CHAPTER 1:

ELARA'S POV:

Elara Raenor had always had one simple dream, to finish her education.

Ever since she was young, she had understood how important an education could be, especially for someone who had grown up knowing what it meant to struggle. Getting there had never been easy. She had applied for scholarships, survived countless sleepless nights, and endured moments when exhaustion nearly convinced her to give up. Still, she kept going.

As the eldest of three siblings, responsibility had become part of her life long before she was ready for it. Being the eldest meant becoming one of the family’s pillars, whether she liked it or not. There were expectations to meet, problems to help solve, and sacrifices that often went unnoticed.

Sometimes, the pressure became overwhelming. There were nights when Elara wished she could forget every responsibility waiting for her and simply be young again, even for a little while. Yet, whenever she saw how much her efforts helped her family, the exhaustion somehow became easier to bear.

After years of hard work, she finally achieved the dream she had fought so hard for.

Elara graduated from a well-known university in Pampanga with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology, majoring in Food Service and Management. Her family had been incredibly happy that day. Their celebration had been simple, but she could still remember the pride in her parents’ eyes. To her, that was worth more than any extravagant graduation party.

A few months later, she applied for a position at Elite Coffee Shop, one of the more sophisticated and well-known cafés in the city. She hadn’t been certain she would get the job, but she had taken the chance anyway.

Fortunately, she was hired.

Her first week nearly made her regret it.

There were coffee blends to memorize, ingredients to study, machines to learn, and dozens of small routines that seemed simple until she actually had to perform them under pressure. But Elara had never been the type to quit easily. Day by day, she adjusted. Eventually, the rhythm of the café became familiar, and the scent of freshly brewed coffee began to feel like part of her everyday life.

Every shift brought her a little closer to something else she had always wanted, independence.

One morning, while wiping down the counter, Elara heard the familiar voice of their manager.

“How long have you been working here again, Ms. Elara?” Ma’am Natally asked as she arranged the files in her hands.

“One year, Ma’am,” Elara replied with a smile.

She was tempted to ask why, but she held her tongue despite the curiosity already scratching at her.

“Oh, that explains why you’re already so familiar with your daily routine.” Natally gave her an approving look. “I’m glad you’re one of my dedicated employees.”

She glanced at the gold watch around her wrist. “I have something to take care of. I’ll leave things to you for now.”

Elara nodded. “Okay, Ma’am.”

Through the café’s glass wall, she watched Natally walk toward her car. She was elegant, business-minded, and almost never absent from work. She carried herself with the kind of confidence Elara admired. The sort of woman who seemed to know exactly where she was going in life.

Elara glanced at the wall clock.

Six in the morning.

It was still early, and only a handful of customers occupied the café. Most people were probably still asleep, preparing for work, or rushing through their own morning routines.

She allowed herself a moment to look around.

Elite Coffee Shop had a quiet charm during the early hours. Soft jazz played through the speakers, blending with the faint hum of the air-conditioning. Warm golden lights illuminated the interior. Giving the place a cozy glow, while the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee beans lingered in the air.

The tables were spaced far enough apart to give customers privacy. Several bookshelves stood in the corners, filled with old novels and magazines, and through the large windows, the remaining city lights shimmered against the early morning.

It wasn’t merely a place where people came for coffee. It was the sort of café where someone could sit for hours with a book, a laptop, or nothing more than their own thoughts.

A few customers were working quietly on their laptops. Others were having soft conversations over steaming cups of coffee. Some sat alone, reading as though the world around them no longer existed.

“It’s a miracle. We barely have any customers today.”

Elara looked over and found Theo leaning against the counter. His co-worker always seemed to have a smile ready, as though life had somehow forgotten to give him problems.

“Maybe people are too lazy to go out this early,” she replied as she continued cleaning the counter. “Or maybe they’re busy with work.”

With the air-conditioning blasting and the smell of coffee surrounding her, Elara was beginning to feel sleepy herself.

“If I’d known it would be this quiet, I would’ve called in sick,” Theo complained, scratching his head. “I could’ve been sleeping in my bed right now.”

Elara shook her head. “If you call in sick, you lose money. Isn’t this better? You get to relax and still get paid.”

Theo grinned. “I don’t really need the money. I only started working because I was getting bored at home.”

A faint, bitter smile touched Elara’s lips.

Of course. Theo came from a wealthy family. Working was practically a hobby for him. He didn’t have to worry about whether his salary would last until the end of the month, nor did he have to calculate which bills needed to be paid first.

Must be nice, she thought.

While Theo worked because he was bored, Elara worked because her family needed the money.

A few minutes later, Theo disappeared into the storage room. Almost immediately, the small bell above the café door chimed.

One customer entered.

Then another.

Within minutes, the peaceful café began to fill.

Clarie came out from the back to help, while Bella took over the cashier. Elara remained at the serving station, moving quickly between orders. After a year of working there, multitasking had become almost second nature to her. She greeted customers, checked their orders, carried trays, answered questions, and made sure no one had a reason to complain.

It was an ordinary routine. At least, it should have been.

Apparently, fate had decided otherwise.

Elara was hurrying across the café with a steaming cappuccino balanced on her tray when someone suddenly stepped into her path.

She didn’t see him until it was too late. Her body collided with his, and the cup tipped.

Hot coffee splashed across the front of an expensive navy-blue suit.

Elara froze. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, sir!”

Her hands trembled around the tray as she stared at the damage she had caused. For several seconds, her mind went completely blank.

Should she grab some tissues? Should she continue serving the customer whose cappuccino was now soaking someone else’s clothes? 

Or perhaps she could simply sink into the floor and disappear forever.

Her gaze remained fixed on the coffee stain spreading across the man’s suit before slowly traveling upward.

The moment she saw his face, everything inside her seemed to stop.

He had a straight, well-defined nose and sharp, striking eyes. Even with irritation darkening his expression, there was no denying how handsome he was.

But it was his eyes that made her stomach twist.

Cold. Intense. Unforgiving.

“Watch where you’re going, Miss,” he said in a low, controlled voice as he took a tissue and began wiping the coffee from his suit.

Elara opened her mouth, but no words came out.

There was something painfully familiar about him.

Wait, her heart stumbled. No, it couldn’t be.nShe had seen that face before.

Years ago. On the cover of a business magazine.

Her eyes widened as recognition settled in.

Rhett Alaric.

The CEO of a well-known engineering firm.

The same Rhett Alaric whose magazine cover she had once stared at longer than she would ever admit. The same man who had quietly become her standard for what her ideal man should look like.

And now he was standing directly in front of her. 

Covered in coffee. Coffee she had spilled.

Wonderful.

Absolutely wonderful.

Elara had heard enough about Rhett Alaric to know that he wasn’t someone people casually approached. His name carried a certain weight. People respected him, but there was also an unmistakable fear surrounding him.

He wasn’t simply a handsome man wearing an expensive suit. He was the kind of man everyone was afraid to disappoint.

And standing there with an empty cup, trembling hands, and humiliation burning across her face, Elara realized that she hadn’t only spilled coffee on the man she had admired for years.

She had probably ruined his first impression of her before she ever had the chance to make a good one.