The Billionaire's Secret Heart

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Wake Up

Ananya’s POV:

When I wake up in the afternoon, Jen and Fin are sitting beside me in the hospital. A little while later, everyone else arrives, crowding into the room and asking how I’m feeling.

The first thing I ask about are the children. They tell me all of them are safe. I finally breathe, relief washing over me.

“Thank God… they’re all safe.”

Happiness blooms in my chest, but it doesn’t last long because Jenny immediately starts scolding me.

“When will you finally care about yourself, Ana? Why are you so damn stupid? Do you think you’re a superhero? You should take care of yourself—stupid, i***t, blah blah blah—”

Usually, only Jen scolds me when I do something reckless or forget to look after myself, but now five people take turns. One after another, they lecture me for an entire hour.

Except for Alex.

Alex is standing quietly in a corner of the room. He doesn’t say a word. It feels like I’m invisible to him. He doesn’t ask how I am; he doesn’t look worried; his face is completely blank. That hurts more than the injuries.

I ask everyone what happened after I fainted. I vaguely remember Wilson pointing a g*n at my head. Someone came—someone fought for me—but everything after that is just a blur. When I try to remember, my mind feels foggy, heavy. I can’t make out the face.

Jen simply says,

“You fainted on the ship after the fight. The police came, rescued the children, and brought you to the hospital.”

In the evening, I’m discharged and taken home. I rest, but my thoughts won’t calm down.

Why didn’t Alex say anything? He could’ve asked how I was. Or even scolded me like the others.

I stand in front of the mirror and whisper to my reflection,

“Why should he care about you, Ana?”

My heart argues back, remembering—

That rainy day when he protected me…

That time in the elevator when he helped me…

I hug myself and stare through the girl in the reflection.

“Stupid, Ana. That was just a coincidence,” my brain snaps. “He only showed basic humanity. Anyone else in your place, he would’ve done the same. Don’t think you’re special.”

“But shouldn’t he at least care about me as a friend?” I whisper.

“Ana, I told you from the beginning,” my mind continues, cold and unkind. “Don’t depend on others. Be independent. The moment you saw him, you let your guard down. You assumed he considered you a friend. He never did.”

My eyes burn, but I refuse to cry.

“Why? Why am I waiting for him to care? Who am I to him?”

“You’re just one of the thousands of girls he sees every day,” my thoughts answer mercilessly.

“But then why was he so close to me before? Why did he ask me on a date?”

Another voice inside me answers, bitter:

“Because he was flirting. Because he thought you were just another girl to toy with. He’s a playboy, Ana. He uses girls like tissues—once and thrown away. He doesn’t believe in relationships or marriage. He doesn’t have a heart.”

The words echo painfully.

“You will never be his type. Stay away from him. Protect yourself. Prevention is better than cure. Don’t fall for him—you’ll only get hurt.”

I try to focus on work to distract my spiraling mind, but knowing Jen, I don’t dare ignore her orders to rest. I lie in bed and force my eyes closed.

But the memories from last night keep replaying— Wilson’s slap,

my blurry vision, the cold metal of the g*n on my forehead, a man’s silhouette fighting for me, my body tilting—

slipping—

falling—

I jolt awake, drenched in sweat, heart racing.

I feel like…. I’m missing something.

Something important. Something that happened after that moment.

And it terrifies me that I can’t remember.

When I look around, it’s already 6:00 a.m. I get up, freshen up, and get ready for work. I go to the living room, but Jen isn’t awake yet. I head to the kitchen to make breakfast. After half an hour, Jen comes downstairs and says, irritated, “Ana, you just came from the hospital yesterday and you’re already ready to go to work?”

“I’m fine, Jen. I don’t like sitting idle and wasting time,” I reply.

“But you’re still weak, Ana. Take a rest today. You can start working tomorrow,” Jen insists.

“Don’t worry, Jen. I already missed work yesterday. I have to catch up. Please, I’ll take care of myself. I promise.” I plead, not wanting to hurt her feelings. She’s the one who’s taken care of me for years.

I first headed to the restaurant. These days, it’s always fully booked and earning more profit than before. I’m considering expanding it. After checking on everything, I go to King’s Company. Alex isn’t there, and for a moment, I feel something missing, but I gather myself, remembering last night’s thoughts. I finish all the work related to the Maldives project by afternoon and head to my own company to complete pending projects.

No one knows about the children’s k********g or the incident, as the news has been kept quiet. I ask Jen about it, and she explains, “The children haven’t been sent back to their parents yet. They’re in police custody. If the news leaks, it could create chaos and put their lives in danger. The police need to figure out who’s behind everything first. Only then will the children be released.”

I’m relieved. I’m glad I have people who care about me. Fin checks in through messages—asking if I’ve eaten, taken my medicine, and if I’m doing okay. Jen calls during her breaks. It feels nice to be cared for.

---

Weekend

It’s the weekend, and we’ve planned for a girls’ night. I finish my work early and meet Jen and Fin. We decide to go to a nightclub, even though I’m not in the mood. But no one listens to me.

Now, I’m wearing a black short dress that barely reaches mid-thigh, with full sleeves. It isn’t even mine—it's Fin’s. When I got home, they were already waiting. I wanted to wear something of my own, but they insisted on this one.

They’re drinking; I stick to cool drinks. We talked about last weekend’s events. They ask about what happened—how I saved the children. Alex and the others are busy with work, so they couldn’t join us.

The night eventually ends. As we’re leaving, I see Alex with a girl—both of them drunk. She kisses him, and he doesn’t pull away. After a moment, they head into a private room together. I can’t watch anymore.

"Why should I feel bad about this? We’re not even close enough for me to get hurt," I try to console myself.

On the way to the parking lot, Jen and Fin are drunk, so I end up driving. I grip the steering wheel tightly, trying to control my emotions. I managed to get us back to the apartment safely. Jen and Fin fall asleep together, and I go to my room.

Fin told me they were busy with work. I didn’t expect Alex to be 'busy in that way.'

'Control your emotions, Ana. You’ve built yourself so strong these days. Why are you letting your walls crumble? Stop thinking about him. Get back to work. Don’t let him treat you like a fling. He never meant anything to you,' my brain scolds.

---

Third Person POV:

At a famous hotel in a private suite, three people are present: one sitting at a desk, and two standing before him.

Wilson and Richard stand.

Stephen Johnson sits behind the desk.

“Sir, we’re trying to find her,” Wilson begins. “It’s difficult without any details about her. After the rescue, the children weren’t returned to their parents and the news was hidden. No one knows anything, so it’s hard to track where she came from or who she is. At first, we thought she was a cop, but she doesn’t have the skills. She looks like an ordinary girl, and she doesn’t appear wealthy.”

Richard adds, “Mr. Stephen, the unknown man who helped her seems important—possibly connected to her. If we figure out who he is, we can find her.”

Stephen grits his teeth. “Every time I plan a profit, someone ruins it. Last time, Alex destroyed my d**g operation. Now this girl has spoiled my child trafficking operation.” His voice grows darker. They had tried everything, but the plan was collapsing. He contemplates how to find the girl, and what she might know.

Suddenly, Wilson remembers something. “Sir, when the girl fell into the sea, someone called her by name. I heard them say ‘Ana’... Ananya, sir.”

Stephen leans forward. “What name?”

“A… Ananya, sir. I heard them calling her Ananya,” Wilson replies, almost relieved to finally have a lead.

Stephen orders Richard, “Find every girl named Ananya. Get their pictures. Their history. Everything.”

Richard nods and leaves to search.

Stephen asks, “What did Mr. Lopes say about the child trafficking case?”

Wilson swallows. “Sir, the boss is furious. We already had buyers lined up. We need to collect the children from other places quickly. He said we must complete the next contract without fail and then shut down the children’s project.”

Stephen clenches his jaw. The last plan failed because of Alex. All the policies and rules protecting the state were implemented by him. The public thought the government was powerful, but the real power was 'Alex', the man giving the orders behind everything.

He wonders if the current case is also Alex’s doing.

If Alex is involved, they have to tread carefully.

If not…

then 'who' is the man who saved her?