Elira
The city was louder than she expected.
Horns blared. Heels clicked. And somewhere, a street performer played jazz like the world was ending.
Elira Lane tightened her grip on her worn canvas bag and whispered to herself, "You've got this."
It was her first real job interview at Voss Enterprises, the kind of building that looked like it belonged in a billionaire's dream. Or a nightmare. Towering glass, black marble floors, and a receptionist who looked like she hadn't blinked since 2019.
"Name?" the woman asked, eyes flicking over Elira's plain blue dress like it was a crime.
"Elira Lane. I ... I have an interview. For the junior assistant position."
A quick nod. A pass printed. An elevator ride that felt more like entering a courtroom.
She was ten minutes early.
Which gave her just enough time to ruin everything.
Because as she turned the corner toward the executive floor lounge, her elbow clipped a coffee tray—his coffee tray.
The paper cup launched into the air like it had been waiting for drama.
And then it hit him.
A man in a black suit.
Broad shoulders.
Expression: unreadable.
His crisp white shirt now had a stain shaped like regret.
"I ... I'm so sorry!" she gasped, eyes wide. "I didn't see"
He looked down at her like she was a problem that needed solving. Or erasing.
And then he spoke.
Voice like velvet soaked in venom.
"You should watch where you're going."
Elira froze. Her heart raced. She opened her mouth, then shut it again.
This wasn't just anyone.
This was Damian Voss, CEO, billionaire, and the kind of man people only whispered about.
And she had just baptized him in coffee.