The early evening light filtered through the window of Leila's modest apartment, casting long shadows across the walls as she set the table for dinner. The apartment was small, but it had a warmth to it that made it feel like home. A place where her and her younger brother Sami could escape the chaos of the world outside.
Leila was nervous, more so than she cared to admit. Tonight, Alex was coming over to meet Sami. It wasn't that she didn't want them to meet—after all, they both played pivotal roles in her life—but something about the collision of her two worlds made her uneasy.
Sami was everything to her. He was the reason she worked tirelessly every day, juggling two jobs and pouring all her energy into keeping their lives stable. She'd promised her mother on her deathbed that she would always look out for Sami, and that promise had driven her to this point.
But Alex—he was a world apart. A man used to luxury, power, and wealth. A man who carried the weight of his own empire on his shoulders. How would he ever understand the quiet struggles that defined her life? More than that, how would he handle Sami's directness, his youthful energy, his unfiltered questions?
She straightened up from the table as she heard the faint hum of an engine outside the window. Alex had arrived.
Alex hadn't been invited under the best of circumstances. It was only a few weeks ago that their relationship had begun to shift, from the light exchanges in the café to something deeper—something that neither of them seemed prepared for. Leila didn't want to drag Alex into her world of constant struggle, but she also couldn't ignore the part of her that wondered if he might just be a connection to something more. More than the constant grind, more than her small apartment and the fears she'd carried for years.
She took a deep breath and opened the door.
Alex stood in the doorway, looking every bit the part of a successful businessman, but there was something different about his demeanor tonight. His usual detached, cold expression was softened, just slightly, as if he were trying to step outside of himself for a moment.
"Hey," Leila greeted him with a cautious smile, her hand lightly brushing the doorframe.
"Hey," Alex replied, his voice steady. His eyes scanned the apartment quickly, taking in the surroundings with quiet observation.
Leila stepped aside to let him in, her mind racing. She was trying to gauge what he thought of her world. The mismatched furniture, the peeling paint in places, the stack of textbooks on the small coffee table—this wasn't the polished world he was accustomed to.
Sami appeared at the corner of the room, his usual boyish enthusiasm immediately lighting up his face when he saw Alex.
"So, you're the big shot my sister's been talking about," Sami said with a grin, his arms crossed in a challenging stance. He was only 16, but his protective instincts were already as sharp as a knife.
Alex's lips twitched in amusement, but he kept his composure. "Big shot? That's a little exaggerated," he said, his tone light.
Sami raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.
"Well, you don't get all these nice suits and fancy cars by being just 'some guy.'"
Leila shot Sami a look, silently warning him to tone it down. She didn't want to make things awkward on their first meeting.
But Alex, to her surprise, didn't flinch. Instead, he gave a small chuckle. "I guess I've got a bit more than 'just suits' to my name."
He glanced over at Leila, meeting her eyes briefly before focusing on Sami again. "But I'm not here to talk business. I'm here to meet the younger brother."
Sami didn't seem to be convinced, but he was slowly warming to the idea. He crossed the room and held out his hand. "Sami."
Alex shook it firmly, a sign of mutual respect even if there was an unspoken tension hanging between them.
"So," Sami said, drawing the interaction out a bit longer than necessary, "how much do you think you could buy this place for?" He motioned to the apartment with a quick sweep of his hand, his curiosity clear.
Leila's heart skipped a beat. She knew Sami was only trying to gauge Alex's reaction, but his bluntness could be unsettling. She quickly stepped forward, her voice firm. "Sami, don't."
Alex didn't seem bothered, though. He just smiled slightly, his gaze never leaving Sami's.
"I wouldn't be able to give you a number without seeing it all," Alex replied calmly. "But I don't think your sister would sell, even if I could offer her a fortune."
Leila's heart fluttered at his words, a warmth creeping up her neck. Was that an answer meant for her, or was he just speaking the truth about how stubborn she could be? Either way, she wasn't sure how to respond.
Dinner was served soon after—simple, but hearty food. Pasta, salad, and some bread on the side. The atmosphere was lighter than she had anticipated, even though Sami was still being cautious around Alex. They ate, exchanged small talk, and Leila tried to ignore the small voice in her head that reminded her how out of place Alex might feel here.
But as the evening wore on, she noticed a shift. Alex, for once, wasn't dominating the conversation with business talk or forced pleasantries. He was listening, really listening, to what Sami had to say. They discussed video games, school projects, and the latest sports teams—things that felt normal.
Alex didn't try to impress. He didn't act like the billionaire that everyone thought he was. He was just a man, sitting at a modest table, sharing a simple meal with two people who didn't have much. And for a fleeting moment, Leila allowed herself to believe that maybe this could work—maybe this connection, this strange pull between them, was real.
After dinner, when Alex stood to leave, he met Leila's eyes once more, and she could see something in them that she hadn't noticed before—softness. Maybe even a little bit of... uncertainty.
"You've got a good brother here," Alex said quietly, his tone no longer businesslike, but almost... personal. "You're doing a good job, Leila."
Her throat tightened, and she gave a small nod, not trusting herself to speak. She wasn't sure why Alex's words felt so significant, but they did. He was a man who had been through so much, someone who rarely gave compliments. For him to say something so genuine about her and Sami... it made her feel like maybe she wasn't doing everything alone after all.
As Alex left the apartment, his footsteps echoing in the hallway, Leila looked back at Sami, who had been watching her intently.
"What do you think of him?" she asked, her voice soft, cautious.
Sami met her gaze, his usual playful expression gone. "I don't know," he said slowly. "He's not what I expected."
Leila raised an eyebrow. "And what did you expect?"
"Someone who'd treat you like a trophy,"
Sami said bluntly. "But he didn't. He seemed... different."
Leila didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to believe that, to believe that Alex Knight, the billionaire, wasn't just another man using her for something. But she wasn't sure yet. Not entirely.
"You're still not sold on him?" she asked.
"No," Sami replied. "But I'll keep an eye on him."
Leila smiled, her heart heavy with the realization that her world was shifting. Alex was in it now, and Sami was right—she needed to be careful. But part of her, the part that had spent years wondering if her dreams were ever possible, wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, this was a step in the right direction.