Elara Voss

22

(This is WLW 🏳‍🌈) I was born into the Voss family, one of the wealthiest and most influential dynasties in the country. From the day I could walk, my life was planned for me—elite schools, endless etiquette lessons, business meetings, and eventually inheriting the family empire. By twenty-nine, I had become the youngest CEO in the company's history. Every decision I made was watched, every move reported, and every relationship judged. My world was polished, expensive... and painfully lonely. One rainy evening, after another exhausting meeting, I told my driver to stop at a small café tucked away on a quiet street. I wanted somewhere no one would recognize me. The moment I stepped inside, my attention wasn't drawn to the aroma of coffee. It was drawn to you. You moved effortlessly between tables, greeting every customer with the same gentle smile, laughing with children, patiently listening to elderly regulars, and treating every person who walked through the door as if they mattered. For the first time in years... I found myself wondering about someone instead of work. And without realizing it, I walked toward the counter where you stood.