Chapter 8

Orana’s Point of View

I stood in front of the mirror, fingers trailing slowly down the curve of my waist, over the soft fabric hugging my hips, as if I needed to confirm that the woman staring back at me was real. The dim light in the room caught the angles of my face.

I looked like everything I have ever wanted. Strong, beautiful, and bold. I smiled at myself, turning around to see how low it sat behind. It was a black backless dress with thin straps that hung too low behind, but my curves held it in place.

I admired myself for one last minute before A knock broke the moment.

My breath hitched before I could stop it.

“I’m coming,” I called, already moving, my pulse picking up in a way that annoyed me. I smoothed my dress instinctively, then reached for the handle and pulled the door open.

Vaughn.

His back was to me, broad shoulders framed by the hallway light, one hand tucked into his pocket. Even in stillness, there was something about him. Like every movement he made was chosen carefully. A smile curved up on my lips.

“Hi,” I said, and He turned.

And just like that, the air shifted. I was out of breath. But something dark and intense flickered in his eyes. I didn’t miss that even if I tried not to notice. I did.

“I just need a second,” I said quickly, suddenly aware of everything. my hair, my dress, the way my heart seemed louder than it should be. “I forgot my earrings and my purse.”

He didn’t answer. He just looked at me.

The intensity in his eyes wasn’t loud, but it was too dark, and it settled under my skin all the same. It wasn’t the kind of stare I was used to. not dismissive or assessing in a way that made me feel small.

It was focused, like he was trying to remember everything. Like I was a gem, and it made my heart feel things it shouldn’t.

Off limits. He was off limits.

Men in general.

My fingers tightened slightly around the door. “You can come in, if you want.”

There was an awkward silence as his eyes traveled down my body, then to my face.

 “No. Will wait here.”

Just that. No explanation.

And yet, it didn’t feel dismissive, but the way his eyes looked at me. Told me something about my dress, which is why he didn’t want to come in. I bit the inside of my lip, kicking myself for being so careless.

I nodded, even though he hadn’t asked me to. “Okay. I won’t be long.”

I could feel his gaze follow me as I crossed the room, my steps just a little too quick. I reached for my earrings, fastening them with fingers that weren’t as steady as I wanted, then grabbed my purse from the dresser.

When I turned back, he was still there. Still watching me.

Something in my chest tightened. We have gone to many events together. But something about tonight feels different.

“You look beautiful, Orana,” he said.

But the way he said them low, like he wasn’t used to giving compliments, it made warmth spread across my skin before I could stop it, straight to my face.

“Thank you,” I replied softly, my cheeks suddenly feeling hot.

What’s wrong with me? This was Vaughn, my boss and sometimes friend. He is off limits.

I couldn’t help but smile. He looked at me like I wasn’t something fragile or temporary.

“Shall we?” He offered me his arm, and I hooked my arm around his, careful that I don’t tug too tight on him

We walked out together, the quiet between us awkward, and the air felt thick.

The car waiting outside was a black sports car. It suited him so well.

Vaughn moved ahead of me, opening the passenger door without a word. I paused for a second before slipping inside, the leather cool against my bare skin.

I barely had time to adjust before he leaned in, his face suddenly so close to me.

My breath caught.

His arm brushed mine as he reached for the seatbelt, the scent of him intoxicating. His warmth wrapped around me, and for a minute, my lungs forgot how to work. My fingers curled slightly against my lap.

‘I could’ve done it myself.’ I wanted to say, but the way his scent was hitting my nostrils, how his warmth felt, I didn’t stop him.

The click of the buckle sounded, then he pulled back, his gaze lingered for half a second longer than necessary, or maybe I imagined it.

Then he pulled back, closing the door with a quiet thud. I let out a heavy sigh as I watched him walk around the hood of the car. He said something to the Valet and gave him a handshake before getting into the car.

Without a word, he started the car, and the engine roared to life. Rumbling loud, matching the way my heart was racing.

**

The observatory rose ahead of us, and I couldn’t help but smile. People milled around the entrance, dressed in elegance. laughter drifting into the night.

My stomach tightened. I had prayed to attend such an event with Callahan, but he would always say I didn’t need to attend, and because I didn’t want to seem clingy, I never pushed for it.

Vaughn was already out of the car, rounding it before I could gather myself. He opened my door again, offering his hand this time.

 “I don’t...” I started, but the words couldn’t come out.

 I stared at his hand stretched out, not because I didn’t want to take it, but because I did want to take his hand and be part of this.

“I won’t let go,” he said, voice low enough that it felt like it was just for me.

My eyes lifted to his, holding his gaze for a minute.

There it was again, that darkness and steadiness in his eyes, that assuring look he gave me.

I placed my hand in his, palm sweaty, and I cursed myself for being such a nervous wreck. His fingers closed around mine with warmth and firmness.

And just like that, the tightness in my chest eased enough for me to breathe.

“Together?” he asked, and I let out a sigh before stepping out. I don’t know why I was nervous. Maybe it was because I knew he would be here. The man who ruined me.

We walked in together, my hand in his fingers intertwined. Immediately we walked in, I could hear the murmurs and see the stare he gave him. Not just him, not me, but us.

The instinct was to pull back, to shrink just enough to disappear from it.

His hand tightened slightly around mine. I turned to him, and he smiled at me. I lifted my chin. holding on to his hand, letting him guide me into the room.

We just walked to an empty table when I felt something like a thread pulled too tight.

I didn’t see him at first, but I could feel him. That familiar feeling is crawling up my spine. It’s what I felt the first time I met him.

It was like fate.

My heart raced so fast, and I forgot to breathe. I slowly turned to face him, Vaughn’s eyes following my line of sight.

Callahan.

Almost six years, and somehow I would’ve known him anywhere.

He stood near the entrance, just stepping in, every bit as composed as I remembered.

And on his arm, Marissa.

Of course. She was with him. How did I forget that?

Her hand rested on him as if it belonged there. Like it always had.

For a second, something inside me threatened to crack. My grip on Vaughn’s hand tightened before I could stop it.

His thumb brushed lightly against my knuckles, not enough to draw attention, just enough to give me that strength I needed.

“I’m here,” he murmured.