"W....wedding?!" he rasped, voice trembling. "You've lost your damn mind!"
Before Louise could respond, a soft feminine voice cut through the tension.
"Good morning, Mr. Louise. Your brother is waiting for you in the living room."
Both men turned toward the doorway, where a young woman stood hesitantly. She wore a neatly pressed black gown with a white apron, her blonde hair tied into a perfect bun. Despite her calm attire, her eyes revealed unease....like someone who had walked in on a storm she wasn't prepared for.
Louise's expression immediately darkened. He turned away from Orion and faced her, the sharp edge of his irritation palpable.
"My brother?" he repeated, his tone low and laced with anger. "How many times do I have to make it clear that those idiots are not my brothers?" He took a step closer, his voice dropping into a dangerous growl. "And what the hell is he doing here? Did he come with his two maids again? Or those so-called 'guides' he parades around as gifts?"
The maid swallowed hard, fidgeting with the edge of her apron.
"I....I'm sorry, young master, but according to the guards outside..."
"Don't 'young master' me," Louise snapped, his eyes glinting with fury.
She flinched but continued, voice trembling. "The fourth young master… he threatened the guards with his life if they didn't let him in. He forced his way through. And… he didn't bring any guides this time. He came alone."
Orion blinked, still frozen on the bed, his mind racing.
He's got brothers too and there are four of them....including him? His stomach churn in dread. Just like the four Alphas from that world I came from.
He swallowed hard at the realization which felt like a nightmare he doesn't want to wake up from. Please tell me I'm not about to relive another insane scenario.....four brothers fighting over me again. I can't go through being claimed all over again. Not by Alphas. Not by Espers. Not anyone.
Louise's jaw clenched, anger rippling through him.
Louise suddenly moved. In one swift, fluid motion, he crossed the room and grabbed the maid by the throat, slamming her back against the wall. The sound echoed....sharp and violent snapping Orion out of his daze.
The young woman gasped, her feet barely touching the ground as her fingers clawed weakly at his hand.
"Master, p...please...."
Louise leaned in close, his breath cold against her ear. "I don't care if that bastard came alone or with a damn army. You shouldn't have let him through that gate, no matter what he said. I don't care if he ends his life trying.....hell, that would only make my day brighter." His eyes burned with a feverish light. "Do you have any idea how much I want to kill him and the others? Do you want to die in their place, is that it?"
Orion's pulse raced. What the hell is wrong with this motherf....? His mind screamed in disbelief. If he wants to kill someone that badly, then he should start with me!
The maid's face was turning red now, her words barely audible. "I....I'm sorry, master… but he said… the word 'father'… that he's critically ill…"
Louise froze for a split second, his expression flickering.
The woman gasped for air, seizing the chance to speak again. "Everyone knows… you run the biggest pharmaceutical company in the world. The fourth young master said only you....have the drug to save his father right now."
Her voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes as she tried to pry his hand away.
Louise's grip faltered but didn't loosen entirely. His expression darkened further as he tightened his hand around the maid neck again.
Orion, watching from a few feet away, felt his stomach drop further.
Is he really going to kill her?
Without thinking, he stood up and strode toward them, his voice rough but steady.
"Stop this madness this instant. Do you want to kill her?" His voice was raw, urgent.
The maid's eyes flew wide in shock at Orion's audacity, disbelief making her lips tremble.
"If anyone's going to die here, it should be me," Orion said, stepping forward until he was almost close enough to touch Louise. "Use the strength you're wasting on her.....use it on me instead." He moved with purpose and grabbed Louise's wrist, trying to pry the man's hand away from the maid's throat. His fingers burned with effort but Louise didn't relent.
A new voice soon cut through the room "Are you going to keep me waiting down there or what?!" The sound made Orion and Louise turn toward the doorway.
A young man stood framed in the doorway. Calling him simply "handsome" felt small ..... he resembled Louise but was unmistakably his own kind of sharp and bright. He wore an all-orange outfit that screamed attention, his hair was dyed the color of green limes, making him look like a walking tangerine. The sight was absurd enough that Orion who had been furious a second earlier let out a breathy, involuntary laugh.
What the hell is with his dressing sense? Orion thought, incredulous, though the absurdity did nothing much to calm the knot of dread tightening in his chest.
Louise's grip loosened at last, the maid crumpled to the floor, coughing and gasping for air.
"You barged into my bedroom now, have you, Taylor?" Louise said, voice cold and clipped, though a scoff softened it.
His room? So I've been lying down in his bed? Orion eyes widened opened at the realization all while he swallowed hard.
"You mother is really giving you courage. But then you should be careful or you'll end up hurting yourself as well as her."
Taylor's expression hardened. "She's your mother too, Louise" he snapped, anger flaring. "You don't get to say those things about her. Everything she's done.... it was to give us a good life. To protect us. You don't have to hate her."
"Protect us?" Louise laughed, humorless. "She's not my mother. The day she abandoned my father and me, that's the day I disowned her."
Orion watched them trade barbs, feeling more like a spectator than a participant. Should I even be listening to this? he wondered, throat tight.