courage to approach him even after his hostile behaviour. The kid was cute, he internally admitted to himself. 

He saw her clutch a book to her chest and was surprised to know that a kid her age was interested in books. He didn't utter a word, just looked down at her as she kept smiling. 

Everyone in the orphanage was too shocked to do anything. They just watched as the girl that hadn't talk to them or even smiled at them in the past 6 months was grinning at a complete stranger. 

Getting out of her daze, Miss Dermen stepped forward and took the lead. Mr Salvatore's lawyer followed after as she made her way to the girl and now her legal guardian, Mr Salvatore. 

She made sure to stand close to him and give him her most seductive look but was disappointed when he didn't divert his gaze from the girl. She decided she had enough and broke the silence. 

"Just like I had promised, I've all the documentation done with your lawyer, Mr Salvatore. I just need you to sign here and she will be all yours." Miss Dermen said pointing towards the girl. 

Only then did Mr Salvatore realise that the girl standing infront of him was infact the one he had adopted, Ivannah Montgomery. He turned towards the woman and signed the papers silently. He nodded towards his lawyer telling him to take the girl and her belongings into the car. 

Ivy had expected the man to take her with him but was surprised when the other man stepped forward and took her and her belongings with him instead. She looked around at the barren street as he took her to the car she had seen from the window. 

It appeared much bigger when seen from this close. She watched as the men in suits hurdled around her and guided her towards the car in the middle. 

One man opened the door as another slightly pushed her to get inside. She instantly stepped back and looked up at one of the men. 

"Where is my daddy?" She asked innocently. 

The men felt their ice cold heart melt at the voice of the adorable kid and the sheer innocence in her voice. 

They were well aware of their cruel boss and his reason for adopting the child but couldn't help but hope that the little girl would melt their boss's heart too and maybe make him a little compassionate and affectionate. 

"Get inside the car, little girl. Your daddy will be joining you shortly." The driver of the car, James urged her softly as he didn't want to anger his master. 

Ivy listened to the man and got in the car with a soft pout on her lips. Her cheeks had turned a rosy pink due to the cold air outside and she was glad as she felt the warmth inside the car. 

She rubbed her cheeks softly and giggled. The interior of the car was very sleek and posh. The seats were a dark maroon in colour and felt really comfortable. 

She jumped a little and touched the doors from inside. Her eyes zeroed on a button on the panel beside her and she pressed it curiously. The window rolled down and she gasped in surprise. 

She was just trying to roll back the window when the other door opened. She watched as the Mr Salvatore got inside and the door closed behind him. She felt the cool air from outside and shivered slightly as she rubbed her little hands together. 

Mr Salvatore saw the girl shiver and sneered at her lack of warm clothes. He also noticed the rolled down window and huffed in annoyance. He suddenly remembered why he despised kids. 

They and their curiosity were intolerable to him. He leaned towards the little girl and rolled the window back up. 

He noticed the girl observing his movements and heard her gasp as the window went up. He silently admitted to himself that the child was absolutely adorable. 

He leaned back in his seat and opened his phone to go through his mails. He was engrossed in his work when he suddenly heard a small voice. 

"Are you my new daddy?" Ivannah asked him as he looked at her with surprise. 

He had completely forgotten about the girl beside him and looked at her as if he had seen her for the very first time. He then gathered himself and looked at her sharply. Annoyed by her interruption. 

"No. No, I'm not." He simply replied and went back to his phone.