Emma woke up earlier than usual the next morning, her body still aching from the long hours she had worked. She moved quietly around the small apartment, not wanting to wake her father. Her siblings were already stirring though, their soft voices drifting from the bedroom they shared.
"Emma, are you making breakfast?" her younger brother, Ethan, called sleepily.
His twin sister, Ella, groaned. "Don't yell so early, Ethan. You're louder than the alarm clock."
Emma smiled as she pushed open their door, she didn't know they were back. The twins were only sixteen, but sometimes they felt like her children instead of siblings. She had raised them since their mother died and their father fell ill. They looked so much alike—both with messy brown hair and tired eyes that mirrored Emma's—but their personalities couldn't have been more different.
"Yes, I'm making breakfast," Emma said softly. "But you two need to get ready for school. And don't argue this morning."
"We weren't arguing," Ella said, crossing her arms.
"You always say that," Ethan muttered.
Emma sighed. "Please. I don't have the energy for bickering today."
The twins quieted, guilt flashing across their faces. Emma hated snapping at them, but the stress weighed heavily on her. Still, she forced a smile. "Come on, I made pancakes."
That was enough to make them both scramble out of bed. Food always worked.
⸻
By the time Emma finished breakfast,and dropped the twins off at school, she was already running late for her shift at the café. She hurried inside, tied on her apron, and tried to look presentable even though she knew she was pale and worn out.
Carol, her boss, gave her a quick wave. "You're on table service today, Em. Big client coming in. Don't mess this one up, okay?"
Emma frowned. "Big client?"
Carol nodded toward the front. "Some billionaire. Owns half the city, I swear. Mr. Blackwood, I think his name is."
Emma had heard the name before. Alexander Blackwood. He was the kind of man people only read about in magazines or saw on the news. Powerful. Untouchable. Ruthless in business. She didn't understand why someone like him would come to their small café, but she didn't question it. Customers were customers.
She grabbed her notepad and smoothed her apron nervously before approaching the table in the corner.
And there he was.
Alexander Blackwood looked exactly like the photos she'd seen online tall, broad shouldered, dressed in an expensive suit that fit like it had been made just for him. His dark hair was perfectly styled, his jaw sharp, his expression cold. He sat with his phone in hand, scrolling through emails as if the world around him didn't exist.
Emma cleared her throat. "Good morning. What can I get for you today?"
He didn't even look up. "Black coffee. No sugar." His voice was low, commanding, the kind of voice that made people listen.
Emma blinked. That was it? No greeting, no thank you? She bit back her irritation and scribbled it down. "Anything else? Maybe a pastry?"
"No." His tone was clipped. He finally lifted his gaze, his eyes a piercing gray that seemed to study her in a single glance. Cold. Unimpressed. Dismissing her just as quickly as he had noticed her.
Emma forced a polite smile, though her heart beat faster. Not because she was impressed by him, but because his presence was overwhelming like he carried an invisible wall of power around him.
"Black coffee, coming right up," she said, turning quickly before her annoyance could show.
Back behind the counter, she muttered under her breath. "Rude. He couldn't even say please."
Her coworker, Mia, leaned closer. "Who?"
Emma jerked her chin toward the corner table. "Mr. Ice Cube over there. Acting like the rest of us don't exist."
Mia giggled. "You do know he could buy this entire café without blinking, right?"
"So what?" Emma said, pouring the coffee into a cup. "Money doesn't mean manners."
With a deep breath, she carried the cup back to his table and set it down carefully. "Here you go, sir. One black coffee."
Alexander gave a small nod but said nothing else.
Emma pressed her lips together, then turned to leave but before she could take a step, his phone rang. He answered immediately.
"Yes. Tell them I don't care what the board thinks. If they can't deliver, I'll find someone who can. I don't pay people to waste my time."
His voice was sharper now, commanding, filled with impatience. Emma froze for a moment, startled by the tone, then quickly walked away.
But fate wasn't done playing with her.
Later that morning, the café filled with customers, and Emma found herself rushing from table to table. She carried a tray stacked with drinks, balancing it carefully as she weaved between chairs. But just as she passed Alexander's table, a child darted in front of her.
Emma gasped, stumbling to avoid the little boy. The tray tilted, and before she could stop it, two glasses of water tipped over right onto Alexander Blackwood's expensive suit.
"Oh no!" Emma exclaimed, setting the tray down quickly. She grabbed napkins from the table and tried to blot the water. "I'm so sorry—"
"Stop." His voice cut like a knife. He stood, his suit dripping. His cold gray eyes locked on her, filled with sharp irritation. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"
Emma froze, the napkins trembling in her hands. Heat flooded her cheeks. Everyone in the café was staring.
"It's just water," she said quickly. "It'll dry—"
"This suit costs more than you'll make in a year." His words were harsh, cruel.
Emma's embarrassment burned into anger. She straightened, meeting his gaze. "Then maybe you should wear cheaper clothes if you're so worried about them."
The café went silent. Mia gasped from behind the counter. No one ever spoke to Alexander Blackwood that way.
For a long moment, his eyes narrowed, studying her like she was some strange puzzle. Then his lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Interesting."
Emma's stomach tightened. She didn't know what he meant by that, but she didn't like it. Not one bit.
Carol hurried over, her face pale. "Mr. Blackwood, I'm so sorry. She didn't mean—"
Alexander held up a hand, silencing her instantly. His gaze never left Emma. "No harm done. Accidents happen."
But his voice carried an edge, like a warning.
Emma swallowed hard, her pulse racing. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. His eyes pinned her in place, sharp and unreadable.
Finally, he reached for his jacket, shrugged it off, and draped it over the back of his chair. "I'll send the bill for cleaning to the café."
Carol nodded quickly, flustered. "Of course, sir."
Emma bit her tongue, resisting the urge to snap back. She didn't want to lose her job. Not with Ethan and Ella depending on her.
So she forced a stiff smile. "Enjoy your coffee, Mr. Blackwood."
She walked away, her hands trembling, her heart pounding in her chest.
⸻
That night, when she reached home, her siblings are already home.Ella immediately noticed her mood.
"You're frowning," Ella said, poking her sister's arm.
"Rough day?" Ethan asked.
Emma sighed. "Something like that."
"What happened?" Ella pressed.
Emma shook her head. "Nothing important. Just met a man who thinks money makes him better than everyone else."
The twins exchanged a look. Ethan smirked. "Did you yell at him?"
"Not exactly," Emma muttered.
She couldn't stop thinking about Alexander Blackwood. his sharp gray eyes, his commanding voice, and the strange way he had looked at her.
Like he wasn't used to being challenged.
Like he had just found something… or someone… unexpected.