New beginning: Billionaire love story

Talia chuckled, the sound light and amused. "Didn't expect you to remember me," she said, her eyes sparkling with playful curiosity.

Christian grinned, his embarrassment slipping away as he found his footing. "Of course I remember you! How could I forget?" His tone was genuine, and his eyes scanned her face, noting the subtle differences. Talia tilted her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Even with a different hair color?"Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.

Christian's grin grew wider. "Even if you changed your whole appearance, Talia, I'd always know it's you."

Talia let out a soft chuckle, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks at his words. The pink hue was barely noticeable, but Christian caught it, feeling a small swell of pride at having caused it.

Just then, the barista returned with another coffee, handing it over to Christian. He looked down at the cup, realizing the mix-up. "Oh, uh, this one's mine. Sorry for grabbing your coffee earlier," he said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. Talia chuckled again, the sound like music to his ears. "It's fine, really," she reassured him with a smile.

Both now properly caffeinated, they grabbed their drinks and made their way out of the coffee shop. The city buzzed around them, but Christian's focus was entirely on Talia.

"You know," Christian started as they walked, "your new hair really suits you. You look... really pretty." His voice was sincere, but there was a hint of bashfulness as if he wasn't used to dishing out compliments so freely.

Talia's heart did a little flip at his words. She wasn't sure why, but Christian's compliment meant more to her than any she'd received in a long time. "Thank you," she said, her voice a touch softer than before. She could feel her heart beating a bit faster, each thump echoing the flutters in her stomach.

They walked in companionable silence for a moment, sipping their coffees and taking in the city around them. Christian was the first to break the silence. "I haven't seen you around much lately. How've you been? Still hanging out with Claire?"

Talia shook her head slightly, a wistful smile on her face. "I've been busy in Italy. Designing clothes, prepping for a fashion show... but, well, it didn't exactly go the way I wanted."

Christian's brain kicked into gear as he tried to recall some news he'd heard recently. Then it clicked. "Wait, was this the Armetta fashion line that-" He hesitated, not wanting to bring up a sore subject, but the words tumbled out anyway."-that got burned?" Talia sighed, her shoulders slumping just a little. "Yep, that's the one." Talia couldn't help recalling Claire's words that people only remember the fire. Christian winced internally, kicking himself for being the one to bring up something so painful. "I'm really sorry that happened, Talia. That's awful." "It's fine," Talia said, her tone lightening as she looked at him. "Claire and Adrian had another plan anyway." Christian's eyebrow shot up at the mention of Adrian. "Another plan?" he echoed, trying to keep his voice casual.

Talia bit her lip, clearly debating how much to say. "I'm not supposed to talk about it. It's, uh, kind of confidential."

Christian sensed her hesitation and didn't want to push her. "No worries. Good luck with whatever plan you're working on. I'm sure it'll be a hit." Talia nodded, appreciating his understanding. "Thanks, Christian. I really should get going, though." She gave him a small wave. "See you around?" Christian watched her start to walk away, his mind racing. Should he? Could he? Mustering up every ounce of courage, he called out, "Talia, wait!" She turned back to him, a curious look in her eyes. "Yeah?"

Christian took a deep breath, his nerves threatening to get the best of him. But he pushed through. "Would you, um, like to go out for dinner tonight?"

Talia's lips formed a wide smile, a mix of surprise and delight dancing in her eyes. She hadn't expected that at all. "I'd love to," she replied, her heart fluttering with excitement. "Text me the details?"

Christian felt like he was floating on air as he watched her walk away, a big grin plastered on his face. "Will do!" he called after her.

As Talia disappeared into the crowd, Christian slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering something important. "Oh, no..." he muttered to himself. "The charity event tonight!" He groaned, the realization hitting him hard. "Well, looks like I'm

ditching it."

Back at Metacortex, Claire was deep in her work, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she typed up yet another email. Her concentration was broken when Sandra, knocked lightly on the door and stepped in with a polite smile. "Just a quick reminder, Claire," Sandra began, her tone cheerful but tinged with a hint of caution. "You've got the Harris family's annual charity banquet tonight."

Claire froze for a moment, then

closed her eyes, letting out a small sigh. She had completely forgotten about the event-not that she was all that eager to remember it. The very thought of attending filled her with a certain kind of dread. But she foreed a tight smile onto her face and nodded. "Thanks for the reminder, Sandra. I appreciate it."

Sandra nodded, sensing Claire's reluctance but wisely choosing not to comment on it. She quietly left the office, leaving Claire alone with her thoughts.

On the couch across the room, Matthew was lounging comfortably, his laptop perched on his lap. He looked up from the screen, a playful glint in his eyes. "So," he drawled, "you're going to the banquet tonight?"

Claire didn't even look up from her typing. "I'm not going," she said flatly, her fingers still dancing over the keys. "I want you to go in my place."

Matthew sat up straight, his relaxed posture disappearing in an instant. "Oh, no, no, no," he protested, frowning deeply. "There's no way I'm going. You know I can't stand those parties. Too many people, too much small talk, and way too long." Claire rolled her eyes, finally pausing her work to give him an exasperated look. "Matthew, it's not a party. It's a banquet."

Matthew waved his hand dismissively. "Same thing," he grumbled. "Fancy clothes, fancy food, and pretending to care about what everyone's saying. Count me out."

Claire couldn't help but smile at his dramatics. "Matthew, you're my advisor. You should be listening to your boss."

He leaned back again, shaking his head with a smirk. "Actually, it's the other way around. Since I'm your advisor, you're supposed to listen to me. And as your advisor, I'm advising you to attend the banquet."

Claire frowned, annoyance bubbling

up inside her She really didn't want

to go. The idea of mingling with a room full of people she'd rather avoid was bad enough, but the thought of running into Alexander made it even worse. "I really don't want to see Alexander," she admitted, leaning back in her chair with a frustrated sigh.

Matthew chuckled, unable to resist the humor in the situation. "Then avoid him. It's a big banquet, Claire. Just stay on the opposite side of the room."

"Easier said than done," Claire muttered, her brow furrowing. "It's like the universe is determined to throw us together every chance it gets."

Matthew's chuckle turned into a full laugh, which earned him a sharp glare from Claire. He quickly cleared his throat and tried to stifle his amusement. "Why not just ditch the event altogether?" he suggested, half-joking. Claire shook her head. "I can't. We're business partners with Harris, and it wouldn't look good if I didn't show up. The media would have a field day with it."

Matthew gave her a sympathetic look but couldn't resist a bit of sarcasm. "Too bad your business partner had to be Harris, huh?"

Claire rolled her eyes again, her tone dry. "Yeah, too bad."