Chapter 3. An offer she can’t refuse
788 Words
Elena had barely caught her breath from her last run-in with Xander Wolfe, but fate wasn’t done playing tricks on her. As she rushed into her family’s small apartment that evening, the weight of her reality hit her like a brick wall. Her mother was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at an unpaid medical bill. Her younger brother, Liam, was doing his homework in the dim glow of a flickering bulb, completely unaware of the struggles surrounding him.
Elena clenched her jaw. She had to work harder, take on more shifts, and somehow find a way to make ends meet. There was no room for distractions—especially ones that came in the form of a cold, arrogant billionaire who seemed to enjoy unsettling her.
Yet, the universe had other plans.
The next day at the café, just as she was tying her apron and getting ready for another exhausting shift, her manager rushed over, her eyes wide with excitement.
“Elena! There’s someone here asking for you.”
Elena frowned. “Who?”
Her manager only gestured toward a corner booth. When Elena followed her gaze, her breath caught in her throat. Sitting there, looking as effortlessly powerful as ever, was Xander Wolfe.
What was he doing here?
The sight of him in a place like this was jarring. His tailored suit and piercing gaze stood in stark contrast to the cozy but worn-down café. He looked like a misplaced monarch in a peasant’s tavern.
For a moment, she considered turning around and pretending she hadn’t seen him. But something in the way he was watching her—calm, calculated, and undeniably curious—made her feet move forward.
She stopped at his table, crossing her arms. “Did you get lost on your way to some five-star restaurant?”
His lips curled into something that might have been amusement. “Good morning to you too, miss Mercer.”
She exhaled sharply. “What do you want?”
“I have a proposition for you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Proposition?”
Xander leaned back, drumming his fingers against the table. “You intrigue me, Elena. That doesn’t happen often.”
She blinked. Of all the things he could have said, that was the last thing she expected.
“I don’t have time for games, Mr. Wolfe.”
“Xander.”
“What?”
“You can call me Xander.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Xander. What do you want?”
He studied her for a long moment before speaking. “You need money.”
Her spine stiffened. “Excuse me?”
“I did some research,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “Your family is struggling. Your mother has medical bills piling up. Your brother is in school, and from what I gather, you’ve been the one keeping everything together.”
Elena’s heart pounded. How did he know all of this?
She took a step back. “Are you stalking me?”
He smirked. “I prefer the term ‘well-informed.’”
Her fists clenched. “Listen, I don’t know what kind of twisted amusement you get from this, but I don’t need your pity.”
“It’s not pity,” he said smoothly. “It’s a job offer.”
That made her pause. “A job?”
Xander nodded. “Come work for me.”
Elena let out a short laugh. “Doing what? Being your personal servant?”
He tilted his head. “Not exactly. I need a personal assistant—someone who isn’t afraid to challenge me, someone who doesn’t fawn over my wealth, and someone who…” His eyes darkened slightly. “Intrigues me.”
Elena swallowed. She didn’t like the way he said that last part.
“I already have a job,” she pointed out.
“I’ll pay you five times what you make here.”
Her breath hitched. Five times? That would cover her mother’s medical bills within months. It would give Liam a chance at a better future.
But working for him?
She could already picture the disaster. He was arrogant, insufferable, and the kind of man who thought money could solve everything.
“No.”
Xander didn’t look surprised, but he also didn’t look discouraged. “Think about it,” he said, sliding a card across the table. “When you change your mind, call me.”
With that, he stood, adjusting his cufflinks as if he hadn’t just shaken her entire world.
And then he walked out, leaving Elena staring at the business card with trembling fingers.
She hated him.
She hated how he got under her skin.
And worst of all…
She hated that she was actually considering it.
- Writer
