Mara's days had become a blur of meetings, phone calls, and strategizing. The studio was busier than ever, and her hands were full as she tried to balance the gallery's needs with the pressure Ryder had placed on her. It felt like every decision had to be perfect, and every move she made had to reflect the vision she was struggling to carve out for herself and yet, somehow, Ryder was always there, looming in the background.
But it wasn't Ryder who she leaned on in these moments of doubt and stress. No, she found herself turning to Evan more and more.
Evan had been with the studio for years, but only recently had their dynamic shifted. He was calm, reliable, and always ready to lend a helping hand. Whether it was guiding her through the more tedious aspects of running the business or offering support when the weight of the studio's legacy felt overwhelming, Evan was always there—more than a colleague, more than just a right-hand man to Ryder. Slowly, he'd become someone Mara trusted implicitly, someone who made the madness of her days easier to bear.
It wasn't intentional. It wasn't as though she wanted to rely on him. But with Ryder so distant and involved in his own empire, it felt good to have someone who understood the struggles she was facing.
That was why, on a particularly busy morning, when the phone rang and it was Evan on the other end, Mara didn't hesitate to pick it up.
"Morning," she greeted, her voice light despite the heavy to-do list in front of her.
"Hey," Evan said, a trace of amusement in his voice. "I've got those partnership details you wanted, and I thought I'd drop them by. Is now a good time?"
Mara glanced at the clock—she had a meeting in an hour, but she had a few minutes to spare. "Yeah, sure. I'll be here."
She hung up, already feeling the tension in her shoulders ease at the thought of his familiar face walking through the door. Despite the pressure of the studio's demands, being around Evan felt like a small, welcome reprieve.
When he arrived, the two of them quickly fell into a rhythm, reviewing paperwork and brainstorming ideas for the next phase of the studio's growth. The conversation was easy comfortable, even and before long, she realized how much she had come to depend on Evan's steady presence.
As they sat across from each other at her desk, the door to her office opened with a soft creak.
Mara looked up, startled, to find Ryder standing in the doorway, his posture rigid and his gaze flicking between her and Evan. His jaw was clenched, and there was something unreadable in his expression.
"Evan," Ryder's voice was cold, the edge unmistakable. "I didn't realize you were meeting with Mara this early."
Evan glanced up, a smile curving his lips. "Just dropping off some paperwork for Mara. Thought I'd help her get things sorted before her meeting."
Ryder's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and Mara couldn't miss the subtle shift in his demeanor. There was something in the way he looked at them, something more than just the usual businesslike indifference.
"Right," Ryder said, his tone now laced with a hint of something sharper. "Well, I'll leave you two to it, then."
He turned to leave, but not before he glanced at Mara. For a moment, their eyes met—an intense, fleeting moment—and Mara felt her stomach tighten. She wasn't sure why, but Ryder's gaze seemed to weigh heavily on her, and she couldn't help but wonder if there was something behind it.
As the door closed behind him, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Mara felt the air grow heavy, and she turned back to Evan, who was watching her closely.
"You okay?" Evan asked, his voice low.
Mara hesitated, unsure of how to respond. She hadn't realized how tense things had gotten with Ryder, but his sudden appearance had left her unsettled.
"Yeah," she said slowly, shaking her head as if to clear it. "I'm fine."
But Evan was still watching her, his expression unreadable. "Ryder didn't seem too happy, though. What's going on with you two?"
Mara's heart skipped a beat at his question. She didn't want to get into the complexities of her relationship with Ryder—not when everything felt so complicated already. But Evan's genuine concern was hard to ignore.
"It's nothing," she said, trying to keep her voice light. "Just… you know how he is."
Evan gave her a sharp look, clearly unconvinced. "I know. But Mara, he's been acting off around you lately. And if I'm being honest, I'm starting to get the feeling that he doesn't like the fact that you're so comfortable with me."
Mara's gaze shot up, meeting his eyes in surprise. "What do you mean?"
Evan hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know. It's just a feeling I get. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've been working with Ryder long enough to know when something's bothering him. And lately, he seems… a little too interested in who you're spending your time with."
Mara swallowed hard, the realization hitting her like a cold wave. Could it be? Could Ryder actually be jealous?
No, that didn't make sense. He barely acknowledged her half the time. He was cold, distant, and… commanding. But then why had he seemed so irritated when he saw her with Evan? Why had his expression been so tightly controlled, his gaze so intense?
She shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought. "I don't think that's it, Evan. I'm sure you're just imagining things."
Evan looked at her for a long moment, then sighed, clearly unconvinced. "Alright, if you say so. But just be careful, okay? Ryder's not the kind of guy to show his hand easily, but when he does, it's usually a sign of something… more."
Mara nodded, though she wasn't sure she agreed. It was hard to imagine Ryder feeling possessive over her—especially when he treated her like a business transaction more than a person. But Evan's words lingered, gnawing at her in the back of her mind.
Later that evening, as the studio emptied out and the soft glow of the city lights filtered in through the windows, Mara found herself lost in thought. Could it really be jealousy that Ryder was feeling? Or was Evan reading into something that wasn't there?
She didn't have the answers. All she knew was that the more she tried to distance herself from Ryder, the more he seemed to pull her back in. And Evan, for all his kindness, might have just made things more complicated.