The morning of the interview arrived faster than Elina expected.
She stood in front of the mirror in her small apartment, smoothing the fabric of her modest cream-colored dress. The apartment itself was small but tidy — a single room with pale walls and a window that overlooked a narrow street.
It was nothing like the world she was about to step into.
Elina Rivers had never imagined she would apply to work at a place like Belonia Enterprises.
For most of her life, she had been fighting simply to survive.
She ran a brush gently through her long coily hair, letting it fall naturally down her back like a dark river. Her skin was fair and smooth, her lips soft and full, and her body carried gentle curves that gave her a quiet elegance.
At first glance, anyone would think she had lived a peaceful, protected life.
But appearances had always been deceiving.
Elina lost her father when she was young, and her mother struggled to support them both. Many nights, Elina studied under dim lights while helping care for her mother.
Despite the hardships, she had something rare.
Hope.
At just nineteen years old, she completed college early — something very few people from her background ever achieved.
To support herself afterward, she worked as a kindergarten teacher, caring for children whose laughter brightened even her hardest days.
And that was where she met Clara Vaughn.
Clara was nothing like Elina.
Clara came from old money, the daughter of a powerful business family in the city. She often arrived at the kindergarten to pick up her little cousin, dressed in elegant clothes and stepping out of luxury cars.
Yet somehow, the two women became unlikely friends.
Clara admired Elina's kindness.
Elina admired Clara's confidence.
And it was Clara who had first mentioned the job opening.
"You're too brilliant to stay hidden in that tiny classroom forever," Clara had told her. "Apply to Belonia Enterprises."
Elina had laughed nervously.
"That company is for people with power… not someone like me."
But Clara had only smiled.
"You'd be surprised what fate likes to do."
Across the city, fate was already waiting.
Belonia stood in front of the mirror inside his luxurious penthouse apartment.
If Elina's home was modest, Belonia's was the complete opposite.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the entire city. Marble floors reflected the morning sunlight, and expensive artwork decorated the walls.
This was the world Belonia had been born into.
His family name carried generations of wealth and influence. The Belonia family had built their empire decades ago through powerful investments, international trade, and strategic business expansions.
Money had never been a problem.
Love, however, had always been complicated.
Belonia adjusted the cuff of his dark suit, his reflection staring back at him.
He was undeniably handsome.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Sharp jawline.
Dark hair that fell perfectly over intense eyes.
People often joked he looked like a modern Greek god carved from marble.
But his beauty only made the distance in his expression more noticeable.
Women admired him.
Feared him.
Desired him.
Yet none of them truly knew him.
After the heartbreak of his teenage years, Belonia developed a reputation among the elite circles of the city.
He was known for one-night stands.
Never the same woman twice.
Never promises.
Never emotions.
Just temporary distractions.
His closest friends were not much different.
Men like Victor Hale, Dominic Cruz, and Leon Arden — wealthy heirs who lived reckless lives filled with parties, luxury, and women.
They laughed at love.
And Belonia laughed with them.
Because believing in love again would require admitting that it once destroyed him.
Later that morning, Elina stepped nervously into the towering glass building of Belonia Enterprises.
Her heart pounded softly in her chest.
Everything about the place felt overwhelming — the polished floors, the sharp-dressed employees, the quiet authority in the air.
She clutched her folder tightly as the receptionist directed her toward the interview floor.
Inside the executive office upstairs, Belonia flipped through the remaining applications with clear boredom.
None of them impressed him.
Then the door opened.
"Sir," his assistant said. "The next candidate has arrived."
Belonia barely looked up.
"Send her in."
The door opened slowly.
And Elina Rivers stepped inside.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Belonia looked up from his desk.
And paused.
The girl standing before him was not what he expected.
Her long coily hair framed her face beautifully, her posture calm despite the nervousness in her eyes. There was something about her presence — soft yet strong — that didn't belong in the cold corporate world he ruled.
Elina felt her breath catch slightly.
The man sitting behind the desk was even more intimidating in person.
Tall.
Powerful.
His sharp gaze felt like it could read every secret in her mind.
So this was Belonia.
The man the entire city whispered about.
For a moment, the room filled with silence thick enough to feel.
Finally, Belonia leaned back in his chair, studying her.
"You're Elena Rivers," he said calmly.
"Elina," she corrected gently. "Elina Rivers."
A small, almost invisible smirk appeared at the corner of Belonia's lips.
Interesting.
Most people were too intimidated to correct him.
"Sit," he said.
Elina sat down slowly.
Belonia glanced at her file again.
"A kindergarten teacher applying for an executive position in one of the most competitive companies in the city."
His eyes lifted toward her.
"Explain that."
Elina took a quiet breath.
And then she answered honestly.
"I believe people can grow beyond where they start."
For a moment, Belonia said nothing.
Something about that sentence lingered in the air.
He closed the file.
"What makes you think you belong here?"
Elina met his gaze.
Not arrogantly.
But bravely.
"I don't know if I belong here yet," she admitted. "But I know I'm capable of becoming someone who does."
Belonia stared at her longer than necessary.
Something unfamiliar stirred quietly in his chest.
Not attraction.
Not yet.
But curiosity.
And curiosity was something Belonia rarely felt.
Finally, he spoke.
"You start Monday."
Elina blinked.
"Excuse me?"
"You're hired."
Her eyes widened in shock.
She hadn't even finished the interview.
Belonia stood, already turning back toward the window overlooking the city.
"You can leave now."
Elina stood slowly, still confused.
But as she walked toward the door, Belonia spoke again without looking at her.
"Miss Rivers."
She stopped.
"Yes?"
His voice remained calm.
"Don't disappoint me."
Elina nodded softly.
"I won't."
When the door finally closed behind her, Belonia remained standing by the window.
For reasons he didn't fully understand…
The office suddenly felt less empty.
And somewhere deep inside a heart he believed was permanently broken…
The smallest crack had just begun to form.