New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex) novel Chapter 168

Chapter 168 A clue 

Matthew sat in the dimly lit room at Cryptonic headquarters, his eyes glued to the screen as his fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard. 

The door to Matthew’s office opened abruptly, startling him. He looked up, a bit annoyed at the interruption. Standing in the doorway was his coworker, who looked a little embarrassed for barging in without knocking. 

“Hey, Matt. Sorry for startling you.” 

“It’s fine. What do you need?” 

“I just wanted to ask… is it true what they’re saying about Ms. Peterson?” 

Matthew said, trying to keep his voice even, “I really think you should get back to work.” 

He raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I’m going. I didn’t mean to pry.” 

Matthew sighed in relief as he muttered. “Finally quiet.” 

The room was filled with the soft hum of computers and the occasional beep from the various machines around him. He was determined to uncover the identity of the person behind the mysterious post that had caused such a stir. 

Hours had passed, and the digital trail was finally leading somewhere. 

“Come one…how hard can it be to find one person.” Matthew muttered under his breath, slightly frustrated. 

His brow furrowed in concentration, Matthew scrutinized the data. He had finally pinpointed a location, but something was off. 

“Wait what?” he looked back and forth at the location. 

The post from earlier that morning had originated from a completely different place than the post from two days ago. It didn’t make sense. He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair in frustration. 

“Can it be…two people who leaked Claire’s marriage? Or one but that person move to a different location? I have to check this out myself before I tell Claire.” he muttered under his breath. He knew she was relying on him to get to the bottom of this, but he didn’t want to present her with uncertain information. 

Meanwhile, Claire was in her study, her fingers drumming rhythmically on the mahogany desk. She had decided to skip work today, fully aware that the journalists and paparazzi would be swarming her if she stepped outside. 

The thought of facing them was too overwhelming. 

Alex’s offer was the only thing on her mind. She was torn, unsure if meeting him was the right decision. 

“Maybe I should ask Matthew,” she thought aloud, reaching for her phone. She dialed his number, but there was no answer. She frowned and tried again, but it went straight to voicemail. 

“Matthew always answers his phone,” she muttered, her frown deepening. “I wonder where he is. He always answer my phone call.” 

Back at Cryptonic, Matthew was still focusing on the search of the real location, his mind racing with possibilities. If he wanted to visit the location, he needs to make sure the locations are correct. 

He pulled his phone out and realized he left his phone on mute. “Damn, since when did I mute my phone?” 

Matthew quickly called her back. 

“Claire, it’s Matthew. Sorry, I missed your call. What’s up?” he said. 

“Matthew, where have you been? I’ve called you twice. Is everything okay?” Claire frowned as she gripped her phone. 

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Matthew responded casually but Claire could smell if something is off. She narrowed her eyes hearing his respond. 

“Matthew, are you hiding something from me?” said Claire. 

“No,” he uttered slowly. Matthew knew he couldn’t hide anything from Claire. It’s like she has six senses. 

“Matt, I know when you are hiding something from me.” Claire said in a suspicious tone. 

Matthew sighed. “Ok, fine. You got me. I’ve been at Cryptonic trying to track down the person behind the post. I think I found something, but it’s… complicated. I was just about to check it out in person,” he explained. 

“Complicated how?” Claire asked, her curiosity piqued. 

“The posts are coming from different locations. One was from this morning, and the other was two days ago, but they’re miles apart. I need to verify this myself before informing you about it.” Matthew said. 

“You should have told me if you are tracking the person down. I will help you.” 

“Claire, you are going through so much lately, from Venus, Eligos and now this unknown person. I wouldn’t want to pressure you.” 

“That’s thoughtful of you Matt, but you know I can handle this. I have been through so much.” 

“I know but the news about your marriage with Alex, you are not expecting it, right?” Matthew sighed deeply. “Claire don’t lie to me. I saw how panic you are when the news about you and Alex went out.” 

Claire frowned deepened. “I did not! I just don’t want people to know I was involved with Alex.” She argued defensively. 

Matthew chuckled lightly. “Sure, sure, Claire.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Just let me know if you find anything, okay? And if you need a hand, please don’t hesitate to contact me.” 

“I will. By the way, why did you call me in the first place?” Matthew asked. 

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