New beginning: Billionaire love story

As Claire finally entered her hotel room, she dropped her bag on the couch with a tired sigh and immediately dialed Matthew's number. It was past 9 PM in London, and knowing him, he might've crashed on his couch in front of his laptop, entirely forgetting the concept of a bed.

But her call went unanswered. Claire raised an eyebrow, checking the time again. Was he actually asleep this early? Somehow, she doubted that.

A few hours earlier...

Matthew was squinting at his laptop screen, brow furrowed as he studied the bizarre code streaming across it. He'd been seeing these disturbances on his system for hours now. It was as if someone was trying to hack him-or maybe even taunt him.noveldrama

And he had a strong hunch it was the same person who had led them on that ridiculous wild goose chase a few days ago with the car and all. The question was... why? This mysterious hacker had always seemed focused on irritating Claire, but now, suddenly, Matthew was in the crosshairs.

Curiosity got the best of him. Matthew knew it wasn't wise to stay at Metacortex where anyone especially a savvy hacker-could easily find him. So, he grabbed his laptop and headed straight up to the building's helipad. He gave the pilot a quick nod. "We're going to Cryptonic," he said, settling into his seat. Cryptonic was Claire's ultra-secure facility, and it wasn't exactly common knowledge. It didn't even show up on maps, so Matthew figured it was probably the safest place he could be.

The helicopter landed ten minutes later, and he bolted down to his office. He set up at his workstation with two monitors in front of him and opened his laptop to trace the intruder. It wasn't easy. Whoever was on the other end was cloaked in layers of encryption. But Matthew wasn't one to back down.

He sent a bold message through the chat portal: "Why don't you show yourself and stop hiding in the dark?"

Seconds later, a message popped back onto his screen. "Oh, should I? Patience, Matthew."

Matthew frowned, fingers flying across the keys. "What are you, a scaredy cat? All bark, no bite."

Somewhere across town, Eligos stared at his screen, his expression turning into a sharp, amused smirk. "Oh, you wanna play, huh?" he muttered to himself, typing back. Instead of going after Metacortex or Cryptonic as he'd originally planned, he decided Matthew would be his primary target for the night. Toying with him sounded far more interesting.

He typed, "Alright, then. Since you're so curious, let's meet. I'll even let you throw that punch, if you dare." Matthew shot back immediately, "Tell me where. I'll be there. Can't wait to see you eat your words, loser."

Eligos rolled his eyes but couldn't deny that he was a little amused. Matthew had spirit, he'd give him that. He sent the location-an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city-and noted the time: 8 PM. A little cliché, sure, but he was hardly aiming for creativity tonight. "See you then. Bring your best," he added for good measure.

Eligos grinned, a scheme brewing in his mind. His plan was simple: he'd arrive with backup hiding in the shadows, ready to intervene if necessary. The idea of possibly kidnapping Matthew crossed his mind as well. He'd always been good at improvising, and who knew? A change of plans could come in handy.

Calling one of his men, he instructed, "I'll need you and a few others stationed at the warehouse, but stay out of sight. I don't want our guest of honor getting suspicious."

"Yes, sir," the man replied, heading off to brief the others.

Eligos walked over to a hidden shelf in his office, revealing a sleek pistol. He ran his fingers over it thoughtfully, debating whether to bring it along. "No," he decided with a smirk, "that's for another time." He returned it to its spot, feeling the weight of anticipation build as he prepared for the evening's entertainment.

Back in the Present...

Matthew was checking his watch as he paced around in the old, dimly lit warehouse. 7:59 PM. The place was empty, save for a few crates scattered around and a heavy, eerie silence that felt just a little too intentional. He crossed his arms, glancing around with suspicion.

And right on time, Eligos strolled in. He looked... Well, annoyingly smug, wearing a dark coat that made him look like he'd walked straight out of a villain casting call and a mask to hide his face. Matthew rolled his eyes. "Nice outfit. Going to a costume party after this?"

Eligos chuckled, his steps echoing across the concrete floor. "Funny. I thought you'd appreciate a little drama, given your flair for tech theatrics."

Matthew raised an eyebrow, clenching his fists. "I came here to settle things. I'm tired of your games."

"Oh, you're tired of them?" Eligos mocked, circling around Matthew slowly. "You and Claire made yourselves pretty good targets. Always so self-righteous. You made this easy for me." "Well, I'm here now. So, what do you want?" Matthew shot back, trying to keep his cool.

"What I want is simple," Eligos said, stopping in his tracks. "Answers. And maybe a bit of fun. You know, messing with you is a good warm-up before the main event with Claire." Matthew face hardened at the mention of Claire name, and he fisted his palm. "Don't you dare say her name. Who are you anyway?"

Eligos chuckled darkly. "You can call me Eligos."

Matthew scoffed. "Eligos? What kind of name is that? What are you five? You're nothing but a coward, Eligos. Hiding behind tech and henchmen because you're too afraid to get your hands dirty."

en

"Oh, trust me," Eligos replied, his tone dropping. "I'm not afraid. You have no idea what I'm capable of, Matthew."

"Then show me," Matthew challenged.

At that moment, a faint rustling sound came from the shadows. Matthew stiffened, glancing toward the source. But when he looked back, Eligos was grinning.

"Did you think I came here alone?" Eligos asked, feigning shock. "How sweet of you to underestimate me."

Matthew rolled his eyes, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of being cornered. He glanced at the shadows where he'd heard the sound, making out a few silhouettes lurking just out of sight. Eligos walked back and forth. "You know, you should have brought someone with you. I mean I don't think you will win against my men."

"I'm not a coward, Eligos. I don't need help."

"Of course. Don't you just love playing games? Well, I for sure love games." he said with a hint of amusement.

"Cut the shit, Eligos. What do you want?" Matthew said coldly and Eligos grinned even though Matthew couldn't see behind his mask.

Eligos stopped pacing around and

faced Matthew. "What I want is an answer. And you are going to give it to me." he then snapped his fingers and the people that cornered Matthew started making their way to him and Matthew is ready to fight them.

He fought with a few of them until one of them hit him on the back of his head causing him to be unconscious.

"Good work, guys. Now bring him inside the warehouse."