New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex) novel Chapter 244

Talia and Christian's date was going splendidly. The restaurant buzzed around them, but they were in their own little world, laughing at something silly Christian had just said. Their plates of tiramisu were nearly empty, with just a few bites left as they savored the sweet, creamy dessert.

Christian leaned back in his chair, grinning. “So, Talia, which tiramisu do you like more? This one or the one you had in Italy?”

Talia chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Oh, come on, Christian. You know Italy is known for its tiramisu it was obviously better. That tiramisu was like a cloud! But,” she added quickly, not wanting to hurt his feelings, “this one’s pretty good too. I mean, it’s not every day you get decent tiramisu outside of Italy, right?”

Christian laughed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s hard to compete with Italian tiramisu.” He paused for a moment, his eyes locking with hers. “Are you enjoying the date?”

Talia made a show of pretending to think it over, tapping her chin and making a silly face. “Hmm, let me see… good food, great company… yeah, I’d say I’m enjoying it,” she said with a teasing smile.

Christian laughed, feeling a warm, fuzzy feeling spread through his chest. He loved seeing her like this—happy, carefree, and joking around. They finished their dessert, chatting about everything and nothing, and then finally got up to leave.

As they stepped outside, the cool night air greeted them, and Christian was about to lead the way to his car when he felt a gentle tug on his hand. He turned to see Talia looking up at him, her cheeks slightly pink, a shy look on her face.

“Christian,” she started, her voice a little hesitant. “There's something I want to tell you. It’s about this plan Claire and Adrian made.”

Christian raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “You mean the plan you said was confidential? You didn’t have to tell me about it.”

Talia nodded, biting her lip nervously. “Yeah, that one. But... I want you to know about it. I want you to come.”

Christian’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Are you sure?” he asked, trying to read her expression. “You don’t have to tell me if it’s a secret. I don’t want you to feel pressured.”

Talia gazed into his eyes, sincerity shining through. “I’m sure. I trust you, Christian. And… I want you there. With me.” Her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red as she looked away, embarrassed by her own boldness.

Christian couldn’t help but smile. He reached out and gently lifted her chin, so she was looking at him again. “In that case, I’d love to come,” he said softly. “You can count me in.”

A huge smile broke out on Talia’s face, and before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around him in a big hug. She quickly realized what she’d done and stepped back, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, fumbling with her fingers.

“Thank you, Christian. Really.”

Christian chuckled, finding her nervousness endearing. “You’re welcome, Talia. Anytime.” He slipped an arm around her waist as they headed toward his car. “So, tell me all about this plan,” he said, steering the conversation back to a more comfortable topic.

Meanwhile, back at the Harris family banquet, Claire was in a conversation with Alex’s parents. She was doing her best to keep the small talk going, despite how much she wanted to escape. Joan Harris was all smiles, looking every bit the elegant socialite. She turned to Claire with a friendly, concerned expression.

“Claire, darling, how are you? You look wonderful, but I hope you’re not overworking yourself,” Joan said, her eyes sweeping over Claire with motherly concern.

Claire returned Joan’s smile with one of her own, although hers was a bit more restrained. “I’m fine, really. Just busy, as usual,” she said, keeping her tone light. She didn’t want to get into any heavy topics tonight.

Joan tilted her head, looking at Claire a bit more closely. “You’ve lost some weight, haven’t you? Are you taking care of yourself, dear?”