Chapter 65 Be Still
Ethan's phone lit up, casting a sharp glow across the desk.
Mr. Sinclair,
We look forward to welcoming you to the Autolux Expo this evening at 5 p.m. Your exclusive access will be at the private entrance on Kingsley Drive.
He read it twice, not because he needed the details, but because the words made something in him stir. He tried to keep his expression even, but the corners of his mouth betrayed him. He'd been anticipating this day for weeks the showroom lights, the hum of machines built to command attention, Ethan couldn't hide his excitement.
He had decided not to go to the office that today, choosing instead to work from home. Slipping his phone into his hand, he left his room and walked the long hallway toward the pool area.
The glass doors opened to a stretch of blue water bordered by pale stone, the sunlight spilling gold across its surface. Beyond it, the skyline shimmered through the heat haze. He lowered himself onto one of the wide, cushioned loungers, the kind that seemed to fold around you, and set his laptop on the low table beside him.
The quiet here was different. the soft ripple of water and the occasional sound of life drifting up from the city far below calmed his nerves.
Just as he settled into his seat, the sound of footsteps on the stone caught his attention. He turned to see Lena stepping into the pool area, eyes fixed on her phone, completely unaware of him.
She wore a nearly sheer black cover-up shirt over a bikini, the fabric so light it hinted at the curves beneath. She'd clearly come to swim. Her hair was loose, catching the breeze, and in her other hand she carried a small picnic bag.
She moved to the table across from him, still absorbed in whatever was on her screen. Without glancing up, she set her bag down and began arranging her things. Then, in one unhurried motion, she slipped the cover-up off her shoulders, revealing a lean, sculpted figure that caught the sunlight like carved bronze.
Ethan looked away for a heartbeat, then back again, the impulse to avert his gaze warring with the fact that it was... difficult. Very difficult.
Lena walked into the pool area with her eyes glued to her phone, thumbs flying across the screen. Penny had started it, a teasing comment about her taste in music and now she was determined to win the argument. She fired off message after message, stacking her points like ammunition.
She wore a sheer black cover-up over her bikini, the fabric so light it shifted with every step, the sunlight catching through it. In her other hand, she carried a small picnic bag she'd packed earlier. towel, sunscreen, a bottle of iced tea. The warm, sunny weather made it the perfect day to finally use the pool she'd discovered on one of her walks around the house.
Reaching the table near the water, she set the bag down, still typing furiously. Penny's last reply popped up. It was a single emoji in surrender, and Lena smiled in triumph. Without looking up, she shrugged the cover-up off her shoulders and draped it over a chair.
She began arranging her things, sunscreen to the side, towel neatly folded, half-focused on the glow of her phone.
Lena was finally done with Penny. She sent her last message, a decisive one-word reply, and set her phone aside with a small, satisfied smirk. The pool shimmered invitingly in the sunlight, and she tugged her towel closer, ready to slip into the water.
Then She looks up and freezes.
Across the pool, Ethan was watching her. The sudden eye contact jolted her so hard she almost gasped.
He, too, seemed caught off guard, though not for the same reason. He'd been staring at her not just in open appraisal, but at how completely absorbed she'd been in her own world, oblivious to anything around her.
He looked away quickly, giving her a moment to collect herself. He half expected her to put her cover up back on, but she didn't, she stayed where she was, arms loose at her sides, the set of her mouth tipping into a small pout that made it clear his presence had soured her mood.
Ethan caught the faint downturn of her mouth and said, "Why did you come here to bother me?" He said starting the assault.
Lena's eyes narrowed, her annoyance instantly flaring.
"I was obviously here before you," he added, his tone cool and matter of fact.
She opened her mouth to counter him, but the truth was, he had been there first. The realization made her bite back her words, though it didn't stop her mood from sinking. Her perfect, sunny afternoon suddenly felt crowded.
Ethan noticed the shift in her expression that subtle disappointment she didn't try to hide. And for reasons he couldn't quite name, he didn't want to be the cause of it.
"Don't worry," he said after a beat, "you don't have to leave. I'm not swimming."
It didn't seem to make a difference. She just crossed her arms and asked, "Why aren't you at work?" Her tone carried the same edge as her expression.
"Because I own the company," he replied, leaning back in his seat, "and I can decide whether or not I want to go." The cold arrogance in his voice was deliberate, like a reflex he couldn't turn off.
Lena glanced at the pool, then at him, the ease she'd felt minutes ago gone. She turned toward the table, picking up her things one by one, unable to decide whether to walk away or stay put.
"You need to work on your attention, Lena. You have to be vigilant," he said, clearly stalling her.
She dropped her things and turned to him. "Well, I didn't think anyone would be here, it's usually empty," she pouted in annoyance.
"That's exactly why you need to be vigilant. In case of a sudden attack. Now I see why you were so easily kidnapped," he said, almost laughing.
"Heyyyy, don't say that!" Lena shot back, clearly triggered by his remark.
"Why aren't you at work?" she asked, like a parent scolding a child.
"Well, I own the company," Ethan said with that arrogant tilt of his chin. "So I can decide whether I want to go... or stay."
Ethan reeked of arrogance. "Well, I guess we can share the pool area... as long as you don't distract me," he said, eyes flicking up briefly before locking back onto his laptop, already absorbing himself in work again.
Well, it seemed she could still enjoy herself. She strolled to the pool's edge and slipped into the warm water, letting it wrap around her like a gentle embrace.
Ethan couldn't focus. His eyes kept straying from his screen, stealing glances at her. Before long, the laptop was forgotten, and he found himself fully absorbed in watching her play in the water, enjoying herself as if he weren't even there.
She, on the other hand, was doing her best to ignore him.
Ethan didn't like the strange, unwelcomed feelings she stirred within him. Then he noticed she had drifted into the deeper part of the pool... and she was taking longer than usual to come up.
A jolt of panic shot through him. She's drowning, he thought.