New beginning: Billionaire love story

Claire didn't have much time to think. As she made her way back to her car, the skies above darkened ominously, and just as she slid into the driver's seat, the rain began to pour.

It was as if the heavens were mirroring the storm inside her mind-a constant swirl of emotions she couldn't quite untangle. The wipers cleared the windshield, but they didn't quite manage to clear the cloudiness in her thoughts.

She started the car and slowly pulled out of the cemetery, her tires crunching against the wet gravel. The streets outside were quiet, and the rain was relentless, blurring the world outside her windows into a muted wash of grays.

Claire felt the weight of the day-of everything she had faced in the past weeks-pressing down on her. But despite the heaviness in her chest, she focused on the road ahead, driving back to Metacortex with one goal mind: she needed to get back to work.

Robert Robertson, far away in his office at the Venus AMD building, had other plans. He sat in a large leather chair, the glow of his computer screen casting an eerie light on his face. His fingers tapped idly against the desk as his mind raced.

He had just received a call from the person he had hired months ago to keep an eye on Claire. The news was significant-Claire had visited the cemetery of her parents, something that had remained a mystery to him until now. It was a small victory for Robert, a piece of the puzzle he had been working on for so long, and he couldn't help but feel a rush of satisfaction.

Claire Peterson's life had always been a game to him, and he was always one step ahead, watching, waiting. He was playing the long game. But now, with her parents' resting place discovered, he could tighten his grip.noveldrama

He grabbed his phone and dialed the number of the man who had given him the update.

"Keep an eye on her, but be subtle," Robert said into the receiver. "I don't want her catching on that we're watching her. Keep it lowkey."

His voice was calm, but there was a palpable edge to it. Robert wasn't one to leave anything to chance, especially with someone like Claire. He had waited years to finally get close enough to disrupt her life, and he wasn't about to let her slip from his grasp now.

He hung up the phone and sat back in his chair, his thoughts swirling. He had spent months-almost years trying to figure out where her parents had been buried, and now that he knew, it felt like he had taken another step closer to his ultimate goal. Claire had always been the perfect puzzle, elusive and untouchable. But now, with one more secret uncovered, he could feel the pieces falling into place. Before Robert could delve deeper into his plans, the door to his office suddenly burst open. Frank, the CEO of Venus AMD, stood in the doorway, his usual tense expression replacing the usual swagger. Robert raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking up from the desk.

"Frank, what can I help you with?"

Frank didn't waste any time. "I need to know about that tech employee I told you to find. The one who's supposed to be helping with the robot project. Where are they? I've got a lot of work to do, and I don't want to lose to Claire Peterson. You know that."

Robert put his phone down, suppressing a sigh. Frank always had a way of barging into his office like it was his own. He had been helpful in the past-mostly with the robot project-but his behavior was starting to get under Robert's skin.

With a slight smile, Robert leaned back in his chair, keeping his tone casual. "Don't worry, Frank. I've already found some of the people you need for the project. The tech employee you were looking for is ready to work. You can go ahead and continue with your project."

Frank's eyes lit up, the tension in his posture easing slightly. "Good," he said, nodding. "Finally. I'm glad you didn't leave me hanging."

He moved to the door, but then he paused and turned back to Robert. "You know, getting you away from Claire Peterson wasn't such a bad idea after all. I wasn't sure at first, but now it seems like everything's falling into place, right? You've got her cornered. It's only a matter of time before she's out of the picture entirely. And once that happens, we're going to be sitting pretty."

Robert gave a small, nonchalant

smile as he looked at Frank. He was right-things were going according to plan, even if the plan had taken longer than expected. But Frank's words, however casual, struck

nerve Robert didn't like

reminded of the fact that he had once been involved with Claire in more than just business. It had been a long time since their tangled relationship had fallen apart, but the bitterness of it still lingered in the back of his mind.

"Thanks, Frank," Robert replied, his voice tinged with a bit of irony.

Frank left the room and Robert let out a breath, feeling the tension lift slightly. But as the door clicked

shut, he rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath.

"I'm starting to dislike that man more and more every day."

Robert starting to realize how obnoxious Frank might be. But despite it all, Frank was the one who gave Robert a chance and offered him to work on Venus when Robert's career was almost over due to Claire's investigation and curiosity.

Robert stood up, stretching his legs before moving to his desk to gather his thoughts. He thought about Claire again. He needs to know and maybe give Claire a warning one day if she decides to ruin Robert's career again maybe he will bring up the topic of her dead parents.

Winnie sat quietly in her car, the

engine idling softly as the evening shadows stretched across the street. Her eyes were focused on the front entrance of the ward, a place she hadn't expected to visit but now found herself watching intently. Claire hadn't asked her to do this. In fact, Claire probably didn't even know Winnie was here. But there was something about this woman, Evelyn, that Winnie couldn't shake.

The nagging feeling in her gut told her something was off, and that was enough for her to act. Winnie was no stranger to digging a little deeper when something didn't sit right with her. She had done it before, though never quite like this. This wasn't about business; it wasn't about her personal life-it was about Claire. And when it came to Claire, Winnie would do anything to protect her, even if Claire didn't know about it.

She glanced down at the time on her phone. It was getting late-later than she had expected. Evelyn had yet to show up, and Winnie was starting to wonder if maybe she had made a mistake in thinking anything was strange about her.

Maybe Evelyn was just another name, just another person in a long line of those who came and went through this place. But deep down, Winnie knew something wasn't right. She had seen Claire's face when she mentioned the name Evelyn, seen the flicker of unease in her eyes, the hesitation. Winnie's grip on the steering wheel tightened. She had to know more.

Her eyes darted to the rearview mirror as she checked the street behind her. There were no cars in sight. The world around her was oddly quiet, the kind of quiet that made you feel like you were the only one left on earth. She shifted in her seat, preparing to drive off. Maybe this was all just paranoia. Maybe she was just overthinking things.

But then, she saw it. A sleek black car pulled up to the entrance of the ward, its tires crunching softly on the gravel. Winnie's heart skipped a beat, and her instincts flared. She was about to leave, but this-this was exactly what she had been waiting for. The car parked, and the door opened, revealing a woman whom Winnie could only assume was Evelyn.

Winnie squinted, trying to get a better look, her curiosity piqued. The woman stepped out of the car, looking around cautiously before walking towards the entrance of the ward. But something caught Winnie's attention the woman was dressed in an elegant coat and heels, her demeanor calm, almost too calm for someone entering a place that didn't accept visitors at night.

Winnie's mind raced. Why was she here? The ward was closed to visitors after hours. The only people who came here at night were staff or emergency responders. Yet this woman had just arrived without any hesitation, walking like she owned the place. It didn't sit right with Winnie. Not one bit.

She couldn't just sit there. She had to find out more. Without thinking twice, Winnie threw the car into the park and pulled the keys out of the ignition.

She grabbed her phone and stuffed it into her pocket before getting out of the car. Her feet felt heavy like they were dragging her toward the unknown, but her resolve was stronger than any doubt that tried to creep into her mind.