THE COFFEE SHOP DISASTER
The aroma of freshly roasted espresso beans filled the cozy neighbourhood coffee shop, but the atmosphere around table four was sub-zero.
CEO Julian Sterling. crossed his arms, his sharp jawline tight with irritation. Across from him, his best friend and chief legal counsel, James, chuckled, nursing a caramel macchiato.
"I'm serious, Julian. You need to lighten up. Not every woman out there is trying to trap you or break your heart," james said, shaking his head.
"Spare me the amateur psychology, James," Julian snapped, his voice a low, cold rumble that made the nearby patrons lower their eyes. "Women are a distraction. They are emotional, weak, and driven by a desperate need for attachment. I don't have time for weakness. My life is structured, controlled, and entirely free of emotional liabilities."
"James rolled his eyes, knowing better than to argue further. Julian’s deep-seated hatred for women—stemming from the day his mother walked out on him and his father when he was just seven years old—was a locked vault no one could touch.
Before James could reply, the bell above the coffee shop door chimed briskly.
Enter SMI LING. " She was running on a frantic schedule, clutching a file folder under one arm while aggressively digging through her oversized handbag with the other. She was entirely focused on finding her portfolio for an interview the next morning, completely blind to the world in front of her.
Clack-splash!
Before she could register where she was going, SMI LING slammed right into the side of Julian’s table, violently jarring his arm. The hot, dark liquid from the takeaway cup she was holding sloshed over the rim and soaked straight through Julian’s custom-tailored, white Italian designer shirt.
Silence descended instantly over the table.
Julian stood up so fast his chair screeched against the floor. He looked down at his chest, where a massive, dark brown stain was rapidly spreading across the expensive fabric.
"Oh, my gosh! I am so, so sorry! I wasn't looking. My bag was—let me get a napkin, oh no, your shirt—" SMI LING stammered, frantically grabbing at her purse for tissues.
Julian’s face darkened into a mask of pure fury. His cold, venomous glare locked onto her. He didn't see an apologetic girl; he saw everything he despised: incompetence, carelessness, and typical female weakness.
"Keep your filthy hands to yourself," Julian snapped out, his voice dripping with absolute condescension. He didn't even look at the tissues she offered. Instead, he stared down his nose at her as if she were a bug on his shoe. "Look at me. Look at what your absolute clumsiness and complete lack of brain cells have done. But I suppose expecting a woman to navigate a room without destroying property is asking too far beyond your limited capabilities. Clumsy, careless, and utterly pathetic."
"SMI LING stopped dead. Her frantic apologies evaporated, replaced by a sudden, hot flash of pure outrage.She had apologized sincerely. She had been ready to grovel. But the sheer, unadulterated arrogance rolling off this stranger—the way he looked at her with such casual cruelty—flipped a switch inside her.
She straightened up, crossing her arms, her eyes flashing with fire."Excuse me?
" Smiling shot back, her voice ringing clear across the cafe. "I made a mistake, and I apologized. But the only thing pathetic in this room is your monumental ego. Did you swallow a stick of dynamite this morning, or are you always this miserable? It was an accident, you overgrown toddler! Get over yourself and your expensive shirt; money clearly can't buy you basic manners or a personality."
James nearly choked on his coffee, coughing behind his hand as his eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
"Julian stood frozen, his mouth slightly parted. Nobody—nobody—talked to Julian Vance, that way. Executives trembled before him. Board members bowed their heads. Yet here stood a dishevelled girl with a handbag digging into her ribs, tearing into him with zero hesitation.
"You—" Julian started, taking a menacing step forward, his chest heaving with rage.
"Save it,"SMI LING snapped, turning on her heel. "Have a terrible day!"
With a final glare, she stormed out of the coffee shop, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.
"James slowly turned his head to look at his best friend, a look of utter shock plastered across his face. "Did... did she just eat you alive?"
"Julian’s jaw worked silently, a muscle ticking in his cheek. He looked down at his stained shirt, his mind entirely blank with shock. "Find out who she is," he whispered, a dangerous edge to his voice. "Find out right now."
