CHAPTER 25: SABOTAGE

Margaret, of course, was delighted by the tension and could barely contain the spark in her eyes.

Pauline frowned first. "Evelyn, your tires."

Evelyn’s heart sank. All four tires were completely flat.

"What—? But they were fine when I arrived." She crouched. "This is so strange."

All her tires were nice and bouncy when she had parked the car, not to forget that her driver had taken the car for services only a couple of days ago.

When Alexander arrived, he noticed the surprised look on everyone’s face. "What happened?" When he followed his mother’s gaze, he noticed not one but all four flattened tires.

It looked like someone had purposely sabotaged them. This thought made him instinctively turn towards his grandma.

Margaret pressed a hand dramatically to her chest. "Good heavens, sabotage in my own driveway? What has the world come to?"

But her voice quivered with perfectly rehearsed shock.

Pauline turned to her with suspicion flickering in her eyes but she did not voice it. "Mother—"

Margaret straightened. "Well, we can’t have Evelyn stranded here, can we? Alexander, dear be useful for once and drive her home."

Evelyn quickly shook her head. "Oh, no, really, it’s fine. I can call for—"

"Nonsense!" Margaret interrupted. "You will accept the ride. He is already here and he insists on driving too fast anyway." She shrugged, "Might as well put that to use."

Pauline sighed softly. "I am so sorry, dear,I don’t know how that happened." She murmured to Evelyn. "And I will definitely talk to mom about this."

Evelyn smiled faintly. "It’s all right. I suppose I don’t have much of a choice."

Alexander’s voice was quiet but steady. "Come on, I will take you."

Margaret grinned, utterly triumphant. "Wonderful. See? Everything works out when I am around."

As Evelyn followed Alexander toward his car, she couldn’t help glancing back.

Margaret stood at the doorway with her cane in hand, watching them with a smug little smile that said she knew exactly what she had done.

.....

[Inside Alexander’s Car]

The quiet hum of the engine filled the space between them.

Evelyn sat in the passenger seat with her hands clasped neatly in her lap and her eyes fixed on the road ahead. The soft scent of leather and cologne lingered faintly.

It was one she recognized all too well.

Neither spoke for the first few minutes. The air was thick with unspoken words and made every breath feel too loud.

But after a couple of minutes, Alexander finally broke the silence.

"I will have your car brought back once it’s fixed," he said in an even, businesslike tone.

Evelyn turned her head slightly, catching his reflection in the glass. "You don’t have to," she replied softly. "I can send someone."

He glanced at her briefly before focusing back on the road. "I want to. It’s the least I can do."

Her fingers tightened against each other. "Still, it wasn’t your fault."

His lips quivered faintly. "Maybe not but somehow, I can’t shake the feeling my grandmother had a hand in it."

That earned a small laugh from her. It was soft, gentle but genuine.

"She was unusually dramatic," Evelyn admitted. "I half expected her to pull out a magnifying glass and start investigating."

Alexander chuckled. It was a rare sound that filled the quiet. "That does sound like her." He wasn’t surprised. Only his grandmother could call someone home, slash the tires and pretend like nothing happened.

The tension seemed to ease a little after that. The road curved along a quiet stretch lined with trees with their branches brushing gently against the wind.

The sunlight poured through the window pane, dancing over Evelyn’s face.

And Alexander noticed it. The way her hair caught the light, her skin glowed against the setting sun and the soft smile in her lips. He noticed it all.

"It’s been a while since I saw you smile like that," he said quietly.

Evelyn blinked, surprised. "Like what?"

"Like you used to," he said simply with his voice steady but warm. "Before everything."

Her chest tightened. "It’s been a rough few weeks."

"I know," he murmured. Then after a pause, "You didn’t deserve the way it happened."

The words were gentle but they hit something deep.

She looked out the window, swallowing the sudden rush of emotion. "Thank you," she said finally. "That means more than you think."

For a while, neither spoke again but the silence was no longer heavy. It felt softer and filled with the rhythm of the road and the occasional rustle of leaves.

When they stopped at a red light, Alexander leaned slightly against the steering wheel, turning toward her. "You know," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips, "I didn’t expect today to turn out like this."

Evelyn gave a small laugh. "You mean being ambushed by your grandmother?"

"Exactly." His eyes gleamed with quiet amusement. "She is far too pleased with herself. I should have known she was plotting something."

"She does have a mischievous streak," Evelyn said with a hint of fondness in her tone. "But she means well."

"Usually," Alexander muttered, shaking his head. "Though I will be checking my tires next time."

They both laughed softly and the car seemed to fill with something light and normal. For the first time in a long while, both of them didn’t feel awkward or hesitant.

The rest of the ride wasn’t filled with silence. Both of them ended up sharing a lovely conversation and moments that made them feel comfortable.

When they finally pulled up in front of her home, Evelyn hesitated before unbuckling her seatbelt. "Thank you," she said, turning to him. "For the ride and for everything."

Alexander nodded. "Anytime."

Their eyes met and for a heartbeat, neither of them looked away. There was no tension and no bitterness and just quiet understanding.

Before she could leave, Alexander stopped her. "I was thinking—" When she looked at him, he awkwardly cleared his throat. "I mean, it’s just a casual thought."

Evelyn waited patiently for him to complete. And even though she might have looked calm from the outside, she was tormenting from the inside.

Alexander looked at her for a while without saying a word but his grip in the steering wheeling kept getting tighter, making his knuckles turn white.

After what felt like eternity to both of them, he finally said, "I was wondering if you would like to go out with me? Like for dinner or maybe an evening snack?

....