"Echoes of Unseen Fate"

Chapter 10

Amaya pov

The ride home was mostly quiet, with only brief conversations that would last a minute or two before fading back into silence. I found myself stealing glances at him, my eyes lingering on the way Alexanders hand gripped the steering wheel, his focus fixed on the road. Though I caught him looking my way a few times, it was nothing compared to how intently I was watching him now. I never thought someone could look so good while driving—until this moment.

"Is there something on my face?" he asked abruptly, turning to face me. His eyes locked with mine, and for a moment, my breath caught before I managed to respond.

"No, nothing," I finally managed, looking away quickly. But the way his gaze lingered made me wonder if he could see right through my attempt to brush it off. My heart raced, and I shifted in my seat, trying to shake off the fluttering feeling that his sudden attention had sparked.

He didn't say anything for a moment, but I could feel his eyes still on me, studying my reaction. The silence stretched, and the car seemed smaller, the air thicker. I tried to focus on the passing scenery outside the window, but all I could feel was the weight of his presence.

"You've been staring at me for a while," he finally said, his tone casual but his words hitting with precision.

My stomach dropped. "I wasn't—" I started, but his quiet chuckle cut me off.

"Relax, I'm not mad. Just curious." His voice softened, and I dared to glance at him again. The intensity in his gaze had shifted, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes, making it even harder to breathe.

I pressed my hands into my lap, trying to find something to say, anything to break the strange tension that had settled between us. "Just thinking," I murmured, though even I knew how flimsy the excuse sounded.

"About?" he prompted, his focus returning to the road, but his question lingered in the air.

I bit my lip, trying to come up with something, but before i could stop myself, the words tumbled out. "Just... thinking about your hands."

His head snapped in my direction, eyebrows raised. "My hands?"

Heat rushed to my face as i fumbled to recover. "I mean, they're... you know, nice. For driving! Strong grip on the wheel and all that."

I mentally facepalmed, cursing my runaway mouth. Why do I always do this to myself?

For a split second, he looked caught off guard, maybe even flustered. His usual composed demeanor cracked just a little as he blinked, clearly unsure of how to respond.

"Uh, thanks?" he said, his voice softer than before, a faint hint of color rising in his cheeks.

I swallowed, pressing my lips together to keep from laughing at the rare sight of Alexander Thatcher, the stone-cold CEO, actually blushing.

He caught my attempt to suppress a smile and raised an eyebrow in question. I responded with a quick, dismissive nod, as if to say it was nothing.

We slipped back into the quiet of the ride, and I had just started staring out the window when we hit a speed bump, causing me to jolt upright. In an instant, a strong, muscled arm shot out in front of me

The suddenness of his reaction startled me more than the bump itself. His arm stayed there for a moment longer than necessary, solid and unwavering, and I couldn't help but glance over at him. His eyes were still focused on the road, jaw clenched slightly, but there was a tension in the air now, something unspoken.

"You okay?" His voice was low, casual, but there was a trace of concern laced beneath it.

I nodded, trying to ignore the way my heart had picked up speed. "Yeah, just wasn't expecting that," I said softly, gesturing vaguely toward the speed bump, though I wasn't sure if I meant it or the fact that he had reacted so protectively.