New beginning: Billionaire love story

Claire's phone hit the ground with a dull thud as she spun around, her heart pounding in her chest. The sound she had just heard-it couldn't be what she thought it was. Denial washed over her as she grabbed her phone and started toward the noise, her footsteps quickening with every second. "No, no, it can't be..." she muttered under her breath, forcing herself to believe it wasn't Adrian's car.

But as she rounded the corner, her worst fear came true. There, engulfed in flames, was Adrian's car, the heat radiating off it in waves, crackling loudly as the fire spread. Claire's stomach dropped.

"Adrian!" she screamed, her voice trembling with panic. This was the first time she had ever felt fear like this-pure, unrelenting fear. Her body went cold, but her mind was racing, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

Frantically, Claire scanned the area, her eyes darting back and forth, desperately hoping Adrian wasn't inside the car. She couldn't handle that thought. And then she saw him-his body lying by the sidewalk, a few feet away from the flames.

"Adrian!" she called again, this time her voice cracking. She sprinted toward him, her legs carrying her faster than she thought possible. When she reached him, she dropped to her knees, grabbing him by the arms and trying to pull him away from the burning car. The fire was growing, the heat becoming more intense with every second. She gritted her teeth, using every ounce of strength she had to drag Adrian's limp body farther from the wreckage. "Come on, come on!" she muttered to herself, pulling harder, her muscles screaming in protest.

Just as she managed to get them a safe distance away, the car exploded again. The blast was deafening, and Claire flinched instinctively, her body trembling from the shock. But they were far enough now-the fire wouldn't reach them here. She let out a shaky breath of relief, though her heart was still hammering wildly.

She glanced around in a daze, trying to find her phone. Where had she dropped it? Her mind was clouded with panic, unable to focus. She couldn't think straight, couldn't process what had just happened.

"Okay, okay, focus, Claire," she whispered to herself, forcing herself to stand up. Her eyes scanned the ground until they landed on her phone, a few feet away, half buried in the grass. She stumbled over to it, her hands shaking as she dialed Matthew's number.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up," she muttered under her breath, pacing anxiously as the phone rang. Every second felt like an eternity.

Finally, Matthew's voice crackled through the speaker, lighthearted as usual. "Hey, Claire! What's up? You miss me already?"

"Matthew," Claire cut him off, her voice sharp with fear. "Something's wrong. You need to come pick me up. Now."

The tone in her voice instantly changed Matthew's mood. "Claire, what happened? Are you okay?" His voice was serious now, all traces of humor gone.

"I'm at... I'm near the corner of Pine and Oak," she managed to say, her voice trembling. "Adrian's hurt. It's bad. You need to hurry."

"I'm on my way. Don't move, okay? If anything happens, call the police," Matthew said, his voice steady but urgent. Claire nodded even though he couldn't see her.

"I won't. Just... just hurry."

As soon as she hung up with Matthew, Claire immediately called for an ambulance, her fingers fumbling over the phone. Her voice was frantic as she gave them the address, barely able to string the words together. "Please, there's been an accident. My friend, he's hurt. We're at Pine and Oak," she stammered.

The operator's voice was calm, asking for more details, but Claire could hardly focus. "Just send someone, please," she begged.

Next, she dialed the police, and this time, her patience was wearing thin. The dispatcher was asking too many questions, and Claire was running out of time.

"Just listen!" Claire snapped, her tone sharp. "There's been an explosion. We need help now."

After what felt like an eternity, the police assured her they were sending officers to the scene. Claire dropped her phone, her hands still shaking, and turned her attention back to Adrian.

His head was cradled in her lap now,

and she gently brushed the hair from his face, her fingers trembling as she stroked his cheek. "Stay with me, Adrian," she whispered, he voice thick with emotion. "Please, don't leave me."

She leaned down, pressing her ear to his chest, and felt a wave of relief wash over her when she heard the faint thump of his heartbeat. He was still alive. Barely, but alive.

"Hang in there, okay? Help's coming," she whispered, though she wasn't sure if he could even hear her.

Just then, the sound of tires screeching against the pavement caught her attention. She whipped her head around and saw Matthew's familiar car pulling up fast. He jumped out, running toward her with wide eyes. "What the hell happened?" he asked, his voice tight with worry as he dropped to his knees beside her.

Claire shook her head, still in shock. "I don't know... I just... I heard the explosion, and then I saw the car... Adrian was lying there. I-I didn't know if he was inside the car or "

Matthew placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "It's okay. You got him out. You did well, Claire. You did well."

Claire blinked, her vision blurring with tears she didn't realize she was holding back. "I don't know what happened. One second everything was fine, and the next..."noveldrama

Matthew's jaw tightened as he glanced at the burning wreckage of the car. "This wasn't an accident," he muttered darkly. "Someone did this."

Claire looked at him, wide-eyed. "What? But who would-?"

Before she could finish, the distant

wail of sirens filled the air. The ambulance and police were finally on their way. But Matthew wasn't waiting around for answers. He pulled off his jacket and laid it over Adrian, keeping him warm while they waited.

"Don't worry, Claire. We'll figure this out," Matthew said, his voice firm, trying to steady her.

Claire nodded, though her heart was still racing, her mind still spinning. She stroked Adrian's hair again, whispering softly, "You're going to be okay. Just hang on."

Minutes felt like hours as they

waited, every second ticking by painfully slow. Claire kept glancing at Matthew, who stood beside her his expression tense, but

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determined. He was already thinking ahead-planning their next move, figuring out who could've done this.

Finally, the ambulance arrived, and paramedics rushed over, carefully lifting Adrian onto a stretcher. Claire stood back, watching helplessly as they worked, her hands twisting anxiously in front of her. "Will he be okay?" she asked one of the paramedics, her voice small.

"We're doing everything we can," the paramedic replied, offering her a tight-lipped smile before they loaded Adrian into the back of the ambulance.

As they prepared to leave, Claire turned to Matthew, her eyes filled with fear. "What if he doesn't make it?"

Matthew placed a hand on her shoulder, looking her straight in the eye. "He's gonna make it, Claire. He's strong. And we'll figure out who did this, I promise."

Claire swallowed hard, nodding. She believed him-or at least, she wanted to. For now, all she could do was hope.

As the ambulance pulled away, Claire stood frozen, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and fear. But deep down, a spark of anger was starting to form. Whoever had done this wasn't going to get away with it. Not on her watch.