Page 138 of The Protégé

“You have a lot of companies,” I said.

He smiled. “I have a lot of interests. You being the most interesting one.”

“Here you go again, flattering me.”

“What’s wrong with a man flattering his woman?”

“Absolutely nothing. I just didn’t expect this from you. When we first met, you seemed extremely private and intense.”

“You’ve inspired me to open up.” His eyes gleamed. “I’ll give you the stars tonight.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

ORION

I’d never broughta woman to Quintile Island, and I’d never shared the Reimann Telescope with anyone until today. Elena didn’t know she was seeing so much of me.

I saw how much the news about The Condor had affected her. I’d feel the same way. But I also saw the wisdom she possessed. She was aware of her situation and understood she needed time to adjust. I’d met many people who couldn’t see the obvious. Or maybe they refused to because change was difficult to accept.

If I’d had her wisdom back then, I wouldn’t have had so much anxiety. I opened the glass ceiling, prepared the telescope, and let it ascend, shifting it toward the sky.

“This is so magical.” She tilted her head up, looking through the ceiling at the starry night. “It’s breathtaking.”

“I have a portable telescope we can take out to the beach. You can still see a lot, but this is the king of all telescopes.”

“Can we take the portable telescope tomorrow?” Her eyes widened with wonder.

“You can do whatever you want.”

“Really?” She angled her head. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

Curious about what she’d do, I said, “Yeah.”

She narrowed her eyes at me, half-believing me.

“Look.” I stepped aside for her to look into the telescope.

“Oh my God, Orion,” she muttered. “It’s a whole new world out there. Oh! Is that the Orion constellation?” She stepped back, her eyes beaming at me.

“It is.”

My heart swelled at the bewilderment in her eyes and the joy on her face. Loving Elena had softened my edges. Was that a good thing? My time with Kate had been different. She couldn’t soften my edges. It wasn’t her fault. I just didn’t respond to her in the same way.

Elena and I had a deep connection that was like the mysteries surrounding the universe. Certain things weren’t meant to be explained or understood. The beauty was the quiet mystery that whispered beyond space and time.

“I’m speechless, Orion. I know this sounds weird, but it feels as though the stars are speaking to me, or to us, through the silence.”

“That’s what my mom said too. Did you know the connection between the Orion constellation and the three pyramids of Giza?”

“Do tell, Mr. Know-It-All.” She peered in, but turned to me. “How do I zoom in and out?”

I took her hand and placed it on a knob. “Here.”

“Oh, thanks.” She returned her attention to the telescope. “So what’s the significance with the pyramids?”

“Whoever built the three pyramids of Giza aligned their positions to the three stars on Orion’s Belt.”

“Really? How?” She lifted a brow. “They didn’t have the technology to know the exactitude of their locations back then, did they?”

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