New beginning: Billionaire love story

The next day, Stephen arrived at Metacortex, looking slightly nervous but also excited. Claire met him in the lobby and gave him a small, encouraging smile before leading him to the elevator. They took the ride up to the 10th floor, where the robotic room was located. As

the doors slid open, Claire gestured to Stephen to follow her. He stepped inside and his eyes went wide with amazement.

The room was a hive of activity. Everywhere he looked, there were people working at various stations-tools scattered across workbenches, sketches pinned up on walls, laptops buzzing with code, and a myriad of components and gadgets strewn about. It was chaotic but in a strangely organized way. The air buzzed with creativity and concentration.

Stephen pushed his glasses up his nose, trying to take it all in. "Wow," he breathed out, still a bit overwhelmed. "There are... a lot of people here."

Claire glanced at him, a small smile playing on her lips. "This is where the magic happens," she said. "It might seem a bit cramped now, but once our sudden robot project gets some positive feedback, I'm planning to expand. Maybe even create a whole floor just for the robotics team."

Stephen turned to her, looking genuinely impressed. "I didn't think you'd be this serious about it," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Claire's lips curled up into a smirk. "Stephen, I'm a very serious woman. You know that." She added a wink, which Stephen instantly understood. He knew exactly what she meant-her double life as The Raven. It was a secret that not many knew, and Stephen was one of the few in the loop.

Matthew, who had been standing nearby, gave Stephen a friendly pat on the back. "What do you think?" he asked, a teasing note in his voice.

Stephen nodded, his eyes still wide as he took everything in. "It's... incredible," he said, his voice filled with awe. "All of this... I mean, I've only read about setups like this in books or seen them in movies."

Claire nodded, pleased with his reaction. "Well, this is where you'll be working if you decide to join us. You'll be right in the middle of the action."

Stephen's hands were practically itching to get started. He had a love for robotics, and seeing all of this right in front of him made his fingers tingle with excitement. It was like being a kid in a candy store.novelbin

"Can I really join in?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking with excitement.

Claire nodded, a smile spreading across her face. "Absolutely. Jump in wherever you see fit. Your expertise will be a great addition to the team."

Stephen's eyes lit up, and he didn't waste a second. He made his way over to a group of engineers gathered around a blueprint. Logan, one of the lead engineers, looked up as Stephen approached. Claire watched as Stephen started to discuss something with Logan, his hands moving animatedly as he explained an idea. Logan nodded, clearly interested in what Stephen had to say, and soon enough, the others were nodding along too.

Matthew chuckled, watching the scene unfold. "Looks like you've got another enthusiast on board," he said, glancing at Claire.

"Let's hope our dear Stephen won't be confused." Claire smiled. "Keep an eye on them, would you? Let me know how it goes." Matthew nodded, still watching Stephen integrate into the team. "Will do," he said.

Claire left the room, her heels clicking softly against the floor. As she walked down the hallway, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw Adrian's name flashing on the screen. A slight smile tugged at her lips as she answered. "Adrian," she greeted, stepping into the lift.

"Claire," Adrian's warm voice came through the line. "Just wanted to let you know, my family mansion on the outskirts of London is available. You can use it whenever you need."

"That's great," Claire said, her smile widening. "I'll inform Talia about it. Thanks for sorting that out."

"Of course," Adrian replied. "By the way, where were you yesterday? I dropped by your office, but you weren't there."

Claire hesitated for a moment. "I had some work outside Metacortex," she said carefully. Obviously, she wasn't going to tell him about her dealings with Cryptonic. No one needed to know that place even existed.

"Ah, the mysterious Claire at work," Adrian teased. "Just let me know if you or Talia need anything else. I'm here to help."

"Thank you, Adrian," Claire said, feeling a genuine sense of gratitude. "I appreciate it."

At Venus AMD, Robert sat hunched over his desk, a pile of documents scattered around him. His office was neat and orderly, except for the chaotic sea of papers he was currently lost in.

His fingers drummed against the desk as he flipped through the pages, his mind racing to make sense of all the information.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Robert didn't bother looking up. "Come in," he grunted, his voice rough from hours of silence.

The door opened, and a man

stepped inside. He was tall and lean,

with a serious expression and a cold look in his eyes. His presence seemed to suck the warmth out of the room. The man stood there for a moment, waiting for Robert to acknowledge him, but Robert remained focused on his

documents, not even glancing up.

"Talk," Robert finally said, his tone impatient as he shuffled through the papers.

The man stepped closer to the desk, his movements precise and controlled. "It's about Claire Peterson," he began, his voice low and steady.

That caught Robert's attention. He stopped flipping through the papers, though he still didn't look up. "What about her?"

"A few days ago, she had a meeting with Mrs. Armetta," the man continued, his eyes never leaving Robert. "I don't know the reason for the meet-up, but it seemed important." Robert finally looked up, his brows furrowing in thought. "Mrs. Armetta?" he repeated, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Interesting. Anything else?"

The man nodded, his face still

expressionless. "There have been a

few large packages delivered to

Metacortex recently. I did some

love

digging, and it turns out they're custom orders of robot

manufacturing body parts

Robert's eyes widened slightly, and he put down the document he was holding. "Robot manufacturing body parts? That's not something you order every day. You got any proof?"

Without a word, the man reached

into his jacket and pulled out a

photo, sliding it across the desk to Robert. The picture showed a couple of large crates being unloaded at the Metacortex building. The crates were big, bulky, and clearly marked with the logo of a robotics company.

Robert picked up the photo, staring at it intently. His mind was already racing with possibilities. "Interesting," he muttered, more to himself than to the man. "She's up to something." Robert leaned back in his chair, still holding the photo. He looked up at the man, his eyes sharp and calculating. "Find out more. I want to know what she's planning."

The man nodded once, then turned and left the office without another word.

Robert leaned back further in his chair, staring at the photo in his hand. "What are you up to, Claire?" he said aloud, his voice thoughtful.