Chapter One: A New Beginning
Alina Rivers pushed open the door of the small café, her fingers clutching the strap of her old canvas bag. Her clothes were plain—faded jeans, a hoodie, and sneakers. No one would guess she was the CEO of one of the biggest tech companies in the city.
That was exactly the point.
Alina had grown tired of fake smiles and shallow compliments. At fancy parties, people only talked to her because of her name, her power, or her money. None of them really saw her. None of them knew who she was behind the fame.
So she walked away from it all.
She took a break from her CEO life, left her penthouse behind, and rented a small apartment in a quiet neighborhood. No assistants. No bodyguards. No one to call her "ma'am" every five minutes. Just Alina, trying to figure out if love—real love—could find her when no one knew who she was.
She found the café on her second day in town. "Bean & Butter" was the name. It smelled like fresh coffee and cinnamon, and the music was soft and calm. She ordered a cup of tea and found a seat in the corner.
As she stirred her drink, the door opened and a man walked in. He wore a worn leather jacket and boots that looked like they had walked through a storm. His hair was a mess, his jaw covered in light stubble. He was handsome in a rough kind of way.
He walked past her without a glance and spoke to the barista with a voice that was a little too loud.
"Same thing, Cass. And make it quick. I got real work to do."
Alina raised an eyebrow. Something about his tone rubbed her the wrong way.
The barista—Cass—rolled her eyes and handed him a coffee.
As he turned to leave, his eyes landed on Alina. He gave her a once-over, and for a second, something flickered across his face. Curiosity. Or maybe judgment.
"You new?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
Alina nodded. "Just moved here."
He smirked. "Let me guess. Looking for a job?"
"Maybe," she said. "Just exploring for now."
"Well, good luck," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "This town isn't kind to people without money."
Then he walked out.
Alina stared at the door long after it closed. So that's how he saw her—just another broke girl chasing luck.
She didn't know why it bothered her. Maybe because she had hoped, just maybe, that someone might look past the surface.
The next day, she returned to the café. And the next. On the fourth day, she saw him again.
His name was Jay.
Jay worked odd jobs—construction, deliveries, whatever paid. He was rough around the edges, quick to snap, and clearly didn't think much of her. But somehow, they kept bumping into each other.
He'd talk to her when no one else was around. Sometimes he made jokes. Sometimes he complained about life. And slowly, Alina let herself laugh. She shared a little—about growing up in a big family, about her love for art, about her dreams.
But she never said the truth.
She never said she owned half the buildings in town.
As weeks passed, something grew between them. A strange, fragile connection. Alina cooked for him once when he had no time to eat. He thanked her with a nod and washed the dishes without being asked. He said she was "too soft for this world," but his voice was gentle when he said it.
Then things changed.
Jay started pulling away. He stopped replying to her messages. He didn't show up at the café for days. When he finally did, he was wearing a new jacket, his phone a new model. He looked cleaner, sharper.
Alina knew something had shifted.
One night, she saw him with another girl—tall, elegant, with long blond hair and red heels. The kind of woman people notice. They were laughing outside a fancy restaurant.
Alina's chest tightened.
The next day, Jay showed up at her apartment, asked her to help clean his place. She agreed, hoping for answers. He sat on the couch and scrolled through his phone while she scrubbed the kitchen.
"You're really good at this," he said with a smirk.
"Good at what?" she asked.
"Playing house. Maybe that's your calling."
She said nothing. Her hands trembled slightly as she rinsed the dishes.
He talked about the new girl—Melanie. Said she came from a rich family. Said she might be the one.
Alina bit her lip and smiled through the ache.
Days turned into weeks. Then one morning, she got a call.
It was from the board of directors. They needed her signature on a new partnership deal—urgently. Alina agreed to meet at her company's headquarters.
What she didn't expect was Jay walking into the boardroom behind Melanie.
Alina stood by the glass window, wearing her suit, her hair pinned up, every inch the powerful CEO she was.
Jay froze when he saw her.
His face went pale.
Melanie looked confused. "Wait… You're the CEO?"
"Yes," Alina said calmly, turning to face them. "And you must be Melanie. We've met."
Jay looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
"I—I didn't know," he stammered.
"I know," Alina said. "That's the point."
Melanie's face changed. She narrowed her eyes at Jay. "You told me she was your maid."
Jay turned red.
Alina stepped forward, signing the papers smoothly. "This contract is valid. But I won't be part of any lies."
Melanie walked out without another word.
Jay stayed behind.
"Alina, please… I didn't mean to—"
"You treated me like I was nothing," she said softly. "You only care when you think I have something you want."
"That's not true!"
"It is," she said. "And I'm done with people like you."
She walked out of the room, heels clicking, heart heavy but proud.
She never looked back.
What she didn't know yet was that real love was waiting. Not with someone who cared about money. But with someone who saw her—really saw her.