4. ORION ASHBOURNE

4. ORION ASHBOURNE

*SAME DAY, MORNING 11 AM, ASHBOURNE AVENUE*

'Mama is so cool!' I know I am clapping the hardest in this hall right now, something mom won't be approving of if she had to turn sideways and look at me, but I just couldn't contain my excitement.

Okay fine, it wasn't just simple excitement but a group of weird emotions like anxiety, panic, nervousness, stress and… I don't know what else.

Today was supposedly the biggest day of my life. Ashbourne Atelier now had a new CEO with another new branch to its name.

'Orion Ashbourne inherits a legacy of elegance at Ashbourne Atelier.'

'New era of brilliance : Orion Ashbourne to launch another line at Ashbourne Atelier!'

'Ashbourne Èclat - Orion Ashbourne ushers in the future of Luxury.'

'Orion Ashbourne's reign begins!'

All kinds of headlines had taken over the front page of all top newspapers and magazines, highlighting how big of a change was about to come with Dad's retirement and my takeover.

Ashbourne Atelier had been the heart of the Ashbourne family - a luxury brand specializing in Fashion and Jewelry.

Since the very beginning, it had been mom's vision and dad's support that had led this brand to its current fame of leading luxury brands by Forbes and Vogue business.

And now both of them wanted nothing else than their only child (yes, that's me) to continue our family legacy and how could I disappoint them.

In fact, to make mom happier, I had even come up with the idea of Ashbourne Èclat - another specialised luxury line that I was starting alongside Ashbourne Atelier.

If Atelier was known for its classic handcrafted couture and timeless heritage jewellery loved for its elegance and sophistication, Èclat targeted the younger generations with those bold, glamorous, show stopper mindsets.

Anyways, the moral of the story was both mom and dad were beyond excited for this milestone of mine and I was still processing all of this.

I mean I had nothing against it, growing up as a single child, I was always told to take over this business when the time was right. But was this the right timing I had been waiting for?

'Am I befitting for this post? Will I make mom proud like I have always done? Is this truly the right moment or is it still a little too early? What if I mess this up? When-' I was so lost in my self predicament that it wasn't until mom nudged me that I realised the time had arrived - time for my closing speech!

Amidst all the shutters and lights, I gracefully stood up, exactly the way mom had instructed me since childhood. The stage was all mine and the audience was eagerly waiting for this speech that mama had prepared 3 weeks ago and I had by hearted right then and there.

It was barely a five minute speech. Mom had always made it clear -

"You don't need to give an hour long speech. Make it short and to the point, full of confidence and compassion. It made you look like a powerful competitor who spoke less and did more."

And I could see the exact results at the end of my speech, the entire venue standing up, applauding as well as congratulating me on my new adventure.

I immediately wanted to turn towards mom and gain her approval, but she had strictly instructed me to do no such thing as the speech was to be followed by some question answer session that I was supposed to answer.

It was a kid's task.

The conference along with celebratory dinner finished soon, finally leaving me and Christian, my childhood best friend, alone.

"Man, I am dead tired." Even my voice sounded dull, a result of lack of sleep.

"You haven't even started work yet. Stop sulking already." As usual, bubbly Christian cheered me up.

"You know what terrifies me even more? Like I am not unhappy about all this-"

"I see a but coming." Christian said, killing my mood even more.

"Okay man take it easy. Speak." Guess I looked terrible enough for him to stop with his interruptions this early.

"I mean this has been my childhood dream. To follow the path my parents had carved and make them happy.

But I think I am missing out big time on a lot of things. Like today will be my last free day. Tomorrow onwards it will all be business. No breaks, no vacations, no sneaking and secret parties. I would miss all of it man!" I know this sounds nonsensical but to me, it means a lot.

I had always been my mama's boy, and I loved every bit of it. But with that came the feeling of never making her disappointed, even when it meant giving up on exciting school trips, hanging out with friends, going for late night parties even when I was twenty one!

To others these sounded too lame of problems, but for me it meant sacrificing my childhood and teenage years. I never blamed my parents, they only wanted the best for me.

But there were some things that I wanted to experience and now, at this very moment I knew all those plans would forever remain buried somewhere at the back of my mind.

"What do you exactly want?" Christian asked, going straight to the point.

And it was at that moment where I understood that this was my last chance and if I was to give up on this one as well, there was no next time.

"I want to live tonight as if this was my last." The answer rolled out too quickly, as if it had been there all this time.

*ONE HOUR LATER*

Bad decision.

Listening to Christian had always been a recipe for disaster, and now, standing in this nauseating place, I seriously question the longevity of my 21-year-long friendship with him—a brothel.

How in God's name did "living like it's my last night" translate to this? If anyone were to discover my identity here, I wouldn't even make it to the weekend. Forget about the Ashbourne Atelier legacy—I'd die of cardiac failure right here.

"Relax, mate," Christian said, leaning against the chipped wooden wall with the smugness of someone who wasn't accompanying someone on the verge of hyperventilating. "This is where all great stories begin."

"I don't need a great story, Chris. I need to leave." My words barely reached him over the din of low chatter, giggles, and clinking glasses.

"Come on, Orion," he smirked. "Your face screams inexperienced. If you're gonna run this empire of glamour, you need to get a taste of the real world. It's a rite of passage!"

I wanted to argue, to storm out, but my feet wouldn't move. Guilt wrestled with a spark of curiosity—something I wasn't proud of.

Cause I saw her.

Auburn curls framed a pale, diamond-shaped face speckled with mesmerizing freckles. Her wide, dark eyes seemed to hold a storm within them, their weight heavy enough to anchor me in place. She was stunning, but there was something else. Something… haunting.

Her expression wasn't coy like the others, nor inviting. She stood apart, her posture stiff, her gaze vacant yet sharp—like someone caught between fleeing and fighting.

I swallowed hard, the air thick and humid, clinging to me as I willed myself to look away. But it was useless. Her presence consumed the dimly lit room, drowning out every sound, every thought.

Christian didn't miss my hesitation. He smirked, nudging me forward before I could protest. "Perfect. Let's get you set up."

"Chris, no—" My words evaporated into the thick air as he pushed a wad of cash into a handler's hand.

Before I could even process why my heart was beating maniacally, or why had my lungs stopped intaking that much needed oxygen or worst of all, why was my brain malfunctioning - my dearest friend already landed me in this claustrophobic room with this female who screamed DOOM in capital letters.

The door clicked shut, leaving us alone.

The tension was suffocating. She didn't move or speak, her eyes flickering up to meet mine for a brief moment before darting away. Guilt weighed heavily in my chest.

"I—" My voice cracked. I cleared my throat and tried again. "I'm sorry."

It was all I could muster.

And it was meaningless.

This wasn't how tonight was supposed to go. I wanted to let loose, to break free from those twenty one years of pressure and restrictions. But standing here, in this suffocating space, guilt clawed at me while making her stand like this.

What was I even doing here?