DINNER WITH HIS FAMILY.

HARRO.

As my role in hosting Orion's family at my restaurant tonight officially began, I decided to give them a little tour before we settled down for dinner. However, my attention was mostly on Orion's father, Chairman Stone, who seemed utterly captivated by his son. I noticed he hadn't taken his eyes off Orion since we started the tour, and honestly, I could understand why. On the other side of the restaurant, Orion was happily reunited with Gemma, (I guess she left a good impression on him the first time). They were chattering away with excitement as she showed him some of the new exotic fish that had just arrived. Seeing Orion so animated reminded me of the first time I saw him running around the basketball court with my dad—he looked just as carefree and unguarded, like nothing could touch him.

"Wow, this place is absolutely stunning! I can't get enough of it!" Mrs. Stone exclaimed, her eyes wide with admiration as she took in the surroundings when we made it back to the starting point of our tour. I turned to her with a smile, momentarily distracted from the charm of Orion.

"She's right! This place feels like something out of a fantasy movie!" added Marcus, her son, clearly impressed.

"Thank you both for your kind words. I'm really glad you like it!" I said, before gesturing toward the elevator. "Shall we head up?" She nodded appreciatively, and I excused myself for a moment to walk over to Orion. I wanted to let him know we were heading upstairs. Once I told him, he said a quick goodbye to Gemma and followed me as I made my way back to his family.

"Thanks for waiting! Shall we?" I asked again, gesturing towards the elevator. They began to walk toward it, and I took Orion's hand, gently leading him inside. He flashed me a radiant smile, and I couldn't help but smile back. He's so beautiful—I am completely in love with him, as always.

As we rode up in the elevator, our hands stayed intertwined. I wasn't sure if his family noticed but chose not to act weird about it and thankfully, I'm glad no one acted out of the ordinary. I figured it was best to keep things smooth for dinner; after all, it wouldn't bode well if we had any awkwardness before our real reason for being here even started.

Finally, we arrived at my private dining room, which also serves as my office on the top floor. Once we were all seated, we continued chatting about the restaurant. To my surprise, Chairman Stone actually engaged in the conversation. He asked me a few questions about what I do here and the various businesses I'm involved in. I took my time and explained it to him and when I was done I could tell he was still trying to wrap his head around just how many ventures I have. Honestly, I don't blame him; I tend to dive into a lot of things. I don't mean to brag, but most of the time, I end up making quite a bit of money from whatever I pursue. It's safe to say that I work just as hard as I play—both are equally important to me.

"This is just grand! And to think you have more places like this! Are they all similar?" Mrs. Stone asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. I shook my head as the servers placed a plate in front of me.

"Each of my restaurants has its own unique theme," I explained, remembering Orion's first visit to one of my other locations-he'd asked me if I was running a strip club or a brothel after we started dating. "The design and theme of each place are all based on the location and what people want." I would never take them to the same place Orion visited, of course.That one visit had almost cost me Orion.

Just then, the chef entered the room and announced what he would be serving for dinner and soon after we started eating. As we ate, I realized that this evening was turning out to be quite different from what I had expected. Orion's stepmother, while energetic, seemed genuinely kind and surprisingly open-minded about our relationship. She subtly navigated the conversation, trying not to offend either of us. On the contrary, Chairman Stone appeared unwilling to discuss his son's relationship, seeming to prefer any topic but that.

Marcus, their youngest son, spoke up without hesitation. He asked Orion what it was like dating me, if Orion had to compete against those who found me attractive.

Mrs. Stone nearly choked on her food at her son's bold question, rushing to apologize on his behalf. Even Chairman Stone turned a shade of red as he shot a glare at his youngest son. Orion, caught off guard by the inquiry, looked a bit stunned (I could tell he wasn't used to having a conversation with his brother). I quickly assured his parents that there was no need to reprimand him—his question was completely valid.

After taking a moment to recover from the surprise, Orion replied to Marcus that it's only natural for people in relationships to be a bit jealous when others show interest in their partners. He added that we were both quite possessive of each other, but the most important part was our mutual trust. Marcus nodded, a satisfied smile spreading across his face, seemingly content with Orion's answer.

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as I watched different emotions flicker across Chairman Stone's face. It was almost comical to see him so baffled at the realization that his son was capable of engaging in normal conversation and expressing himself genuinely. At the same time, It dawned on me that he hadn't truly gotten to know Orion, especially after losing his first wife.

Orion had always harbored resentment toward his father for how he had betrayed his mother, and it was clear that Chairman Stone hadn't worked very hard to mend that relationship over the years. No wonder their bond had grown so strained. I'm genuinely happy to see both of them making an effort to repair their relationship now; this dinner was just one of the many steps toward that.

In summary, dinner with Orion's family was fantastic! Everyone was on their best behavior, and we managed to keep the atmosphere civil, primarily focusing on me during the conversation, which I didn't mind. Given the circumstances, discussing their family could have made things awkward. We chatted both during and after the meal, and as the evening wore on, his family bid us goodnight. Orion's stepmother kindly asked us to promise that we'd have another dinner together soon, to which we readily agreed. Afterward, Orion and I returned to my office.

"Thank you for doing this again. Tonight was perfect," Orion said as he wrapped his arms around me in a warm hug. I melted into the embrace, feeling his warmth.

"You're welcome, baby. I'm really glad everything went so well," I replied genuinely. It meant a lot to me; everything had unfolded just as I had hoped. If it hadn't, I could only imagine how crushed Orion would have felt, and I wouldn't have been able to bear that.

"Everything went smoothly because you're such an amazing host," Orion mused, still holding me close. I chuckled softly as I hugged him tighter, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat against my chest, wishing to bask in his warmth a little longer.

"I'd like to be modest and say I didn't do much, but honestly, I really did put in a lot of effort. So I guess I can't help but be a bit cocky," I teased. Orion laughed, and as we pulled apart, we locked eyes with smiles that spoke volumes before sharing a sweet, gentle kiss that conveyed all of our love for each other.

We didn't leave my restaurant right away; instead, we decided to linger a bit longer and enjoy a few drinks together (well, I did. Orion opted for something non-alcoholic, something more suited to his taste). We relished our time together, savoring the moment before finally heading out a little later.