LOVE BEYOND WEALTH

sed quickly, filled with board meetings, charity luncheons, and social events that never seemed to end. Yet,

for payment right away. It was the way he looked at her-direct, unfiltered, without the expectations or assumptions she was so used to. He hadn't cared about her name or her status. In fact, he seemed completely uninterested in who she w

, the quiet way he had spoken to her, kept intruding on her focus. "Eleanor, what do you think?" Her father's voice br

. Everyone expected her to follow in her father's footsteps, to seamlessly inherit the family empire. But lately, Ellie had felt increasingly out of place in these meetings. "I think we need to focus more on the community programs," she said, her v

ex Reed had been grappling with his own thoughts. The days since Ellie's unexpected visit had been filled with routine-repairing cars, paying bills, and trying to keep his small garage afloat in an increasingly e

.. different. Genuine, even in her discomfort.Alex shook his head, wiping grease from his hands as he leaned against the workbench. He didn't have time to think about people like her. His life was grounded in here and now-paying rent for the garage, making sure his mom wa

conversation they'd had. Maybe it was the way she seemed... out of place, like she didn't quite fit into the world she came from. Or maybe it was the faint smile she'd giv

to the garage caught his attention. He looked up, surprised to see the same sleek black town car pul

trace of uncertainty in her expression. It was the first time he had seen her outside of the world of wealth, and yet, she carried herself with the same quiet grace. "Hey," she said, offering him a small smile. "I wanted to settle up for

different this time, standing there in the bright daylight of his garage, without the rain and chaos of their first meeting. She found herself drawn to the way he moved-focused, methodical, completely in his element. It was a far cry from the world of

expectations, no pretending. Just... real people. "Alex raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. "Not a lot of real people in your world, huh?" Ellie shrugged. "Not really. Everyone's always trying to impress each other or one-up the next person. It's exhausting. "Alex

born into a role I didn't choose, and now it's just... there. "Alex nodded, understanding more than she might have realized. He had seen peo

hem. "Well, "Alex said, standing up and wiping his hands on a rag, "cars are a lot easier to fix th

she said softly. "I might take you up on that. "As she settled the bill and prepared to

turning back to give him one last smile before sliding into the passenger seat. As the town car pulled away, Alex watched her go, his thoughts swirling. He wasn't sure what this was-this strange connection between them. But for the first time in a long while, he fe

of honesty that felt more real than anything money could buy. Little did they know, their