New beginning: Billionaire love story

Eligos sat in his dimly lit office, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as he flipped a silver coin between his fingers. He wasn't just playing with the coin; it was his thinking ritual, a rhythmic, almost hypnotic motion that helped him map out his schemes.

His sharp eyes gleamed with satisfaction as an idea crystallized in his mind. Time to get Cindy involved again.

He grabbed his sleek black phone from the desk and dialed Cindy's number. The call was answered on the second ring, Cindy's bubbly voice coming through the line.

"Hello? Eligos?" Cindy sounded chipper, almost too chipper.

Eligos allowed a thin smile. "Cindy, darling. How's the glamorous life treating you?"

She laughed softly, the sound tinged with a bit of nervousness. "Oh, it's great, honestly. Never thought I'd be here. I have a photo shoot tomorrow if you can believe that."noveldrama

"Of course, I believe it," Eligos said smoothly. "You're talented, Cindy. You just needed the right hand guiding you."

Cindy hesitated, then responded, "Thanks, Eligos. Really."

"Good. Now, let's get to business," Eligos said, his voice taking on a more commanding tone. "I have another mission for you."

The pause on Cindy's end stretched longer this time. "A... mission? Again?"

"Yes," he said, his smirk widening as he leaned back in his chair. "It's time to repay my generosity. Don't forget, Cindy, I made this life of yours possible."

Cindy froze for a moment on the other end of the line. She had promised to help him when needed, but every time he called, it felt like a Faustian bargain. She sighed softly, clearly torn. "I haven't forgotten. What do you need me to do?" Eligos's smile turned predatory. "You're going to seduce Adrian Saint Laurent."

There was a loud gasp at the other end. Finally, Cindy's voice came back, higher-pitched than before. "Excuse me? What? Adrian Saint Laurent? n Adrian Saint Laurent? The tabloids say the Saint Laurent family is practically royalty in the business world! How is that even possible? And... why?"

"Simple," Eligos said, twirling the coin again. "I'll hire a fake photographer to capture compromising pictures of you and Adrian. Once the photos hit the internet, Claire Peterson will see them. That's all I need for Claire to spend every waking moment obsessing over it. Maybe it'll even spark a nice, juicy argument between them."

Cindy let out a disbelieving laugh. "Wow. That's... sneaky. Smart, but sneaky."

"Of course it is," Eligos replied, his voice dripping with self-assurance. "I don't make amateur moves, Cindy. But this requires finesse. Adrian isn't the kind of man who can be easily swayed by just anyone."

"No kidding," Cindy muttered. "He looks like the type to see through everything. So, what's the plan? How am I supposed to pull this off?"

Eligos's smirk deepened. "I'm sending you a package. Inside, you'll find exactly what you need to make this work."

Cindy's curiosity piqued, and her brows shot up. "A package? What kind of package? What's in it?"

"Patience," Eligos said, his tone firm. "You'll see soon enough. Just know that it's everything you'll need to convince Adrian you're someone... familiar."

Cindy frowned, the suspicion clear in her voice. "Familiar? What do you mean?"

Eligos rolled his eyes, his patience wearing thin. "Dress to resemble Claire Peterson. Do your hair like hers. Channel her style. Adrian won't be able to resist if he thinks you're her."

Now Cindy was genuinely offended. "Why Claire? Why can't I just be myself?"

"Cindy," Eligos sighed, exasperated, "the whole point is to mess with Adrian's head. Claire is the key to that. You're not there to show off yourself you're there to plant doubt in Adrian's mind and get Claire off balance. Do you understand now?" Still frowning, Cindy muttered, "This is so stupid. What if it doesn't work?"

"Stupid or not, it'll work," Eligos said firmly. "Now, do as I say, and I'll send you the rest of the details."

Cindy grumbled but nodded. "Fine. But I don't like it."

"Liking it isn't part of the deal," Eligos said flatly. "Just wait for the package. Once you have it, the plan will make perfect sense."

"Alright," Cindy said, though her tone lacked enthusiasm. "I'll do it."

"Good," Eligos said, leaning forward again. "I'll send you the details of Adrian's whereabouts. Be ready."

Cindy's voice softened, though it carried a hint of unease. "Ok, I will be ready."

Eligos said, his voice dripping with condescension. "This is your chance to really prove your worth, Cindy. Don't mess it up."

The call ended, and Eligos sighed heavily, tossing the phone onto his desk. "Clueless," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "No wonder her career tanked in the first place. The girl couldn't find her way out of a paper bag without me."

Still, he knew Cindy would do as she was told. She owed him, and Eligos always collected on debts. Leaning back in his chair, he allowed himself a rare moment of satisfaction. If all went according to plan, Claire would be too busy dealing with personal chaos to focus on her work or anything else.

"She's lucky she's halfway useful," he muttered to himself, shaking his head.

He flipped the coin again, his sharp mind already racing ahead to the next steps of his plan. If Cindy could execute this flawlessly-and that was a big if it would plant the perfect seed of chaos in Claire's life.

Eligos smirked, the satisfaction bubbling in his chest. He thrived in chaos, after all. The game was on.

In her tiny apartment, Cindy stared at her phone like it had insulted her personally. "Why the hell do I have to dress like Claire Peterson?" she grumbled, pacing back and forth." can't stand that woman. What f mess up? And that Adrian will know that I am not Claire and then he will put me in jail? I don't want to imagine that."

Still, she knew she didn't have much of a choice. Eligos wasn't someone you just said no to. With a resigned sigh, she pulled out her laptop and started Googling images of Claire "Elegant, conservative,

ve

business-like... ugh, kill me now," she groaned, scrolling through countless photos of Claire looking effortlessly poised in designer suits and chic dresses.

Cindy clicked on one image, tilting her head. "Okay, that's not too bad. Maybe I can pull off something like that." She closed her laptop and made her way to her closet, flipping through hangers with increasing frustration.

“Open, open, open... sexy, sexy, too

short, too tight. ugh!" she

exclaimed, pulling out dress after dress that screamed Cindy but whispered nothing close to Claire After nearly an hour of searching, she finally managed to piece together an outfit that might work-a sleek black skirt, a white blouse, and a blazer she'd bought on sale last year and never worn.

Standing in front of her mirror, she frowned at her reflection. "I look like I'm going to a job interview," she muttered. "This better be worth it."

Her phone buzzed, breaking her train of thought. It was a text from Eligos: The package is on its way. Don't disappoint me.

Cindy groaned, flopping onto her bed. "This is going to be a disaster."