CHAPTER 8: His Plan

This is absurd! 

Orion found himself on the verge of anger as he drove Erin to her penthouse. Getting close to Erin and spending every waking moment with her was not part of his plan. He couldn't understand why he had let himself get entangled in this situation.

Frustration clenched his teeth, and anger surged through him, directed at himself, Erin, and various other reasons. Despite his resentment towards her, he couldn't ignore the overwhelming warmth and emotions he felt for her.

Orion knew he had to control himself to make it easier to part ways once the contractual obligations or her impending deadline concluded. He avoided meeting her gaze as the car halted in front of her building.

"Get out," he bluntly commanded.

"What?" Erin appeared visibly taken aback.

"I'll join you shortly. There's something I need to take care of first."

"When will you be back?" Erin inquired.

"You're not my wife yet, Erin! I'll come for you once I've sorted things out. Please, get out of this car."

Without hesitation, Erin exited the vehicle, visibly perplexed by his sudden actions. He sped away in his van, his agitation evident as he pounded the steering wheel, lacking composure.

Heading to Marco's house became his default choice when seeking solace. Marco was his close friend, and he often shared personal matters with him. There were also times when he sought advice from Drew. 

Parking his car, he remained frustrated, longing to return to Erin, further intensifying his irritation.

When Orion entered Marco's house, he discovered his friend wasn't alone. Carla, who had been a friend for a long time, was there too.

"Orion!" Carla immediately stood up and approached him.

He cringed when he smelled her strong perfume. They used to be boyfriend and girlfriend for a while in college, and even though they're not together anymore, they've stayed friends for a long time.

The woman had reached the age of 32 and was now a mother to a twelve-year-old child. 

Carla broke Orion's trust in relationships because she cheated on him, and this experience has kept him single for a long time. Adding to the complexity, Orion discovered Carla's pregnancy. At the same time, they were still a couple, and she became a mother at nineteen. A few months later, the man abandoned Carla, leaving her to raise their child alone.

"I miss you, O!" Carla exclaimed, wiggling her hips.

Orion shrugged. Carla had often pleaded to reconcile, insisting he still loved her and pointing to his single status over the years as evidence. But for Orion, the valid reason wasn't about lacking a girlfriend. He had lost faith in relationships. 

His fear originated from his father, Mr. Niel Arvesso, who neglected him due to a busy work life filled with numerous romantic entanglements. Orion dreaded mirroring his father's neglectful attitude and string of relationships, being determined not to repeat those mistakes, especially with the potential of encountering another Carla-like situation in his life.

"Why are you here?" Marco asked. "Aren't you supposed to be heading to Yurich?"

"I just came from there! The meeting has concluded," he explained as he sat on the sofa.

"In that attire? Wearing a leather jacket and denim? Aren't you lucky they didn't suspect anything?" Marco remarked.

"Do you have coffee?" he asked, changing the subject. He didn't want to discuss what happened in Yurich's office.

"I'll get it! I also want to brew some for myself." Carla stood up and headed to the kitchen. They regularly hung out at Marco's house.

"So, what happened? Did your plan to bring Erin to their company push through?"

Since they were the only ones there, he explained his reasons to Marco. "Yes, as I told you, I just want to expose her to a year in the company so that if the time comes, she'll be even more hurt after a year. I have the power to marry her, but that was the last thing on my mind."

"Are you saying you have no intentions of marrying her and adhering to the will?" Marco inquired curiously.

"No, I won't benefit from marrying her, so why bother?" Orion retorted. 

'You will be her husband?' he thought.

"I'm not interested in the Yuriches' money. My objective is to hurt Erin. Initially, I planned to leave the country before her granted extension came through. She won't be getting the company she desires," he explained.

"If that's the case, why pretend to be her bodyguard?" Marco probed further.

"To appease my dad and keep an eye on her. I don't want her parading around as Orion Arvesso's fiancée," he revealed, noting that she had carried his name for a year.

"And your dad? Doesn't he want this?" Marco inquired.

His Uncle Rod was the one who strongly desired him to look after Erin. To soothe his conscience, he would reflect on his brother, Daryl.

"What about Dan? What about Daryl? He hurt Danica, deceived, and played with my brother Daryl," Orion replied, expressing his resentment.

"Damn! I never expected you to resort to such tactics, O!"

"Firstly, learning that Erin is set to become her sister-in-law would cause Danica profound distress. Secondly, I despise that woman even more as a potential wife. I'll ensure that this becomes her payback."

Truth be told, he's grappling with conflicting emotions. While anger towards Erin prevails, there's also a sense of pity, and he finds himself besieged by desire in her presence. He's unsure if he can endure a year without savoring the taste of her lips. Shaking his head in disbelief, he contemplates the struggle within.

Their attention shifted to Carla, who had returned. Marco and O promptly changed the topic.

After spending an hour at Marco's residence, Orion left to visit Erin at her penthouse. However, he encountered an unfamiliar man there, exuding an almost godlike aura, and he couldn't help but disapprove. It served as a testament to Erin's character.

***

Erin looked confused when Orion told her to leave his car. She didn't understand why he was acting that way, which annoyed her. If he intended to drop her off at the penthouse and then leave, she might as well have gone to Zach's house instead.

Anticipating the potential need to vacate Orion's vehicle, Erin preemptively messaged Zach, asking him to bring her belongings to her place. She aimed to avoid taking Orion to Zach's apartment, not wanting to burden her friend in case she and Orion decided to stay there. 

Fortunately, electricity was restored in her penthouse just the day before.

Seated on the couch, Zach inquired, "So, you're the new chairman of Yurich?"

"Effective today!" Erin responded proudly.

Curiosity lingering, Zach continued, "Any plans to marry Orion Arvesso? Have you discussed that?"

"Not yet. Right now, we're focused on office matters," Erin clarified.

"Unfortunately, I planned to acquire your contract from that agency because I intended to hire you as a model for some upcoming advertisements for my clients. I genuinely believe it would have been a worthwhile investment. Your impressive bio speaks for itself, you know?"

Erin felt regretful as she genuinely wanted to assist Zach with his business. "I need to concentrate on my responsibilities at the office. Once I officially receive the shares in my name, I'll fully immerse myself as a businesswoman, leaving little room for any modeling commitments. I'm sorry, Zach."

He nonchalantly shrugged in response.

As Erin pondered her decision, her phone rang, prompting her to head towards the designated phone area.

"Ma'am, you have a visitor. It's Orion Arvesso, and he claims to be your boyfriend," the guard relayed on the other end of the line.

A mixture of surprise and delight colored her cheeks as she couldn't deny the pleasure of him referring to her as his girlfriend.

"Kindly ask him to go to my unit, please. I apologize if I didn't provide any specific instructions."

"No problem!"

Shortly after, Orion appeared with a bag in hand. "I went home to gather a few things."

Orion's brow furrowed upon seeing Zach comfortably seated on the sofa. His gaze shifted to the tempting cake and wine arranged on the center table and then back to them. Erin, feeling a bit uneasy, absentmindedly scratched her head.

"He's my friend, Zacharia Lopez," she explained to Orion.

"Does he have a key to this place?" Orion inquired, catching Erin off guard.

How did he know about it? She gave the penthouse key to Zach when she needed something over the weekend while staying at his home. During a meeting with Orion, Zach also ensured her electricity was restored, and she hadn't retrieved the key yet.

A subtle smile played on the corner of Zach's lips. "I do. I can come and go."

"It would be better if you return it to Erin," Orion stated, stern-faced.

"Why? Erin gave it to me," Zach replied, with a hint of defiance in his tone.

Erin shot her friend a disapproving look.

"I simply prefer not to have casual visitors. I will live here and feel uneasy about others being here."

Zach seemed intent on testing Orion; at least, that's what Erin believed. 

However, what took her by surprise was Orion's statement about residing in her penthouse. As far as she could recall, they were not yet married.