THE BILLIONAIRE'S SECRET DAUGHTER

Chapter 2: Two Encounters

The bell above the store door chimed.

I was on my knees, arranging canned goods on the lowest shelf when it happened.

Footsteps. Slow. Confident.

I looked up and immediately forgot how to breathe.

He was tall. Maybe 6'1". A plain white polo tucked into black slacks.

Nothing fancy. But the way he carried himself... it was different.

Like he owned the place.

My face heated up. "W-welcome to FreshMart," I stammered, standing up too fast.

"Hey Yna!"

Luna's voice made me jump. My best friend since grade school appeared beside me,

holding a basket but staring at the man instead of the snacks.

"Oh. My. Gosh." she whispered in my ear. "That guy is staring at you.

Do you know him?"

I shook my head quickly. "No! Stop it."

But I didn't stop looking.

Ten minutes later, he was at my counter.

Daniel Reyes. That's what his card said when he paid with cash.

He was quiet. Serious. Not even a smile.

But his eyes... they lingered on me for half a second too long.

I scanned his items with shaking hands. Milk. Bread. Coffee.

Normal stuff. For a CEO, I thought randomly. Then laughed at myself in my head.

Right. Like a CEO would shop here.

"Have a nice day," I said automatically.

He nodded once. "You too."

And he was gone.

---

The next morning was worse.

I was hurrying to the town market with two heavy bags in my hands.

Mama needed vegetables for the week and I was already late.

That's when I bumped into someone.

Hard.

Everything fell. Tomatoes rolled. Eggs cracked.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!"

I looked up, ready to apologize and maybe cry a little,

and saw him.

The same guy. Sweat on his forehead. Hair messy from running.

But still unfairly handsome.

Daniel Reyes.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, already crouching to help me pick up the bags.

His hands brushed mine.

"I'm fine," I mumbled, cheeks burning. "You scared me."

"Sorry. I was late for a meeting."

A meeting. Right.

He handed me the last tomato and stood up. Simple. Polite.

Like a stranger.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd seen him before.

Somewhere important.

"Thank you," I said.

He smiled. Just a small one. "No problem, Yna."

He knew my name.

I watched him jog away until he disappeared around the corner.

My heart was racing.

What I didn't know was...

The man who just helped me pick up groceries

was the CEO of the entire company I worked for.