CHAPTER 2:

RHETT POV:

Rhett usually had his secretary make his coffee, but that morning, he decided to step out and get one himself. He had been buried under deadlines and meetings for days, and even someone as disciplined as he was needed a moment away from the office.

Elite Coffee Shop seemed like the right place for it. It was quiet, comfortable, and not overly crowded. Exactly what he needed if he wanted to clear his head for a few minutes.

Apparently, fate had other plans.

He had barely been inside the café when someone crashed into him and spilled hot coffee all over his expensive suit.

Rhett looked down, his brows drawing together as the dark stain spread across the navy-blue fabric. His jaw tightened. Slowly, he lifted his gaze toward the woman standing in front of him.

She looked horrified. Her hands were trembling, and her eyes were wide with panic.

His attention briefly dropped to the name printed on her ID.

Elara Raenor.

“S-Sorry, sir. I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to spill the coffee on you,” she stammered.

Rhett could already feel the curious glances of the other customers settling on them. He hated attention. More than that, he hated wasting time.

The irritation crawling beneath his skin threatened to show, but he forced himself to remain composed. Causing a scene would only prolong the inconvenience.

“You need to be more careful next time, Miss,” he said, his voice low and controlled. “My time is important. I don’t want to waste it.”

His tone was calm, but there was enough authority in it to make her flinch.

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry for causing trouble,” she said quietly, lowering her head in embarrassment.

For a brief moment, Rhett caught the humiliation in her expression. Then he turned away and headed toward the counter.

He had no intention of making the situation bigger than it already was.

One accident did not deserve another minute of his attention.

Behind him, Elara released a shaky breath. She could still feel the stares of the customers lingering on her, hot and uncomfortable against her back. Only when the murmurs finally faded and everyone returned to their own conversations did she allow herself to breathe properly.

At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to disappear.

— — —

ELARA'S POV:

“What happened to you, Elara? Are you okay?” Clarie asked while arranging trays at the counter. “Of all people, you had to spill coffee on Sir Grumpy. You’re lucky he didn’t yell at you.”

I pressed a hand against my chest. My heartbeat still hadn’t returned to normal.

“There were so many people, Clarie. I didn’t expect him to suddenly appear in front of me.” I grimaced, still annoyed with myself. “That was so embarrassing.”

Then a thought struck me.

“Wait. Is that really Rhett Alaric?”

I already knew the answer, but I still needed to hear someone else confirm it. There was no way I could be mistaken. I had spent years seeing his face in magazines and, embarrassingly enough, imagining him in more than a few daydreams.

“Yes, that was him,” Clarie replied while stacking a few cups. “I heard about him from Ma’am Natally before. Apparently, he’s the CEO of the construction firm beside our coffee shop.”

My eyes widened. “CEO?”

Clarie nodded. “That’s why you don’t see him here often. Usually, his secretary is the one who buys his coffee.”

“Oh my gosh,” I muttered under my breath.

So he really was that wealthy.

Of course he was.

“Yep.” Clarie grinned, waving one hand dramatically. “Rhett Alaric. Handsome, but colder than an iced Americano. He looks like the kind of man who could smile at you and still somehow make you nervous.”

I frowned at her, but I couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at my lips.

“Rhett Alaric,” I repeated softly, almost as if I were testing the sound of his name.

I didn’t understand why, but an odd mixture of nervousness and excitement settled in my chest.

I released a long breath.

Of all the ways I could have finally met him, why did it have to happen like that?

Not a graceful introduction.

Not some romantic coincidence.

No.

I had dumped coffee all over him.

Good job, Elara!

You finally met the man you had admired for years and gave him the worst possible first impression.

— — —

RHETT POV:

“Matt, get me a new suit from my condo,” Rhett said the moment he entered his office. “Put this one in the laundry basket.”

He unbuttoned his coat. The faint smell of coffee still clung to the fabric as he handed it to his secretary.

“Yes, sir.”

Matt Rivera had been working for him for five years.

Loyal. Precise. Efficient.

At this point, Rhett rarely had to explain himself. Matt understood his routine almost as well as Rhett did.

Rhett settled into the leather chair behind his desk and briefly looked out through the glass window overlooking the city. The skyline stretched across the horizon, but he barely gave it more than a glance before turning his attention toward the stack of documents waiting for his signature.

He picked up his fountain pen and began signing. Then, the nib glided smoothly across the paper. As he reached for his coffee and took a slow sip of his café Americano.

Bitter.

Simple.

Familiar.

The incident at the coffee shop had already been pushed out of his mind.

As far as Rhett was concerned, it wasn’t worth thinking about.

He lived by one rule. Focus only on what mattered.

Thirty minutes later, Matt returned carrying a neatly folded navy-blue suit.

Rhett glanced at the gold watch on his wrist.

“What’s my next schedule for today?” he asked without looking away from the documents.

“You have a clear schedule, sir,” Matt replied after checking the monitor.

“Good.”

Rhett briefly massaged his temples before returning to the papers.

Work had always been the easiest way to silence the noise in his head.

He preferred order.

Control.

Predictability.

Things people rarely gave him.

— — —

ELARA'S POV:

“Bye, Elara! Take care!” Bella said, as we gathered our things in the storage room after our shift.

“You should be the one people need to be careful around,” I replied with a grin. “You’re practically an A****n warrior. Anyone thinking of approaching you would probably end up injured before they even got close.”

Bella laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”

I changed my shoes, folded my uniform neatly into my bag, and stepped outside into the cool evening air.

Finally, time to go home.

I walked a short distance before crossing the street and waiting for a jeepney. Luckily, I didn’t have to stand there for long. One stopped in front of me after only a few minutes.

I climbed inside and took a seat near the back. Leaning my head against the window, I closed my eyes halfway.

So much had happened that day. It was embarrassing, stressful, exhausting.

But at least my shift was over.

“Para po!” I called when the jeepney reached the entrance of our barangay.

The moment I stepped down, familiar sounds greeted me. The neighborhood was still alive despite the late hour.

Someone was selling fish balls nearby. Another vendor was grilling barbecue along the roadside. Children were still playing outside even though darkness had already settled over the streets.

The smell of smoke and grilled meat filled the air.

I could hear the laughter of neighbors, the clatter of pans from nearby houses, and music playing from a small barbecue stall at the corner.

I smiled. 

Home.

I had only been walking for a few minutes when I pulled out my phone and called my younger sister.

“Hello, Eirina? Do we already have food at home?” I asked, stopping near the side of the road.

Eirina was the second among the three of us.

“Yes, sister. Why?” she replied.

There was noise in the background.

“I was thinking of buying barbecue.”

A moment later, I heard my mother’s voice from somewhere near her. “Who is that, Eirina?”

“It’s my sister, Ma! She’s asking if we already have food!”

I laughed when I heard them practically shouting at each other. They weren’t arguing. They were probably just in different parts of the house and too lazy to walk closer.

Typical evening at home.

“Mama said you should buy barbecue anyway,” Eirina told me. “So we’ll have something for tomorrow.”

“Okay, fine. Don’t wait for me.” I ended the call and turned toward the vendor.

“Can I have five barbecue sticks and five hotdogs, please.”

While waiting for the food to be wrapped, I looked up at the night sky. The stars were scattered above me, glittering faintly against the darkness.

My body was exhausted from the long day. Still, despite the hours that had already passed, one image kept returning to my mind.

Rhett Alaric.

The man I had accidentally spilled coffee on.

What a day.

I smiled faintly to myself.

Next time, Elara, please try not to embarrass yourself if you ever see him again.