New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex) novel Chapter 410

The next morning, Cindy’s phone rang, flashing Eligos’s name. She picked up, slightly taken aback—she hadn’t expected him to call, much less ask her to meet. “Come to Café Lumiere, near High Street. I’ll text you the address,” Eligos’s voice drawled over the line, sounding both mysterious and matter-of-fact.

Cindy frowned. “Why?”

“Because I want to talk to you.”

“Now?” Cindy sat up from the bed and leaned her head behind the headboard.

“Of course, today. Why would I call you if I want to see you tomorrow? I could’ve done it tomorrow.” He said as a matter of fact.

Cindy’s curiosity piqued, but she kept it cool. “Alright, fine, guess I’ll see you there,” she said, only half-believing it. She couldn’t deny she was curious—Eligos was a strange one, to say the least. Plus, he seemed to know a lot about Claire, and that alone was enough to get her interested.

After a quick change into something casual but stylish, Cindy headed to the café. It was a cozy, hidden spot with old wooden tables and plants dangling from the ceiling. She scanned the room, expecting Eligos to be lurking in a corner, but there was no sign of him. She checked her phone, wondering if she was in the wrong place.

After a good five minutes of scanning the crowd and wondering if he’d stood her up, she sighed and took a seat, ordering herself a coffee. Maybe this was all just a waste of time. He hadn’t even shown up! Her patience was slipping fast, so she tried calling him, but the line kept ringing.

As she stewed, a waiter suddenly appeared beside her, setting down a drink she hadn’t ordered. Cindy looked at the drink, puzzled, and the waiter leaned in, speaking in a low voice, “This is from someone. There’s a napkin under it—best open it.”

Rolling her eyes, Cindy picked up the napkin, half expecting to see some corny message, but instead, an earpiece dropped onto her lap. “Seriously?” she muttered, tempted to ignore it but ultimately slipping it into her ear.

Almost immediately, she heard a familiar voice. “Good afternoon, Cindy, so glad you could make it,” Eligos’ smooth tone came through, and she bit back a smile.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Are you serious? Why the cloak and dagger? You woke me up early in the morning just for this? You could have just called me instead if this is how our meeting is supposed to go.” she whispered, taking a sip of the drink.

“Yes, yes, I’m quite serious. However, I did not expect this as well. Just found out a few hours ago.” Eligos replied, calm as ever. “Someone’s watching you, likely on Claire Peterson’s orders. You really got under her skin last night, didn’t you?”

She grinned, holding back a laugh. “Oh, I was just doing my job. She practically handed me the chance to make her paranoid.”

Eligos chuckled. “Well done. It’s exactly that energy I need from you. Now, what did you say to her?”

Cindy leaned back, swirling her drink and keeping her face neutral. “Nothing much. Just dropped a little line about knowing her ‘secrets.’ I don’t even know what they are, but it’s not like I care. The way she looked at me? Worth it.”

“Bravo,” Eligos praised, sounding genuinely impressed. “Now, listen closely. Lay low for a while. I’ll reach out with the next step when it’s time. And—oh, congratulations—you’ve got a photoshoot tomorrow. Consider it a little perk from working with me.”

Cindy’s eyes widened in excitement. She almost jumped up but quickly remembered she was supposed to be subtle. She bit her lip, trying to contain her enthusiasm. “Really? I mean... yeah, alright, I’ll stay calm. Thanks.”

“Whoever’s watching doesn’t need to see you jumping for joy.”

She managed a composed nod, muttering, “Got it. Thanks for the heads-up. Anything else?”

“Good. And don’t do anything that could get you noticed. We are on a tight schedule, and we can’t afford any mistakes,” Eligos reminded her.