"Echoes of Unseen Fate"

Chapter 11

Alexander POV
Friday

It had been almost three weeks since I first met Amaya, and I'd gotten much closer to her than I ever expected. She's becoming one of the few people I don't mind talking to for long stretches. Though, in most of our recent conversations, it's been mostly her doing the talking. Not that I'm complaining—I could listen to her for hours without getting bored.

In the past week or two, we've only had one follow-up meeting for the project, and aside from that, I haven't seen or run into Amaya. For some reason, it's been irritating me. Normally, I couldn't care less about not seeing someone, but there's something inside me that keeps wanting to see her—to catch her smile, hear her voice, and just be near her.

With the new office and other projects piling up, work was overwhelming. I've always drowned myself in it—I didn't mind. In fact, I preferred it over socializing. Amaya would say that makes me a loner, but whatever. I liked staying busy. But right now, I hated it. The sheer amount of work keeping me from seeing Amaya was making me angrier than usual.

It was strange. I'd never been the type to get worked up over not seeing someone. My life had always been about discipline, about staying focused, about pushing everything else aside for the sake of progress. But now, every unfinished report, every email, felt like an obstacle keeping me from her. I found myself staring at my phone, wondering if I should text her, ask for a meeting under the guise of work.

But that would be too obvious.

I shook my head, trying to snap out of it, but the thought of her was constant. Her laugh, her way of speaking, the way her eyes lit up when she talked about something she was passionate about—it was all on repeat in my mind. And as much as I tried to deny it, I knew this wasn't just frustration from work. It was something else entirely.

I tossed the stack of papers onto my desk, the thud echoing in the otherwise silent office. It didn't help. I ran a hand through my hair and leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. Why the hell was I letting this get to me? I had a company to run, deadlines to meet, and yet all I could think about was how I hadn't seen Amaya in days. It was ridiculous.

Just then, the door swung open, and Aaron strolled in without knocking—typical. He took one look at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, someone's in a mood. What's the problem, big boss? Lose a deal or something?" he said, plopping down in the chair across from me.

I glared at him. "Not now, Aaron."

He leaned back, grinning. "Oh, it's serious. What's wrong? Projects piling up? Or"—he paused dramatically—"is it something, or should I say someone, else?"

I stiffened, and Aaron's grin widened. "Ah, I see. This isn't about work at all, is it? It's about a certain someone you haven't seen in a while." He gave me a knowing look.

"Shut up," I muttered, annoyed that he'd hit the nail on the head.

Aaron laughed, clearly enjoying himself. "You've got it bad, mate. I mean, I knew you were starting to warm up to her, but this? I can practically feel the tension from here." He leaned forward. "So, what is it? You're mad 'cause you can't see her? Man, I never thought I'd see the day when Alexander Thatcher is frustrated over a girl."

I clenched my jaw, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response, but Aaron was relentless. "It's actually kinda cute. You know, watching you squirm like this." He chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "You should just text her. Unless, of course, you're scared."

That did it. I grabbed the nearest pen and threw it at him. "Get out."

Aaron dodged, laughing harder. "Alright, alright, I'm leaving. But seriously, man, you might want to stop brooding and just do something about it. Before you go completely insane." He stood up, still smirking as he headed for the door. "Good luck, lover boy."