The evening air was crisp as Leila stood outside the grandiose ballroom, the thrum of conversation and clinking glasses faintly audible through the ornate doors. The high-society charity event was in full swing, a glittering affair that she had only ever dreamed of being a part of, but never as a guest—always as an invisible worker in the background, unnoticed and unimportant.
Tonight was no different. She had been hired as a server, along with a few others from the catering company. Her uniform, a black dress that clung slightly at the waist, was far from glamorous compared to the opulent gowns and sharp tuxedos of the attendees. Her hair was tied up neatly, out of the way, and she wore a quiet, polite smile that she had perfected after years of working events like this.
The room inside was a sea of silk and velvet, people laughing and chatting in corners as waiters glided between them, offering hors d'oeuvres and champagne. Leila tried to keep her head down, focusing on her duties, but the sheer extravagance of it all had a way of making her feel small—like a shadow in a room full of bright, blinding lights.
As she made her way through the crowd, balancing a tray of drinks, she almost collided with a tall figure. Her heart skipped as she looked up.
It was Alex.
He was standing near a cluster of people, his sharp suit cutting through the crowd like a blade. He wasn't just attending the event—he was the reason it was happening. His company had sponsored the evening, and his presence was expected. The glint of the diamond cufflinks at his wrists, the way he held himself so confidently, made him stand out, even among the city's elite.
Leila froze for a moment. It had been a few days since their last conversation at the café, and her heart still felt a strange flutter whenever she saw him. But there was no time to dwell on that now. She had a job to do.
She moved quickly to the side, trying to avoid crossing his path, but her tray bumped into a nearby guest's shoulder, spilling a glass of champagne onto their expensive dress.
"Oh my God, are you serious?" the woman snapped, her voice dripping with disdain. The champagne was already soaking into the fabric, and the woman's face twisted in disgust. "What kind of server are you?"
Leila's face flushed. She stammered an apology, but the woman wasn't listening. Her friends gathered around her, snickering under their breath, while the woman continued to glare at Leila as if she were something beneath her.
Leila's hands trembled slightly, but she kept her composure. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened, but it never got any easier. She had learned long ago to endure the insults, the mockery. Still, there was something about the woman's tone, the sheer contempt, that stung more than usual.
As she stood there, trying to wipe the stain from the woman's dress with a napkin, she heard a voice behind her, low and authoritative.
"Is there a problem here?"
Leila turned, surprised to see Alex Knight standing just a few feet away, his gaze fixed firmly on the woman.
The woman blinked, clearly thrown off guard. She straightened up, clearly not expecting someone of Alex's stature to address her directly. "Uh, no problem," she muttered, her voice losing its edge. "This... this server just ruined my dress."
"I saw what happened," Alex said smoothly, his voice calm and collected. "It was an accident. You could have handled it better than yelling at her."
Leila's breath caught in her chest. She hadn't expected him to step in, not like this, not so publicly. She had always assumed he lived in a world where people like her were invisible, unimportant.
The woman's expression faltered, her eyes darting from Alex to Leila, clearly uncertain of how to react now. The power dynamics had shifted in an instant.
"Is there anything else?" Alex asked, his voice unwavering.
The woman swallowed her pride, muttering a quick apology before hurrying away with her group. Leila could only stand there, stunned by what had just happened.
Alex turned toward her, his sharp eyes softer than usual, though still guarded. "You alright?"
Leila nodded, still in disbelief. "You didn't have to do that."
"I don't like seeing people being treated unfairly," Alex replied, his tone flat but not unkind. "And I don't think that was your fault."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them was thick with unspoken words. Leila felt the familiar tension—a delicate balance between the warmth she felt from his gesture and the uncertainty that still hung in the air. She had never imagined Alex Knight, billionaire and real estate mogul, would take the time to defend someone like her in front of all these people. But here he was, standing beside her as if they were equals in that moment.
"Thank you," Leila finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Alex gave a small nod, as if it were nothing. But there was a softness in his eyes that she hadn't expected. "No need to thank me. Just doing what's right."
Before she could say anything else, he turned slightly, as though pulling himself back from the moment. "I'll be around if you need anything," he added, his tone businesslike once again. "But you might want to keep an eye on the tray for a while."
Leila blinked, still trying to process the events that had just unfolded. "Yeah. Thanks," she said, though her mind was elsewhere. What had just happened felt like a door opening—a crack, but a door nonetheless.
As Alex walked away, disappearing into the crowd, Leila took a deep breath, trying to steady her thoughts. The encounter had been brief, but it had left a lasting impact on her. She had always known that the world Alex inhabited was far beyond anything she could imagine. But for a fleeting moment, she had seen a side of him that wasn't about power or status. He had stepped into her world and defended her, something she had never expected from someone like him.
And though she tried to dismiss the thought, a part of her couldn't help but wonder—was there more to him than the cold, calculating billionaire he seemed to be?
As she moved through the rest of the night's duties, her thoughts kept drifting back to Alex, his presence like a weight pressing against her chest. She didn't know what this connection was, or where it was leading. But it felt different, something she couldn't ignore, no matter how much she tried.
The worlds they came from were vastly different, but for the first time, Leila felt as though she might just have a chance to bridge the gap.