New beginning: Billionaire love story

Alexander stood in the middle of the room, his mind racing. He had been hurt twice today, and he wasn't sure how to handle it. Claire's words echoed in his head, replaying over and over. She really couldn't see the effort he was putting into being a better person. He knew he hadn't treated her right during their three years of marriage, but people changed, right? He had changed-or at least, he was trying to.noveldrama

But Claire didn't seem to care.

He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. Was he really that bad of a person? Had he truly become the villain Claire painted him to be? Alexander didn't know anymore. It was all a blur of mistakes and regrets.

He paced the room, trying to come up with a plan, something, anything that would make Claire see he was different now. But no matter what idea popped into his head, it felt pointless. It all felt hopeless. And then, there was Adrian.

The thought of Adrian made Alexander's chest tighten. Claire seemed fond of him, way too fond. It didn't take a genius to see that. What if Claire and Adrian became a couple? The idea gnawed at him. If they did, he'd have no chance of ever getting Claire back. And if he kept trying to pursue her while she was with Adrian, he'd just end up looking like some desperate fool. The whole situation would cause a mess, stir up drama, and make Claire hate him even more.

He leaned against the window, staring blankly at the street below. This cycle, it never ended. Alexander was getting tired. Part of him just wanted to give up, to throw in the towel and move on. But then, another part of him-stubborn and hopeful-wanted to keep fighting for her.

A few days passed, and Claire was discharged from the hospital. She seemed like her old self again, back to being busy and driven. But Matthew was on her case, making sure she rested. Even Adrian was getting in on it, telling her to slow down. Claire just brushed them off with a smile, insisting she was fine.

"Really, I'm good," she'd tell them, rolling her eyes. "I'm back to work today, no more rest for me. It's the last day of robot building, and Monday's the big presentation. I've got to make sure everything's perfect."

"But you just got out of the hospital," Matthew said, crossing his arms. "You can't push yourself like this."

"I'm fine," Claire insisted. "I have to be ready for Monday."

"Everything's going well. I checked on the robot last night, and there were no issues. We've got this. You don't need to worry, Claire."

Despite their protests, Claire dove back into work. Matthew followed her everywhere, making sure she didn't overdo it. Adrian even popped in a few times, checking in with his usual concerned look. But Claire wasn't having it. She was determined to see this project through.

By the time Monday rolled around, Claire was up at the crack of dawn. She skipped breakfast, too focused on what lay ahead. Today was the presentation, the big day where everything would come together. She was supposed to meet with her lawyer to talk about Lisa's situation, but that would have to wait. The robot presentation was more important.

The auditorium was already set up when she arrived. Sandra was there, making sure everything was in place. Matthew was helping the robotic team move the machine into the room. Claire was nervous. She tried to push the feeling down, but it bubbled up every now and then.

Last night, when she had checked on the robot, everything was fine. But what if something went wrong today?

The meeting was set to start at 9 AM. Claire watched as the stakeholders trickled in, her stomach flipping. She spotted Alexander in the crowd, his face unreadable. He looked serious, no emotion showing, and it threw Claire off. Usually, she could read him like an open book, but today? Nothing. She shook the thought away. She needed to focus on the presentation, not on Alexander. Jack, her colleague, approached her with a grin. "Good luck, Claire. You're gonna nail it."

"Thanks, Jack," Claire said, forcing a smile. She gathered her robotic team around her and wished them luck too. "We've worked hard on this. Let's give them something to remember."

As the meeting started, Claire stood in the center of the room, microphone in hand. She took a deep breath and smiled, trying to project confidence. Inside, she was freaking out. This project was her baby, something no one had really believed in at first. If this failed, it wouldn't just be embarrassing-it would be disastrous.

"Good morning, everyone," Claire said, her voice steady despite the nerves swirling in her stomach. "Thank you all for coming. Today, we're excited to present our newest project. Let's begin."

The presentation went smoothly at

first. The robot worked as expected,

following commands and performing tasks with precision. Claire relaxed a little, letting herself feel proud of her team's hard work. But then, as the robot moved to demonstrate its final task something went wrong.

"Everything okay?" Matthew whispered from behind her.

"I... I don't know," Claire muttered, her mind racing. "It was fine last night."

She glanced at Stephen, who was standing near the robot. He gave her a thumbs-up, but his expression told a different story. He was just as worried as she was.

"Come on, come on," Claire whispered under her breath, willing the robot to pull it together. It started to correct itself, its movements becoming smoother again. Claire let out a quiet sigh of relief.

The rest of the presentation went off without a hitch. Claire wrapped things up, thanking everyone for their time. As she stepped down from the podium, she spotted Alexander approaching her. "Nice job," he said, his voice low. "I could tell you were freaking out a bit."

Claire smiled politely. "I think you saw wrong. It was...a part of my performance." She defends herself and for some reason, she doesn't want Alex to see her being vulnerable.

Alexander raised his brows not believing her words. "Really? Well, you did a good job with the robot. You and your team."

The other shareholders clapped their hands and praised Claire's presentation and also the robot since it is not Metacortex specialty to build robots.

"Thank you, I wouldn't have done it without my team."

They all converse in a conversation for a while and Claire tells them a little about how she took this project.

One of them patted Alexander on the shoulder. "It seems that you chose the perfect business partner Mr. Harris. And I can tell you are ready for your new hotel in Vegas." Alexander chuckled. "I think so too, sir."

Jack chimed in. "I suggested that Metacortex should make a press release about this. I'm sure the internet will be crazy about this."

"Yeah, Jack that's a good idea." Mr. Montgomery said. "What do you think about this Claire?"

All eyes are on Claire and did not expect the sudden question. She smiles politely. "I will think about it."

After chatting Alexander stayed for a

while and turned to Claire. "I would like to invite you and your team for a dinner to celebrate your success tonight My secretary will inform you about the time and location."

""Of course, Mr. Harris."

swnov

Claire watched him leave and frowned seeing his nonchalant act. She thought to herself that maybe Alex had stopped pursuing her after her words at the hospital. At the same time, Claire is happy but on the other side, she feels weird in Which she can't describe

"Everyone, Mr. Harris invited us for dinner to celebrate our success." The team cheers and Claire grins widely seeing them happy and relieved.