New beginning: Billionaire love story

Claire was wrapping up her day at the office, organizing her things and getting ready to head over to the restaurant Alexander had booked for the celebration. She slung her bag over her shoulder, about to leave, when the door to her office creaked open. It was Adrian,

standing there with a wide grin and holding a single flower in his hand.

Claire smiled, a little surprised but happy to see him. She walked toward him, eyes flicking from the flower to his face. "Is that for me?" she asked, already knowing the answer but teasing him a little.

Adrian handed her the flower, his smile not fading. "Congrats on that presentation today. You killed it!"

Claire blushed, taking the flower from him and holding it to her nose. "Thank you, Adrian. How did you know about it?"

He chuckled, leaning against her desk like he owned the place. "I know everything, remember?" he whispered like it was some grand secret.

Claire rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. "Right, of course, how could I forget?"

Adrian straightened up a little, his expression turning apologetic. "Sorry I couldn't come by earlier, though. Got caught up with some stuff."noveldrama

Claire waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine, no big deal. You're here now."

He glanced at the clock on the wall, tilting his head. "So, where are you headed? It's still a bit early to call it a night."

"Oh, Alexander booked a restaurant for the team," Claire replied, slipping the flower into her bag. "We're celebrating the success of the presentation."

Adrian raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of skepticism. "How nice of him. Alexander throwing a party? That's a first."

Claire smirked, catching the edge in his tone. "Who knows. Maybe he feels satisfied with the presentation."

"Hmm, well, I guess I'll let you head off then," Adrian said, though he didn't make any move to leave. "I'll head home. Just wanted to drop by."

Claire hesitated for a second, feeling bad that he came all this way just to leave again. "Actually, why don't you come with me?"

Adrian blinked, looking a little caught off guard. "To the dinner? Are you sure that's okay? I mean, I'm not exactly part of the team."

Claire shrugged, smiling softly. "It's just dinner, Adrian. No big deal."

He thought about it for a second, then nodded. "Alright, if you insist."

They headed down to the lobby together, chatting lightly as they went. When they got outside, Adrian opened the passenger door of his car for her with a playful bow. "Your chariot, my lady."

Claire rolled her eyes again but laughed as she got in. The drive took about 30 minutes, with the two of them talking and laughing along the way. When they finally arrived at the Pier Restaurant, Claire stepped inside and immediately noticed how quiet it was. It was almost too quiet. Only her team was there, scattered around a long table. Alexander was seated at the head, with Abigail next to him.

As they approached, Claire's team greeted her, and she smiled, nodding at them as she made her way over to Alexander. His face lit up when he saw her, but the moment he spotted Adrian by her side, his expression darkened.

"What's he doing here?" Alexander asked, his voice low but clearly annoyed.

Claire blinked, not expecting such a cold reaction. "I invited him," she said, her tone firm but calm.

Alexander narrowed his eyes. "He's not part of the team, Claire. And who knows? He might snitch on the project."

Claire rolled her eyes, the tension creeping into her shoulders. "You're being paranoid, Alexander. I trust Adrian. He wouldn't do that."

Alexander scoffed, clearly not convinced, but he didn't push it further. He just muttered under his breath, "Still don't like it."

Claire changed the subject, glancing around the empty restaurant. "Why is the place so empty?"

Alexander leaned back in his chair, looking rather pleased with himself. "I booked the whole restaurant. Thought it'd be nice to have the place to ourselves."

Claire frowned, not entirely on board with the idea. "Isn't that a bit... much? People are going to notice. It'll just make them more curious."

Alexander waved her concern away, rolling his eyes. "Relax, Claire. Everything will be fine. Stop being so paranoid." He smirked, using her own words against her. Before Claire could argue, Stephen approached their table, looking a bit nervous. "Ms. Peterson, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Claire glanced at Alexander, who looked annoyed, but she nodded at Stephen and followed him to a quiet corner.

"I just wanted to thank you," Stephen said, his voice low. "For trusting me with this project. I know I wasn't sure at first, but I really appreciate you giving me a chance." Claire smiled, her expression softening. "You've been great, Stephen. I knew you had the skills we needed."

Stephen looked a little bashful but grateful. "Thanks, Ms. Peterson."

Claire chuckled, leaning in slightly as she whispered, "You're welcome anytime to Cryptonic. Just keep it a secret, okay?"

Claire leaned back in her chair and thanked Abigail for her help earlier. Abigail smiled and waved it off. "No problem, Claire. You did all the hard work."

Claire shook her head. "No, you help a lot of Abigail without you, the robot would not happen."

The dining room buzzed with

laughter and the clinking of

silverware, as Abigail, Claire, and

Adrian were having a lively

conversation. Adrian was cracking jokes, Abigail was giggling, and

Claire was smiling, clearly enjoying herself. The only person who wasn't joining in was Alexander He sat at the head of the table, frowning as if someone had just insulted his favorite tie.

Alexander's eyes kept flickering over to Adrian, clearly not thrilled about him being there. After all, Adrian

wasn't invited to the dinner. Claire t

had brought him along, and Alexander wasn't happy about it. But what annoyed him even more was that Claire and Abigail seemed to be having a great time with Adrian, laughing and chatting, completely ignoring his sour mood.

Matthew, always the cheerful one, wandered over to their table with a grin. He was holding a glass of wine and leaned over Alexander's chair "Hey, Alex, what's with the frown, buddy? You look like someone stole your dessert," Matthew teased,

giving Alexander a light pat on the

back.

Alexander's frown deepened. Instead of answering, he speared a piece of lasagna from his plate and shoved it into his mouth, chewing in silence. Matthew chuckled at the clear brush-off but turned to Adrian instead. "So, Adrian, how'd you end up here tonight?" Matthew asked, clearly aware of the tension. Before Adrian could answer, Claire jumped in with a casual wave of her hand.

"I invited him," she said with a shrug as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"In which he shouldn't have come," said Alexander who drank his wine.

Claire raised her brows in curiosity. "You have a problem with that? I thought you were okay with it."

The two of them have a stare in contest and Abigail along with Adrian looked at them confused. Whereas Matthew is used of this scene.