Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Artemis wished never to get married because she saw how her father, Zeus, screwed up her mother’s life.
She never wanted this for herself.
I should have followed the goddess’s life more closely.
Maybe then I wouldn’t have made such a fatal mistake.
By trusting someone I shouldn’t.”
Diana
Diana
“I want to renovate the entire second floor,” I announce, taking a sip of my green tea. I watch the color drain from Matilda’s face while Leon drops the napkins on the floor, blinking at me. “I’m fed up with all the gloomy and dark colors. It’s depressing.”
Not to mention, it feels like living in a mausoleum with all these portraits hanging on the walls, judging your every move.
Matilda clears her throat, grabs the teapot, and pours more tea into my mug, while Leon puts eggs on my plate. The soft wind coming from the open terrace door promises a warm day. “What did Mr. Wright say about this?”
“He fully supports my idea,” I reply, unable to suppress the dreamy notes in my tone, which makes Leon smile even though he tries to hide it from Matilda.
She’s about to have a heart attack from this information, by the looks of it.
The woman doesn’t like any change. “And he gave me carte blanche too.”
Ever since he showed me his inheritance property, life has been straight out of a fairy tale, and sometimes I wonder if maybe I’m dreaming all of this up, and it’s part of my imagination.
However, no matter how much I pinch myself, my reality doesn’t change. It just becomes more vivid with each passing day.
Orion kept his word and decided to throw us a mini honeymoon, whisking me away to the Wrights’ private island and shutting us away from the outside world for the entire week.
Not having to deal with my father was bliss, and somehow, our photos ended up on social media, proving to everyone once and for all that we were a true couple.
We attended Rush and Aileen’s engagement party, which was a whole event, and if I thought Rafael was intense, let’s just say his twin brother is on a whole other level.
Their sister, Lavender, was nice despite what happened to her in the past. She’s better than me because if Levi Scott did to me what he did to her during the engagement party…I’d crawl into a hole and wouldn’t go back to face the world.
The humiliation would have killed me.
For whatever reason, the guy seems to hate her, and the feeling is mutual because hateful sparks were flying between them, and everyone preferred to stay away so they wouldn’t get accidentally burned.
Besides that, Orion and I spent all our time together, immersing ourselves deeper into this newfound relationship, and I wanted to bask in it for as long as I could, as I knew the real world would interfere soon.
We came back yesterday, and he had to go to the office in the morning to handle some things—I guess a multibillion-dollar company doesn’t run itself—so I stayed alone, writing my book.
I’m not sure if anything will come from it, but as Orion said…I can always try to see what happens. At least if or when I fail, I’d know I did everything I could.
I start thinking of ideas on how to change this mansion, because I had this vision about blond-haired little ones running around the garden. If we’re going to have kids, I wish for them to grow up in a warm and sunny house, not one haunted by the ghosts of our pasts.
Hence the renovation idea I mentioned to Orion, and a smile pulls at my lips, remembering that conversation.
My husband rests his cheek on my stomach, and I squeal when his beard tickles my skin, threading my fingers through his hair as we listen to the ocean hitting the rocks in the distance with seagulls chirping.
“Do you love your family home?” He tenses and turns his head until his chin presses into my belly button, studying me, so I elaborate. “If this is where you see us living…”
“I don’t care where we live as long as we live together,” he says, and as always, Orion makes my heart flip. “However, it’s the place my mother loved the most and all the folks working in there…I can’t abandon them.”
“I know. I think they consider you family, too. Trust me, they were your biggest champions when you acted like an ass.” He bites me then, and a laugh rumbles in my throat. “So, would you mind if I make some changes to the interior?”
He kisses my stomach and moves upward until his lips are inches away from mine, resting his arms on either side of my head and trapping me in his embrace.
Our gazes clash, and once again, I’m mesmerized by the territorial look in his eyes that pops goose bumps all over me.
“Everything that’s mine is yours. You can do whatever you want. ”
Skimming my hands upward and circling them around his neck, I press myself closer to him and whisper, “Whatever I want?”
“Yes. Except leaving me.”
“I think we should start with Orion’s wing.
I’ve never been there before, so checking it out will give me a better idea of what needs to be done.
We’ll be living in the same wing from now on,” I tell Matilda.
This time, Leon drops several forks from the table, and they share a long look that makes my stomach dip.
I push back the emotion, with the familiar tingling down my spine that has been a constant in my father’s house while growing up, as it spoke about the danger lurking in every corner.
“I’m sure you know a thing or two about renovations, so I’d love for you to help me with this project. ”
To my surprise, this doesn’t lift Matilda’s mood, and now worry crosses her features, though she quickly masks it with indifference. “I’ll have a list of interior designers ready for you by the end of the week. In the meantime, you can focus on your work.”
My brow furrows at this. “It’s Monday. Why would we wait till the end of the week?
” This woman created a whole-ass new wardrobe for me in less than twenty-four hours, and she needs seven days to find the interior designer?
“Besides, I want to see the entire mansion before hiring anybody. So why don’t we—”
“No,” they both exclaim in unison, only adding to my growing confusion. “Orion needs to approve it all first.”
While I’m not thrilled with the way this conversation is going, I can understand their hesitation. “I told you he gave me permission to do whatever I want.”
“I’m not sure that’s true. Either way, I’d like to speak to him first,” Matilda replies.
Okay.
My understanding can go so far.
“I see. So unless you hear it straight from Orion, my words mean nothing around here?”
Leon coughs, and Matilda clearly doesn’t take the hint from my annoyed tone as she places her hands on her hips and nods. “Yes. We work for Mr. Wright and will only take forward life-altering decisions made by him.”
“Since when are renovations life-altering decisions?” They’re acting as if entering Orion’s wing is the same thing as venturing into hell. What in the world?
“I don’t wish to discuss it further. Have a nice breakfast, Mrs. Wright.” She lifts her nose in the air and marches to the hallway, and I shake my head at this.
Just when I thought we were making progress in our relationship, Matilda showed me her true colors. “I’m sure dismissing the owner’s wife is against the rules you keep on shoving down my throat,” I shout after her, earning a snicker from the passing maids.
“Please be kind to her.” Leon twists his gloved hands. “She’s deeply attached to Orion and wants to protect him.”
Judging by the softness he seems to reserve only for Matilda, and the way he watches her, I have a feeling something is going on between them. Not that we’ll ever know for sure because it’s probably against some kind of employment rule here. “I’m not hurting him.”
A humorless chuckle slips past his lips. “Hurt has different measures, Diana.” He clears his throat. “I’m going to the garden. I’ll bring you some fresh roses soon.” With that, he disappears as well.
Losing my appetite altogether, I put away my mug and grab a napkin, wiping my mouth before getting up as determination fills my every bone and marrow.
I’m married, and Orion and I decided to commit to this marriage regardless of how it started, which means I don’t require anyone’s permission to enter Orion’s wing, least of all Matilda’s.
Stepping into the hallway, I look around, and when I don’t see anyone, I rush up the stairs and turn to the right, noticing the layer of dust covering the black marble on my way.
Are maids not allowed here on a daily basis, or what?
Everywhere else, the floor is polished to perfection, so much so that I can study my reflection in it and see every detail.
Walking farther into the hallway, I notice a weird echo all around me and a dim light. No window seems to be in proximity to brighten up the space around me.
Several doorless, empty rooms line up the hallway, appearing as if no one has touched them after the fire that took Orion’s father’s life.
Since I was just five years old when it happened, I vaguely remember the news channels covering the incident and mentioning something blew up in the basement, which resulted in Conrad’s death and Orion’s injuries.
I remember everyone speculating about how lucky a coincidence it was that all the staff were not at home during that time.
This meant no one else was harmed in the fire, aside from the house.
Shaking my head, I resume my walk and move toward the double doors straight ahead. This must be my husband’s room, and to my surprise, there’s no lock. An interior similar to mine greets me.
The only difference is that his room is bigger, with a couch, a desk, and a huge window opening onto the entire garden. Orion won’t miss anyone coming and going from his property. Like a human surveillance camera.