Chapter 2: The Fine Line Between Fascination and Frustration

Aspen Carter was not someone who dwelled on things.

She had built her empire by making quick, ruthless decisions. If something wasn’t worth her time, she discarded it and moved on.

And yet, three days after that scene at the coffee shop, she was still thinking about Leo Moreno.

Which was ridiculous.

She had an upcoming investor pitch, a partnership deal with a major fashion brand, and a new feature rollout for Vyre that could potentially redefine social media monetization. That was what should be occupying her mind not a broke barista with a savior complex.

And yet, here she was, sitting in her penthouse, sipping a half-finished glass of wine, scrolling through her phone… and resisting the urge to search his name.

Not that she would find much. He was a nobody in the business world. No LinkedIn. No press mentions. No social media footprint at least, not a significant one.

It was both frustrating and fascinating.

Why won’t he just let me help him?

She wasn’t even asking for anything in return. It wasn’t some power play. She just didn’t see the logic in struggling when there was a perfectly easy solution.

Aspen wasn’t used to problems without solutions.

And Leo Moreno was starting to feel like a problem.

Leo wasn’t thinking about Aspen Carter.

Or at least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

But when Jordan stormed into his apartment that night, still fuming about his rejection of Aspen’s offer, it became significantly harder to ignore the situation.

“You’re an idiot,” Jordan declared, collapsing onto his couch.

Leo groaned, setting down his paintbrush. He had been working on a new piece something abstract, dark strokes of blue and red across the canvas. Now it just looked like frustration splattered on a page.

“Can we not do this right now?” he muttered.

Jordan ignored him. “Do you know what I did after you threw that number away?”

Leo sighed. “Please tell me you didn’t

“I Googled her.”

Of course, she did.

Jordan pulled out her phone, scrolling aggressively. “Aspen Carter. CEO of Vyre. Net worth: 3.4 billion. Billion, Leo.” She looked up. “Do you understand how much money that is?”

Leo gave her a blank look. “Not really, no.”

Jordan let out an exasperated noise. “She’s the female Mark Zuckerberg, except people actually like her.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “That’s debatable.”

Jordan pointed at him. “You like her.”

Leo snorted. “I don’t even know her.”

Jordan scoffed. “Please. You know exactly who she is, and she likes you—which, by the way, is insane, because she could be on a yacht in the South of France right now instead of wasting her time at some dingy Brooklyn café with you.”

Leo went back to his painting, deliberately ignoring her. He wasn’t in the mood for this conversation, mostly because she wasn’t entirely wrong.

Aspen Carter was… unexpected.

She didn’t act like the billionaires he read about the ones who saw the world as something to buy, who lived in a bubble of wealth so thick they had no concept of reality. She was sharp, confident, and challenging. And even though he knew he should be annoyed by her persistence, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was genuinely trying to help.

Which made it worse.

Because if Aspen had come into his life flaunting her money, acting like she was better than him, it would have been easy to hate her.

But she didn’t.

And that made her dangerous.

Jordan sighed, tossing her phone onto the couch. “Look, I get the whole ‘I want to make it on my own’ thing, but Mom is literally in the hospital, Leo. This is bigger than your pride.”

Leo clenched his jaw. “I’m handling it.”

Jordan folded her arms. “Oh? With what money?”

He didn’t answer.

Because the truth was, he didn’t have it.

He had already stretched himself thin covering rent, art supplies, and medical bills. He was selling pieces where he could, but the art world wasn’t built for people like him people without connections, without rich collectors backing them.

And still, the thought of taking Aspen’s money made something in his stomach twist.

“It’s not about pride,” he muttered.

Jordan gave him a look. “Then what is it about?”

Leo didn’t have an answer.

Or maybe he just didn’t want to say it out loud.

Because the truth was, if he let Aspen Carter save him, if he let her step in and fix everything, then what did that make him?

Is another person looking for a handout? Another project for a billionaire to feel good about?

He refused to be that.

Aspen was in the middle of a high-profile investor dinner when she realized she was bored out of her mind.

The restaurant was Michelin-starred. The wine was aged to perfection. The conversation was a predictable loop of market projections, influencer partnerships, and people subtly trying to impress her.

She should have cared.

But instead, she found herself thinking about him.

Leo Moreno, with his sharp eyes and sharp tongue. The way he looked at her like she was just a person not a billionaire, not a headline, not an opportunity.

It was… unsettling.

“Aspen?”

She blinked, snapping back to the present. Across the table, Blake Harrington—her ex and occasional business rival was watching her with an amused smirk.

“Zoning out during a deal? That’s not like you,” he said, sipping his whiskey.

Aspen forced a smile. “Just thinking.”

Blake leaned back in his chair, studying her like she was a puzzle to solve. “You’ve been different lately.”

“Different how?”

Blake shrugged. “Distracted. Curious.” His sm

Blake’s smirk deepened as he swirled the amber liquid in his glass. “Let me guess you met someone.”

Aspen didn’t react. Not externally, at least. She had perfected the art of keeping her expression unreadable in boardrooms and billionaire social circles.

But Blake knew her too well.

His eyes gleamed with amusement. “I have to admit, I’m intrigued. Who is it? Is someone in tech? A Wall Street guy?”

Aspen took a slow sip of her wine, giving herself a moment to consider her response. Blake was more than just an ex he was a relic of her old world, the type of person who would never understand why she had gone back to that café, why she had tried to help Leo, why she still couldn’t stop thinking about him.

So she simply said, “It’s none of your business.”

Blake chuckled. “That means it’s someone interesting.”

She set her glass down. “Did you invite me here to talk about my personal life or to discuss the Atlas Ventures deal?”

Blake sighed dramatically. “Fine, business first.” He leaned in slightly. “But I’m not letting this go. I’ll find out who’s been distracting you sooner or later.”

Aspen ignored him, signaling for the waiter to bring the check.

She needed to get out of there.

Because for the first time in her life, she was afraid Blake might be right.

The next morning, Aspen found herself back at Grounded.

She told herself it was just for the coffee. That it had nothing to do with Leo or the unresolved tension between them.

And yet, when she stepped inside, her eyes immediately sought him out.

He was behind the counter, as usual, focused on the espresso machine, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He hadn’t noticed her yet.

Aspen hesitated.

She wasn’t sure why.

Maybe because, for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t in control of the situation.

Maybe because Leo Moreno wasn’t playing by her rules.

But before she could overthink it, he turned.

Their eyes met.

For a moment, neither of them said anything.

Then Leo exhaled, shaking his head. “You don’t know how to let things go, do you?”

Aspen smirked. “Not in my nature.”

He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “Are you here to make another grand offer? Because if you are, save it.”

She walked up to the counter, leaning slightly against it. “I’m here for coffee.”

Leo arched an eyebrow. “Just coffee?”

“Just coffee,” she confirmed.

He studied her for a moment as if trying to figure out her angle. Then, with a reluctant smirk, he reached for a cup.

“Cash only, princess,” he reminded her.

Aspen laughed, pulling a twenty from her bag and sliding it across the counter.

Chapter 2: The Fine Line Between Fascination and Frustration (Continued)

7. More Than Just Coffee

Leo took the bill without another word, moving efficiently behind the counter as he started making her drink. Aspen watched him, the way his hands moved with practiced ease, the way his brow furrowed slightly in concentration.

She wasn’t used to this. Watching someone work. Watching someone create something with their hands instead of sitting in meetings, managing numbers, and controlling markets.

It was strangely… grounding.

And infuriatingly attractive.

“So,” she said casually, “how long are you going to be mad at me?”

Leo shot her a look over his shoulder. “I’m not mad.”

Aspen crossed her arms. “You threw my number in the trash.”

He scoffed. “I do that to all rich people who offer me handouts.”

“Harsh.”

He shrugged. “Honest.”

Aspen tapped her nails against the counter. “For the record, it wasn’t a handout. It was a solution.”

Leo let out a dry laugh. “Yeah, well, not every problem can—or should be solved with money.”

Aspen frowned. She wanted to argue, but something about the way he said it, the weight behind his words, made her pause.

Leo set her drink down in front of her, his gaze meeting hers. “Your world doesn’t work the same way mine does, Aspen.”

The way he said her name it wasn’t condescending, wasn’t dismissive. It was… real.

She wasn’t sure she liked that.

“So, what’s your solution, then?” she asked, tilting her head. “If money isn’t the answer?”

Leo leaned against the counter, wiping his hands on a rag. “Work. Hustle. Making something out of nothing.”

Aspen arched an eyebrow. “Sounds exhausting.”

He smirked. “It is.”

She took a sip of her coffee, eyeing him over the rim of the cup. “You’re really that stubborn?”

Leo’s smirk deepened. “You’re really that persistent?”

Aspen smiled. Touché.

The café door swung open, and a group of customers walked in, breaking the moment. Leo straightened, already moving to take their orders, his attention shifting back to work.

Aspen watched him for a second longer before pulling out her phone and checking her schedule.

She had a meeting in an hour. Emails to answer. A world to keep running.

And yet, she wasn’t in a rush to leave.

Instead, she lingered, sipping her coffee, letting the sounds of the café fill the silence between them.

For once in her life, she wasn’t thinking five steps ahead.