Love in a billionaire's world

"Table 32," the waiter said, handing me a steaming bowl of wings and chicken noodle soup. I hurriedly served it to the owner of the order, then rushed to serve another.

"Ashley!" Leon, one of my coworkers, called out. I turned to him, slightly irritated. "What's up? Why are you calling me?"

"We have a problem," Leon said, his tone laced with nervousness. "What happened? Did Nora slap another customer?" I asked, already knowing the answer. Nora, our blonde and fiery coworker, had a reputation for standing up for herself.

"No, it's worse," Leon said, his eyes wide. "What did she do?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"She spilled a drink on someone," Leon replied. I raised an eyebrow. "So what? She can apologize."

Leon shook his head. "You don't get it, Ash. She spilled the drink on Ryder Blackwood."

Time seemed to stand still. "What did you just say?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Ryder Blackwood," Leon repeated. I felt a shiver run down my spine. Ryder Blackwood was a legend in LA and Europe – a billionaire playboy with a reputation for getting what he wanted.

"He's going to kill us," I said, already imagining the worst.

I heard a crash from the VIP room, where Ryan might be. My heart skipped a beat. "We should check it out," I said, trying to sound calmer than I felt. Leon's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? No way am I going through there."

I stared at Liam. "Why did you tell me if you knew you weren't going to help her?" I asked, my voice laced with frustration. "Well, I just wanted to inform you," he said. I raised an eyebrow. "We're going to help her," I said firmly.

I groaned in annoyance and dragged Liam along. "Fine, but if anything happens to me, it's on her." I rolled my eyes. "Let's just go."

As we entered the VIP section, a loud female voice assaulted us. "Who do you think you are? Do you know how much this dress costs?" The lady yelled at Nora, who stood with her head bowed. Our manager, Mr. Gibson, tried to calm the situation. "Look, ma'am, we'll pay for the damage. We're sorry."

The lady's red short hair seemed to bristle with indignation. "What insolence. Even if you sold this restaurant, you couldn't afford to pay for this dress."

I raised an eyebrow, taking in the woman's red strapless dress, stained with a wet splatter. She was pretty, but in a flashy way. Her red lipstick seemed to gleam in the light.

Nora's tears spilled down her face, and I felt a pang of sympathy. Then, I saw him – a man in a grey suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and dark eyes, which sparkled with amusement as he took in the scene.

His eyes suddenly landed on me, and I felt my breath hitch. His dark brown eyes met mine, and his gaze roamed my body, causing a prickly sensation on my skin. I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry to interrupt," I said, earning a glare from the red-haired lady.

"But according to the CCTV footage, you're the one who collided with Miss Marie." The lady's eyes narrowed, her face darkening. "Who do you think you are? How do you know that? There are no cameras in here."

I nodded. "You're right, ma'am. There are no cameras in the VIP room. But the door was open when you collided with her. You were opening the door, staring at your phone, and didn't see her. That's when you collided, causing drinks and glasses to shatter on the floor."

I felt Leon's eyes widen, and Mr. Gibson's eyes followed suit. Nora gazed at me like I was her knight in shining armor. Ryder's gaze locked onto mine, his lips curling into a smirk. "If anyone should apologize, it should be you," I said.

The woman's face reddened. "How dare you, you slut! Do you know who I am?" she spat.

I shrugged. "I'm sorry, miss. I don't know who you are, and I'm not interested in finding out." Leon stifled a laugh, and I could sense Ryder's amusement.

I heard a clapping sound and turned to see Ryder's eyes on me, filled with amusement. "Bravo," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. I raised my eyebrows in confusion.

"This is how a 4-star restaurant treats its guests?" Ryder asked, his gaze shifting to our manager. The red-haired woman smirked, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"You have no regard for my guests or my presence," Ryder said, his voice firm. I felt a chill run down my spine. Is he going to close down our restaurant?

I opened my mouth to speak, but Mr. Gibson cut me off. "I apologize, Mr. Blackwood. This incident will never happen again. Forgive my staff for their insolence."

Ryder chuckled. "Forgiveness? Tsk, tsk. No, you're asking the wrong person." He nodded toward the red-haired woman. "She's the one you should ask." The woman purred, "Baby," before sitting on Ryder's lap.

"Should we forgive them?" Ryder asked, his hand resting on her waist. The woman's eyes locked onto mine, a sly smile spreading across her face. "No, but if they kneel in front of me, I might forgive them."

I felt my eyes widen at her response. Ryder's gaze locked onto mine, a smirk spreading across his face. "You heard what she said. Do it," he commanded in his deep voice.

I wanted to refuse, but Mr. Gibson's warning glance made me hesitate. If I didn't comply, I'd lose my job. And I couldn't afford that. The rent was due, and my mom's medical bills were piling up.

Swallowing my pride, I knelt. The red-haired woman's eyes sparkled with amusement as she gazed at Nora and me. "I'm sorry, miss. I shouldn't have responded to you in that manner," I gritted out.

Nora echoed my apology, her voice strained. "Yes, miss, we're sorry. I'm sorry for your dress."

The woman yawned, uninterested in our apologies. "Come on, baby, I'm tired. Let's go home." With that, they departed, leaving me seething.

That moment marked the beginning of my hatred for Ryder Blackwood.

But little did I know, this was only the beginning. Ryder's eyes lingered on me, a spark of interest igniting in their depths.

And I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in trouble.