New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex) novel Chapter 223

He stepped further into the room, his eyes narrowing at Matthew. “What are you doing here, Matthew? Where's Claire?”

Matthew leaned back in his chair, looking far too comfortable for Alex’s liking. “I could ask you the same thing,” he said with a smirk, clearly enjoying whatever game he thought they were playing.

Alex, however, was not in the mood for games. He stepped inside the office, letting the door close with a soft click behind him, and walked purposefully toward Matthew. “Where is Claire?” he repeated, his voice sharper now.

Matthew didn’t even flinch. He just stared up at Alex with a bored expression, as if Alex’s presence was the least interesting thing happening in his day. “Why do you want to know?” he asked, his tone just shy of condescending.

Alex’s frown deepened, annoyance bubbling under the surface. “I need to see her,” he said coldly. “I need to talk to her.”

“Well, she’s not here,” Matthew replied with a shrug, as if that was the end of the discussion.

“Where is she?” Alex demanded, his patience wearing thin.

Matthew leaned forward slightly, connecting his fingers on the desk as he stared directly into Alex’s eyes. “And what’s so important that you need to talk to her? If it’s business, you can tell me, and I’ll make sure she gets the message.”

Alex bristled at the suggestion. “I’m not here to play telephone with you, Matthew. I need to speak to Claire directly. I don’t need you to be the owl delivering messages.”

Matthew’s cool demeanor started to crack as irritation flickered in his eyes. “I’m busy, Alex. If you don’t have anything important to say, maybe you should just leave.”

Alex scoffed, the sound full of disdain. “You don’t like me, do you?”

Matthew raised his eyebrows, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Did you just notice?”

Alex rolled his eyes, clearly done with the back-and-forth. “You can hate me all you want, Matthew. But you don’t have the right to decide who can or cannot talk to Claire.”

He turned on his heels, his hand reaching for the door handle. But just before he stepped out, he glanced back at Matthew, a slight smirk playing on his lips. “If it weren’t for my help, you wouldn’t have found Claire in the basement.” And with that, he walked out of the office, leaving Matthew fuming in his seat.

Matthew clenched his fists, the irritation coursing through him like wildfire. As much as he hated to admit it, Alex wasn’t wrong. When Claire was missing last night, Matthew had been so overwhelmed with panic that he couldn’t think straight. He’d needed Alex’s help, and that stung him more than he cared to admit. But that didn’t change how he felt about Alex getting anywhere near Claire.

Matthew stood up, pacing the length of the office as his frustration simmered. He knew Alex’s type all too well charming on the outside, but nothing but trouble beneath the surface. The kind of trouble that would only end up hurting Claire, and Matthew wasn’t about to let that happen.

Alex stormed out of the Metacortex building, his mood sourer than a lemon soaked in vinegar. He had come all this way to talk to Claire, only to find out she wasn’t even there. To make matters worse, Matthew acting like he has every access into Claire's life and it annoys Alex. He couldn't believe that Claire would put her trust on a guy like him.

With a frustrated huff, Alex yanked open the door to his car and slid into the driver’s seat. He let his head fall back against the headrest, staring at the ceiling for a moment as if it held the answers to all his problems.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t.