New beginning: Billionaire love story

Claire groaned as the loud beeping of her alarm filled the hotel suite.

Slamming her hand on the bedside table, she silenced it, then pulled the pillow over her head.

Last night had been exhausting. She hadn't been able to sleep until nearly 4 AM, and now, with barely four hours of rest, her body felt like it was shutting down.

But there was no time to sleep in.

Grumbling, she dragged herself out of bed, shuffled into the bathroom, and freshened up before heading to the living room to order breakfast.

Her fingers scrolled through the room service menu, but her mind wasn't even processing what she was looking at. Abandoning the menu for a moment, she grabbed the TV remote and turned it on, letting it play in the background as she continued deciding what to eat.

That was, until-

"Breaking news on Quantum Haven's disastrous opening night!"

Claire's head snapped toward the screen.

The footage of the accident played again, and she sighed heavily.

Of course, the media was eating this up.

Alexander appeared on the screen next, giving a short, clipped statement to reporters.

"Last night was an unfortunate accident, but I assure you, Quantum Haven remains fully operational and safe. We are investigating the cause of the incident, and all affected guests will be compensated accordingly."

Claire raised an eyebrow.

"Damage control at its finest," she muttered, rubbing her temple. She had told Alexander to act fast, but

she hadn't expected him to have a PR statement ready this quickly.noveldrama

Still, she couldn't focus on that right now. There were only two people responsible for this mess-one was the idiot who executed the plan, and the other was the mastermind.

She cursed under her breath.

"Eligos, you bastard."

Before she could stew in her thoughts any longer, her phone buzzed loudly from the bedroom.

She got up to check, sighing as she saw Matthew's name flashing on the screen.

She had a feeling she knew what this was about.

She answered, bracing herself.

"Matthew―"

"Why did you lie to me?"

Matthew's voice was cold.

Claire pinched the bridge of her nose. She really didn't want to deal with this first thing in the morning.

"I didn't lie," she replied evenly. "I just didn't tell you everything."

"That's the same damn thing, Claire!" Matthew snapped. "I saw the video. You almost got crushed, and you told me you were fine. Do you have any idea how pissed I am right now?"

Claire sighed. "Matthew, if I had told you the truth, you would've immediately booked a flight here." "You're damn right I would've!"

"Exactly," Claire said. "And I don't want that."

Matthew fell silent for a moment before he exhaled sharply.

"I just want to make sure you're safe," he said, his voice quieter but still frustrated. "If something

happened to you, I'd-" He stopped himself. "I'd feel guilty."

Claire softened slightly but kept her tone firm.

"I get it, Matthew. I do. But you also need to rest. You're still recovering."

Matthew grumbled something under his breath.

Claire quickly cut in before he could argue further. "What matters is that I'm fine, okay? And right now, I need to know Andre's location."

Matthew sighed heavily. "I figured you'd say that."

There was some clicking on his end before a message notification popped up on Claire's phone. "That's the address," Matthew said. "If you just want to know."

Claire raised an eyebrow. "Emphasizing the word 'just' like that... Do you think I'm going to do something reckless?"

Matthew scoffed. "Oh, I know you will. I've known you long enough, Claire. You don't just 'know' things. You act on them."

Claire smirked slightly. "Well, you're not wrong."

"Which is exactly why I'm telling you to be careful," Matthew warned. "If you walk into whatever mess Andre is in, you better have a damn good plan."

"I always do," Claire replied confidently.

Matthew sighed. "Yeah, and somehow, you always end up in danger anyway."

Claire chuckled softly. "That's just life, isn't it?"

Matthew didn't laugh. Instead, he lowered his voice, his concern evident.

"Just... promise me you won't do something stupid."

Claire hesitated before responding, "I'll handle it. Trust me."

Matthew wasn't satisfied with that answer, but he knew Claire too well. If she had made up her mind, there was no stopping her.

"Fine," he muttered. "But if anything happens, you call me. Immediately."

Claire smiled slightly. "Noted."

As she ended the call and looked at the address on her phone, her mind was already racing with the next steps.

Andre was the key to getting to Eligos.

And Claire wasn't going to waste any time.

Claire stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the cuff of her blazer as she mentally ran through everything she planned to say to Andre. She wasn't going to let him get away with this-she would corner him, make him slip up, and get the truth.

This was going too far, and she had to put an end to it before things spiraled further out of control. Matthew had warned her not to go alone, but she had brushed off his concern. She could handle herself.

Still, as she reached for her phone, her eyes landed on the cryptic text message she had received before the opening night disaster.

"You're being watched. Be careful."

A chill ran down her spine as she stared at the words.

Who would send her something like this? And how had they known what was about to happen?

Then her phone vibrated.

She glanced down, and her eyes narrowed at the name flashing on the screen.

Adrian Saint Laurent.

Of course, he was calling.

She should have expected this. There was a high chance Adrian had already seen the press conference

footage. If that was the case, he was definitely going to ask about the chaos at the hotel.

"Hello," she greeted, her voice neutral.

"Claire." Adrian's voice was filled with concern the moment he spoke. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Adrian."

"Why didn't you tell me about what happened?"

"I assure you, I am fine. I didn't see the need to. It was a mess, yes, but the situation is being handled."

"I saw what happened, Claire. That wasn't just some accident."

Claire closed her eyes for a brief moment. "No, it wasn't. Someone caused it on purpose."

"Who?"

Claire sighed. "You know who."

"Eligos isn't it?"

"Yeah and Andre."

"Where are you now?"

She didn't answer.

More silence. Then-

"Are you going after him alone?" Adrian asked, his voice quieter, more serious.

Claire didn't answer right away.

"Just- Just be careful, Claire. I don't want anything bad happen to you." His voice grow softer and Claire sighed.

"I will don't worry about me."

The call ended, and Claire let her phone drop onto her lap.

Claire stepped out of the car, staring up at the hotel where Andre was staying. It was a luxurious place by most standards, but compared to Quantum Haven, it paled in comparison.

The golden lights shimmered on the hotel's glass exterior, giving it an illusion of grandeur, yet Claire found no comfort in its appearance. She wasn't here to admire the architecture. She was here for answers.

As she walked inside, she pulled out

her phone and read the message

from Matthew again, confirming

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Andre's room number. Taking a deep breath, she strode to the

elevator, pressing the button with a

sense of finality.

Reaching his floor, she stepped out, heels clicking against the polished floor. She stopped in front of his

door, inhaled deeply, then knocked-firm, deliberate, a warning in itself.

A groggy, irritated voice came from inside. "Who the hell-?"

The door swung open, revealing

Andre, still dressed in the same suit from earlier, though disheveled. His shirt was untucked, his tie loosened, and he reeked of alcohol-though Claire had a feeling he wasn't as drunk as he had pretended to be earlier.

Upon seeing her, his tired expression quickly shifted into something more guarded. "Claire," he drawled, forcing a lazy smirk. "Didn't expect a visit."

Claire shoved the door open further and stepped inside without invitation. "Cut the act, Andre. I know you weren't actually drunk."