Bound by Fate, Freed by Love

Chapter 10 Morning Tension

As Alyssa stepped out of the room, she gave Amara a parting smile. "Go wash up and come downstairs for breakfast. This is your first important morning as the new daughter-in-law in this family."

Amara nodded, but the moment the door closed behind Alyssa, she felt a wave of anxiety crash over her. The thought of facing everyone downstairs, especially Fidel, sent a jolt of nervousness through her. What if he's there, watching me? What if he...

She shook her head, trying to brush off the uneasy thoughts. She needed to focus. She had to put on the facade and act like everything was normal, just as Samar had instructed the night before. With that in mind, she gathered her clothes and headed to the washroom.

The warm water cascading over her body offered a momentary relief from the whirlwind of emotions she was feeling. But no matter how hard she tried to relax, the tension wouldn't leave her. She was stepping into a new life, one that was built on secrets and strained relationships. And now, the thought of facing Fidel, her brother-in-law, after everything... it made her heart race.

As the water dripped from her wet hair, she closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. I can do this. I have to do this.

Once she was done, Amara stepped out of the washroom, wrapping a towel around herself. But as she lifted her gaze, she froze in place.

Samar was standing in the room.

Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. He had returned from his morning walk, his shirt clinging to his body, sweat dripping down his neck, across his face, and dampening his hair. He was catching his breath, his chest rising and falling steadily.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. They just stood there, looking at each other, the silence between them thick with unspoken tension. Amara's eyes wandered to the way his sweat trickled down his skin, glistening in the morning light, and without realizing it, she found herself staring.

Samar, too, had stopped in his tracks. His gaze lingered on Amara, taking in her damp, freshly washed hair. Water droplets clung to her skin, sliding down her neck, over her face, and settling on her lips. The air between them seemed to grow heavier as their eyes met and held.

Neither of them knew how long they stood there, locked in that moment. It wasn't the first time they had seen each other, but now, as husband and wife, there was an unspoken tension that hadn't existed before. Their awareness of each other felt sharper, more intense.

Realizing the intensity of their gaze, Samar was the first to break the silence, clearing his throat. "I went for a walk," he said simply, his voice a bit gruff from the early morning exertion. He wiped his face with a towel, seemingly trying to shake off the strange atmosphere between them.

Amara blinked, snapping out of her daze. "Oh... right," she replied, her voice softer than she intended. She couldn't seem to pull her gaze away from him, and the dampness on her skin suddenly felt more pronounced.

Samar glanced at her again, his eyes lingering for a moment longer before he spoke. "I'll take a quick shower. Wait for me, and we'll go downstairs together."

Amara nodded, her heart still pounding in her chest. She watched as Samar disappeared into the bathroom, the sound of the water turning on soon following. She stood there, rooted to the spot, still trying to process what had just happened.

Her mind replayed the way he had looked at her, the tension between them undeniable. But she pushed the thoughts aside, knowing that this wasn't what their marriage was supposed to be. They were strangers bound by circumstance, not love.

Pretend to be close when we're outside, she reminded herself. But pretending was already proving harder than she thought.