The Billionaire's Chef

Chapter 1

Zia Knight POV

I have finally arrived in NY and so excited to start a new chapter in life; oh of course my new family restaurant too! I have recently bought a three-room condo located about 15-minutes drive from my soon-to-be family restaurant. I fell in love with the condo because of the view it offers through the wide glass windows surrounding the open room. It gives the cozy, clean and bright feel to the room and, it is just what I need right now. My tired self will always need something to look at while relaxing and the view is really what I will always look forward to when coming home from a busy, tiring day. 

 Anyways, I have promised Zach that I will let him name the restaurant and he has given me the name, 'Family Night'. Cue the eyeroll. So original.. but I like it nevertheless.  

Here I am on my way to my restaurant 'Family Night' to finalise everything that needs to be done by today, three nights before the opening day. I will be meeting up with the manager Avery Clarkson then the two of us will go through with everything else in the schedule. This include finalising the menu with the cooks, signing contract with the suppliers and assigning order schedules, and finalising staffs' roster. 

As soon I arrived I parked my car in my reserved parking spot. I walked in and met with a beautiful woman whom I thought was too beautiful to be my manager until she introduced herself to me as one. We sat ourselves on one of the restaurant's table and introduce ourselves to each other and get to know one another. 

It was fun to talk with her, good thing I chose her. During her interview she shone from the others because of her honesty, humbleness and soft-voice. I know it's unusual to choose a restaurant manager by looking at those alone but this is my business so I choose who I think is right. Beside I have a good feeling from choosing her, and she may be two years older than me but I feel like she and I can get along really well. 

So throughout the one hour we spend talking, we learn a lot about each other. Avery told me about her being 24 year old but a single mother to her soon-to-be five-year old son, Lucas Clarkson. I gushed over how cute her son is when she showed me his picture, then I asked her about his dad not knowing about the asshole of a father who walked away as soon he learn about her pregnancy with Lucas. Her so called parents even abandoned her because she was pregnant out of wedlock and dumped by her baby-daddy. Her so called friends were not any different especially since they were all more of the asshole's friends than hers. "Good riddance" I told her, because they don't deserve to go through your 'happy time' when they weren't there during your 'hard time'. What? it's true?! at least in my opinion! 

Still I can't help but cry and hug her when I hear this. I can only imagine the hard time she had to go through all by herself, thankfully she has her savings from her waitressing job before and during her pregnancy. She told me how it was indeed challenging but as soon she hold her baby for the very first time she never regretted the pain and hard-times as long she has Lucas with her. aweee.... mother's love is so beautiful!

She trust me so much already and I can't help but ask her to be my friend then and there. She was in tears when I asked her this, I was panicking but stopped as soon she hug me. 

"I'm sorry but it's been so long since I have friend who doesn't criticise me or for being a single mother" she said as she hug me. I patted her back to calm her down but I, on the other hand, was anything but calm. No one deserve to feel this way, especially single parent who works hard for their child or children while fighting all the new and existing challenges in their life. 

As soon she calm down, I told her about myself. I told her that I may be the owner but I want to keep it a secret for now. She was confused to why I want to keep my identity as the owner hidden; then, I told her that I am also the owner for the famous chain restaurant 'Knight's Restaurant' and 'Cafe Z&Z'. I will be lying if I said Avery was surprised, she was shocked and even has her jaw dropped and eyes wide open. It was a hilarious sight, I'm telling you! 

Then, I also told her than I don't want to be under the lime light since it's not in my character. Thankfully she understood and promise to keep it as secret until I say otherwise. 

Once we finished our talk we finally continue with our schedule. I was thankful that we have finally sorted out everything on schedule by 8 p.m. 

I drove Avery back to her place, I even got to meet the adorable Lucas. I was thankful to see that he look so much like his mother and nothing like his asshole of a father. I mean sperm donor, that jerk does not deserve to be called a father. 

Little Lucas was shy when he first met me but as soon I got some chocolate-chip cookies and ferrero chocolate out as my bribe for him to become my friend, he becomes the normal cheeky Lucas that his mom always know of. After I had dinner with the family of two, I bid my goodbye and drove my way back to my condo.

I went straight to my bathroom for a long warm bath while enjoying the city-light view from my bathroom window. Yup, I can always look forward to the many more long bath for sure. 

After my long shower I got into my nighties and made my way to bed. Until tomorrow world was what I thought before I surrender myself to the darkness.