New beginning: Billionaire love story

Chapter 20 Rejection

"Woah...what happened to you? Did someone piss on your tea? Chris remarked with a teasing grin.

Alex shoot Chris a glared as Chris walked inside his office and plopped down at the sofa.

"Still having no luck contacting Claire?"

"No, non, nee, nothing!"

"Okay, calm down, mate."

Alex exclaimed; his frustration palpable. "How can I calm down? It's been 3 days. I even tried emailing her which is the same. Contacting Claire is so difficult as if she is a celebrity. I don't even remember struggling this hard when I try to contact Chris Evans." Christian chuckled at the comparison. "Alright, mate. let me help you. I'll do my best to track her down or at least find out what's going on. Just give me the word, and I'm on it."

Alex nodded gratefully, a sense of relief washing over him. "Thanks, Chris. I appreciate it more than you know."

Christian saluted him jokingly with his finger. "Consider it done."

Chris changed the subject as he spoke about business.

"So, about the hotel project in Las Vegas. Are you still thinking of collaborating with Metacortex?"

Alex nodded, his focus shifting back to work. "Yes, I'm still interested in that project. It could be really beneficial for us especially with the hotel concept it really suit for us to collaborate with Metacortex."

Deciding to take action immediately, Alex called his secretary into the office. Within seconds, she appeared, ready to assist.

"Please contact Metacortex and arrange a meeting as soon as possible," Alex instructed her.

She nodded briskly before exiting the office to carry out his request.

"Do you think the new CEO will accept your request?"

"Of course she will. No one would refuse to collaborate with Harris company." Alex said with a smug smile on his face.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Meanwhile, at Claire's penthouse, she was surrounded by boxes containing her parents' belongings and her own. It was an emotional day for her, and she had decided to take a break from work. The thought of facing Robert and the overwhelming emotions she felt made staying home seem like the best option.

As she sorted through the boxes, memories flooded back, both happy and bittersweet. She needed this time to process everything without the added stress of work. Claire couldn't bear the idea of exploding in anger or sadness if she were to encounter Robert at the office.

Matthew, who is always by her side, made her a cup of warm tea hoping it would comfort her.

"Here, drink this, Claire."

Claire smile weakly and took the cup of tea.

"Do you need help to unpack?

Claire shook her head as she placed down the cup on the table.

"It's fine. Can you do me a favor, Matt?"

Matthew leaned forward. "Sure, what is it? I'll do anything."

"Can you go to the office and keep an eye of things?"

Matthew furrowed his brows slightly, a hint of curiosity in his expression. "Am I allowed to do that? I mean, without being officially designated for such tasks?"

Claire waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, it's fine. You're not just anyone; you're my advisor and the person I trust the most even if you are not working for the company, but you are still working under me."

Matthew's eyes softened at the compliment. "Alright then, consider it done. What specifically should I be looking out for?"

"Keep an eye on Robert for me. If he tries anything suspicious, I want to know about it."

Matthew chuckled. "Got it. So, I'm CEO for the day?"

Claire nodded with a smile "CEO for the day indeed. But don't get too carried away."

Matthew grinned mischievously. "Does that mean I can fire Robert?"

Claire rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at her lips. "No, let's keep him as the "parasite for now. We'll find the antidote eventually.

Matthew laughed. "Understood. I'll keep your updated on any meetings or documents, but I won't sign anything without your approval "

"Exactly," Claire affirmed. "And remember, you're still accountable to me, CEO of the day or not."

In an attempt to lighten the mood before heading to the office, Matthew couldn't help but throw a joke that made Claire laugh.

Once at the office, Matthew wasted no time getting down to business. He checked every document meticulously, jotting down important matters and staying vigilant for any signs of trouble.

It wasn't long before Sandra, Claire secretary, walked in with news about an upcoming meeting request from Harris regarding a collaboration project.

"Sir, Alexander Harris from the Harris hotel chain wants to arrange a meeting with our CEO," Sandra informed him, a hint of urgency In her tone.

Matthew nodded. "Thank you, Sandra. I'll inform Claire and wait for her response."

The evening sun cast long shadows as Matthew dialed Claire's number from the office. He had important updates to share with her regarding the documents and the canceled meeting from earlier that day. "Claire, it's Matthew," he greeted as soon as she picked up.

Claire, who was lounging at home, shifted her attention to the call "Hey, Matthew What's up?"

Matthew dove straight into business. "1 wanted to update you on the documents we discussed earlier. They're all set, and I've rescheduled the meeting for tomorrow morning."

Claire's interest piqued at the mention of the meeting. "Thank you so much for handling that, Matthew."

"There's one more thing." Matthew added cautiously. "The Harris hotel chain reached out. They want to schedule a meeting to

discuss collaboration with Metacortex."

Claire's expression turned grim at the mention of the Harris name. Memories and emotions she had buried deep resurfaced at the mere mention of the company or rather the surname. "Harris?" Claire repeated, her voice tinged with unease.

"Yes, they're interested in collaborating with us," Matthew explained. "It could be a great opportunity for Metacortex."

Claire's annoyance was palpable. "I don't want anything to do with Harris. Tell them we're not interested."

Matthew paused, surprised by Claire's abrupt decision. "Are you sure, Claire? This could be a big deal for us."

"I'm sure," Claire insisted firmly. "Reject their offer, Matthew."

Before Matthew could question her further, Claire smoothly transitioned to the next topic, asking about the documents and discussing the winners of the group leading Cortex 2.0. Matthew, being a tech enthusiast, quickly shifted his focus to the exciting developments in technology, momentarily forgetting about the Harris issue.

The next morning, Alex, Claire's ex-husband, had an early meeting with an interior designer for his hotel project. He was deep in conversation, passionately explaining his vision for the concept of the new hotel.

As the meeting come to an end, Alex head to his office to go through every little detail for the hotel in Las Vegas

His secretary went inside his office to inform him about the meeting with Metacortex.

"Mr. Harris, I have an update about the meeting with Metacortex."

Alex's eyes lit up with anticipation. "Oh, great. What did they say?"

offer for a meeting with

His secretary hesitated, knowing the news wouldn't be received well. "Unfortunately, they rejected the offer for a

Harris."

Alex's excitement deflated like a popped balloon. His mood turned dark, and even his secretary avoided making eye contact with him. "They rejected?!"