Ethan

The unexpected turn of events had left Ethan truly baffled. He found himself in uncharted territory, a realm where Ruth's actions defied his expectations and challenged his understanding of her.

Ethan sat in the car, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. He couldn't deny the surprise he felt at the way Ruth had reacted to his actions. This side of her was entirely new to him—a blend of defiance, independence, and determination that he had never seen before. He had been prepared for many scenarios in their fake marriage, but this was not one of them.

He acknowledged to himself that tracking her had been a mistake, an invasion of her privacy that he regretted. He knew he should have found a better way to approach her, to discuss the urgent matter that had prompted him to seek her out. He had hoped for a brief conversation, a resolution to the issue, and then a return to his usual routine.

But now, everything felt more complex. The tension in the car, the way she had defied him, had thrown his plans off course. He couldn't ignore the fire he had seen in her eyes, the way she had claimed her space without hesitation.

A mixture of confusion and amusement played out across his thoughts as he watched her sleeping form

A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of his lips. It was an involuntary reaction to the irony of the situation. The woman who had defied his expectations, who had asserted her independence with such determination, now slept soundly, completely unaware of the impact she had made on him.

The memory of her climbing to the front seat in a bid to avoid sitting with him played in his mind like a scene from a movie. Her pouting when she realized she was locked in the car, her deliberate ignorance of his presence—it all struck him as oddly endearing. He found himself chuckling softly, the sound nearly escaping him as he recalled her antics. She was undeniably feisty, a side of her he had never before encountered.

Despite the tension between them, the part of him that relished in intrigue was secretly entertained by her behavior. He felt a tug of curiosity, a desire to provoke her further and see how she would react. He wanted to peel back the layers of her carefully constructed facade and uncover the woman hidden beneath.

He knew he had upset her with his actions, and he wasn't blind to the underlying resentment. But even so, he couldn't deny the temptation to tease her, to see more of this unanticipated side of her. He saw it as a challenge, a game of sorts, to unravel the enigma that was Ruth Westwood.

He realized that he had underestimated Ruth, assuming he had her all figured out. Yet, beneath her enigmatic facade, there was a woman of depth and layers

As the car's engine hummed softly, Ethan's gaze remained fixed on her.