HEART OVER NET WORTH

HEART OVER NET WORTH

mhizeniola2 · Completed · 266.9k Words

365
Hot
516
Views
110
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

She built an empire from code. He can’t afford a subway ride. What happens when love crashes through firewalls and fortune? Aspen Carter is a 24-year-old billionaire tech mogul, brilliant, ruthless, untouchable. But behind the sleek penthouses and global power plays, she’s never known love that wasn’t calculated or conditional. Enter Leo Moreno, a broke Brooklyn artist with paint on his jeans and dreams bigger than his rent. He doesn’t care about Aspen’s wealth. He doesn’t even know her name. And when their worlds collide in a chance café encounter, something electric sparks. Something real. But love between two people from opposite universes isn’t easy. Aspen wants to lift Leo up. Leo refuses to be a project. And when secrets, sabotage, and emotional firewalls threaten to destroy what they’ve built, they’ll have to decide: Is love a luxury neither can afford? Or the one thing worth losing everything for?

Chapter 1

Aspen Carter never waited in lines.

Not at five-star restaurants, not at exclusive clubs, and certainly not for coffee. She had assistants for that. Assistants who knew her usual iced oat milk latte, light ice, extra caramel, and exactly how to get it into her hands within minutes of her craving it.

But today, for reasons she couldn’t quite explain, she wanted to get it herself.

Maybe it was the exhaustion of back-to-back investor meetings. Maybe it was the suffocating perfection of her life pristine penthouses, luxury cars, and people who only spoke to her when they needed something. Or maybe it was just the need to do something normal for once.

So when her driver pulled up in front of a small, hole-in-the-wall coffee shop in Brooklyn a place called Grounded with a handwritten sign that looked like it hadn’t been changed in years Aspen felt something she hadn’t in a long time.

Curiosity.

She stepped inside, the tiny bell above the door chiming as she entered. The scent of freshly brewed espresso and warm cinnamon filled the air, a stark contrast to the sterile, overpriced cafés she was used to in Manhattan. The shop was cozy, all rustic wood and mismatched chairs, with local artwork covering the walls. It felt real.

And so did the man behind the counter.

Leo Moreno barely looked up when she walked in.

Which was unusual. He was used to customers doing a double take, especially when someone like her walked through the door. She didn’t belong here her crisp white blazer and designer heels practically screamed Upper East Side royalty, and the way she scanned the café like she was analyzing a stock portfolio told him she wasn’t here by accident.

Still, he wasn’t impressed.

“Cash only,” he said before she even reached the counter.

Aspen blinked, caught off guard. “Excuse me?”

Leo finally glanced up, his dark brown eyes locking onto hers. She was beautiful annoyingly beautiful but there was something unreadable in her expression. Like she wasn’t used to being told no.

“I said cash only.” He nodded toward the small, handwritten sign taped to the counter. “Our card reader’s been busted for weeks.”

Aspen exhaled, reaching into her purse and pulling out a sleek black card. “I don’t carry cash.”

Leo shrugged. “Then I don’t carry coffee.”

She stared at him. No one spoke to her like this. Not board members, not competitors, and certainly not baristas.

“Seriously?” she asked, arching a perfectly sculpted brow.

Leo leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. “You’re welcome to find another place that takes your billionaire credit card.”

Aspen narrowed her eyes. “How do you know I’m?”

Leo gave her a pointed once-over. “Call it a wild guess.”

She should have been irritated. She was irritated. But she was also intrigued.

“Fine.” She dug into her bag, fingers brushing against something metallic. Pulling it out, she smirked. “Do you take gold?”

Leo blinked at the heavy, rose-gold money clip she held between two fingers. A few hundred dollar bills were folded inside, but it was the clip itself that caught his attention. Engraved, minimalistic, and expensive as hell.

He sighed, taking one of the bills. “I hate rich people.”

Aspen laughed an actual, genuine laugh. “That makes two of us

Leo made her drink begrudgingly, his fingers moving expertly over the espresso machine. Aspen watched, leaning against the counter, feeling oddly entertained by how unimpressed he was with her.

“You always this charming?” she asked.

“You always this difficult?”

She smiled, taking the cup from him. It was warm in her hands, a stark contrast to the cold, pre-ordered lattes she was used to. She took a sip and paused, surprised by how good it was.

“Not bad,” she admitted.

Leo rolled his eyes as he wiped down the counter. “Glad it meets your high standards, princess.”

Aspen raised an eyebrow. “Did you just call me princess?”

“Would you prefer an heiress?”

She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “You know, most people at least pretend to be nice to me.”

“That’s probably because they want something from you.”

The words hit harder than she expected. Aspen had spent years surrounded by people who smiled to her face while silently calculating what they could gain from her. Investors, partners, employees everyone wanted something. But this guy? He didn’t seem to care about who she was or what she was worth.

It was refreshing.

Aspen took another sip of her coffee and tilted her head. “What’s your name?”

Leo hesitated for a beat, then answered, “Leo.”

“No last name?”

He smirked. “You don’t need it.”

“Fine, Leo. I’m Aspen.”

“I know,” he said casually, rinsing out a cup.

Aspen blinked. “Wait you do?”

Leo shrugged. “You own Vyre. Your face is in every business magazine. People either love you or hate you, depending on how much they care about billionaires running the world.”

“And which side do you fall on?”

Leo met her gaze. “I’m still deciding.”

A slow smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She should have been annoyed. Instead, she was intrigued.

“Well, let me know when you make up your mind,” she said, turning to leave.

Leo called after her. “Bring cash next time, princess.”

Aspen laughed softly to herself as she stepped outside.

She would be coming back.

Aspen didn’t return to Grounded the next day.

Or the day after that.

She told herself it was ridiculous she had meetings, deals, and a company to run. But for some reason, the coffee from her usual high-end café didn’t taste as good anymore.

So, three days later, she found herself back in Brooklyn, standing in front of Grounded like an idiot.

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting. Maybe for Leo to look surprised that she’d come back. Maybe for him to be a little friendlier.

Instead, he barely looked up when she approached the counter. “Cash or no coffee.”

Aspen smirked and slid a crisp twenty-dollar bill across the counter. “You wound me, barista.”

Leo’s lips twitched slightly as he took the bill. “Progress.”

She leaned against the counter as he started making her drink. “So, Leo, how does a guy like you end up running a cash-only coffee shop in Brooklyn?”

“I don’t run it,” he said, focusing on the espresso machine. “I just work here.”

Aspen frowned. “You don’t own this place?”

“Nope.” He glanced at her. “Disappointed?”

She shrugged. “A little. I had this whole narrative in my head struggling artist opens indie coffee shop to make ends meet, refuses to sell out, fights off evil corporate overlords.”

Leo chuckled. “Nice try. I just work here to pay rent. My real thing is art.”

Aspen raised an eyebrow. “You’re an artist?”

He nodded. “Paint, mostly. Some mixed media.”

“And you’re still broke?”

Leo shot her a look. “Not all of us make billions off an app that profits from influencers selling teeth-whitening kits.”

Aspen grinned. “Ouch. You don’t like Vyre, do you?”

“It’s nothing personal,” Leo said, setting her drink in front of her. “I just think social media’s killing real art.”

She studied him, intrigued. “You’re a little intense for a barista.”

“And you’re a little nosy for a billionaire.”

Aspen took her coffee and smiled. “See you tomorrow, barista.”

Leo watched her go, shaking his head.

He had a feeling she wasn’t kidding.

Aspen came back the next day.

And the day after that.

And the day after that.

It became a routine, something she looked forward to in a way she couldn’t quite explain.

At first, it was the coffee. Then it was the banter. Then it was him.

Leo, with his sarcastic comments and unimpressed attitude. Leo, who didn’t care about her net worth or her press coverage. Leo, who made her laugh in a way she hadn’t in years.

She learned things about him in bits and pieces. He grew up in Queens. His mom worked as a nurse. He dropped out of art school because he couldn’t afford it. He painted at night, in a tiny apartment that doubled as his studio.

And, most importantly he didn’t want her money.

Aspen wasn’t used to that.

People in her world always wanted something funding, investments, and connections. But Leo? He just made her coffee, called her princess, and sent her on her way.

Which only made her want to come back more.

What she didn’t realize was that she was about to become just as much a part of his routine as he had become a part of hers.

Neither of them saw it coming.

Neither of them knew how complicated it would get.

And neither of them expected that a simple coffee shop in Brooklyn would be the start of something that would change both their lives forever.

Aspen wasn’t sure when it happened when Grounded became more than just a coffee shop and when Leo’s smirk became something she looked forward to more than her morning meetings.

But by the end of the second week, she found herself clearing space in her schedule just to stop by.

It wasn’t logical. It wasn’t her. Aspen Carter didn’t do routines that weren’t meticulously planned. She didn’t waste time on things that didn’t serve a strategic purpose.

And yet, here she was, standing at the counter of Grounded again, handing Leo another crisp twenty.

“Starting to think you just like giving me your money,” he mused, sliding the bill into the register.

Aspen sipped her coffee, feigning indifference. “I just like your coffee.”

Leo leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “You know, if you liked it that much, you’d order something different once in a while.”

Aspen smirked. “I’m a woman who knows what she wants.”

“And apparently, what you want is an iced caramel macchiato with light ice and extra caramel every single day.”

She shrugged. “Consistency is key.”

Leo shook his head, wiping his hands on a towel. “You’re something else, princess.”

Aspen tilted her head. “So, have you decided yet?”

Leo raised an eyebrow. “Decided what?”

She grinned. “Whether you like me or hate me.”

Leo studied her for a second, then smirked. “Still deciding.”

Aspen didn’t know why that made her annoyingly happy.

Aspen was about to fire back another witty response when the door to Grounded swung open, and a woman stormed in, heading straight for Leo.

“Leo, where the hell have you been?” she demanded.

Aspen blinked. The girl was young, maybe early twenties, with the same dark brown eyes as Leo. There was a sharpness to her tone, a frustration that didn’t sound like an ex-girlfriend it sounded personal.

Leo sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Jordan, not now.”

Jordan?

Aspen took a step back, watching the exchange unfold.

“No, now,” Jordan snapped. “Mom’s hospital bill is overdue. Again. And before you say anything, I already know you don’t have it.”

Aspen felt a pang of discomfort. This wasn’t her place this wasn’t her world.

Leo’s jaw tightened. “I told you, I’m working on it.”

Jordan let out a humorless laugh. “Right. Because barista wages are gonna cover medical debt.”

Aspen had never felt more like an outsider in her life.

She should leave. This wasn’t her problem.

And yet, the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

“I can help.”

Leo’s head snapped toward her so fast she almost took a step back. His eyes darkened, a storm brewing beneath the surface.

Jordan, on the other hand, looked at Aspen like she had just offered to land a spaceship on the moon. “Wait, who are you

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

Let Them Kneel

Let Them Kneel

236.9k Views · Ongoing · My Fantasy Stories
Kaelani spent her life believing she was wolfless.
Cast out by her pack. Forgotten by the Lycans.
She lived among humans—quiet, invisible, tucked away in a town no one looked at twice.

But when her first heat comes without warning, everything changes.

Her body ignites. Her instincts scream. And something primal stirs beneath her skin—
summoning a big, bad Alpha who knows exactly how to quench her fire.

When he claims her, it’s ecstasy and ruin.

For the first time, she believes she’s been accepted.
Seen.
Chosen.

Until he leaves her the next morning—
like a secret never to be spoken.

But Kaelani is not what they thought.
Not wolfless. Not weak.
There is something ancient inside her. Something powerful. And it’s waking.

And when it does—
they’ll all remember the girl they tried to erase.

Especially him.

She’ll be the dream he keeps chasing… the one thing that ever made him feel alive.

Because secrets never stay buried.
And neither do dreams.
Alpha Under Love Spell

Alpha Under Love Spell

1.8k Views · Ongoing · doughdessertdelight
“Please listen to me! I am not a thief. I don’t know how that necklace ended up in my purse. Please!” begged Maeve, crying.
Thorin pushed her on the bed and pinned her with his body. He growled near her face, “Liar!”

“No! No! I am not lying!”

“Then explain this!” Thorin whipped the screen of his phone near her eyes. Maeve looked at the screen, and her eyes widened with shock. It was a DNA report. It clearly said that Valeska was Maeve and Thorin’s daughter. “You have been lying to me for months now. Why did you hide that she is my daughter? Why did you start hating me? Did you never love me?”

“What should I have done? Let you kill my daughter!” snapped Maeve.

“What? Kill? What the hell are you talking about?” shouted Thorin.


After a passionate night with the Alpha Heir Thorin Blackridge, Maeve Arrendale, a human, found herself pregnant. She knew she had left her contact details for Thorin to find her, but he never came. Desperately, she went to tell him everything and ask him to take responsibility. But what came at her was humiliation and the devilish serial killer, Ozul.

She had no idea how she escaped her certain but she thanked every god and ran far away from Thorin and his world. She raised her child on her own. She herself had a difficult life and didn’t want her daughter to suffer. So she did everything in her power to give Valeska a good life.

Her life was turned upside down when Thorin came to her office as her boss. His fated mate, Vespera clinging to his arms. Now, Thorin hated her for vanishing from his life, and Maeve hated him for sending a serial killer to kill her.

Will Thorin accept his daughter? Will Maeve forgive him for attempting to kill her? If not Thorin, then who sent a serial killer to kill Maeve? An ancient magic, a prophecy, a powerful child is going to change everything in everyone’s life. Is everyone ready?
The Princess's Revenge

The Princess's Revenge

56.9k Views · Completed · Xena Kessler
Two nations are at war. Valencia's pack is massacred by Alpha Marcus, and she is enslaved by him. When he dies, she is to be buried alive with him as a sacrifice.

Alpha Logan is an illegitimate son whose mother disappeared when he was 10 years old. He grew up suffering from humiliation and lacking maternal love.

Alpha Logan saves Valencia at Marcus's funeral, which seems to be destined by fate—part of the Moon Goddess's grand plan.

As Valencia accidentally discovers prophecies in Logan's mother's diary that seem to be related to her, the truth gradually surfaces. Valencia appears to be merely a tool in a princess's revenge plot. How will Logan and Valencia navigate their path amid the national war and pack politics?
Rebirth Of The HighSchool Villain

Rebirth Of The HighSchool Villain

2.2k Views · Completed · Trust AW
Aurora Whitmore was the villain of Malcolm & Whitmore High. She was obsessed with her childhood love, Adrian Malcolm.
When he chose Jane Sinclair over her, Aurora lost control and on graduation night, she died after drinking a poisoned wine, not knowing who poisoned her. With her last breath, she wished for a second chance and woke up one year before her death.
This time, Aurora refuses to be the villain. She breaks off her engagement, stops chasing Adrian, and walks away with her pride intact. But the more she ignores him, the more Adrian wants her back.
And when his cold, mysterious half-brother Marcel, the one who was supposed to die, returns and begins to fall for Aurora after she saves him. Now the brothers are at war.
One wants the girl who stopped loving him. The other wants the girl who saved him. But Aurora isn’t chasing anyone anymore. She’s rewriting her fate.
Will Aurora be able to change her fate? Will she return back to Adrian or choose Marcel? Or will fate turn her into the villain again? There is only one way to find out.
Take note, that names, characters, location are all fictional.
Bella and Her Beast

Bella and Her Beast

16k Views · Completed · Sheridan Hartin
For all the little girls who grew up wondering what happens after the prince kisses the girl—this is the story they never told you.
.
Locked in her frozen tower, Bella dreamed of warmth, of touch, of freedom and of love. Cursed with the power of ice and snow, she’s spent her life alone. A secret they tried to protect the world from. Her only escape comes in the form of the books she reads. Stories of heat, desire, and the kind of love that could melt even her frostbitten heart.
Damien is the Beast. A dragon King with a temper forged in flame and a soul hollowed by duty. The world fears him. The people call him a monster. But beneath the scales and the rage lies a man who has never been touched by love.
When frost meets fire, the world shatters. She was never meant to leave her tower. He was never meant to find her. But destiny doesn’t bow to kings or care for cages and now the question burns through them both: Can Bella have her Beast? Or will the girl of snow melt in the heat of his desire?

.
"I’m keeping her."
"What?"
Before I can react, he scoops her up. Her small body fits easily in the cradle of his talons. For a split second, she looks startled, but not afraid. Her hand rests against one scaled finger, and she stares up at him with that same curious wonder, as though she’s already forgotten she was ever meant to fear me.
"Put her down," I try to command, panic threading through my thoughts. "You’ll hurt her."
"She’s ours," the beast insists, possessive and fierce. "Our snowflake."
Pregnant by My Husband's Rival Alpha

Pregnant by My Husband's Rival Alpha

8.8k Views · Completed · Christina
I woke up three years into a marriage I barely remembered—pregnant with twins that weren't my husband's.

Those words should have destroyed me, but the truth was worse: I'd been used as a broodmare by the man who swore to love me, set up in a hotel room with a stranger because My husband Alexander Cross couldn't father children himself, and now I carried the secret babies of Damon Lester—the most powerful and dangerous Alpha in San Loris—while my own family replaced me with the daughter they'd always wanted. But when that same stranger's doctor appeared at my door, when twenty million dollars exchanged hands over a fake perfume bearing my secret identity, and when Damon's gray eyes locked onto mine with recognition I couldn't afford, I realized my carefully hidden life as the legendary perfumer Vera was colliding with a pregnancy that could cost me everything.

Could I protect my babies from the husband plotting my death, hide my true identity from the Alpha who's been hunting me for years, and reclaim the freedom I'd buried along with my dreams—even if it means standing alone against the wolves who see me as nothing more than a womb to be used and discarded?
Protectors Of Her Warrior's Heart

Protectors Of Her Warrior's Heart

1.9k Views · Completed · arianniahrain
Tali had spent her entire life in hell.

Rescued by men who call themselves Protectors—warriors from another realm who embody the legends of angels and vampires—she is thrust into a world she never knew existed. For the first time, she experiences freedom, safety, and the possibility of a future.

But freedom comes with a price.

Tali is forced to face the father she believed abandoned her and a powerful council determined to use her for their own ends. Stranger still are the abilities awakening within her—powers no one understands, yet everyone seems desperate to control.

As she learns to trust, she chooses the mates destined to stand beside her. In their arms she finds love, devotion, and a family worth fighting for. But not everyone wants their bond to survive.

When the council betrays the Protectors and attempts to steal her newborn son, it ignites a war that will shake every realm.

Now Tali stands at the center of a conflict far greater than herself. The answers to ancient mysteries, the fate of her child, and the future of countless worlds all rest on her shoulders.

Surrounded by mates who love her fiercely and refuse to leave her side, Tali will battle enemies old and new, forge powerful alliances, and discover just how strong she truly is.

Because this war won't be won for her.

It will be won with her.

And together, they will fight for their future, their family, and a love worth crossing realms to protect.
Goddess Of The Underworld

Goddess Of The Underworld

936.8k Views · Completed · Sheridan Hartin
Left at a pack border with a name and a stubborn heartbeat, Envy grows into the sharpest kind of survivor, an orphaned warrior who knows how to hold a line and keep moving. Love isn’t in the plan…until four alpha wolves with playboy reputations and inconveniently soft hands decide the girl who won’t bow is the only queen they’ll ever take. Their mate. The one they have waited for. Xavier, Haiden, Levi, and Noah are gorgeous, lethal, and anything but perfect and Envy isn’t either. She’s changing. First into hell hound, Layah at her heels and fire in her veins. Then into what the realm has been waiting for, a Goddess of the Underworld, dragging her mates down to hell with her.

When the veil between the Divine, the Living, and the Dead begins to crack, Envy is thrust beneath with a job she can’t drop: keep the worlds from bleeding together, shepherd the lost, and make ordinary into armour, breakfasts, bedtime, battle plans. Peace lasts exactly one lullaby. This is the story of an orphan pup who became a goddess by choosing her family; of four imperfect alphas learning how to be better. Steamy, fierce, and full of heart, Goddess of the Underworld is a reverse harem, found-family paranormal romance where love writes the rules and keeps three realms from falling apart.
The Alpha & The Vampire Queen

The Alpha & The Vampire Queen

1k Views · Ongoing · Kassy Rae Wall
Ambrosia, the Vampire Queen, believed her only duty was to safeguard the hard-won peace; yet, due to her brother Xander’s descent into chaos, she finds herself once again ensnared in a vortex of destiny. Ambrosia must make one of the hardest decisions she has ever had to make before, she must hunt her brother down and get a handle on the chaos that he is so determined to create. With the help of her sister in laws and a head dive she is able to see and know that her entire life she has had forbidden magic used against her to block her memories. As her sealed memories gradually reawaken, she uncovers a history of brutal betrayal suffered in her childhood—and discovers that her true enemy is none other than her own father. She tasked herself with finding Xander and saving him, her need for vengeance grows and she makes the choice to challenge her father to the death. Rising from Queen to the ultimate Guardian, Ambrosia will exact her vengeance amidst blood and fire, undergo a rebirth to claim her true crown, and face the final battle that will determine the ultimate fate of the throne.


Whips crack against her skin, blood pooling on the cold stone floor, while her mother's pleas fade into silence, abandoning her to the monster's wrath. Xander's protective cries turn to accusations under Penny's dark spells, fracturing their sibling bond into shards of mistrust and isolation.
The Dark Witch & The Alpha Book 2

The Dark Witch & The Alpha Book 2

994 Views · Ongoing · Kassy Rae Wall
Pythia comes from a long line of dark witches, she killed her mother for her reckless behavior and becomes the queen of the dark witches and teamed up with the Great White Witch and the vampire queen to fight in the battle to keep the balance in all the different worlds, she meets her mate, Tye in the great battle. Tye is the great white witches brother and a alpha. Together they will embark on a battle to correct the elders and take a step forward to peace among the dark witches, the road is long especially when they find out Pythias true royalty line. When realms collide and the moon goddess has to step in and not only aid because of the new found threat but to tell the secrets she has helped keep hidden for many years, Pythia is forced to train harder, work harder and plan for the absolute unexpected but, as she learns her true powers she starts to realize that she can handle anything that may threaten her and her family.
The vampire queen (Ambrosia) and Pythia will become close and discover the true origins of their pasts. They rely on each other when their mates are not around. New family is discovered and it is time they all come together to face one of the toughest moments in the dark witches history.
From Substitute To Queen

From Substitute To Queen

1.7m Views · Completed · Hannah Moore
For three years, Sable loved Alpha Darrell with everything she had, spending her salary to support their household while being called an orphan and gold-digger. But just as Darrell was about to mark her as his Luna, his ex-girlfriend returned, texting: "I'm not wearing underwear. My plane lands soon—pick me up and fuck me immediately."

Heartbroken, Sable discovered Darrell having sex with his ex in their bed, while secretly transferring hundreds of thousands to support that woman.

Even worse was overhearing Darrell laugh to his friends: "She's useful—obedient, doesn't cause trouble, handles housework, and I can fuck her whenever I need relief. She's basically a live-in maid with benefits." He made crude thrusting gestures, sending his friends into laughter.

In despair, Sable left, reclaimed her true identity, and married her childhood neighbor—Lycan King Caelan, nine years her senior and her fated mate. Now Darrell desperately tries to win her back. How will her revenge unfold?

From substitute to queen—her revenge has just begun!
The Spy Who Left

The Spy Who Left

1.3k Views · Completed · Orion Vale
"She's naive. A pretty little socialite who got lucky marrying above her station."
"I still can't believe she actually did it. Aria Hart, filing for divorce. Who saw that coming?"
"How long do we think it'll take before she comes crawling back?" Another voice joins the conversation.
"Three days," Victoria declares. "Five at most. She has no money, no skills, no family. Where's she going to go?"
When Aria Chen divorced billionaire Leon Hart, New York's elite sneered, betting she'd crawl back within days. She never did.
Three years later, the world is rocked when Dr. Aria Vale, CEO of a revolutionary cybersecurity empire, steps into the spotlight. The mysterious genius who built a billion-dollar company from nothing is none other than Leon's discarded wife, the woman everyone thought was just a pretty ornament.
Now, every powerful man wants the queen Leon threw away a renowned scientist seeking partnership, a financial titan proposing an empire, and an actor offering devotion. Each sees the brilliance Leon ignored.
Then Leon discovers the truth: Aria's sacrifices, her secret double life, and the daughter she's been raising without him. For the first time, the man who once took her for granted must fight for her love. But can he compete with men who valued her from the beginning?
A story of love, betrayal, and power where the king must kneel before the queen who never needed saving.