2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Orion

M y phone kept on buzzing, and I finally decided to answer.

“Couldn’t you find another time to call me? This had better be good …”

“Unfortunately, sir, it’s not good news.” Jake’s voice was tense, sharp, and straight to the point. “There’s been an incident. The seaport … it’s on fire.”

My eyes instantly widened. “Which seaport?” I demanded, already rushing out of the bathroom.

“South Point,” Jake replied. “The fire’s spreading fast. Local fire crews are on-site, but it’s bad. I suspect its arson.”

The hallway seemed to tilt as I processed his words. South Point was one of my most valuable assets, handling shipments that funneled millions of dollars into my empire. If it was gone … No, I couldn’t think like that. I had to act.

“Jake, handle everything. I’m on my way,” I said, moving quickly. I ended the call and called for my driver. The urgency in Jake’s voice told me everything I needed to know—this wasn’t just an accident. It was a deliberate attack. I had no choice but to leave the party, but before leaving I told one of the servants to find Miranda and tell her about the situation.

As I headed out the door, my thoughts were racing. This fire wasn’t just about money. It was a statement, a challenge. Someone was coming after me, and they were playing with fire—literally. But whoever it was, they would soon learn that attacking me was a fatal mistake.

By the time I arrived at South Point, the scene was chaos. The acrid smell of smoke hit me before I even stepped out of the car. Fire trucks were scattered across the docks, their red lights flashing in the early morning light, as firefighters battled the flames. The air was thick with heat and ash, and the sound of water hoses spraying was drowned out by the crackling of burning wood and metal.

Jake met me at the entrance, his usually calm expression replaced by one of controlled urgency. He was already wearing a hard hat, the reflective vest over his suit making him look oddly out of place amidst the destruction.

“It’s worse than we thought,” Jake said, as I approached. “The fire’s spread to the main storage facility. We’ve lost at least half the cargo, and the damage to the infrastructure is severe.”

I didn’t need to hear the numbers to know the scale of the disaster. One look at the burning wreckage in front of me told me everything I needed to know. Millions of dollars, gone up in flames. But more than that, this attack on my empire felt personal. Whoever did this wanted to hurt me in a way that money alone couldn’t fix.

“Any injuries?” I asked, trying to focus on what mattered most.

“None,” Jake replied, his voice tight. “We evacuated everyone in time. No casualties.”

Relief washed over me for a brief moment, but it was quickly overtaken by rage. “What about security footage? Do we know how this started?”

Jake nodded, already pulling out his phone to show me images from the surveillance cameras. “We’re reviewing the footage now. But from what we’ve seen so far, it looks like the fire started here, in the cargo storage area. Multiple ignition points, which means this was planned.”

I took the phone from him and scanned the images, my jaw tightening with every frame. This wasn’t just some random act of vandalism. This was a coordinated attack, and someone had the audacity to hit me where it hurt.

“Whoever did this,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. “They’re going to pay. I want every resource we have dedicated to finding them. No one crosses me and gets away with it.”

Jake’s eyes were hard as he nodded. “Already on it. We’ve got our people combing through the security footage, and I’ve called in favors from our contacts in law enforcement. We’ll find out who’s responsible.”

As I handed back the phone, I couldn’t help but glance around at the devastation. The flames were still raging in some areas, though the firefighters were making progress. But the damage was done. My seaport was a wreck, and the losses were staggering.

But even in the midst of all this destruction, my mind drifted back to her. Luna.

I haven’t ever felt like this for anyone … not even Ria, my late wife. I’m not even the type that kisses women I barely know. What’s come over me? Why can’t I forget her? I thought.

Despite the chaos around me, I kept seeing her face—those piercing green eyes. The way she had looked at me…

I shook my head, trying to refocus. This wasn’t the time for distractions. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Luna was important, that I needed to find her.

“Jake,” I said suddenly, turning to him. “I want the surveillance footage from the party at my home tonight. All of it. Make sure I have them first thing in the morning”

He gave me a strange look, clearly not expecting the change in topic.

“There was a woman … I need to find her.”

Jake raised an eyebrow but didn’t question me. He’d been by my side long enough to know when to keep his thoughts to himself. “I’ll get on it right away. Anything specific I should be looking for?”

“Green eyes, black hair, midnight blue dress. Goes by the name Luna.” Even saying her name out loud sent a jolt through me.

Jake nodded, understanding dawning in his eyes. “Got it. I’ll have the footage sent to your office by morning.”

“Good. And Jake … be discreet about it. I don’t want anyone else knowing about this.”

“Understood, sir,” he said, and with that, he turned to make the necessary arrangements.

I stayed at the scene for another hour, overseeing the cleanup and trying to make sense of what had happened. But no matter how much I tried to focus on the problem at hand, my thoughts kept drifting back to her. To the way her lips had felt against mine, to the way her body had pressed against me, fitting perfectly, like she was meant to be there. I missed her so much. Her scent still lingered in my memory. I felt like I was missing a limb as soon as our kiss broke.

How I wish I could turn back the hands of time and maybe get her number … Damn it, Orion, Focus! I thought.

When the flames were finally out, and the firefighters were packing up, I headed back to my car, my mind still tangled between the fire and the woman who had ignited my own internal fire.

The drive back to my estate felt longer than it should have, the quiet of the car only amplifying the storm brewing in my mind. By the time I arrived, I was exhausted, but sleep was the furthest thing from my mind.

Instead, I went straight to my office, poured myself a stiff drink, and waited.

An hour passed. Then two.

Finally, just as the first light of dawn began to break through the darkness, my phone buzzed. It was Jake.

“Sir, I’ve got the footage,” he said. “Sending it over now.”

“Thanks, Jake,” I replied, my voice gruff with exhaustion. “I’ll take it from here.”

I ended the call and turned to my computer, as the files began to download. The footage from the party was extensive … hours of people mingling, drinking, and laughing. But I was only interested in one thing.

I fast-forwarded through the footage, scanning the crowd for any sign of her. It wasn’t easy—the party had been packed, and the dim lighting didn’t help. But then, there she was. A flash of midnight blue, a cascade of black hair, and those eyes … those green eyes that had haunted me all night.

I paused the video, leaning closer to the screen. She was standing near the bar, sipping a glass of wine.

I watched her every move, trying to piece together the puzzle of who she was. She seemed confident, poised, but there was a hint of something else, something vulnerable, hidden just beneath the surface.

As the video progressed, I saw her disappear into the crowd. I fast-forwarded again, searching for her in the sea of faces. And then … there it was. The moment we’d met.

I watched as she bumped into me, spilling my drink all over my shirt. Even on the screen, the chemistry between us was undeniable. I saw the way she’d looked up at me, the way her hands had fluttered nervously as she tried to clean up the mess.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen as I watched it unfold, the memory of it still fresh in my mind.

I watched the footage until the very end, hoping to catch one last glimpse of her, but she never reappeared. She’d slipped away into the night, leaving me with nothing but a memory and a burning need to find her.

Just as I was about to call Jake and have him start looking for her, my phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn’t Jake. It was my business partner, Robert.

“Orion, we’ve got a problem,” he said, his voice tense.

“What now?” I asked, rubbing a hand over my face.

“It’s about the fire. We’ve got a lead. I think you’ll want to see this.”

I sat up straighter, my exhaustion forgotten. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

I hung up and grabbed my coat, my mind racing. The fire had been bad enough, but now there was a lead! I needed answers, and I needed them fast.

But as I headed out the door, Luna’s face flashed in my mind again.

I shook my head, trying to focus. There would be time to find her later. Right now, I had a fire to put out—literally and figuratively.

But deep down, I knew that no matter what happened next, I wouldn’t rest until I found her. Something told me that she was more than just a fleeting attraction. She was a key to something much bigger. Something that could change everything.

The drive to Robert’s office felt like a blur. My thoughts kept bouncing between the fire and Luna, and the strange pull I couldn’t shake. It was like being caught between two storms, both demanding my full attention.

When I finally arrived, Robert was waiting for me. His expression was grim, and I knew right away that whatever he had to show me wasn’t good.

“Orion,” he greeted me, his voice tight. “You’re not going to like this.”

“Just show me,” I said, my patience wearing thin. I needed answers, and I needed them now.

Robert led me to his desk and pulled up a series of images on his computer. They were grainy, taken from surveillance cameras around the seaport. But one thing stood out immediately: a figure in a dark hoodie, moving through the shadows just moments before the fire started.

“Who is that?” I asked, my eyes narrowing as I studied the footage.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Robert replied. “We’ve run it through facial recognition, but so far, nothing’s come up. Whoever it was, they knew exactly what they were doing. They disabled several of the cameras before setting the fire. This one … we only got lucky because it was hidden.”

I stared at the figure on the screen, my mind racing. Whoever had done this wasn’t just trying to hurt my business. This was personal. And I needed to find out why.

“Keep digging,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. “I want to know who this is. And when we find them …”

Robert nodded, understanding the unspoken threat in my words. He knew as well as I did that this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

By noon, the news about the fire outbreak had spread, thanks to the press.

The day had been nothing short of chaos, and just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, Amanda, my personal assistant, dropped a bombshell. Quitting out of the blue, with no explanation—no notice—just a message and a resignation letter on my desk. The timing was too coincidental, too suspicious, especially with everything else going on.

Feeling very frustrated, I decided to return to my estate. I stood in the kitchen, watching my daughter, Miranda, as she sat at the table, her phone in hand, but her attention clearly on me.

“Amanda quit,” I finally said, breaking the silence.

Miranda looked up, her brows knitting together in confusion. “Amanda? Your assistant? Why?”

I shook my head, frustration lacing my voice. “She didn’t say much. Just that her mom is sick and she has no one to take care of her. Left the letter on my desk and disappeared. No calls, no further explanation. It’s completely out of character for her.”

Miranda put her phone down, her face thoughtful. “That’s strange … Do you think it’s connected to the fire?”

I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to make sense of it all. “I don’t know. But the timing … it’s too much of a coincidence. First the fire, now this? Something’s going on, and I don’t like it.”

She nodded slowly, her gaze steady on me. “What are you going to do?”

I let out a deep breath, feeling the tension in my shoulders. “I need a new assistant.”

“I think I have just the perfect person you need” she said putting on a smirk.