New beginning: Billionaire love story

Claire's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly masked her surprise. "Excuse me?" she said, her tone colder than before.

"Lisa," Alex repeated, his eyes searching hers. "Why did you let her go?"

Claire exhaled slowly, regaining her composure. "That is a personal matter, Alex," she said, her voice firm. "I don't see how it's relevant to this discussion."

"It is relevant to me," Alex countered, his voice tinged with frustration. "You know what she did. You had every reason to keep her locked up."

Claire's gaze hardened. "I did what I thought was best," she replied, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Alex wasn't satisfied with that answer. He leaned forward, his frustration growing. "She hurt you, Claire. Physically. She deserves to be in jail, not walking free. How can you just let that go?"

Claire's patience was wearing thin. "She would've lasted a month at most, maybe just a few days. It wasn't worth it," she said dismissively.

Alex frowned, her answer striking him as odd. He opened his mouth to question her further, but before he could, Claire cut him off with a sharp tone. "Why did you visit Lisa, Alex? Were you planning to free her in the first place?" The question caught Alex off guard. He hesitated, wondering how she had found out. "How did you-"

"The police gave a description, Alex," Claire interrupted, her eyes locking onto his. "It wasn't hard to put two and two together. So, tell me, why were you there?"

Alex hesitated, torn between telling her the truth and deflecting. But the words tumbled out before he could stop them. "I was interrogating her. I wanted to know why she hurt you."

Claire's expression remained unreadable, though her eyes narrowed slightly as she absorbed his words.

"And I wanted to ask her why she attempted suicide in your building," Alex continued, his voice softer now, tinged with a concern that he rarely let show.

Claire raised her brows, trying to maintain her composure. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "And what did she say?"

Alex shrugged, frustration evident in his features. "She denied everything, as usual."

An awkward silence filled the room, heavy with tension. Claire tapped her fingers on her arm, deep in thought. Finally, she broke the silence. "How did you even know I was at the station, Alex?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of Alex's lips, but he didn't answer. Claire rolled her eyes, already guessing his response. "Of course," she muttered, the sarcasm in her tone unmistakable.

"If you have nothing else to say, you can leave," Claire added coldly, putting her glasses back on and returning her attention to her laptop. She began typing, her fingers moving quickly over the keys as she tried to focus on her work.

Alex watched her, noticing the way her forehead scrunched in concentration. Back when they were married, he'd never paid attention to these little details, but now, they fascinated him. There was something about the way she bit her lip when she was deep in thought that he found incredibly attractive.

The sun streamed through the window, casting a warm glow over Claire, and highlighting her features. With her glasses on, her hair pulled back into a half bun, and the natural light enhancing her beauty, Alex realized just how stunning she was. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

Feeling his gaze, Claire shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Without looking up, she said sarcastically, "You can take a picture if you want. It'll last longer."

Alex coughed awkwardly, snapping out of his trance. He stood up, trying to regain his composure. "Thank you for informing me about your plan," he said, his voice more formal now.

Claire gave a curt nod, not bothering to look up from her work. "You're welcome," she replied, her tone distant.

As Alex reached the door, he paused and turned back to look at her. "What about your bruise, Claire?" he asked, his voice softening with concern.

Claire's hand instinctively went up to her neck, brushing over the faint mark. "It's fine," she said, her voice tight. She didn't want to talk about it, not with him.

Alex nodded, sensing her discomfort. "Take care of yourself, Claire," he said gently before walking out of the office.

Once the door closed behind him, Claire let out a deep breath, her shoulders sagging with the weight of the encounter.

Once the door closed behind him,

Claire let out a deep breath, her shoulders

of the encounter. The conversation with Alex had taken an unexpected turn, leaving her feeling unsettled. What was supposed to be a straightforward discussion about the robot Alex had requested for his new hotel in Las Vegas had move into an uncomfortable topic.

leaving with the weight

Claire hadn't expected Alex to bring up Lisa, let alone the fact that he knew Claire had freed her. She had been careful not to share her plans with him mainly because she didn't trust him, especially when Claire found out that Alex visited Lisa. However, his answer is not what Claire expects. The fact that Alex was there to confront Lisa about her wrongdoings is the last thing that crossed her mind.

Alex had been so different-sweet, caring, and not at all the cold, distant man she remembered. It was unsettling, to say the least. She

didn't like this new Alex. It felt net

he

was trying to manipulate her and she was determined to keep her distance from him.

"Just focus on the project and not at Alex." She reminded herself.

Taking a deep breath, Claire pushed the thoughts aside. She needed to focus on her work, not on Alex and his confusing behavior. She picked up her phone and called Sandra. "Sandra, I need you to start preparing for the design competition," Claire said, her voice firm and businesslike. "We'll be holding it soon, and I want everything to be perfect." "Understood, Claire," Sandra replied, the sound of her typing in the background. "I'll get started on the arrangements right away."

"And Sandra," Claire added, "arrange a meeting with the marketing team today. I want to discuss the details for the poster. I have specific ideas in mind."

"Of course. I'll make sure everything is set up," Sandra assured her before ending the call.

With that, Claire turned her attention back to her computer, trying to focus on the tasks at hand.

Meanwhile, Lisa stood outside her mother's house, her heart pounding as she knocked on the door. The last time she talked to her mother was 3 days ago and the conversation didn't go so well.

The silence on the other side of the door only made her more anxious. She knocked again, a little louder this time.

Finally, she heard the sound of the lock clicking, and the door slowly creaked open. Lisa barely had time to react before a sharp sting spread across her cheek. The slap was so sudden and so hard that she was momentarily stunned, her ears ringing from the impact. She stood frozen in shock, staring at her mother, whose face was a mix of anger and disappointment.