New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex) novel Chapter 337

Claire stormed back into her office like a hurricane, her heels clacking furiously against the floor. The door swung open, and she tossed her bag onto the couch with a dramatic flair. The poor couch groaned under the weight, but not as much as Matthew, who sat at her desk, completely startled.

His eyes widened as he took in the sight of Claire, who was clearly having a ‘day.’ “Whoa, what’s going on?” he asked, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. He had never seen her this worked up before.

Claire didn't even sit down. Nope, sitting was not happening today. Instead, she planted her hands on her hips like she was ready to take on the world—well, at least one very annoying world—and started pacing. Back and forth, back and forth. Her face was a mix of frustration and anger, and honestly, Matthew wasn't sure if she was going to explode or just keep pacing holes in the floor.

“Claire?” Matthew stood up, trying to make sense of it all, his voice more confused now than worried. “What happened?” He stepped closer, cautious as if she were a ticking time bomb.

Claire stopped dead in her tracks, right in front of him, her eyes locking onto his. The look she gave him made him flinch like he'd just stepped on a Lego. It was that intense.

“Is this...about the trial?” Matthew ventured, throwing out a wild guess. Given the look on her face, he was pretty sure he hit the nail on the head.

Claire let out a groan of pure frustration, loud enough that it could’ve shattered glass. “It’s all a mess!” she practically yelled, throwing her hands up in the air like she was surrendering to the chaos of it all.

Matthew frowned. “Okay, what exactly happened?” He could feel his stomach knotting up; if Claire was this upset, things were definitely not good.

Claire wasted no time diving into her story, her words tumbling out in a rush. “So, I gave my testimony in court today, right? Everything was going as planned. And then it was supposed to be Lisa’s turn—her lawyer was all ready to deny everything, as usual.” Claire rolled her eyes so hard, that Matthew was surprised they didn’t get stuck. “But right before the judge was about to make a decision, the court clerk ran up to him and whispered something.”

“Uh-huh...” Matthew nodded along, his eyes wide with curiosity. “And?”

Claire crossed her arms, clearly annoyed just recalling it. “Turns out the clerk had some news about Lisa.”

Matthew raised an eyebrow. “What kind of news?”

Claire sighed, clearly exhausted. “She’s in the hospital. Apparently, she tried to hurt herself.”

Matthew’s jaw dropped. “Again?”

“Again,” Claire confirmed with a nod, her frustration bubbling just below the surface. “I don’t know how she does it, but it’s like she always has a plan to avoid facing the consequences. She knows she’s going to end up in jail, so this... this is her way out.”

Matthew blinked, still trying to process everything. “Wait, so what happens now? Does this delay everything?”

Claire threw herself onto the couch, sinking into the cushions with a deep, tired sigh. “Well, after I found out about her little trip to the hospital, I went straight there to confront her. I needed to see her face. But guess what?”

Matthew shook his head, feeling like he was about to be hit with another bombshell. “What?”

“Her room was being watched.” Claire clenched her fists, clearly still furious about it. “There was an officer standing right outside her door, and no matter what I said, they wouldn’t let me in. I told them I was the victim, that I had every right to speak to her, but nope. Nada. Couldn’t get anywhere near her.”

Matthew was in disbelief. “You’re kidding me, right?”

“I wish,” Claire muttered, rubbing her temples as if she could somehow massage the stress away. “It’s like she’s playing this whole thing like a game. She’s sitting there in the hospital, knowing she’s out of reach. It’s infuriating.”