New beginning: Billionaire love story

"Do you know how it affects my company?" Claire raised her eyebrows waiting for Lisa to answer.

"Of course, you don't know. You don't even own a company. So, what I do now, is nothing compared to what you did to me."

Claire's tone was sharp, but there was a playful glint in her eyes. She raised an eyebrow, waiting for Lisa to come up with some excuse.

Lisa's fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms. "Of course, you don't know," Claire continued, not missing a beat. "You don't even own a company. What did I do? It's nothing compared to the mess you made for me."

Lisa's jaw tightened as she took a step forward, jabbing her finger in Claire's direction. "You're lucky you're rich, Claire. Otherwise—"

"Otherwise, what?" Claire interrupted, her voice calm and collected, not a trace of concern on her face. "You'll do what, Lisa? Throw another tantrum?" She smirked, the corners of her lips curling up as if she was savoring the moment. "If I were you, I'd leave before I make you leave. And for the record, I'm not deleting or removing anything from the news."

Lisa's eyes burned with frustration. She wanted to wipe that smirk off Claire's face, but instead, she hissed, "This isn't over." With that, she stormed out, banging the door shut behind her.

Claire barely flinched. She just watched Lisa leave, the smirk still lingering as she leaned back in her chair, utterly unfazed by the drama. "Goodbye, Lisa," she muttered under her breath with a casual wave at the door. "Don't let it hit you on the way out."

Meanwhile, Alex was sitting in the back of his car, heading to a meeting with the furnishing company that had partnered with Harris Hotels for years. He was staring out the window, the radio playing softly in the background. But then, something caught his attention. His head snapped forward when he heard Claire's name being mentioned on the radio.

"Did you hear?" The female radio broadcaster said in a bubbly tone. "I saw Claire Peterson and Adrian earlier at the pier restaurant. They looked so romantic!"

The other broadcaster giggled, chiming in, "I saw a picture of them online too, and I have to say, they make a cute couple!"

Alex's frown deepened, and before he knew it, his phone was in his hand. His best friend, Christian, who was sitting next to him, turned and raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin on his face. "You gonna search them up?" he asked, chuckling.

Alex ignored him, his thumb quickly navigating to X. Sure enough, there were pictures of Claire and Adrian all over social media. The comments were full of compliments, people gushing over how perfect they looked together. It made Alex's blood boil. His grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles turned white.

"Hey, man, easy," Christian said, noticing how tense Alex had become. "You're gonna break your phone."

"Why is she hanging out with Adrian?" Alex muttered, more to himself than anyone else, but Christian heard him loud and clear.

"Maybe Adrian's a nice guy?" Christian suggested with a shrug.

Alex shot him a glare. "Are you saying I'm not nice?"

Christian's eyes widened in alarm, and he quickly backtracked. "No! No, that's not what I meant. I just... you know... maybe Claire likes hanging out with him because he's, I don't know, nice or something."

Alex huffed, turning his attention back to the window, his annoyance clear on his face. "Well, I don't like Adrian hanging around her," he grumbled.

Christian chuckled softly. "Jealous much?"

"Not jealous." Alex snapped, though the way he clenched his jaw suggested otherwise. "I just don't like the guy."

"Uh-huh, sure," Christian teased, nudging him playfully. "You know, for someone who says he's not jealous, you're acting pretty jealous."

Alex glared at Christian, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I'm not jealous, okay? I just... I don't like seeing her with him. That's all."

Christian leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms with a knowing smirk. "If you say so, buddy."

The sun was shining brightly as Claire stepped out of her car, a sleek black sedan that gleamed under the morning light. It was one of those rare mornings when everything felt just right. She was in a surprisingly good mood, considering how hectic her life had been lately. With the robot design competitionlooming in two weeks, the pressure was on.

She had initially planned to give the contestants a month to work on their designs, knowing how complicated and time-consuming creating a design. But deadlines were deadlines, and with Alex's hotel opening in just seven months, time was not a luxury she could afford. As she walked down the street, her heels clicking against the pavement, Claire spotted a few paparazzi lingering on the corner, their cameras at the ready.

"If they think there will be drama today, they are wrong." She rolled her eyes behind her oversized sunglasses. They were like vultures, always circling, waiting for the smallest slip-up. But today, she wasn't in the mood to deal with them. She had more important things on her mind-like her breakfast.

The smell of freshly baked bread

and coffee hither as she opened the door to her favorite bakery. It was a small, cozy place with wooden tables and a warm atmosphere. She hadn't been here in a while, and the familiar scent brought a smile to her face. There were only a few people inside, probably because she had come early, hoping to avoid the usual morning rush.

She took off her shade and joined the short line, glancing around as she waited.

It was peaceful, exactly what she needed to start her day right. When it was her turn, she stepped up to the counter. "I'll have a hot latte and a chocolate Danish, please," Claire said.

"Thank you," she said with a smile as she took her order, the warmth of the coffee cup seeping into her hands.

But as fate would have it, the universe had other plans.

Just as Claire was heading toward

the entrance, her coffee in hand and ready to enjoy her breakfast, someone bumped into her with all the grace of a runaway bull. The jolt sent the steaming coffee flying out of her cup, and while Claire managed to step back just in time to avoid getting scalded, the hot liquid still splattered onto her pristine white dress.

"What the heck?!" her glare snapping to the person responsible-a woman standing right in front of her, looking completely unbothered. If anything, she seemed more amused than concerned. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" the woman gasped, though her tone was laced with mockery. Her lips curled into a smirk as she continued, "I guess someone wasn't paying attention, huh?" Claire's good mood evaporated like the steam rising from her spilled coffee. She narrowed her eyes, her voice cold. "What's your problem?"

The woman's smirk deepened, and she crossed her arms, looking Claire up and down with disdain and amusement. "My problem? Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's you being such a bitch."