New beginning: Billionaire love story

The whole situation with Claudia and Alexander had finally simmered down. Claudia had reluctantly deleted the video accusing Alexander of mistreating his employees, and Alexander? Well, he made sure the world saw the apology video. Claudia's smeared makeup, her

voice cracking, the tears that probably weren't real-all of it had been broadcast for the public to feast on.

Claire had to admit, it was a sight to behold.

Sitting at her desk, she scrolled through the comments on the video. Some people were utterly confused, wondering how this random drama had erupted between Claudia and Alexander. It had all come out of nowhere for the public, who had no clue what really went down behind the scenes.

Claire chuckled as she read a particularly savage comment, "Is that a makeup tutorial gone wrong or an apology video?!"

Most of the comments weren't kind to Claudia. Her smudged makeup became a symbol of her downfall, and people couldn't stop talking about it. There were even memes being made. Only a small handful of people were defending her, but the majority were shaming her, calling her the real problem in this whole situation.

"Claudia, the saint? Yeah, right!" someone wrote. Claire couldn't help but feel a little victorious. This was karma at its finest.

But as the day went on, Claire's thoughts drifted from the chaos surrounding Claudia to something else something a little more personal. Matthew's words from the other night kept echoing in her head, and she knew she couldn't just keep putting it off. Adrian had confessed his feelings to her in Paris, and she had been turning it over in her mind ever since. It wasn't fair to keep him waiting, and deep down, she knew she had to talk to him.

After a long day of mulling it over, she finally picked up her phone and dialed Adrian's number. It rang once. Then twice. On the second ring, Adrian answered.

"Hey, Claire," he said, his voice warm and familiar.

For some reason, Claire's heart started racing, and she suddenly felt nervous. "Hey... um, I think we should talk," she said, her voice a little shaky.

Adrian didn't miss a beat. "Sure, where do you want to meet?"

Claire rattled off the address of a small, cozy restaurant she liked. "How about there?"

"Sounds perfect," Adrian replied. "I'll see you there."

Hanging up, Claire took a deep breath. She stood up, smoothing down her dress, and grabbed her purse. She wasn't entirely sure what she was going to say, but she knew she couldn't avoid this conversation any longer.

As she headed toward the elevator, Matthew spotted her, his face lighting up instantly. "Wait, are you actually doing it?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear.

Claire rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. "Yes, Matthew. I'm meeting Adrian."

"Oh man, this is exciting!" Matthew's excitement was almost contagious, and Claire couldn't help but laugh.

"You're way too invested in this," she teased as they both stepped into the elevator.

"I'm just saying, it's about time," Matthew said, leaning against the wall of the elevator. "And don't be nervous. Just be yourself."

Claire raised an eyebrow, turning to him. "The way you're talking, it's like I'm about to get married or something."

Matthew flashed a lopsided grin. "Hey, who knows? Maybe it'll lead to that."

Claire rolled her eyes again, but she couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face. "Please. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

As the elevator doors opened, Matthew shot her a playful wink. "Seriously though, just be you. Adrian already likes you. The hard part's over."

They walked out of the building, and Matthew offered to give her a ride. Claire hesitated for a second but then nodded. "Sure, why not."

The drive was filled with light chatter, but as they got closer to the restaurant, Claire could feel her anxiety creeping in. It wasn't just nerves-it was something deeper. After her messy divorce from Alexander, the whole concept of love felt complicated. She wasn't as confident in that area anymore, and the fact that someone like Adrian actually liked her had been a bit of a surprise.

Matthew pulled up in front of the restaurant and turned to her, his expression softening. "Alright, last bit of advice-stay calm, stay collected. You've got this."

Claire nodded, offering him a small smile. "Thanks, Matthew."noveldrama

"Hey, if anything happens, you know where to find me," Matthew added, leaning out of the window as Claire stepped out of the car.

She chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I'll call you if I need backup."

With a final wave, Claire made her way inside the restaurant. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She hadn't realized how much this conversation had been weighing on her until now. But there was no turning back. This was something she had to face head-on.

Inside, the restaurant was warm and inviting, the soft lighting casting a cozy glow over everything. Claire spotted Adrian sitting at a table near the back, and as soon as their met, he stood up, smiling. That

Eyes

smile-it was both co same and

nerve-wracking at the same time.

"Hey," Adrian said as she approached.

"Hey," Claire replied, feeling a little more relaxed as she sat down across from him.

For a moment, there was silence, the kind that felt both comfortable and tense at the same time. Adrian looked at her with those gentle eyes, the ones that had seen her through some of the toughest moments in her life. "So..." Claire started, her voice trailing off as she searched for the right words.

Adrian leaned in slightly, giving her his full attention. "It's okay, take your time."

Claire let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "I've been thinking a lat since Paris," she admitted her fingers fidgeting with the napkin in front of her. "And I don't want to make you wait forever. You've been really patient with me, and I appreciate that."

Adrian's expression was understanding, but there was a hint of curiosity too. "Claire, I told you I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to rush."

"I know," she said quickly. "But it's not fair to you. And to be honest, I've been avoiding it because..." She hesitated, then decided to just say it. "Because I'm scared."

Adrian looked surprised but didn't interrupt. He just listened.

"After everything that happened with Alexander, I'm not exactly confident when it comes to relationships," Claire continued. "I didn't expect to feel this way again, and honestly, it caught me off guard."

Adrian smiled gently. "I get that. But you don't have to have it all figured out right now. We can take it slow. I just want to be with you, whatever that looks like."

Claire felt a wave of relief wash over her. Adrian wasn't pushing, wasn't demanding anything from her. He was just... there. Supportive, patient, understanding. She smiled, finally feeling some of the tension melt away. "Thank you. That means a lot."

Adrian reached across the table, his hand resting on hers. "No pressure, Claire. Just us. One step at a time."

Claire squeezed his hand, feeling a warmth she hadn't felt in a long time. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something good.