"Echoes of Unseen Fate"

Chapter 14

Alexander POV

It was Saturday, a day most people use to relax, but I had an urgent meeting at the office that I couldn't avoid. Some pressing issues had come up and needed to be resolved immediately.

I was sitting in the boardroom, the murmur of voices around me blending with the sound of the presentation. On the surface, I was paying attention—my eyes tracking the slides, nodding at the appropriate moments—but my mind kept drifting.

I couldn't stop thinking about the night before. Amaya. The way she'd been so carefree for once, laughing a little too loud, her cheeks flushed from the drinks. I smirked to myself, remembering how adorable she'd looked, stumbling over her words, her usual polished exterior completely gone. There was something disarming about seeing her like that—so unguarded, so... real.

"Get it together, Alexander," I muttered under my breath, trying to push the thought away. I needed to focus. There were important matters on the table, and this meeting required my full attention. But no matter how hard I tried, the image of her laughing, slightly tipsy and completely at ease, kept creeping back into my mind.

Then, just as I forced myself to focus, my phone vibrated. I glanced down at the screen, expecting a work message, but froze when I saw her name.

Instantly, my attention snapped to the phone, and a sinking feeling settled in my gut. Something was wrong.

The moment I saw Amaya's name flash on my phone, a knot of worry formed in my stomach. Without a second thought, I stood up from my seat, drawing a few surprised looks from the board members.

Aaron was sitting beside me, a concerned and confused expression already forming as he noticed my sudden movement. I locked eyes with him and mouthed the word, Amaya. His face softened in understanding and a slight grin, and he gave me a subtle nod.

"You've got this," I said quietly to him as I made my way to the door. "Take care of the rest." Aaron nodded again, immediately stepping forward to take control of the meeting.

When my phone rang, and I saw Amaya's name on the screen, something inside me paused.

It wasn't like her to call—especially not in the middle of the day. Sure, we were on decent terms, but we weren't the type to reach out to each other unless it was about work or something formal. She always kept her distance, always maintained that careful line between us.

So when her name flashed on my screen, something felt off. My instincts kicked in, sharpening. I answered, half-expecting it to be a mistake.

"Amaya?" I said, my voice neutral.

There was silence on the other end, which instantly set off alarm bells. She wasn't one to hesitate. Amaya was always composed, always in control. But this silence? This was different. Something was wrong.

I leaned forward in my chair, waiting, listening to her breathing on the other end. It was uneven, shaky.

"Amaya, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice firmer this time.

Still nothing. I could practically hear the internal struggle she was having, trying to decide whether or not to say anything at all. She wasn't someone who asked for help easily. Hell, I knew that better than anyone. Amaya prided herself on being self-sufficient, on never showing weakness.

Then, finally, she spoke, and what she said sent a strange jolt through me.

"I saw him."

Those three words. It wasn't much, but the way she said them—the fear lacing every syllable—told me everything I needed to know. Whoever she had seen, it wasn't good. Whoever he was, he had rattled her to the core, enough to make her forget that calling me wasn't part of her plan.