The Billionaire's Secret Heart

Chapter 6

Ana’s POV:

The morning rush was in full swing. My restaurant was always busiest during this time—office workers grabbing breakfast, students rushing for classes, and regulars who enjoyed the comfort of our food before starting their day. One of my waitresses had called saying she’d be late and would only reach by 10:00 a.m., so I took over her shift.

People often asked why the *owner* worked like a normal staff member. But the truth was simple: I hated just giving instructions. Working with my team made the place lively, and my employees felt more comfortable. And if I wasn’t willing to do the hard work, how could I expect them to?

While I was wiping down a table, Jen walked beside me, her voice excited.

**“Ana, David said he’ll come with his friends today. Something about business.”**

I nodded, not paying much attention. There was too much to do.

The wind chime at the door rang—a sound I had grown to love. I turned and saw Fiona and Zack walk in together. Fiona waved cheerfully at Jen, who rushed to hug her.

I smiled at them from a distance before checking if any customers needed anything. A few seconds later, the wind chime rang again. This time, David walked in and went straight to Jen, lifting her slightly off the ground in a tight hug.

I started walking toward their table to take their order when my footsteps froze.

Mr. King walked into my restaurant.

Alex King—tall, composed, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit that made him look like he’d stepped out of a luxury magazine. He looked completely out of place among my wooden décor and bright cushions, yet somehow he belonged anywhere he went.

My mind whispered almost mockingly,

"Why are you staring? Behave, Ana. People fall in love like that."

I shook that thought away quickly. Ridiculous. He didn’t see me anyway, so I turned toward Jen’s table, reminding myself he must be here to meet his friends.

I reached the table, and everyone suddenly looked at me with shocked expressions. Their eyes darted between me and someone behind me.

And then I heard his voice.

“Hii… why are you all so shocked to see me?”

Oh no.

He was standing right behind me.

I stepped aside immediately so he could take his seat, keeping my face neutral.

---

Alex’s POV

David had called early in the morning, insisting that we meet urgently to discuss a work issue. He sent a location, and I drove there at once. The place was far from our usual meeting spots; normally we met at high-end lounges or private hotel suites. So I was curious why he had chosen a small local restaurant.

But when I walked in… I was impressed.

It wasn’t grand, but it had character. Warm lights. Original paintings. Cozy seating. And it was packed—more than most five-star hotels I’d been to.

I spotted Zack, Fin, Jen, and David in the corner and walked toward them. But they all looked at me in disbelief.

“Hii… why are you so shocked to see me?” I asked.

The waitress near me stepped aside, and I took my seat. That’s when Fin leaned forward.

“What are you doing here? You work here also?”

She didn’t even breathe before asking again,

“Why? You have a company—why are you a waiter here?!”

David looked between us with wide eyes.

“You… know her?”

Before I could answer, Fiona spoke.

“Yeah, she’s Jen’s friend.”

David frowned.

“But she never likes meeting new people…”

Jen jumped in,

“I recommended her for work once. That’s it.”

While they were busy talking, I finally looked at the waitress properly.

"Ms. Khanna."

“What are you doing here, Ms. Khanna?”I asked, genuinely surprised.

Everyone turned to me.

“YOU know her?!”

I nodded calmly.

“Yes. She’s working with me on the Maldives project. Fin recommended her.”

Understanding spread across their faces.

“Good morning, Mr. King,” she said politely.

Jen immediately pouted.

“Ana! You never told me you were working with Alex King! Not fair.”

Ana shrugged gently.

“I told you I was working with a big company.”

Jen huffed dramatically.

“Okay then. When is the party?”

Ana smiled.

“Whenever you want. Consider this breakfast my treat.”

Jen clapped.

“Great! Then I’ll order everything on the menu!”

Ana laughed.

“ If you can eat? .Enjoy.”

Nick walked in then, confused at why the atmosphere felt so charged. He slid in beside David.

Before he could speak, Fin stared at Ana again.

“How will she pay this bill? This will be huge for her.”

Ana raised one brow, her smile both sweet and dangerous.

“You said we’re friends. Why are you separating me like this?”

Jen burst into loud laughter that echoed through the place. Half the customers stared. David nudged her to quiet down.

Jen turned to all of us.

“You guys don’t know the best part.”

We all looked at her.

She pointed straight at Ana.

“She’s the OWNER of this restaurant. The Khanna Family Restaurant.”

Silence.

Then—

“WHAT?!”

“Ana?!”

“No way.”

Even I felt my breath pause.

Fiona looked around the room again.

“It’s so busy! And it’s famous?”

Jen nodded proudly.

“Very. Everyone knows this place.”

Fiona added another question immediately,

“Then why is she wearing that waitress uniform?”

Jen replied,

“A waiter couldn’t come today, so she took their place.”

Everyone looked impressed—and shocked.

I stared at Ana, truly surprised. She kept revealing layers I hadn’t expected.

Nick leaned forward.

“Can someone officially introduce me? I feel left out.”

David smirked.

“This is Ananya Khanna.”

He pointed to Nick. “And this is Nicholas Heyles.”

They shook hands.

Then Ana asked politely,

“Can I take your orders now?”

Nick grinned.

“You can call me Nick, like my friends do.”

She nodded.

When she turned to me, Fin quickly teased,

“And you can call him Alex! You’re our new friend.”

Fin looked at me.

“Okay, bro?”

I shrugged.

“No problem.”

Ana hesitated.

“But he’s my boss… it’s not professional.”

I leaned forward slightly.

“We’re working together. You’re not my employee. Outside the office, you can call me Alex.”

“Inside the office, use my surname.”

She nodded reluctantly.

Fin suddenly declared,

“Now you’re one of us! You have to join our parties, girl nights, everything.”

Jen added,

“If she ever gets time! She’s a workaholic—twenty-four hours work.”

I raised my brows. That surprised me.

Most people I met wanted shortcuts.

But Ana?

She worked harder than most businessmen I knew.

By the time she left to place the order, we were already discussing shipments and issues with our rivals. Luckily one of our workers handled the problem before it escalated.

The food arrived in record time.

Jen whispered,

“Ana, it’s 10:15. The waiter didn’t come?”

Ana smiled.

“She came. So I’m leaving now—I just wanted to inform you all.”

Jen caught her wrist.

“Sit with us, no?”

Ana shook her head.

“I have a meeting.”

I smirked.

“Ana, your meeting is with *me*. I’m right here. So what will you do at the company?”

Fin clapped happily.

“Then she stays! Final.”

We spent the breakfast chatting about random things—movies, childhood memories, school pranks. It felt… normal. Warm.

At 11:30, everyone began leaving.

Before Ana could slip away, I asked,

“Can I see your restaurant properly?”

She nodded.

She showed me everything—

the private cabins, the open seating, the paintings, the décor.

“You designed all this?”

She nodded again.

“Ana, your design sense is fantastic.”

A soft pink touched her cheeks.

---

Ana’s POV:

I still couldn’t believe I just had breakfast with billionaires—men most people only saw on television or newspapers. They treated me like a friend. Not an employee. Not a stranger.

After the restaurant tour, I told Alex I needed to leave since we hadn’t discussed work yet.

I had to pick up my documents from my office first.

But before I could explain fully, he spoke.

“I’ll drop you. We’re going to the same place.”

“I need to collect my files from my company first…”

“No problem. We can discuss things there too.”

My heart warmed a little.

“Thank you, Alex.”

When we reached my workplace, I introduced him to my team. They all looked nervous—Alex King wasn’t someone they ever expected to meet.

---

Alex’s POV

Ana’s office was small, but the environment spoke of dedication. The walls had pictures of their previous work—simple yet unique. Designs for local homes, small hotels, boutique stores.

I respected that.

Her team behaved professionally, disciplined and confident. Very different from what small companies usually looked like.

Once Ana finished speaking to them, I addressed everyone.

“The project begins in February and ends in June. Five-month contract. All rules and terms are in the document.”

My assistant handed out the copies.

We discussed the details, and everything went smoothly.

When the meeting ended, Ana approached me.

“Mr. King, I want to visit some of your restaurants in New York. I want to understand the designs required for high-society clients.”

I nodded.

“When would you like to visit, Ms. Khanna?”

“I’m free now… so today.”

“Then I’ll take you.”

She hesitated.

“Mr. King, you can call me Ana. All my clients call me Ananya or Ana. It feels… uncomfortable otherwise.”

I smiled slightly.

“Okay, Ana.”

Then added gently,

“And you call me Alex. At least outside the company.”

She opened her mouth to argue.

I cut her off. “It’s final.”

---

Later – New York Restaurants

We visited my seven-star and five-star hotels. She observed everything—the chandeliers, the lighting patterns, the artistic walls, lobby furniture, carpets, even the smallest decorative piece.

She took photos, scribbled notes, asked thoughtful questions.

Somewhere while watching her work, a thought hit me unexpectedly.

She wasn’t like the others.

She wasn’t materialistic. She wasn’t pretending.

She wasn’t trying to impress me.

She was hardworking. Genuine.

Simple… yet fascinating.

I’d met many women—most chasing money, status, or my surname.

But Ana?

She just wanted to work.

Something about her felt different.

A little too different.

And somewhere inside me…

I knew that was dangerous.

Ana’s POV

The car was quiet for a few minutes—only the soft hum of the engine filling the space. I opened my notebook, the one I always carried for site visits. My pen hovered over the first page, and I finally spoke.

“Alex… can I ask you a few questions about your design expectations?”

He glanced at me briefly, nodding.

“Of course. Ask anything.”

I took a breath.

“For the Maldives project, what is the main atmosphere you want the guests to feel? Luxury? Freedom? Serenity? Adventure?”

He didn’t answer immediately. He thought—really thought.

“I want them to feel… peaceful,” he said slowly.

“Like they stepped away from the world. No noise. No stress.”

I wrote quickly.

“So you prefer a calm aesthetic over heavy, modern luxury?”

“Yes.”

A pause.

“Minimalistic, but rich in detail. Not crowded.”

I nodded, turning the page.

“What about colors? Do you prefer the traditional blue-white beach palette, or something more natural—like beige, wooden tones, sea-foam greens?”

This time he smiled slightly.

“You already know the answer.”

I blinked.

“Natural palette?”

“Exactly. You understand design better than most people I hired.”

My cheeks warmed, but I continued.

“Okay… what about lighting? Bright or warm?”

“Warm. Very warm. People should feel like they’re wrapped in sunset.”

I wrote every word.

“And the rooms? Should the interiors reflect modern architecture or local Maldives culture?”

He leaned back, eyes thoughtful.

“Both. Modern comfort with a touch of heritage. Nothing overdone.”

I tapped my pen lightly on the notebook

.

“Do you want the villas to be completely open to the ocean, or partially private?”

He answered without hesitation.

“Private. My clients are high-profile. They need protection from the paparazzi.”

That made perfect sense.

I scribbled again before asking my final question.

“And what about the primary signature element? Every project needs something that sets it apart. A unique center point. For example, underwater glass floors, suspended nets, or luxury outdoor baths.”

He gave me a careful look.

“What’s your idea?”

I hesitated.

“I was considering a floating lounge—like a circular deck on the water with glass edges and soft evening lighting. People can sit there during sunset or at night.”

His face changed.

He looked… impressed.

“Ana, that’s brilliant.”

My heart did a small, unexpected flip.

“So… you approve?”

“Absolutely. Put that in the concept draft.”

I smiled, closing my notebook.