Chapter 5 Unexpected Guest
Coralyn's POV
For a full three seconds, neither of us moved. He stood frozen like ice while I was… flabbergasted.
Utterly and completely flabbergasted.
His hand was still there.
Cupping my ass..
Then he pulled back so fast he nearly collided with the wall.
"I apologize," he muttered, "It was not intentional. I meant to guide you forward and miscalculated the distance. I sincerely apologize."
His ears were faintly pink.
I cleared my throat.
"It is fine, really... accidents happen."
"Understood," he replied, still avoiding my eyes.
Zilla, blissfully unaware, spun in a circle.
"Our room is this way. Come on!"
Thank God for children and their perfect timing.
We followed her down the hall until she stopped in front of a tall door with the number sixty-eight in gold plating. Orion unlocked it, pushed it open, and stepped aside so I could enter.
The suite was breathtaking.
It has exotic elements of simplicity, but it was breathtaking nonetheless.
It had soft cream walls, warm lighting. Polished wood floors that looked too expensive to walk on and a wide living area with plush seats angled toward a glass wall that revealed the entire resort spread out below.
What a view.
He gestured to the right.
"Your area is over here."
I walked toward the corner he indicated. It was surprisingly private, a cozy section separated by a sliding panel.
A neatly made bed, a nightstand, a white lamp, and a small rug.
He pointed to a compact hallway.
"This leads to your facilities. There is a bathroom on the left, restroom on the right, and a walk-in closet at the end which can also double for a changing room."
I stepped further in and noticed a narrow door beside the closet.
"And this?"
"It leads to a small office space that you can make use of."
He walked toward the balcony doors next, stopping just before pulling them open.
"The veranda is shared. But if you would like privacy, I can keep Zilla on my side of the suite when you use it."
That wouldn't be necessary.
But my body settled for a nod instead.
Holy shit there was a Jacuzzi on the veranda.
"It is beautiful," I whispered.
"It is quite functional."
Zilla tugged my sleeve again.
"This is where we sit when Dad pretends not to like the sunset."
Orion sighed.
"I do not pretend. I simply do not see the need to assign emotional value to—"
"Dad likes the sunset," Zilla insisted.
He did not argue further.
××××
I settled in well, pulling a few essentials from my suitcase. I lined everything up neatly inside the walk-in closet.
It was surprisingly spacious.
The left side was clearly meant for me, and the right was clearly his.
Orion was already unpacking the last of his items. He told me he was here for a business trip. Something about the owner of the resort, a friend from the Azulion family. (The family that had owned the resort for many generations).
Once he finished, he opened his laptop and shifted into work mode. Zilla went to the veranda with a gaming pad in her lap, and every few minutes she glanced at me, smiled, and waved.
I considered heading downstairs for a quick look around. We had a scheduled tour later that evening, for people like me who had never been here before.
Just then, my phone rang.
Ugh. Vivienne Calder.
Her calls were never random.
"Hi...mom."
"Cora. My sweet daughter. My only child worth fifty children put together."
"What do you need?"
"Is that how you talk to me now? I called to check on you. I called because I care."
I sat on the edge of the bed.
"Mom. This is not for drugs again, right?"
"You are questioning me? I am your mother. I carried you for nine months. I raised you. I sacrificed my youth, my beauty, my—"
"Mom," I interrupted, lowering my voice because Orion had glanced over. "I did not ask to be born. You made that choice."
"Ungrateful child. You think life is easy? You think you know stress? I need a little money, just a little. It is not for drugs, it is just for food.."
Yeah. Right.
"And to pay the light bill. And maybe a small drink to calm my nerves. You know my blood pressure is high."
"It was not high last week when you posted a video dancing in front of that nightclub."
"That was for my mental health."
"Mom.."
"You are wicked." Her voice rose. "After everything I did for you. Look at you, acting like you are better than me."
"I am not acting. I am better than you"
"Coralyn Barrett Calder!"
We went back and forth. Years of resentment rearing its head.
She accused me and I defended. She fake cried but I stood firm.
She begged and I refused. She cursed, yet I sighed.
Eventually, the call ended with her very irritated goodbye.
"You will miss me when I am gone."
"Right..."
As if I'd miss a liability who wanted to suck me dry and gave not a single shit about me. No matter how much I had tried for her.
This was what it looked like when your mother was a gold-digging addict without any gold to dig. She had drained every paycheck I had ever earned. I had once paid for rehab and she had escaped after five days. I could not keep doing this.
I turned and found Orion watching me quietly.
"Do you have family?"
I wasn't sure why I asked.
He closed his laptop and met my eyes.
"My father was a man-whore, and my mother cared more about shopping bags than raising me. I was mostly raised by my father’s butler."
The way he said it was so casual.
"He is still at the house now. Practically the caretaker."
"Your parents passed?" I asked.
"Not my mother," he replied. "She is very much alive. I simply prefer to act like she is not. She only calls once a year to ask about Zilla."
"So we both have mothers who are… deadbeat." I winced immediately. "I did not mean to call your mother that. I was just trying to relate."
"It is fine," he said. "In a way, she is."
I sighed in relief.
"I talk too much."
"You do," he said, "and it's not so bad, honestly."
"I think I will go shower," I had to leave before my cheeks would choose to stupidly redden for no reason. "Can I borrow a towel? I forgot to pack one."
"Of course."
I stepped into the closet and took a towel from his side. It smelled new.
Then the doorbell rang. Since Orion was still working. I figured I could get it. It was the least I could do after borrowing his towel.
I moved to the door and pulled it open.
Standing outside was a daytime nightmare.
My fingers slipped and the hairbrush I had been holding clattered to the floor.
"Cora?"
"Kade!"
What...
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"I should be asking you, did you stalk me?!"
Before I could start threatening to get the police, I felt Orion step behind me.
He folded his arms and tilted his head at Kade.
"What are you doing here, brother?"