New beginning: Billionaire love story

Andrea sat in his new place that Eligos gave to him, popping a steak that he ordered for his dinner for the night. The big TV in the center of the room tuned in, showing some news about a woman named Claire Peterson getting arrested. Andrea's eyes narrowed.

"Wait a minute," he muttered, stabbing the meat, "Isn't she...? So, Ms. Perfect Claire actually got herself into trouble," he muttered, half in amusement, half in disbelief.

He leaned closer to the screen. There she was, his supposed half-sister-Claire Peterson-being escorted by police, dressed impeccably in some designer outfit, even while handcuffed. Andrea scoffed. She looked like she had money pouring out of her pockets. Fancy clothes, a shiny car, important people at her side. Meanwhile, he was scraping by in a cramped apartment, his mom's medical bills piling up. "She probably doesn't even know I exist," he muttered bitterly.

Years of work to pay off debts, and all this time, he had a rich half-sister somewhere in the world. Couldn't things have been different if he'd known sooner?

"Would've been nice to know sooner, Ma," he muttered to himself, shaking his head.

Maybe his mother would have gotten better treatment, and they wouldn't have struggled. But no-now he was dealing with some mysterious guy, Eligos, who he'd made a shaky deal with, all because of his situation.

But, as he thought about it, he realized meeting Claire wasn't so simple. She was always guarded, always in the spotlight. He didn't even know if he'd manage to get near her, even if he tried.

He sighed, watching the news shift to another segment. "One day," he muttered to himself, "we're gonna meet. Whether you like it or not, Claire."

Meanwhile, in London, Claire stepped out of a black car, her heels clicking against the pavement as she adjusted her purse strap. Matthew helped pull her luggage from the trunk, giving her a look that was equal parts concern and exasperation. "Thanks for the help," Claire said, flashing him a quick smile. "Take care of yourself. And the company, of course."

Matthew rolled his eyes in his usual playful way. "Oh, I'm not the one jetting off to Vegas. You're the one who should be careful. And if Alexander tries anything, let me know. I'll come and give him a good smack."

Claire laughed, lightly patting his arm. "Oh, don't worry. I'll take him down myself before you even make it out of your office."

"Did you tell Adrian you're going to Vegas?" Matthew asked, raising an eyebrow.

She shook her head. "Not yet. I'll tell him when I get there. Knowing him, he'd probably try to follow me, and he's supposed to be resting. I don't want him stressing out."

Matthew nodded, giving her a pat on the back. "Alright, just don't forget to tell him cause I don't want him calling me in the middle of the night disturbing my sleep."

Claire rolled her eyes. "You are such a princess. I will, don't worry."

"Have a safe flight, Claire. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

She nodded. "I will. Bye, Matty."

As she headed toward the private jet, Matthew called after her, "And try not to let Alex drive you insane!"

She threw a grin over her shoulder. "You keep my company from crumbling while I'm gone, alright?"

Matthew waved her off with a mock sigh, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do, alright?"

Claire shot him a teasing grin as she headed for the private jet. "If anything goes wrong, it'll be your fault for letting me go."

He scoffed sarcastically, giving her a little wave as she disappeared inside.

Once onboard, Claire quickly took her seat, only to find Alexander already seated across the aisle, facing her. He grinned as she buckled her seatbelt, unable to resist teasing her. "So, did you say goodbye to Finnegan? How about Talia? And your boyfriend?" he teased.

Claire rolled her eyes, buckling her seatbelt. "You just can't help teasing me, aren't you? Matthew and I have

course,

been friends for so long.ind

I'm going to say goodbye to him and besides I have friends, you know. That's the difference between us."

"Oh, really?" Alex leaned back, crossing his arms. "You mean all three of them?" "Three is better than none."

"Oh, please," Alexander scoffed back. "Three people do not count as friends, Claire."

"For people like, it's sure do. What about you? Who do you hang out with? Christian? Yeah, I think just Christian," she shot back, smirking as they locked eyes in a battle of glares.

Their silent competition was interrupted by the flight attendant, who smiled and advised them to buckle up as the jet prepared for takeoff. Claire settled back, trying to ignore Alexander, who looked far too pleased with himself.

She thought about getting some sleep, but the thought of Alex watching her while she napped was infuriating. Instead, she focused on her laptop, opening a document to keep herself busy for the long flight.

In the mental ward, a figure in a wide-brimmed hat and oversized sunglasses entered the mental facility, keeping her head low as she signed the visitor log.

The guard reminded her of the

ten-minute limit, then escorted her down the hallway, stopping at a door that led to a common room. Lisa was sitting there, staring blankly at a TV mounted on the wall, which playing a rerun of some old soap opera.

Gretta gave a polite nod to the guard, then strolled over to Lisa, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. She smiled, a touch of sarcasm in her voice. "Look at you, blending right in. Adjusting to the new digs, are we?"

Lisa turned, surprised. "Gretta? What are you doing here?" She glanced around, as if afraid someone might overhear. "You know this place isn't exactly a walk in the park."

Gretta's smile didn't fade. "Oh, I just wanted to make sure you're doing okay. I wouldn't want our little plan to get derailed."

Lisa sighed, leaning back in her chair. "I'm fine, really. I'm playing the part, just like you asked. But my doctor changed out of nowhere."

Gretta's eyebrows shot up. "Changed, you say? Who's the new one?"

"Some Dr. Johnson. They transferred my old doc, and this one was just... here. At first, she was irritating, but now she's just... so-so. Not too pushy."

Gretta considered this, folding her arms. "Interesting. And you've been keeping an eye on things, right?"noveldrama

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Of course. I'm here because of you, remember? I didn't sign up for this on my own. The least you could do is keep me updated on what you are planning out there."

Gretta smiled thinly. "I'll keep you in the loop. Just keep doing what you're doing. And remember, stay on script. Don't go improvising."

Lisa exhaled heavily, shaking her head. "I got it, Gretta. No need to worry. I know what's at stake. I'll keep playing along, but don't forget you owe me for this."

Gretta patted her shoulder, her smile

never reaching her eyes. "Oh, don't worry, Lisa, I remember everything Good. See you around, Lisa." With that, she turned and sauntered out of the room, leaving Lisa alone with the TV and her thoughts.