New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex) novel Chapter 321

Meanwhile, Alexander was pacing behind the stage, looking completely frazzled. His secretary stood nearby, her notepad in hand, looking just as rattled.

“I need you to find out who that woman was,” Alexander said sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Now.”

The secretary nodded, wide-eyed, and immediately started typing furiously on her phone.

Christian, his business partner, approached from the other side of the stage, arms crossed and looking concerned. “What the hell just happened? Who was that woman?”

Alexander shot him an annoyed glance. “If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking my secretary to investigate, would I?”

Christian raised an eyebrow, not convinced. “You sure this wasn’t some kind of stunt? The timing was too weird.”

“Believe me, I have no idea who she was. But I’m about to find out.” Alexander sighed in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Listen, I need you to stay here. Cover for me. Claire and I are about to have a...discussion back at her office.”

Before Christian could respond, Alexander marched toward the exit. A small group of journalists had gathered by the door, but he didn’t give them a second glance. He walked straight past them, ignoring their calls for comments, and got into his car, slamming the door behind him.

Back inside, Claire was just finishing up with the last of the guests when Adrian approached her. He had a calm, reassuring presence that Claire was grateful for, even though she wasn’t in the mood to talk.

“I’m coming with you,” Adrian said simply.

Claire is not in the mood to argue after the sudden interruption. She didn’t have the energy to argue either. “Fine,” she muttered, nodding as she made her way to the door.

Inside the backseat of the car, Adrian kept sneaking glances at Claire, whose face was still scrunched up with anger. Her lips were pressed into a tight line, and her arms were crossed as if she was trying to keep herself from blowing up. The silence was heavy, broken only by the soft hum of the car’s engine. Adrian sighed softly and turned to her.

“How are you feeling?” he asked gently, trying not to make things worse.

Claire let out a heavy sigh, leaning her head back against the seat. “This is not how I wanted my press release to end, Adrian,” she muttered, clearly still upset. Her eyes were fixed on the roof of the car, probably wishing she could be anywhere else but here.

Adrian gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m sure there’s an explanation for all of this,” he said, though his voice sounded a little uncertain.

Claire sighed again, longer this time, rubbing her temples. “That’s what I hope for,” she replied quietly, staring out the window.

The ride back to Metacortex was painfully long. Every red light felt like an eternity, and Claire was on the verge of pulling her hair out at how much time they were wasting just sitting there.

Thirty minutes passed, each second more unbearable than the last, but finally, they pulled up in front of the sleek, towering building. The moment the car stopped, Claire didn’t wait—she practically jumped out of the backseat and stormed toward the entrance, Adrian trailing closely behind her.

Just as they approached the elevator, Claire spotted Alexander standing there, arms crossed, waiting. His face was a mirror of her frustration, and though neither said a word, the tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife.

The elevator dinged open, and the three of them stepped inside. The ride up to Claire’s office was awkward, to say the least. Alexander leaned back against the wall, eyes narrowed at the floor. Claire, still fuming, had her arms crossed tightly. Adrian stood between them, his hands in his pockets, pretending not to notice the silent war brewing.