New beginning: Billionaire love story

Matthew raised his brows as he glanced at Claire. She was staring intently at her phone, and something about her expression made him curious. He walked over and leaned against her desk, giving her a questioning look. "What's got you so engrossed?" he asked, trying to peek at her screen.

Claire looked up with a calm smile, barely concealing her amusement. "Oh, it's just a scammer trying to scam me," she said, chuckling lightly. "You know, the usual."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "A scammer? Really?" He didn't look convinced. "You sure that's all it is?"

Claire just shrugged. "Yep, nothing to worry about. I'll handle it later."

Matthew wasn't entirely convinced but decided not to press the issue. If it was important, Claire would share it with him. He gave a nod and said, "Alright then, I'll get back to investigating the burning venue. See you later." With that, Matthew left Claire's office and headed to his car. Once inside, he pulled out his laptop and got to work. He had managed to hack into the footage from across the street on the day of the fashion show. He started reviewing the video, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

The footage showed the usual chaos of a fashion show-photographers flashing their cameras, celebrities stepping out of cars, and a flurry of activity. Everything seemed pretty normal until he spotted Claire arriving. As soon as she stepped out of her car, the camera flashes shifted to her, a usual occurrence given her high profile.

But then, something caught his eye. In the corner of the frame, near the backdoor, there was a figure moving quickly and glancing around as they went. It was almost out of the camera's view, so Matthew hadn't noticed it at first. Curious, he replayed that segment of the video. The figure seemed to be deliberately avoiding the cameras, peeking around to make sure no one saw them. Matthew zoomed in and tried to smooth out the video to get a clearer view. After a few adjustments, he finally made out the person's face. His frown deepened when he recognized her-it was Lisa.

Matthew's mind raced. Why was Lisa sneaking around? It wasn't exactly normal behavior, especially for someone who was supposedly just a casual observer. But Matthew knew better than to jump to conclusions. Just because Lisa was there didn't automatically mean she was involved in the fire.

He sighed, feeling the weight of the mystery on his shoulders. He needed more evidence to prove whether Lisa was involved or if she was just snooping around for a different reason.

Claire sat at her desk, her mind still stuck on the weird text message she'd received earlier. She had grabbed her phone to read it again, but it was gone. Completely vanished. She frowned, confusion and annoyance mixing on her face.

Was this some sort of game? She was really getting tired of this nonsense. Could it be Eligos behind this? It sure felt like something he would do, playing around like this. But even if she wanted to track down the message, she couldn't. The text was just... gone, like it had never been there.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Claire finally signed the last piece of paperwork for the day. She let out a tired sigh, her stomach rumbling loudly. She hadn't eaten since the afternoon, and her mind had been too busy to even notice. Standing up, she grabbed her bag and headed out of the office. Maybe a nice, peaceful dinner would help clear her head.

"Take me to the Piere," she instructed as she slipped into her car. The Piere was her favorite restaurant, a place where she could unwind and enjoy a good meal without any interruptions. At least, that was the plan.

When she arrived, Claire stepped out of the car and made her way inside, the familiar scent of delicious food already making her stomach growl in anticipation. She had made a reservation earlier, so she confidently told the waiter her name.

"Right this way, ma'am," the waiter said, leading her through the restaurant. But as they approached the table, Claire noticed something unexpected. Someone was already seated there. A man, his back turned to her, engrossed in something on his phone. The waiter looked just as surprised as Claire. "Excuse me, sir," the waiter began politely, "this table has been reserved."

The man didn't even look up. "I'm already sitting here, aren't I?" he replied, his tone dripping with annoyance.

Claire's patience was already thin, and this guy wasn't helping. "That's my table," she said calmly, but firmly.

The man finally stood up and turned around to face her, his eyes narrowing as he looked her up and down. "You're the one who reserved this table?" he asked, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Yes," Claire answered, not backing down. "And I believe you're in my seat."

He raised an eyebrow and scoffed, looking at the waiter. "Find her another table. I was here first."

Claire turned to the waitress. "Did he book a table?"

The waitress, looking a little nervous, pulled out a small tablet and checked. She shook her head. "No, sir, you don't have a reservation."

Claire crossed her arms, giving the

man a look that clearly said, See? The man's face flushed slightly, clearly not happy about being

caught "Look," he said, trying to

sound more confident than he felt, "I got here first. Doesn't matter if she booked it."

Claire didn't have the energy to argue with him. She walked over to the table, picked up the small sign that said "Reserved," and held it up in front of his face. "Can you read?" she asked, her tone sharp.

The man's ears turned pink with embarrassment. He huffed, clearly flustered, and said, "Who do you think you are, walking in here like you own the place?"

Claire raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Doesn't matter who I am," she replied coolly. "I just want to sit at the table I reserved." With that, she took a seat, not sparing the man another glance.

The man clenched his jaw, anger flashing in his eyes. "This isn't over," he muttered, grabbing his phone from the table. "If we meet again, I won't let it slide."

Claire barely looked up from the menu she'd picked up. "Why would I meet you again?" she said, her voice dripping with boredom. She was done with this conversation.

Feeling humiliated, the man stormed off, leaving Claire to finally enjoy her evening. She waved to the waiter, who rushed over, looking a little relieved.

"I'm so sorry about that, ma'am," she said quickly. "Can I get you started with a drink?"

Claire nodded, smiling faintly. "A glass of red wine, please. Something good."

The waiter nodded and hurried off, leaving Claire alone with her thoughts. As she sat there, waiting for her wine, she couldn't help but replay the strange encounter in. her head. Who did that guy think he was, acting like he owned the place? If this was the kind of luck she was going to have tonight, she wasn't sure how much more she could handle.

A few moments later, the waiter returned with her wine, setting the glass down in front of her. Claire took a sip, letting the rich, smooth flavor wash over her.

It was exactly what she needed.novelbin