MARRIED TO MY EX HUSBAND'S OLDER BROTHER: REVENGE

Chapter 3: Debts and Opportunities

As the sun peeked over the skyline, I arrived at the penthouse, taking in the now-familiar scent that lingered around it, and the usual feeling of a busy day ahead. Immediately, I got down to work, first dusting the furniture, then cleaning the lush marble floor of the penthouse, before moving to the kitchen.

"Good morning." Orion greeted me, as I walked into the kitchen.

"I thought you must be sleeping in today since I didn't find you here when I came." I said. I hadn't cleaned his room yet. "I didn't want to wake you up."

"It's fine, Odessa." He replied. "Just came in for some early morning coffee. He set the coffee maker to work and went to grab a mug from the shelf.

"What would you like for brunch, Mr Orion?" I asked, taking out the apron from the hanger and tying it around my waist.

"The Mr in my name is illegal, Odessa." Orion said, jokingly. "I'm not that old, you know."

"Can't you notice my eyes?"

"What am I supposed to notice in them?" I asked, cluelessness filling my voice.

Orian walked forward, stopping barely a few inches away from me. His towering physique enveloped me, making me appear tiny In Front of him. Lowering himself at me, his eyes dug into mine, and his voice dropped to the floor as he asked. "What do you see in my eyes, Odessa?"

I stared into his deep brown eyes, my gaze locking me into his. "What do you see?" He asked again.

Silence overwhelmed us as I continued staring into his eyes, unbreaking, and without a word on my lips.

The beeping of the coffee maker dragged me back to reality and his lips curved into a smirk.

I quickly withdrew from him, feeling a light heat on my cheeks

"So what did you see?" Orion asked. "I assume you see the eyes of a 37-year-old man?"

I chuckled, a hint of awkwardness suddenly creeping into me. "Yes."

"In that case, I'll have the men's cosmetic Company to sue." He joked "I thought I at least had the looks of a teenage boy!" I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, I'll leave you to work then!" He said. Walking over to the coffee machine, he poured out his coffee, before walking out of the kitchen.

What just happened? I asked no one in particular, recalling the brief moment I had stared into his eyes.

I had to be delusional. I thought. Quickly brushing off the silly thoughts in my head and got back to work.

When evening came, I was already done for the day and was packing up my belongings to call it a night when Orion walked in. "Still here?" He asked.

I picked up my handbag from the stool in the living room and turned back to him. "I was just about to leave." I replied.

"Well, I'm glad that I made it in time." My eyebrow arched questioningly, but before I could open my mouth to ask him what he meant by that, Orion dug into his jacket and fished out something.

"What is it?" I asked, squinting my eyes through the dim light as I tried to make out what he was holding.

"Hold on." He said and quickly looked for the living room switch.

Light enveloped the room, and my eyes fell on the jewelry box he was holding.

"I have something for you." He said and pushed open the case.

A smile curled my lips as my eyes fell on a ruby necklace swinging against the tips of his fingers.

"It's beautiful," I remarked, genuinely. "But I don't think I should accept it."

"It's not a choice, Odessa." "You must."

"What is it for?" I asked.

Orion chuckled. "I just thought it would look good on you."

"Can I?" He asked, gesturing towards wearing the jewel around my neck.

"Sure."

Orion took a few steps forward, stopping inches away from me. He stood behind me and pushed my hair forward, the lace around my neck brushing against my skin. His hot breath against my neck made me shiver, and my eyes closed shut as he locked the necklace. Cold fingers brushing over my nape sent another wave of shivers down my spine.

"You look very beautiful today, Odessa." His husky voice whispered into my ears. Turning me to face him, his eyes dug into mine, and we remained lost in each other's gaze.

"Thank you," I replied, breaking off eye contact after some time as I felt my cheeks heating up.

A small smile curled his lips. "Never take it off." He said.

I fingered the lushness of the ruby stone on my neck. "I will try not to."

"Goodnight," I said, throwing him a friendly smile before walking out of the penthouse.

Orion was a friendly man, and working with him has been one of the best things that could happen to me.

My job as Orion's housekeeper came with a promised salary of $20,000 a month—a staggering difference compared to the meager $1,500 I earned at Danté's. However, $17,500 of that amount was withheld by Orion to cover the debt for the priceless artifact I had accidentally broken at the exhibition. This left me with just $2,500 for the month, which was still more than what I used to make before.

Despite the deduction, I found a way to juggle work and taking care of my son, Kenny. Orion, perhaps feeling sympathetic, presented me with my first salary before payday, enabling me to sort out my most urgent bills. The money, although much smaller than anticipated, came a long way—electric bills, water bills, maintenance bills, and paying off a portion of the small loans I had borrowed from neighborhood-friendly loan groups.

If everything went as planned, by September, Kenny would be able to start kindergarten in a better environment, perhaps even a new apartment.

Though life was still riddled with challenges, there was a glimmer of hope. My job with Orion felt like the fresh start I had been longing for, even if the journey to stability was going to take a little longer than I'd initially expected.

However, there was something about his presence and demeanor that was slowly starting to overwhelm me. I had barely worked in his penthouse for a few weeks and his recurring presence and unexpected attention baffled me.