chapter 3 : Negotiation between the North and the South

Orion pov

I didn’t sleep that night.

I lay in bed, eyes wide open, the satin sheets twisted around my legs, Cassian’s voice echoing in my ears.

> “You’re not going anywhere, little Omega.”

Even now, hours later, I could still feel the heat of his breath on my skin… and the mocking way he had smiled when I trembled.

I hated him.

I hated how he looked at me.

How he saw straight through the layers I spent years perfecting.

I pressed the heel of my hand into my chest, trying to ease the pressure growing behind my ribs. It wasn’t panic anymore. It wasn’t even fear.

It was something worse.

Something heavier.

He knew what I was.

He knew I was being controlled and directed.

He knew I wasn't that independent heir everyone thought I was.

And worse than that? He didn’t expose me. He left it hanging, like bait on a hook, and I walked right into it.

---

The morning sun broke over the skyline, cold and pale against the glass walls of my penthouse suite. I was dressed in a charcoal suit and matte black tie—my usual armor.

I couldn’t afford to look weak today.

The negotiation meeting with Cassian’s people would begin in an hour.

And I would have to sit across from him.

Act normal.

Pretend nothing had happened.

A knock echoed through the suite.

“Come in,” I said tightly.

Nora stepped inside—my personal assistant. Sharp, efficient, and loyal, the only person I trusted with my real truth.

“The North delegation has arrived,” she said. “They’re waiting in the boardroom. Mr. Orion—” she hesitated, “are you alright?”

I blinked. “Why do you ask?”

“You look… tired.”

I forced a smile. “Long night. That’s all.”

She didn’t look convinced but nodded. “Understood.”

---

The elevator ride down to the twenty-eighth floor was smooth and silent. I stared at my reflection in the mirrored panel. Sharp lines. Cold eyes. Controlled. Just like they taught me.

But beneath the suit, the tie, the mask—my body remembered.

It remembered the scent of him. The power. The heat.

Stop.

This wasn’t the time for weakness.

we walked into the boardroom, which was filled with glass and steel, sunlight bouncing off polished surfaces. A massive table sat in the center, surrounded by advisors from both our companies.

And at the head of the table, relaxed in his chair like a king on his throne…

Cassian Vale.

He looked even more dangerous in daylight.

Tailored suit. Navy blue. No tie. One button undone. Casual, yet impossibly dominant. His fingers tapped lightly against the table, and the moment I stepped into the room—he looked up.

Our eyes met.

Something inside me pulled taut, like a wire strung too tight.

“Ah, Mr. Orion,” said the North’s financial director, rising. “Glad you could join us.”

I nodded, moving to take my seat directly across from Cassian.

I can't afford to be absent from an important negotiation like this.

He didn’t say a word.

But his eyes never left me.

---

The first thirty minutes passed in a blur of numbers, property mergers, market share, and legal terms. I answered questions, proposed edits, countered suggestions.

Everything was normal.

Except him.

Cassian hadn’t spoken yet. Not once. He let his team do the talking. He just sat there, watching me with that unreadable expression. Like he was waiting. Measuring.

And then—he finally spoke.

“We propose a joint expansion in the Southern region,” he said, voice steady. “Your land. Our tech. Fifty-fifty control.”

The room fell silent. Everyone turned to me.

I didn’t flinch.

“That’s a bold move,” I replied evenly. “Fifty-fifty doesn’t sound fair when the land is already ours.”

His lips twitched. “Your land, yes. But underdeveloped. We bring the infrastructure. The energy systems. The AI grid. You bring… dirt.”

A few nervous chuckles around the table.

I leaned forward, matching his tone. “Dirt we could sell to someone else. Someone less interested in making jokes during a billion-dollar negotiation.”

His eyes darkened—just a flicker. A challenge.

“I’m not joking, Orion.”

“Then negotiate like you’re serious.”

The tension between us crackled like a storm cloud over a metal tower.

---

The meeting adjourned two hours later. Agreements half-signed. More to discuss at our next meeting. Everyone filed out, murmuring quietly.

Everyone except him.

Cassian remained seated, fingers steepled beneath his chin.

I stood. So did he.

The door closed behind the last assistant, leaving us alone.

“I see you’re still pretending nothing happened,” he said calmly.

I kept my voice cold. “Nothing did.”

He took a step closer. “Your Omega scent says otherwise.”

“I’m not an Omega.”

He tilted his head. “really? Then let's find out.”

I clenched my fists.

He stepped even closer, his voice dropping. “Do you know what I think?”

“No. But I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”

“I think you’re waiting for permission to stop hiding.”

I laughed—sharp and bitter. “You think this is a choice?”

He didn’t answer. Just watched me. Waiting.

I turned away, walking toward the door. “This conversation is over.”

But before I could reach it, he said softly, “You don’t have to be their puppet anymore.”

I froze.

He knew.

Not just about me being an Omega—but about everything.

And the terrifying part?

Some small, stupid part of me wanted to believe him.