New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex)

Alex wasn't exactly thrilled about heading to work, especially after the night he'd had, but Christian had insisted. "You've got a ton of work to do," Christian had said, in that annoyingly chipper tone of his. So, here Alex was, cruising through the city streets, wishing he could be anywhere but the office. The project he'd been slaving over for weeks was almost done, and that should've been a good thing, but right now, all Alex wanted was a long nap.

As they made their way to the office, Christian who was in the driver's seat, glanced at Alex and said, "Hey, two investors want to meet with you."

Alex raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Already? I just gave that presentation with Claire last night."

Christian nodded. "I guess they liked what they saw. They sounded pretty interested."

Alex stared out the window, watching the city blur by. "Guess I'll have to talk to them soon," he muttered. It wasn't that he didn't want to it was just that his brain felt like it was still stuck in sleep mode. But work was work, and investors were important, so he'd just have to suck it up.

Once they arrived at Harris Company, they headed straight to their floor. Alex's secretary stood up as soon as she saw him. "Good morning, Mr. Harris. Your black coffee is waiting for you inside."

Alex's eyebrows shot up again. "Coffee?"

Christian, who was still hanging around, grinned like the cat that got the cream. "Yeah, I asked for it. Figured you could use something to sober up."

Alex rolled his eyes, half amused, half annoyed. "Thanks, I guess." He stepped into his office, where the smell of freshly brewed coffee hit him like a warm hug. It was tempting, but Alex wasn't in the mood for caffeine right now.

As he settled into his desk chair, Christian gave him a thumbs-up. "I'll get back to work. If you need anything, just let me know."

Alex frowned, looking at Christian like he'd grown a second head. "Why would I need your help? I'm the CEO, remember?"

Christian just flashed him a wide, knowing smile and sauntered out of the office without a word. Alex watched him go, shaking his head. That guy was something else.

With a deep sigh, Alex tried to focus on his work. The mountain of paperwork on his desk wasn't going to tackle itself. He also needed to keep an eye on his hotel project in Las Vegas. The place was almost ready, and he had to make sure everything was on track.

He video-called the manager he'd assigned to oversee the final stages of construction. As the video feed connected, Alex was greeted by the sight of half-furnished rooms, sleek and modern, just the way he'd envisioned. The manager walked him through the progress, showing off the nearly completed rooms, the stylish lounge, and the areas still under construction, like the kitchen, penthouse, and gym.

"It's coming together nicely," the manager said, clearly proud of the work.

Alex nodded, feeling a rare spark of satisfaction. "It's perfect. Definitely fits the futuristic, matrix-like theme we were going for."

The call ended, and Alex turned back to the paperwork on his desk. He managed to get through a few pages before his mind started wandering. His thoughts drifted, uninvited, to Claire. He knew that if he texted or called her, she wouldn't answer. Claire had this way of going completely off the grid when she wanted to, and right now, Alex was pretty sure she was doing exactly that.

He sat there in silence for a moment, tapping his pen against the desk, feeling a mix of frustration and something else he couldn't quite pin down. Finally, he muttered under his breath, "Fuck it."

Before he could stop himself, Alex grabbed his jacket and dashed out of his office, straight to Claire's. He wasn't sure what he was going to say when he arrived, but sitting around doing nothing was no longer an option.

However, as he stepped out of his office, Christian appeared in front of his office. His eyebrow raised as he stared at Alex while holding a document.

"Where are you going?" Christian voice laced with curiosity.

Alex's face remained emotionless as usual as he stared into Christian eyes. "Out."

"But you just arrived not long ago."

"I need some air."

Christian narrowed his eyes at Alex and gave him a knowing smile. "Oh, I know where you are going. You know what? I'm not going to stop you. It will be a waste of time anyway." He pushed the door open and walked inside Alex's office. Alex couldn't help staring at the door wondering why Christian didn't stop him or knock him some sense since that is what he usually does.

"Maybe he realized there is no way stopping me," Alex muttered under his breath and made his way to the lift.

By the time he got to the lobby, his driver was already waiting for the car. "Metacortex," Alex barked as he slid into the backseat, his mind already a few steps ahead.

The drive to Claire's office building was a blur. Alex's fingers drummed impatiently against his knee, his thoughts spinning around what he was going to say when he saw her. As soon as the car stopped in front of the Metacortex building, Alex jumped out, barely giving the driver time to park. He made his way inside, his long strides radiating purpose.

The employees in the lobby barely gave him a second glance, though a few raised eyebrows followed his determined path. Alex had become a familiar face around here, but it didn't stop them from whispering and wondering every time he showed up. He ignored them, his focus set on the elevator at the far end of the lobby.

He pressed the button for Claire's floor, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for the doors to close. The ride-up felt like an eternity, and Alex found himself wishing the elevator would move faster. When the doors finally opened, he stepped out, his eyes locked on Claire's office door.

But before he could even reach for the handle, her secretary, Sandra, appeared out of nowhere, blocking his path. "Mr. Harris." she began in her usual calm tone, "do you have an appointment with Ms. Peterson?" Alex frowned, his irritation flaring. How could she even ask that? She knew damn well who he was. "Sandra," he said, barely masking his annoyance, "I don't need an appointment to see Claire. You know who I am." Sandra nodded, unfazed by his tone. "I understand, Mr. Harris but-"

"But nothing," Alex cut her off, his patience wearing thin. "It's urgent, and I won't be long."

With that, he pushed past her and shoved the office door open, ready to confront Claire with whatever was on his mind. But as the door swung open, he froze in his tracks.

Sitting in Claire's chair, behind her desk, was none other than Matthew Finnegan, looking as relaxed as if he owned the place. The surprise on Alex's face must have been evident because Matthew raised an eyebrow at him, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, this is unexpected," Matthew said, leaning back in the chair. "Looking for someone, Alex?"

Before Alex could respond, Sandra appeared behind him, finishing the sentence she had started earlier. "Ms. Peterson is absent."

"Clearly," Alex muttered under his breath, his initial frustration now mixed with confusion.