New beginning: Billionaire love story

For hours, Eligos had been glued to his screen, his fingers tapping furiously as he scoured the internet for anything he could dig up about Claire.

He was patient-methodical, even-but the deeper he went, the more interesting things became. Most of what he found was typical; business dealings, public records, and a few harmless social media posts. But then, something caught his eye. "Huh," Eligos muttered to himself, his brows furrowing. "She has an aunt and uncle... on her dad's side?"

The fact that they weren't talking anymore made him pause. Family drama? That was always a juicy thread to pull. Eligos leaned forward, cracking his knuckles with a grin. "Let's see how deep this rabbit hole goes."

He dug deeper, scrolling through articles, obscure blogs, and anything that mentioned her family. And then, just when he thought he was coming up empty, he stumbled upon something-a gem that made him sit up straight. His eyes widened as the pieces started to fall into place.

"Oh-ho-ho," he whispered to himself, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Now, this... this is interesting." He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but if what he found was true, it would change everything.

Eligos chuckled to himself, reaching for his phone. He dialed a number, barely able to contain his excitement. When the call connected, his voice was smooth, almost smug. "Prepare the jet. I'm heading to Italy." He hung up, already imagining the look on Claire's face when he revealed what he knew.

"Perfect," he muttered under his breath, still grinning. "I've got the perfect surprise for her. Just need to find the right moment to drop it."

Meanwhile, Claire was having one of those days. The kind where everything that could possibly go wrong, did. She hadn't planned for her morning to be plastered across magazines or the news. But here she was, front and center, and for all the wrong reasons. As Claire sat in the backseat of her car, she groaned. "This is not how I thought today was gonna go."

Between finding Bruno's dead body in the trunk of that car and Adrian's explosion fiasco, her life had turned into a tabloid circus. And now? Now people were spreading rumors that she caused the explosion to get attention. Fame? She snorted at the idea. She didn't need fame.

She was just trying to date Adrian in peace, not become the next big scandal.

"Yeah, because fame is exactly what I need right now," she muttered sarcastically under her breath.

Her driver pulled up in front of her building, and she sighed as she saw the crowd of journalists swarming the entrance.

Her employees were even struggling to get into the building with all the commotion. Claire's blood boiled. It wasn't even noon, and already her day was a nightmare.

"Great," she muttered, rubbing her temples. "Just what I need."

They were gathered in droves-journalists, paparazzi, anyone with a camera or a microphone, all shouting questions as soon as her car came to a stop.

"Ms. Peterson, is it true you're behind the explosion?"

"Are you just using Adrian for publicity?"

"Do you have any comments on Bruno's death?"

"Did you and Adrian have a fight before the explosion?"

"Claire, are you planning to make a statement about your involvement?"

Claire clenched her jaw, keeping her head down as she stepped out of the car. The security team moved in quickly, forming a protective barrier around her as they escorted her inside. She didn't want to give them any more material to work with. Every facial expression she made would just fuel another rumor. Best to stay neutral.

Once she was safely inside the building, she let out a deep breath. "Unbelievable," she muttered to herself, shaking her head. The craziness of it all was starting to wear her down. She made her way to her office, glad for the brief moment of peace.

Sinking into her chair, Claire rubbed her face with her hands, trying to shake off the chaos outside. She barely had time to relax before there was a knock on her door.

"Come in," she called out, forcing a smile.

Jack, her trusted advisor and long-time colleague, walked in with a warm, fatherly smile. His wrinkled face always made Claire feel a little more grounded. "Good morning, Claire."

"Morning, Jack," she replied, offering him a small smile as he took a seat across from her.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, his tone gentle but curious.

Claire sighed, leaning back in her chair. "You've heard about the news, I'm guessing?"

Jack chuckled, shaking his head. "How could I not? It's trending everywhere."

Claire groaned. "It's all such a mess. I don't even know how it got this bad."

Jack gave her a sympathetic look. "You've been through a lot lately. And it's not like you're asking for any of this attention."

"Exactly!" Claire threw her hands up in frustration. "I don't want the attention! I just want to date Adrian in peace and maybe not have dead bodies or explosions tied to my name for once."

Jack chuckled again, though there was sympathy in his eyes. "You're a strong woman, Claire. You've dealt with worse."

"Thanks," she said, her voice softer as she nodded. "I appreciate that."

Jack leaned back, his expression growing more serious. "Around one o'clock today, the shareholders are holding a meeting."

Claire frowned. "What's the meeting about?"

Jack shrugged, clearly unsure. "No idea. It came up pretty last minute."

Claire sighed heavily. "I think I have a good idea what it's about. Thanks for letting me know, Jack." She pinched the bridge of her nose, dreading whatever fresh chaos was waiting in that meeting.

Jack stood up, smoothing his suit.

He gave her one of his signaturenoveldrama

fatherly smiles, the kind that always reassured her, even in the worst situations. “Don't be too hard on yourself, Claire. You've got a lot going on, but you're handling it better than anyone else could."

Claire smiled back, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll do my best."

With that, Jack headed for the door, pausing just before he left. "Remember, Claire-you're tougher than you think. Don't let this mess get to you."

Claire smiled up at him, grateful for his support. "Thanks, Jack. That means a lot."

With a nod, Jack made his way to the door. "Just hang in there, okay? And if you need anything, you know where to find me."

"I will," she promised, watching him

leave the office. As the door clicked

shut behind him, Claire let out a long sigh, her mind swimming with thoughts. Everything had been spiraling out of control lately, and it felt like no matter what she did, she was always in the middle of the

storm.

She looked out her office window, watching as the crowd of reporters still hovered outside like vultures, waiting for their next piece of scandalous meat. It made her blood boil, but more than that, it made her tired. "One thing at a time," Claire muttered to herself, trying to focus.

She just had to get through the

meeting, deal with the shareholders, and somehow, find a way to turn this mess around. But with Eligos plotting, Adrian recovering, and the media breathing down her neck, Claire had a feeling her day was far from over.