New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex)

Alex stepped inside the room, still struggling to believe that his childhood friend was the one who had won the competition. "Since when are you into robots?" he asked, his voice full of curiosity. Abigail chuckled, the sound light and familiar. "I've always been into robots, Alex. You just never noticed."

Claire, who had been observing their encounter with a confused expression, finally spoke up. "Do you two know each other?" she asked, her tone curious but with a hint of detachment. Alex almost forgot that Claire was in the room. "Oh, yeah," he said, turning towards her. "We're childhood friends."

Claire nodded her head slowly, her expression unreadable. "Oh," was all she said, her tone indicating that she didn't really care. "Well, now that the introduction is over, we can go over the details."

For the next two hours, they discussed the robots that would be used in Alex's hotel. Abigail was clearly passionate about her work, and Alex found himself impressed by her knowledge.

He leaned forward, looking at the designs she had presented. "These are great, Abigail," he said. "But could you make another design that fits better with the hotel's theme?"

Abigail nodded a confident smile on her face. "Of course, Alex. I'll send you the new design as soon as it's ready."

Claire, who had been watching their interaction with a slight frown, couldn't help but feel a pang of irritation. As far as she remembered, Alex had never mentioned Abigail before. But then again, she reminded herself, back then, Alex couldn't stand her. It made sense that he wouldn't share anything personal with her. Not that she cared.

"Alright," Claire said, interrupting the moment. "I'll contact the robot company in Japan and ask them if they can proceed with our order."

When the meeting was finally over, Claire stood up and extended her hand to Abigail. "Thank you for coming, and for working with us," she said, her tone polite but distant.

Abigail nodded, shaking Claire's hand. "The pleasure is mine," she replied.

Claire didn't even glance at Alex as she left the room, her mind already moving on to the next task. As the door closed behind her, Abigail turned to Alex, a curious look on her face. "Do you and Claire does not like each other?" she asked, pointing out the obvious tension. Alex shrugged, trying to downplay it. "That's just the way she is."

Abigail gave him a knowing look but didn't push further. Instead, she smiled and said, "Your feedback means a lot to me, Alex. I'm glad you like the design."

Alex smiled back. "It's really amazing work, Abigail. You've come a long way since we were kids."

Abigail blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, Alex." She glanced at her watch and suddenly looked apologetic. "I need to go. I have a lunch date with your mum."

Alex raised his eyebrows, a teasing grin forming on his face. "Did she force you into it again?"

Abigail laughed, shaking her head. "Not this time. I actually want to go."

"Well, have fun," Alex said, still smiling as she gathered her things and headed for the door.

"Thanks, Alex," Abigail said, giving him one last smile before she left the room.This is the property of Nô-velDrama.Org.

As soon as she was gone, Alex decided he needed to talk to Claire. He made his way to her office and knocked on the door. A simple "Come in." greeted him from the other side. He pushed the door open and saw Claire sitting at her desk, surrounded by paperwork. Claire barely looked up from her work. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice cold and distant.

Alex frowned, feeling the familiar frustration rise within him. It seemed like every conversation with Claire was a battle. "I just wanted to talk," he said, trying to keep his tone neutral.

Claire finally looked up, her eyes meeting his with a mixture of impatience and indifference. "We just talked earlier, Alex. What else is there to discuss?"

Lisa had been holed up in her room for days, staring blankly at the walls. Ever since she was fired from her job, she felt like her life had fallen apart. She had lost her job, her dignity, and now, even her closest friend had turned her back on her. And it was all because of Claire Peterson.

A picture of Claire lay in front of her,

its edges worn from the countless times Lisa had picked it up, glared at it, and cursed the woman in the image. Claire's smile, so confident and composed, made Lisa's blood boil. She had ruined everything, taken away everything Lisa had worked for, and now she had the nerve to walk around as if she

owned the world.

Her hands shook with rage as she picked up a pair of scissors and carefully cut along the edges of the photograph: The sound of the scissors slicing through the paper was sharp and satisfying, matching the anger simmering inside her. When she was done, the picture of Claire was headless, the

once-smiling face discarded on the floor beside her.

She stared at the mutilated picture, her breath coming in short, harsh bursts. "I hate you," she whispered to the headless image. "I hate you so much, Claire."

The anger inside her bubbled over, and she suddenly screamed, clutching her head in both hands. Her mind was a whirlwind of chaotic thoughts, each one more violent than the last. How had Claire ruined her life so thoroughly? What more did she want? Why couldn't she just disappear? A single thought pierced through the storm in her mind: Claire needs to die.

That was the only way Lisa would ever be at peace.

She stood up abruptly, the decision made. Her eyes scanned her room until they landed on a small knife lying on her bedside table. Without hesitation, she grabbed it and tucked it inside her hoodie, the cool metal pressing against her side.

She left her room and headed downstairs, her footsteps quick and purposeful. Her mother's voice called out from the living room, annoyed as usual. "Lisa, where are you going?"

Lisa didn't answer. She didn't even pause as she reached the front door, yanked it open, and stepped outside.

At that moment, Claire was at a boutique, browsing through racks of dresses. She had an important event coming up this week, and even though she normally would skip events like this, this time she have to attend, since she is a business partner with Alexander Harris. "Why didn't I tell him I wouldn't be coming," Claire muttered to herself as she frowned looking at the dress.

Earlier, Alex had stopped by her office. Their conversation had been awkward, as usual. Claire disliked how Alex always seemed to pry into her life, asking questions she didn't want to answer. But this time, he had brought up an idea that, annoyingly enough, was actually

good.

He had suggested they introduce

the world-and their investors-to

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his new hotel It wasn't going to open for another eight months, but Alex was convinced that giving people a sneak peek would drum up excitement and intrigue. Claire had thought it over for a moment, and as much as she hated to admit it, his plan was smart. Publicity was key in their line of work, and getting people talking early could only be beneficial.

Claire had given a simple "Hmm" in response, followed by a curt, "It's your hotel, Alex. You can do whatever you want."

And now here she was, standing in front of a mirror in the boutique, holding up a sleek black dress. She tilted her head, considering the dress's merits. It was elegant, understated, exactly the kind of thing she needed for the event.

Lisa, on the other hand, had made her way to the boutique, her hands trembling with the knife concealed in her hoodie. She spotted Claire through the glass door. Lisa's grip on the knife tightened as she slipped inside the boutique, careful to stay out of sight. She ducked behind a rack of clothes, her eyes fixed on Claire.

"Say goodbye, Claire." She whispered to herself.

With anger burning in her eyes, she took a step forward, knife poised to strike. But before she could move any further, a strong hand grabbed her arm, pulling her back with surprising force.