New beginning: Billionaire love story

Claire raised an eyebrow, staring at her phone in complete disbelief. Did Alexander just apologize? Out of the blue? What kind of game was he playing now?

"Uh, for what?" she asked, her voice cautious. She wasn't sure what angle he was coming from, and her guard was up.

"I wanted to truly apologize for everything I did to you in the past," Alexander began, his voice sounding unusually sincere. "After our divorce, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I realized I-"

"Don't finish that sentence," Claire cut him off sharply. Her mind drifted to those dark days, a whirlwind of arguments, neglect, and how he always picked Lisa over her. Her eyes narrowed, a coldness settling in them as she remembered how much it had hurt. Why now? Why was he bringing all this up again?noveldrama

"I'm serious, Claire. I want to make things right," Alexander continued, seemingly unfazed by her interruption. "I want to apologize and ask for another chance. I swear I'll treat you right this time. I'll never hurt you again."

Claire blinked, then burst out laughing. The sound echoed through her office, catching even her off guard. Was he for real? Apologizing now, after all this time? Asking for another chance? It was almost too ridiculous. "Are you serious, Alexander?" she asked, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye from laughing so hard. "I don't do second chances, sorry."

Before he could respond, she ended the call, dropping her phone onto the desk with an exasperated sigh. She couldn't believe the nerve of him, trying to worm his way back into her life. He'd made his choice back then, and she wasn't about to let him come crawling back just because he regretted it now.

Alexander stared at his phone, completely stunned. What just happened? She laughed. He felt his heart sink, the realization hitting him that maybe he'd lost her for good. He'd spent so long thinking about his mistakes, hoping for a chance to make things right, and now... he didn't even know what to think.

Meanwhile, Claire's face was still set in a hard line, annoyance etched in every feature. Matthew who was standing in front of her desk plopped himself on the chair in front of Claire. He tilted his head, studying her expression.

"What's with the face?" he asked, a teasing lilt to his voice. He always knew how to poke fun at her, especially when she was in a mood.

"Alexander just apologized," Claire said flatly, still staring at her phone as if it had personally offended her. "He asked me for a second chance."

Matthew's eyebrows shot up in confusion. "What? Wait, I thought Joan was the one who called you."

Claire nodded, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I talked to her earlier, but apparently her son wanted to talk to me."

"Wow," Matthew said, drawing the word out slowly, still trying to wrap his head around the audacity of it. "I mean, what did he think was going to happen? You'd just say 'sure, let's forget all the crap you put me through"?" "Exactly!" Claire said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "I swear, some people just never change."

Before Matthew could reply, her phone rang again. She glanced at the screen, expecting it to be Alexander calling back for round two, but then she saw Adrian's name flash across it. Her annoyance melted into a small smile as she picked up. "Hey, Adrian," she greeted, her voice softening.

"Claire, how are you?" Adrian's warm voice came through the line, instantly soothing her. "I was wondering where you were on the night of the auction. I didn't see you there."

Claire hesitated, biting her lip. She didn't want to drag Adrian into her mess, didn't want him worrying about her problems. So she forced a light tone and said, "Oh, I wasn't feeling well. I was going to inform you but I saw you were busy that night." "You're sure you're okay?" Adrian's concern was palpable, and Claire's heart squeezed a little. He was always so thoughtful, always checking in on her.

"I'm much better now," she assured him, feeling a twinge of guilt for lying. "Really, just needed some rest."

"Well, that's good to hear," he said, his voice softening. "By the way, you left your jewelry at the auction. I just realized you never picked it up."

"Oh, right!" Claire almost slapped her

forehead. With everything going on-Alexander's nonsense, the drama with Lisa-she'd completely forgotten about the auction. "I'm sorry, it totally slipped my mind."

"No worries," Adrian said with a chuckle. "I can bring it to your office, if that's easier."

"Are you sure?" she asked, surprised. "You don't have to go out of your way."

"It's no trouble at all," he insisted. "I was planning to be in that area anyway."

Claire smiled, feeling the tension of the day finally starting to ease. "If it's really no problem, then sure, I'd appreciate it."

They chatted for a few more

minutes, Adrian's easygoing nature

making her feel more relaxed. By the

time she hung up, she almost felt like her old self again. Well, almost.

Matthew, who had been silently observing her, leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "Someone seems to have cheered up." "Shut up," Claire muttered, but she couldn't stop the smile tugging at her lips.

"So, what did the charming Adrian want?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"He just wanted to know why I wasn't at the auction," Claire said, leaning back in her chair. "And to remind me I left my jewelry there." "Oh, is that all?" Matthew teased, his grin widening.

Claire rolled her eyes, however, a smile etched on her lips which she tried to hide. "Yes, Matthew. That is all and he is just a friend." "Uh-huh, sure," Matthew said, his tone dripping with mock disbelief. "Because I always volunteer to deliver stuff to my 'friends' offices."

Claire threw a pen at him, but he ducked, laughing. "I'm serious! He's just... really nice."

"Uh-huh," Matthew repeated, still grinning like a Cheshire cat. "And I'm a monkey's uncle."

"Why do I even talk to you?" Claire grumbled, but she couldn't help laughing. Trust Matthew to turn a weird, stressful day into something almost normal again. Matthew shrugged. "Because I'm charming, handsome, and a great listener."

Claire sighed playfully. "That, I can't argue."

Matthew chuckled but then his face turned serious. "But seriously Claire, I said all that cause you deserve happiness. I don't know what exactly happened to you back in Alxander's house, but I can see it from your eyes that he doesn't treat you well."

Claire was silent as she listened to what Matthew had to say.

"If you want to open a new page, go for it, Claire. I support you and will always be by your side."

"I-I don't know, Matthew. Dating is serious. I mean for me it is and I don't want to repeat what happened to me and Alexander."

Matthew nodded in understanding. "I get it but being strong doesn't mean that you have to leave your happiness behind."

A soft smile grazed her lips. "Thanks, Matthew, you really are a good friend. And where did you get these words? I'm shook." She jokes and Matthew rolls his eyes.