Love at first, sight? 1
ORION.
As Orion stepped into his company's building, a sense of unease settled in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, and his father's involvement seemed inevitable. The prickly sensation at the back of his neck intensified, and Orion's scowl deepened.
His secretary, Miss Boris, greeted him with a nervous salutation, her eyes darting anxiously to his face. "Where is he?" Orion demanded, his voice low and menacing, each word enunciated through gritted teeth. Miss Boris flinched, her eyes widening in alarm.
"Chairman Stone is currently having a meeting, Sir," she stammered, her voice trembling. Orion's patience was wearing thin, his anger simmering just below the surface.
"Where the hell is he?" he boomed, his voice echoing through the hallway.
Miss Boris let out a squeaky sound, her eyes wide with fright, as she pointed down the hall. "The conference room, Sir." Orion didn't wait for further explanation; he strode towards the conference room, his long legs eating up the distance.
As he burst into the room, he was met with the sight of his father, Chairman Stone, beaming at a young man with an infuriatingly smug expression. The younger man's bright blue eyes sparkled with amusement, his gaze locking onto Orion's with an unnerving intensity.
Orion's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in anger. Who was this arrogant young man, and what was he doing in his conference room? His father's introduction only added fuel to the fire.
"Mr. Bishop, meet my son, Orion."
Orion forced a smile when he realized who the younger man was, but it came out more like a snarl. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, his eyes never leaving the younger man's face. The air was thick with tension, and Orion could feel his anger boiling over. What was his father up to now?
A slow, captivating smile spread across the younger man's face, illuminating his bright blue eyes as he made eye contact with Orion. For a fleeting moment, Orion thought he had a beautiful smile, but he quickly suppressed the thought, fixing his poker face before extending his hand in a firm handshake.
"Orion, this is Mr. Bishop, CEO of Bishop Enterprise and our current consultant at Stone Pharmaceuticals," his father announced, his voice dripping with enthusiasm.
Orion ignored the fact that this meeting was supposed to be his and that he should have been the one making the introductions. Instead, he presented his right arm in a professional handshake, saying a quick "Hello" and "It's a pleasure to meet you" to the younger man.
But as their hands touched, a spark-like sensation shot through Orion's body, leaving him wide-eyed and startled. He glanced at his father, searching for confirmation, but the older man seemed oblivious to the exchange. Just as Orion was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he caught the younger man smirking at him knowingly. Orion's scowl deepened, and the younger man's smirk grew wider as if daring him to react.
Orion cleared his throat nervously, looking away from the piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through him. The younger man's voice cut through the tension, "I trust you will relay the message to your son, Chairman Stone?" As he stood up, his elegant dark blue suit and Italian shoes seemed to shimmer in the light, drawing Orion's gaze like a magnet.
Orion's father replied with an enthusiasm that bordered on sycophancy, "Yes, of course, Mr. Bishop, with immediate effect, I assure you." Orion watched with growing disgust as his father fawned over the younger man, his anger simmering just below the surface.
The younger man's parting words were laced with insincerity, "Very well, I must apologize for coming in unannounced again." But it was his wink at Orion that left him breathless and fuming. The nerve! Orion thought, his eyes narrowing as he watched the younger man walk away with a satisfied grin.
As the door shut behind him, Orion turned to his father, his voice low and even. "Why wasn't I notified of this sudden change in the arrangement, Father?" His father sighed, as if expecting the question, "There was no change in the arrangement, Orion."
Orion's confusion deepened. "Then what was he doing here just now?" His father's response only added to the mystery.
"Mr. Bishop wanted to have a word with me, and that's exactly what he did. Why are you asking me all these questions, Orion?" The genuine confusion in his father's voice only served to frustrate Orion further. What was going on, and why was his father acting like he was the clueless one?
Orion's mind was a whirlwind of confusion and frustration. Had he misread the situation entirely, or was this another one of his father's clever tricks to throw him off balance? It was a familiar pattern, one that always ended with his father blaming him for the consequences.
"He's not here about Stone Pharmaceuticals?" Orion asked, his voice laced with skepticism. His father's response was a curious mixture of amusement and hard dance.
"Isn't that your area of expertise, Orion?" he said, his tone dripping with condescension. Before Orion could respond, his father was already walking out of the conference room, leaving him seething with anger.
Orion's fists clenched as he fantasized about confronting the arrogant young man. How dare he show up at Stone Pharmaceuticals without so much as a notification, especially after declining a formal meeting with Orion just two days ago? What could his father possibly want from Mr. Bishop outside of the company's interests?
