Chapter 167 Choices
The next day offered no respite. Claire found herself relentlessly pursued by journalists and paparazzi wherever she went. These relentless photographers would even hide in bushes when she went out for a run. Every time she returned to her penthouse, she found the front door surrounded by intrusive and annoying paparazzi. The situation had become so unbearable that Claire had to hire a bodyguard to keep them at bay.
Alex faced a similar situation, but it was slightly less intense. He didn’t hesitate to break a paparazzo’s camera once when they pushed him too far. This assertive action had deterred some, but not all, of the relentless photographers.
Desperate to find a solution, Alex tried to contact Claire, but his calls went straight to voicemail. He knew he needed to address the situation soon. The relentless media frenzy was threatening to damage both Harris Company and Metacortex. But with Claire being hard to reach, Alex felt his options dwindling.
Heading to Metacortex was out of the question, as journalists and paparazzi were lurking around every corner.
Meanwhile, Claire was struggling to focus on her work amidst the chaos. She was at a loss, unsure of what steps to take next.
“Claire, do you think we should hold a press conference about all this?” Sandra asked cautiously.
Claire remained silent for a moment, her mind racing. Finally, she shook her head. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. If we do that, the internet will go even crazier and that will only make it worse.”
Two days later, another picture from Claire and Alex’s wedding surfaced online, sending the internet into a frenzy once again. It quickly became the number one trending topic. Claire paced back and forth in her penthouse, worry and frustration etched across her face. She couldn’t believe this was happening again.
Matthew contacted Claire as soon as he saw the news about her. Claire picked up her phone, and Matthew’s voice came through the line. “Have you checked social media?” he asked, sounding worried.
Claire nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. “Yes, I saw it.”
“Are you okay?” Matthew’s concern was evident.
Claire sighed. “I can’t lie; the news really stunned me. I can’t help but wonder who had all those photos and would dare to post them online.”
“I don’t know,” Matthew admitted. “But I think it’s someone who hates you.”
Claire’s mind immediately went to one person. “Do you think Eligos is behind this?”
Matthew shook his head, even though she couldn’t see him. “It’s possible, but why would he leak them?”
“Good point,” Claire muttered. “But still, it could be him.”
Matthew sighed. “I’ll try to find out who’s responsible for this, even if it is Eligos. And I’ll bring them to court.”
“Thank you, Matthew,” Claire said, grateful for his support.
Alex sat at his dining table, spoon in hand, as he dug into his cereal. The phone rang, disrupting the calm of his breakfast. He grumbled softly, annoyed by the interruption. Breakfast was his time, and he disliked being disturbed unless it was something truly important. Reluctantly, he reached for his phone, glancing at
the caller ID.
It was Christian, his best friend.
With a sigh, Alex answered, “Hey, Christian. What’s up?”
“Alex, there’s something urgent,” Christian’s voice crackled with urgency.
Alex frowned, concern edging into his voice. “What is it? What’s so important?”
“Have you open social media this morning?” Christian asked, the urgency in his tone not waning.
Alex shook his head, even though Christian couldn’t see him. “No, I haven’t even looked at my phone until now. Why?”
“You need to open it right now,” Christian insisted, almost shouting. “It’s really important.”
Still grumbling, Alex mumbled, “Okay, okay, give me a second.” He put the phone on speaker and opened his social media app. His eyes widened in shock as the first image that appeared was a photo of his wedding to Claire.
Alex shot up from his chair, his voice rising in anger. “What the fuck?! Another photo? How did this person get his hands on my wedding picture?” his tone laced with anger and frustration.
Christian sighed on the other end of the line. “I’m trying to get the post taken down, but people on the internet are faster than me. It’s already been saved and shared multiple times.”
Alex sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I really need to get this sort out.‘
”
“Don’t worry Alex, I’m sure we will find this person, but first of all, you need to call Claire.” Christian advised. “Ask her if she’s okay cause when I saw her last time, she looks frustrated over the news.”
Alex nodded, even though Christian couldn’t see him. “You’re right. I’ll call her now. But I don’t know if she will answer my call, Chris.”
“Well at least you tried.”
A minute later, Claire’s phone rang again. This time, Alex’s name appeared on her screen. Claire hesitated, staring at the screen for a while before deciding to
answer it.
For a moment, there was only silence. Then Alex breathed out her name. “Claire.”
“Alex,” she replied.
“Are
you feeling, okay?” he asked softly.
“I’m fine,” Claire said, though it was far from the truth, She didn’t want to give Alex the satisfaction of knowing how much this had affected her.
Chapter 167 Choices
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex)