New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex) novel Chapter 488

Claire and Sandra boarded the sleek private jet, the hum of its engines a constant reminder of the journey ahead. Sandra, excited yet trying to appear composed, looked around, marveling at the luxurious interior.

Claire, on the other hand, was deep in thought, her mind occupied with strategies and the upcoming meeting in Las Vegas. She had decided to bring Sandra along, entrusting Matthew with keeping an eye on both Metacortex and Cryptonic. The hope was that Eligos would stay under the radar, at least for a few days.

Once settled in her seat, Claire’s phone buzzed, interrupting her thoughts. Claire, on the other hand, seemed distracted. Her phone buzzed on the armrest, pulling her attention away from the documents she was skimming through.

She checked the caller ID and rolled her eyes. It was Matthew Finnegan. Despite the slight annoyance, a small smile tugged at her lips. She was relieved he was still looking out for her, even if it bordered on overprotectiveness.

Answering the call, Claire’s tone was deliberately bored. “Matthew, what is it now?”

"Claire, just checking in," Matthew’s voice was cheerful, but there was an undertone of worry. "Are you sure you don’t want another person to accompany you? Just in case?"

Her eyebrows raised at the mention of “accompany”. “Hmm…who is this person you are referring to that will accompany me?”

“I don’t know but maybe for an instance, me? I mean I have quite a lot of free time though and I bet I will be very useful to you.”

Claire sighed, leaning back in her seat. "For the last time, Matthew, I’ll be fine. Sandra’s with me, and I don’t need a babysitter."

Matthew, undeterred, continued, "I know you can handle yourself, but... humor me. I just want to make sure you’re safe."

Claire couldn’t help but smile slightly. Despite his annoying persistence, she appreciated his protective nature. "Look, I’m not going to do anything reckless unless I have no other choice. You need to focus on recovering and keeping things under control on your end. Remember Metacortex and Cryptonic will be in your hand."

"I know, I know," Matthew said, his tone softening. "I just feel guilty, you know, leaving you to deal with all this, especially with Andre showing up out of the blue."

"Don’t," Claire replied firmly. "We’re a team, Matthew. You’re doing what you can, and so am I. We’ll get through this."

"Okay," Matthew finally relented. "Just... stay safe, alright? And let me know if you need anything."

"Will do," Claire said, her voice gentler now. "Take care of yourself, Matthew. I’ll see you soon."

As the call ended, Claire exhaled deeply, closing her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts. Sandra, sitting across from her, noticed Claire’s subtle change in demeanor.

"Matthew again?" Sandra asked a hint of amusement in her voice.

Claire opened her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, he’s just being his usual overprotective self."

Sandra smiled. "It’s nice to have someone who cares that much. Not everyone is so lucky."

Claire gave a small smile, appreciating Sandra’s perspective. "True. But sometimes, I wish he’d back off just a little."

The two women shared a brief laugh before settling into a comfortable silence, each lost in her own thoughts as the jet prepared for take off.

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Alexander was already on the ground, his plane having landed smoothly just an hour ago. As he looked out the car window, watching the bright lights of the city flash by, his mind was elsewhere. The conversation he had with Claire earlier in the week played back in his head. He knew she would refuse his offer to fly together, but he asked anyway, a part of him hoping for a different answer.

"Thinking about Claire again?" Christian’s voice broke through his thoughts. Alexander’s right-hand man had a knack for reading him, much to Alexander’s chagrin.