"Echoes of Unseen Fate"

Chapter 6

~Wednesday~
Amaya pov

The week flew by before I even had a chance to realize it, and suddenly it was already Wednesday—the day of the meeting. This meeting could either be a major breakthrough for me or a complete disaster; I hoped for the former. Over the weekend, I finally managed to finish my presentation and complete all the necessary tasks in preparation.

To be honest, the night before, I barely slept because I was stressed, constantly thinking about how today's meeting would go. I was overanalyzing every detail and worrying about even the smallest things. All I wanted was for the meeting to run smoothly and for the client to like my presentation. Eventually, I managed to get some rest after exhausting myself with all the overthinking.

As usual, my morning was a mess. No matter how hard I tried, having a peaceful start to the day seemed impossible. I could never wake up at the first alarm, and when I finally did, I never wanted to leave the comfort of my bed. It always felt like a huge effort just to get up, get dressed, and head to work. Don't get me wrong—I love my job, just not the early mornings. If it wasn't clear already, I'm definitely not a morning person.

After rushing through my morning routine, I stepped out of my room and into the living room, noticing there was no sign of Amelia. She was probably already at work. Yesterday, she had her interview at the new hospital she'd been hoping to join, and luckily, she got the job on the spot. They were impressed with her skills and experience and wanted her to start right away. When she shared the news, we both screamed and celebrated with a pizza party, just the two of us. I'll blame that for why I woke up late today.

I got in my car and headed to work. For once, I wasn't running too late and realized I had a few extra minutes before I needed to be at the office. So, I decided to make a quick stop at a coffee shop.

While standing in line, I scrolled through my phone, waiting for my turn. When I reached the counter, I ordered my usual caramel cappuccino and a chocolate croissant. Everything seemed to be going smoothly—my nerves had settled, and I wasn't stressing as much about the meeting. I thought nothing could go wrong. Little did I know how wrong I was.

After a few minutes, the barista handed me my coffee and a paper bag with my croissant. I smiled and eagerly turned around, not expecting to collide with a complete stranger. The impact sent my caramel cappuccino spilling all over him and the floor in front of me. It all happened in slow motion—my eyes and mouth wide open, hands frozen in the air.

By the time I realized what had happened, it was too late. I looked up to meet a pair of striking grey eyes as beautiful as the moon staring back at me, just as wide as mine. His gaze shifted down to his now coffee-soaked white shirt, which clung perfectly to his chest.

I may be a weirdo for checking him out at a situation like this but I don't think I have ever seen a man as handsome as the man in-front of me.

He stood tall with a lean, athletic build, the kind that hinted at both strength and grace. His jawline was sharp and well-defined, framing a face that was both rugged and refined. His dark, slightly tousled hair fell just above his forehead, giving him a casually disheveled yet effortlessly stylish look. His eyes were a deep, captivating shade of grey. A faint stubble covered his jaw, adding a touch of ruggedness to his otherwise polished appearance. His skin was sun-kissed.

"I—I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were behind me," I stammered, snapping out of my daze. His eyes, now dark, stayed locked on mine. Great, Amaya, you've really done it this time, I thought to myself.

I turned around and grabbed some tissues from the counter, then faced the man and started dabbing at the wet spot on his shirt. As my hand brushed against his chest, I felt his body tense ever so slightly, but I was far too close to panicking to pay attention to that.