The room was thick with tension as the murmurs from Cedric and the onlookers faded into the background. Xanthea’s grip on Orion’s wrist tightened involuntarily, her heart racing with the unexpected turn of events. She had been prepared for a refusal or at least a cold rejection. But instead, Orion’s calm, unwavering response—“I’m staying.”—had caught her completely off guard.
For a moment, the air between them was charged with something more than just the intense atmosphere of the competition. Xanthea couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but it felt like a shift, a change in the power dynamic that she hadn’t anticipated. She had expected to be the one steering the ship, but now… Orion had taken control.
“Speak,” he added, his voice low and commanding, but there was something different in his tone—something that wasn’t quite as cold as before.
Xanthea blinked, trying to regain her composure. Why had he stayed?
Her mind was a whirl of thoughts. She hadn’t meant to drag him into this whirlwind. Her focus had been on the immediate need to keep him from leaving with Timothy—nothing more, nothing less. But now, with his presence lingering like an unspoken promise, Xanthea couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to it. What had made him stay? Was it the urgency in her eyes? The way she had acted without thinking?
She swallowed and looked up at him, meeting his gaze—those dark, intense eyes that always seemed to see right through her. A part of her wanted to backpedal, wanted to let him go and stay out of it, but that wasn’t why she had reached out. She needed him here. She couldn’t let him slip away—not now, not with everything on the line.
“Orion…” she began, her voice softer now, trying to navigate the delicate balance of this moment. “I didn’t mean to interfere with the shareholders’ meeting, but—”
But what? What could she possibly say that would make him understand the depth of her desperation? Her fingers still curled around his wrist, but now it felt like she wasn’t just holding him back from leaving. She was holding on to something far more fragile—something uncertain, something fragile between them.
Cedric, still stunned, could barely process the scene unfolding in front of him. His mind was racing, but his words were stuck in his throat. She was stopping him from going to the shareholders’ meeting? For what?
Ethan and Samuel, still unsure what to make of the situation, exchanged a quick, puzzled look. Samuel had always been protective of Xanthea, but even he couldn’t understand why she was behaving like this with Orion. The tension between them, the way she clung to him, was too much for him to ignore.
“Xan,” Ethan finally spoke up, his voice sharp. “Let go of him. The future of the Lockwood Group is on the line. You can’t just keep him here for no reason.”
Xanthea didn’t respond right away. Her thoughts were scattered, her words lost in the maelstrom of emotions swirling inside her. But before she could say anything, Samuel stepped forward, trying to gently release her grip on Orion’s wrist.
“Ms. Nightshade, please,” he began, a little more forceful now. “This isn’t the time for whatever this is. Mr. Lockwood has responsibilities.”
But Orion’s gaze never left Xanthea. His eyes softened just the slightest bit, the ice around them melting in some subtle way. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t budged, despite Samuel’s insistence. His focus remained on her, as if whatever was happening between them was the most important thing in the room.
“Hm?” Orion’s voice was thoughtful, almost amused by the chaos surrounding them.
And then, in the middle of all the pressure and expectation, he surprised everyone. “I’m staying.”
Xanthea felt her heart skip a beat, the words hitting her like a thunderclap. He was staying? For her?
She looked at him, wide-eyed. What did that mean?
“Speak,” he said again, his voice drawing her out of her stunned silence.
For a moment, she couldn’t speak. Her throat felt tight, her mind blank. What was she supposed to say to this man who had just completely thrown her off balance? She hadn’t expected this. She hadn’t expected him to choose her, to choose staying with her over his father’s call.
She could feel the weight of the room’s eyes on them—on her. This wasn’t just about the Lockwood Group anymore. This was something personal. Something she hadn’t planned for, something that might change everything.
Cedric stood, frozen in disbelief. He watched as Orion—who had always been known for his stoic, business-first approach—suddenly, uncharacteristically, put everything on hold. Not just for the company, but for her.
What was so special about Xanthea? How had she gotten him to stay?
Xanthea blinked, suddenly acutely aware of how she was holding him, of the way the room had shifted. She had never been one to let her emotions control her actions, but this was… different. It wasn’t just the adrenaline of the competition. It wasn’t just about the deal or the pressure of the shareholders’ meeting. It was the inexplicable pull she felt when she was with him.
She finally found her voice, though it came out in a whisper.
“I… I didn’t want to distract you,” she said, her words hesitating but clear. “But I couldn’t let you go with Timothy. Not like that.”
Orion didn’t respond immediately, but his silence spoke volumes. He wasn’t angry, wasn’t frustrated. He was simply there, steady, his presence like a calm, unwavering force.
For the first time, Xanthea felt as though the weight of the world could rest on his shoulders, and he would bear it—for her.
But just as quickly, the moment slipped away, replaced by the reality of their situation. The meeting, the company, the heir position—it was all still hanging in the air. Yet, in that brief moment of connection, Xanthea felt a new understanding between them—one that she hadn’t expected. Something had changed, and she didn’t know what it meant.
But one thing was clear: she wasn’t the only one who had made a choice today.
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