Beneath the Bully's Gaze

Unseen Currents

It had been days since that night at the beach, and things between Ethan and Mira had returned to their usual cold, distant professionalism. They spoke only when necessary and kept their interactions strictly work-related. No personal remarks, no lingering glances. At least, not on Mira's part.

For Ethan, it wasn't that simple. He found himself thinking about her more often than he cared to admit. Her words from that night echoed in his mind: "Apology isn't enough." The way she had looked under the moonlight, the way her voice trembled ever so slightly when she talked about her mother's love for peonies—it all stayed with him.

But he wasn't about to let those thoughts show. He was Ethan Carter, CEO of Carter Enterprises. He didn't do distractions, and Mira was just another employee. Or so he told himself.

Still, that didn't explain the restless nights, the way his gaze would drift toward her desk during meetings, or how his stomach twisted uncomfortably whenever someone else got too close to her.

---

One afternoon, Ethan found himself sitting at a café with Adam, his oldest friend and a frequent source of irritation. Adam had been going on about some ridiculous story from work, waving his arms around dramatically to emphasize every point.

"So, there I was, completely covered in flour, standing in front of the boardroom, and they're all just staring at me like I've lost my mind!" Adam exclaimed, laughing loudly at his own story. "I mean, who knew the stupid air vent would blow it all over me? I looked like a ghost—no, a ghost who just walked out of a bakery!"

Ethan barely glanced up from his coffee, his lips twitching faintly in what could generously be called a smirk. Adam didn't notice his lack of enthusiasm, too caught up in his own retelling.

"And then," Adam continued, leaning forward conspiratorially, "the new intern, bless her clueless soul, walks in and says, 'Oh, is this a costume party?' I nearly died on the spot! I swear, Ethan, I've never been so embarrassed in my life!"

"Hmm," Ethan murmured absently, his gaze drifting toward the glass windows of the café.

Adam frowned, pausing mid-sip of his iced latte. "Ethan," he said slowly, "are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah, sure," Ethan replied, still not looking at him.

Adam followed his line of sight, squinting as he tried to figure out what had captured his friend's attention. That's when he spotted her—Mira, walking by with a group of colleagues. She was laughing at something one of them had said, her smile lighting up her face.

"Ah," Adam said knowingly, leaning back in his chair with a grin. "So that's what's got you so distracted."

Ethan immediately snapped his gaze back to his coffee, his expression carefully neutral. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Adam raised an eyebrow, smirking as he sipped his drink. "Oh, come on, don't play dumb with me. You were staring at Mira."

"I wasn't staring," Ethan said flatly, though his clenched jaw betrayed him.

Adam chuckled, clearly enjoying this far more than he should. "Right. You were just... monitoring her from a distance. Totally normal boss behavior."

Ethan glared at him, but Adam was unfazed.

"Honestly," Adam continued, nodding toward Mira, "who wouldn't look at that girl? She's gorgeous. Sweet, too. I've talked to her a few times, you know. Very down-to-earth."

Ethan said nothing, but his grip on his coffee cup tightened ever so slightly.

Adam leaned in, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "I've been thinking... I might ask her out one of these days. You know, before someone else beats me to it."