The apartment wasn’t small by any means for an average person-nearly 200 square meters-but for a family like Aveline and Orion’s, it wasn’t particularly spacious either. Yet Aveline didn’t feel it was cramped; on the contrary, it felt cozy. The interior design followed a Mediterranean style, her favorite.
Orion’s taste leaned toward darker tones, and if the decor had been left to him, the apartment would have been shrouded in black. But everything, from the furnishings to the smallest details, reflected Aveline’s preferences.
Orion handed her a pair of new slippers. Aveline noticed they matched the ones he wore-couple’s slippers. The old pair he had thrown out earlier was just an ordinary design, and thinking of this made her feel a little better.
The slippers on Orion’s feet were already slightly worn. These two pairs must have been bought a long time ago, prepared well in advance. Even though he didn’t know when she would arrive, he had made sure everything was ready for her.
Just as he had said, from the beginning to the end, there had only ever been one woman in this home-her.
After changing into the slippers, Orion guided her into the apartment. “Look at this light,” he said. “I remember this was always your favorite design.”
“Orion, you’ve always known my tastes.”
“Come on, Aveline. This is our master bedroom.”
The master bedroom was spacious and inviting, with a luxurious European-style round bed in the center, draped with elegant, ornate canopies.
Although Aveline had a cold personality, it didn’t mean she lacked a romantic side. She had once sketched a design like this, saying that her future bed would look just like this. She was surprised Orion had remembered, even down to the exact colors.
“This is your walk-in closet,” he said, gesturing. “Over there is the study and the gym. Do you like it here, Aveline?”
“Orion, I love it. From now on, this will be our home.” How could she ever doubt someone like Orion?
From building everything from scratch to creating such a warm home so quickly, it was no wonder he was always so busy. A wave of gratitude welled up in Aveline’s heart.
“I’m glad I worked hard enough,” Orion said, his voice tinged with relief. “If you’d come any sooner, I wouldn’t have had anything ready for you.”
He explained that he had purchased the apartment earlier that year. The location was excellent, though the price had been steep. But knowing how much Aveline would like the area, he had taken out a loan to buy it without using a cent from his family.
“Orion, you’ve worked so hard. From now on, I’ll be by your side to help. I recently made a small profit trading stocks.”
“A small profit?” Orion asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Hmm, about ten million dollars,” Aveline replied after a quick calculation.
From childhood, she had received large amounts of gift money during holidays, and since she rarely spent it, it had grown to over a million dollars. She had invested it all in stocks, doubling it in just a few years.
“You’re such a little genius,” Orion said, pinching her nose affectionately.
With genes like Aurora’s and Julian’s, how could her business acumen be anything less than exceptional?
“College is meant to train us,” she said. “I’ve graduated early, and with six months to spare before the next academic year, my mom told me to plan my time. If I decide to join your company and help out, would you accept me?”
“That would be amazing! Then I’d get to see my little Aveline every day.” His eyes lit up. “Aveline, you keep surprising me!”
Aveline noticed no hesitation in his gaze. It felt wonderful-Orion was still her Orion. These past two years of hard work hadn’t been in vain.
“Orion, I’m not a little girl anymore. Don’t call me ‘little.'”
“Alright, alright. Aveline isn’t little at all.” He smiled, thinking back to something she had said before leaving. “It’s late. You should rest now. I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight.”
“Orion, it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. Don’t you miss me?” Aveline wrapped her arms around his neck, her tone playful and intimate.
“Aveline, don’t play with fire,” he said, ruffling her hair. “I might lose control and do something reckless.” He had promised Julian years ago that he wouldn’t cross any lines with her.
“Orion, I missed you. I really did.” She buried her face in his chest. Only she knew how deeply she had longed for him during these two years apart.
Hearing her soft confession, Orion felt a surge of guilt. “I’m sorry, Aveline. I should have come back sooner.” He held her tightly, as if trying to fuse her into his being.
“Aveline, I missed you too. Every single day.” He let out a soft sigh.
“From now on, we’ll always be together. No more separations.”
“Yes, we’ll never be apart again.”
“The bathroom is over there. I’ll grab you some pajamas,” he said.
“Orion, you even prepared pajamas for me?”
“Of course. I told you, you’re the only woman in this house.”
“Then I want to pick them myself.”
“Of course.”
He led her to a nearby room, but she noticed the door was locked.
“Why is it locked?” she asked.
“The clothes inside are all yours,” he explained. “I don’t like anyone else touching your things.”
The only other person who had been here was Amy, and judging by Orion’s actions, Amy must have tried to use these items before. It seemed she wasn’t the only one who disliked Amy-Orion did too.
Once inside the walk-in closet, Aveline saw that it was fully stocked, from lingerie to outerwear.
“Orion, did you buy all of this?”
“Yes. I didn’t know when you’d come, so whenever I saw something I thought you’d like, I bought it.”
“This lingerie…”
Orion looked away, a little embarrassed. “I… I didn’t know your size, so I just guessed.”
“Orion, you’re so sweet.” Aveline’s face lit up with happiness.
“I’m only sweet to my Aveline. The pajamas are over here-come pick one.”
“Alright.”
Inside the wardrobe, there was a wide variety of sleepwear, from cartoon pajamas to elegant silk nightgowns.
“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I bought a little of everything,” Orion explained, his face turning red. It was easy to imagine how awkward he must’ve felt buying these items.
Aveline chose a white silk nightgown she liked.
In the bathroom, even the body wash and shampoo matched her favorite scents. Only someone who loved her deeply would remember such details.
When she emerged with her hair cascading down, Orion’s gaze darted away, unsure where to look.
Now standing at a tall 5’7″, Aveline’s figure was stunning-pure yet subtly seductive. It was a combination that was utterly captivating.
“Aveline, you’re going to be the death of me,” Orion muttered before heading straight to the bathroom. His Aveline had become impossibly alluring without him even realizing it.