New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex) novel Chapter 215

The ballroom was buzzing with energy, filled with businessmen and women chattering away. The conversations weren't just about deals and stocks; they also drifted into talk about luxury cars, vacation spots, and who had the best designer shoes. Claire and Alex, dressed to impress, made their way up to the stage, exchanging a quick glance. Claire gave Alex a nod, and he took the lead, clinking his glass with a fork to grab everyone’s attention.

The clinking sound cut through the chatter, and gradually, the room fell silent. All eyes turned to Alex, who flashed his signature charming smile.

“Good evening, everyone!” Alex greeted the crowd, his voice carrying easily through the room. “Thank you all for coming tonight. Now, I have to confess, this event was a bit spontaneous, so think of it as a sneak peek—like a spoiler for a blockbuster movie. Those of you here are the lucky ones, and those who missed it… well, it’s their loss!”

Laughter rippled through the crowd, and Claire had to work hard not to roll her eyes. Alex always knew how to work a room.

“Tonight, I’m thrilled to announce something that’s been in the works for a while. Harris Hotel is partnering with Metacortex to bring you a brand-new hotel in Las Vegas,” Alex continued, his voice full of enthusiasm. “But I won’t spoil everything tonight. No sneak peeks at the whole hotel… but maybe just a little teaser of what’s inside.”

The crowd’s interest was piqued, murmurs of curiosity sweeping through the room. Alex turned to Claire, giving her a slight nod. “Claire, take it away.”

Claire stepped forward, taking the mic with a playful smirk. “Thank you, Alex, for that very… entertaining introduction. Good evening, everyone. I’m Claire Peterson, CEO of Metacortex, and tonight, as Alex said, we have a little spoiler for you.”

As soon as she finished her sentence, the room suddenly went dark. The guests gasped, and a ripple of excitement ran through the crowd. In the center of the room, a soft blue light appeared, followed by the unveiling of an invisible monitor—like something straight out of an Iron Man movie. The display floated in the air, visible from every angle. Claire couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride. It had been her idea, and her team had brought it to life perfectly, using angles and light reflections to create the stunning effect.

She could hear the guests whispering among themselves, clearly impressed and intrigued. Claire and Alex walked down from the stage, and as they did, Claire raised the mic to her lips again. “Ladies and gentlemen, what you’re seeing right now is the future of luxury hospitality—meet the robots that will assist you at the Harris Hotel.”

The room buzzed with chatter as Claire continued, “But these aren’t just any robots. They’re designed to help with whatever you need, whenever you need it. And the brains behind it all? Cortex 2.0, the newest and most advanced software we’ve ever developed.”

A round of applause erupted from the crowd, and Claire couldn’t help but smile. It felt good to see everyone so impressed. With a subtle gesture, she signaled for the lights to come back on, and the room was once again bathed in a warm glow.

Claire and Alex returned to the stage, and Alex took the mic. “This hotel is going to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.”

“Thank you all for coming tonight,” Alex added, his tone warm and appreciative. “We’re excited to share this journey with you, and we can’t wait to show you more in the coming months.”

As the applause died down, the guests began to mingle again, the excitement in the room palpable. Claire took a moment to breathe, feeling the rush of adrenaline from the successful presentation.

“Well, that went well,” Alex said with a grin, still buzzing from the excitement of being on stage. He stood next to Claire as they both stepped off the stage, his energy almost palpable.

Claire nodded, shooting him a small smile. “It was a success,” she said in her usual professional tone.

Alex blinked, taken aback. Wait, did Claire Peterson just smile at me? That had to be a first. Alex thought to himself. Before he could say anything—maybe something clever, or maybe just to confirm he wasn’t imagining things—a familiar voice interrupted.

“Alex!” Joan’s voice was filled with pride as she hugged her son. “I'm so proud of you!”

Right beside her was Abigail, who quickly followed suit, giving Alex a congratulatory hug. “You did amazing up there!” she said, beaming.

“Claire! That presentation was fantastic. You really outdid yourself,” Adrian said with a genuine smile.

Claire smiled back, though it was starting to feel a bit forced. “Thank you, Adrian.”

But then, out of nowhere, something felt… off. Claire’s smile wavered as a wave of dizziness hit her. She blinked rapidly, trying to shake it off. The room seemed to spin slightly, and a nauseous feeling crept up on her.

“Excuse me,” she murmured to Adrian, trying to keep her composure. “I need to go to the restroom.”

She turned quickly, but the dizziness only worsened. Her head felt heavy, and her vision started to blur. The sounds of the ballroom became muffled, and a loud ringing in her ears drowned out everything else. What was happening to her?

Claire pushed her way through the crowd, her steps unsteady. She barely made it out of the ballroom when her whole body started trembling. Panic surged through her as she realized something was seriously wrong.

It felt like she was being poisoned—no, that couldn’t be right. Could it?

Her hand shook as she accidentally dropped her clutch. She looked around, but the hallway was spinning, and she had no idea where she was anymore. Desperation clawed at her as she tried to take a step forward, but her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor.

Claire’s mind raced, struggling to make sense of the situation. She needed help, but her voice felt trapped in her throat. Her vision was darkening around the edges, and the last thing she saw before everything went black was the blurred shape of someone approaching her.