New beginning: Billionaire love story

Lisa re-read the article and the clarification post that had just been published. Anger bubbled up inside her, making her heart race. She couldn't believe that Claire would do this-publicly label her as a depressed, crazy woman due to heartbreak. And to make matters worse, there was a picture accompanying the article. Even though the image was blurry, anyone who knew Lisa could easily recognize her. Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. The screen showed Kayla's name. Lisa stared at it for a moment, debating whether to answer. She needed to sound calm, and maybe come up with another lie to protect her reputation. Losing Alex had already damaged her image among her friends, and if they found out about this article, the news would spread like wildfire at the office. She couldn't afford to lose her job too. Everything was getting more complicated by the minute.

With a deep breath, Lisa answered the call, trying to keep her voice steady. "Hello?"

"Lisa? Are you there?" Kayla's voice was curious, bordering on concern.

"Yeah, I'm here," Lisa replied, forcing herself to sound casual.

Kayla didn't waste any time getting to the point. "Is that you in the article? The one they're calling a 'depressed crazy woman'? I thought it looked like you."

Lisa let out a laugh, though it came out awkward and strained. "Kayla, you've got it all wrong," she said, trying to deflect. "Why would you think that's me?"

"Well, the photo looks like you, even if it's not clear," Kayla said, her tone curious but cautious.

Lisa's mind raced. She couldn't let Kayla suspect anything. "Oh, please," Lisa scoffed, injecting arrogance into her voice to mask her anxiety. "That's definitely not me. It's probably just some fan who had plastic surgery to look like me." Kayla chuckled on the other end, seemingly convinced. "Maybe you're right. It's just... I don't know, it felt like it could be you."

"Trust me, Kayla, it's not me," Lisa said firmly. She was relieved that her lie had been swallowed so easily.

Kayla paused for a moment before shifting the conversation. "So, what's going on with you and Alex? Are you guys still together?"

Lisa froze. Her mind scrambled for a response. Should she tell the truth or keep up the lie? The answer came to her almost instinctively. "No, we broke up," she said, the lie rolling off her tongue as easily as the others. "I dumped him." Kayla gasped. "What? Why?"

Lisa hesitated for just a second before crafting another lie. "Because Claire stole him from me," she said, bitterness lacing her words. It was easier to paint herself as the victim, especially to Kayla.

There was a moment of silence on the line, and then Kayla spoke, her voice tinged with annoyance. "That's awful, Lisa! You should get back at Claire for what she did."

Lisa smirked to herself, pleased that Kayla had so easily believed her story. "Maybe I will," she said, keeping her tone light and nonchalant.

After the call ended, Lisa's expression darkened. The anger that she had managed to suppress during the conversation with Kayla returned full force. She wasn't going to sit back and let Claire tarnish her name. She had to talk to Claire and set things straight. But as she started to dial Claire's number, she realized with frustration that she didn't have it.

She chewed the inside of her lip, thinking about how to get in touch with Claire. The last thing she wanted was to show up at Metacortex

Claire sat in the back of the car, watching the cityscape of London pass by as she made her way to the restaurant. She had received a text earlier from the London High Socialite group, reminding her of their annual meetup. It had been weeks since she'd last seen any of them, her work at Metacortex consuming nearly every waking hour. Now, she was making a rare appearance, hoping to catch up with her friends and perhaps take her mind off the endless demands of her business.

As the car pulled up to the restaurant, Claire took a deep breath, trying to shake off the tension in her shoulders. The valet opened her door, and she stepped out gracefully, her heels clicking against the pavement. The waiter at the entrance greeted her warmly and directed her to the private room where the group was gathering.

Inside the room, Claire immediately spotted several familiar faces. April, always the first to notice new arrivals, beamed and hurried over to her. "Claire! How wonderful to see you!" she exclaimed; her smile as bright as ever.

Claire returned the smile, feeling a bit more at ease. "It's great to see you too, April. I've been fine, just... incredibly busy, as usual."

April nodded understandingly. "We've missed you!"

Before Claire could respond, Miranda appeared beside her, wrapping her in a warm hug. "Claire, you look as stunning as always. Are you really, okay? You've been working yourself to the bone."

Claire hugged her back, appreciating the concern. "I'm managing, Miranda. Don't worry about me.

The door to the private room opened again, and several more members of the group entered, chatting animatedly. Among them was Adrianna Saint Laurent.

However, what caught Claire's attention wasn't Adrianna, but the person who walked in behind her.

Adrianna made her way to Claire with a warm smile and a hug. "Claire, darling, how have you been holding up?"

Claire returned the hug, smiling as she replied, "Busy, but I'm surviving. How about you, Adrianna?"

"Oh, you know me, always juggling a million things," Adrianna said with a playful sigh. But Claire's eyes had already drifted to the person standing next to Adrianna.

A wide smile broke across Claire's face as she recognized him. "Fancy seeing you here," she teased.

Adrian, looking slightly out of place but undeniably charming, chuckled lightly. "I didn't expect to see you here either," he admitted.

Claire raised an eyebrow, amused by his response. "Are you one of the members now? Last I checked, this club was for ladies only," she teased, her tone light.

A blush crept up Adrian's cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit shy. "You caught me," he confessed, his smile sheepishly. "When I heard you were coming, I decided to tag along with my mom." Adrianna, always quick to support her son, chimed in with a proud smile. "Isn't he the sweetest? He just wanted to see you, Claire." She side-hugged Adrian, who looked slightly awkward but endearingly so.

Claire chuckled at the scene, finding

it both amusing and heartwarming.

"Well, I'm glad you did," she said, genuinely pleased to see him. The easy banter was interrupted when April ever the gossip, decided to bring up a topic that Claire had

hoped was long forgotten.

"So, Claire," April began, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "is it true that you and Alexander Harris are married? I read the news about it but I just wanted to hear it from you."

Claire felt a twinge of discomfort,

her smile faltering slightly. She had

hoped that the news had faded from everyone's minds, but it seemed some people still remembered.- glanced at Adrian, who was watching her with a calm

nove

expression-he already knew about her past, but that didn't make the conversation any easier.

"Yes, it's true," Claire said, keeping her tone light and controlled. "I did marry Alexander, but it was more for his grandfather than anything else."

April, however, wasn't satisfied with that answer. "But why didn't you go public with it? I mean, he's such a high-profile figure, and so are you..."

Before Claire could respond,

Adrianna quickly stepped in. She clapped her hands together, flashing a bright smile. "I don't know about you ladies, but I'm starving! Let's get this lunch started," she said cheerfully, calling the server over to take their orders.

Adrianna gently nudged April towards the table, effectively steering the conversation away from Claire's personal life. She shot Claire a quick wink, letting her know she had her back. Claire couldn't help but feel grateful for the subtle intervention. As they all moved to their seats, Adrian fell into step beside Claire. "Ladies first," he said with a playful smile, holding out a chair for her.

"Thank you, Adrian," Claire replied, smiling as she took her seat.