Both Caleb and Ethan kept their eyes fixed on Ava as she walked gracefully out of the room, the sound of her fading footsteps echoing faintly against the tiled floor. The moment the door clicked shut and her presence disappeared from sight, Caleb slowly turned his head toward Ethan—only to freeze as he caught the piercing cold stare that burned directly into him.
"Hey, relax," Caleb said quickly, raising his hands in a half-defensive gesture, his voice carrying an uneasy chuckle. "It's not like I plan on stealing her away from you." He spoke with forced casualness, though he already understood too well the reason for Ethan's sharp gaze.
But even after the attempt to clear the air, Ethan's expression did not soften. Instead, there was a strange hesitation lingering in his features—a tightening of the jaw, a flicker of conflict in his eyes—that unsettled Caleb more than the stare itself.
