The next morning, the air felt crisp and full of promise. Lili arrived at the college gates early, holding a small basket covered with a checkered cloth. Inside were the lemon muffins, still warm and smelling of citrus and sugar. Tucked into her bag was a crisp, white envelope addressed to Leo.
When she saw Luca walking toward her, she couldn't help but smile. He looked tired, probably from staying up late studying, but his face brightened the moment he saw her.
"Is that what I think it is?" Luca asked, his nose twitching as he caught the scent of the muffins.
"My grandmother's secret recipe," Lili said, handing him the basket. "A small thank you for being the best friend I could ask for on my first day."
Luca didn't waste a second. He pulled out a muffin and took a huge bite. "Lili, if you keep baking like this, I'm never letting you leave this city. These are incredible!"
As they walked toward their first lecture, Lili felt her nerves beginning to surface. She reached into her bag and pulled out the white envelope. "Luca... I also wrote a note for your brother. Just to thank him for the lunch and for being so kind. Do you think you could give it to him?"
Luca took the letter, looking at the neat, elegant handwriting on the front. A knowing smirk crossed his face. "For Leo? Sure. I'm heading to his office later to drop off some papers my dad sent. I'll make sure it lands right on his desk."
"Does he... does he usually get notes like that?" Lili asked, trying to sound casual.
"He gets a lot of emails and business contracts," Luca laughed, "but a handwritten thank-you note? No. He's usually too busy intimidating people to get something this sweet. He'll probably be shocked."
Lili felt a blush creep up her neck. She hoped the note didn't seem too childish to a man who ran a multi-million dollar company. In the letter, she had simply written:
Dear Leo,
Thank you for the lunch and for your kindness yesterday. Coming to a new city is scary, but your gesture made me feel welcome. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day for us.
Best, Lili.
As she sat through her classes, her mind kept drifting away from the lectures. She imagined Luca walking into that high-rise office building, placing the letter on the mahogany desk, and Leo—with his sharp eyes and serious face—opening it.
She wondered if he would smile, or if he would simply toss it aside and get back to work. She didn't realize that in the world of Leo, where everyone wanted something from him, a simple, honest "thank you" from a girl with a kind heart was the most suspicious and intriguing thing he had encountered in years.
Later that afternoon, Luca stood in front of the towering glass skyscraper that housed the family's headquarters. He felt a bit out of place in his hoodie and jeans among the sea of suits, but the security guards recognized him immediately and waved him through to the top floor.
When the elevator dinged, Luca walked toward the massive mahogany doors of the CEO's suite. He didn't knock; he just pushed them open, only to find Leo in the middle of a high-stakes briefing. Three executives were standing around a glass table, looking nervous, while Leo sat behind his desk, looking like a king presiding over his court.
"Luca," Leo said, his voice cold and sharp. He didn't look up from the document he was signing. "I'm in a meeting."
"I know, I know," Luca said, unaffected by his brother's icy tone. He walked right up to the desk. "I just had to drop these papers from Dad. And," he added, pulling the white envelope from his pocket, "Lili wanted me to give you this."
At the mention of her name, Leo's pen paused for a fraction of a second. He looked at the envelope. It was simple, clean, and stood out against the mountain of legal briefs on his desk.
"A letter?" Leo asked, his voice returning to its neutral, professional calm.
"A thank-you note," Luca grinned. "She also made me muffins, but I ate those. Anyway, don't work too hard."
Luca waved and headed out, leaving the room silent. The executives waited for Leo to get back to business, but for a moment, Leo just stared at the handwriting on the envelope.
Inside, he was genuinely surprised. In his world, people gave him gifts because they wanted a favor, or they sent formal emails to impress him. No one ever just wrote a note to say he made them feel "welcome." It was a small, human gesture that felt completely foreign to his high-powered life.
However, as he felt the eyes of his staff on him, he didn't let a single emotion show on his handsome face. His expression remained a mask of stone. He slid the letter under a folder, hiding it from view.
"Back to the quarterly projections," Leo said, his voice as steady as ever. "Section four has an error. Fix it."
He acted like the letter meant nothing, but as the meeting continued, his hand stayed rested near the spot where he had hidden it. He was a CEO who controlled thousands of lives, but he found himself strangely impatient for the meeting to end—just so he could read the words of the girl who had survived the "Jerk Zone."
The meeting finally ended, and the heavy mahogany doors clicked shut. The tension in the room evaporated, leaving Leo alone in the vast silence of his top-floor office. He sat back in his leather chair, the city skyline stretching out behind him like a sea of glass and steel.
Slowly, he reached under the heavy financial reports and pulled out the small, white envelope.
Leo was a man who dealt with millions of dollars and cutthroat contracts every day. He was used to people wanting something from him—his time, his money, or his influence. But as he slid a silver letter opener through the paper, he felt a strange, quiet curiosity.
He pulled out the note. The handwriting was neat and modest, tilting slightly to the right. He read the words slowly:
Dear Leo,
Thank you for the lunch and for your kindness yesterday. Coming to a new city is scary, but your gesture made me feel welcome. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day for us.
Best, Lili.
A sudden, genuine smile broke across his handsome face—a rare, soft expression that his employees never saw. It transformed his sharp features, making him look less like a cold businessman and more like a man who had actually been touched by someone's kindness.