New beginning: Billionaire love story

The journalist's eyes widened, and she quickly stammered an apology before scurrying off. Claire watched her retreat with a smirk.

"Thanks for that," she said, turning back to Adrian.

He shrugged. "Someone had to do it. You were about to snap."

"You're not wrong," Claire admitted, taking a sip of water. "Journalists are like mosquitoes these days. One video goes up, and suddenly, they're all swarming."

Adrian lounged back in his chair, folding his arms with a curious smirk. "Alright, Claire, tell. How'd you figure out who that woman was? You know, the one who totally crashed your Q&A at the press release? She had that ridiculous cocktail hat, so I couldn't make out her face at all."

"Alexander was the one who told me about it. It wasn't easy for me when I tried to dig in who was the mysterious guest. Turns out, Alexander was the one who had deals with her. I can't afford my robot project to get tainted since I am thinking of expanding it." Adrian blinked, letting that sink in before leaning back even farther in his chair, and letting out a low whistle. "Well, of course, he was. The guy leaves some unique business digital footprints, I'll give him that."noveldrama

Claire rolled her eyes dramatically. "Tell me about it. It's like everywhere you look, there's something sketchy. I just don't want my business to get dragged into whatever drama he's brewing."

Adrian leaned forward again, his tone more serious now. "Look, Claire, you need to be careful dealing with Alexander. If you don't want your business contaminated by his mess, tread lightly. That guy... he's always two steps ahead, two steps ahead for trouble." Claire nodded, grateful for the reminder. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks for the heads-up, Adrian."

Meanwhile, back at Harris Company, Christian stormed into Alexander's office, not even bothering to knock. His expression was tense, all business. "We have a problem," he announced, his voice tight with urgency.

Alexander, who had been going over paperwork, frowned and looked up. "What kind of problem?"

Christian didn't waste any time. "I just got a call from the hotel director. There's been a sudden cut in the wine shipment. A big one."

Alexander shot to his feet, slamming his hand on the desk. "That's impossible. We had everything locked in for months!"

Christian gave him a pointed look. "Who's the supplier?"

Alexander's eyes narrowed, his face a mix of frustration and realization. He didn't answer right away, his jaw clenched as he processed the situation. Then, with a scowl that could burn a hole through the wall, he muttered, "I know exactly who's behind this." Christian blinked, clearly expecting more of an answer. "And that would be...?"

But Alexander was already grabbing his phone off the desk, dialing furiously. He pressed the phone to his ear, waiting for a connection. "Come on, pick up," he muttered under his breath. But no such luck-it went straight to voicemail.

"Damn it!" Alexander cursed, slamming the phone down. Without missing a beat, he quickly dialed another number, this time barking orders to the person on the other end. "I need you to find Claudia Wright. Now. I don't care where she is just do it."

His private investigator immediately got to work, and Alexander's focus was now solely on tracking down Claudia. Christian, still standing there, watching the scene unfold, raised an eyebrow. "What the hell is going on, Alexander?"

But Alexander wasn't listening. His mind was elsewhere, locked on one thing, Claudia. He had no time for explanations.

Just then, the door to his office creaked open. Alexander's secretary peeked in, her face pale and her hands shaking slightly. "Mr. Harris... you need to see something."

Both Alexander and Christian turned to her, sensing the urgency in her voice. She quickly stepped forward, handing Alexander an iPad with trembling fingers.

"What is it?" Alexander asked sharply.

"I-l-it's better if you see it for yourself, sir." she stammered.

Alexander pressed play, and the screen flickered to life. It was a video-grainy, but clear enough to show his unmistakable figure. There he was, in his office, from what looked like two or three years ago, losing his temper at an employee. His face twisted in anger as he shouted, pacing around his desk.

Alexander's stomach dropped. "Where did this come from?" he muttered, his eyes glued to the screen.

His secretary swallowed nervously. "It just started circulating online... I-I don't know how. But... it's out there now."

Christian, peering over Alexander's shoulder, let out a low sigh. "Damn. Who even had this footage?"

The question hung in the air, and Alexander's mind raced. He could almost hear the ticking clock counting down until this video

reached the wrong et

it

Roel

hadn't already. He clenched his fists, his mind spinning. This had

Claudia's fingerprints all over it.

"Claudia," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Christian, still not entirely in the loop, leaned closer. "Claudia? What does she have to do with this?"

Alexander shook his head, the pieces slowly falling into place. "She's been playing me. That wine shipment? Her. This video? I wouldn't be surprised if she leaked it too." Christian gave a low whistle. "Man, she's good. But why go through all this trouble? Why mess with you?"

Alexander scoffed, pacing now.

"Because she's been holding a

grudge. And now she's pulling every string she can to get under my skin. She's limiting the stock of her wine at the hotel, knowing it'll hurt my business. And this video... She's using it as leverage. Trying to tarnish my reputation."

Christian frowned, looking more concerned now. "And you didn't see this coming?"

"I underestimated her," Alexander admitted through gritted teeth, still watching the video loop on the iPad. "I knew she had something up her sleeve, but I didn't expect her to hit me this hard."

Christian leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "So, what's the move? You can't let this spiral out of control."

Alexander ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "First, we need to shut this video down, fast. Get my PR team on it. Damage control. Then, we find Claudia."

"And after that?" Christian asked.

Alexander's expression darkened. "After that, we remind her who she's dealing with."

Christian gave a short nod. "Alright. I'll get the PR team on the video. But what about the wine situation? We still need to deal with that."

Alexander sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'll handle the wine supplier. It's not going to be pretty, but I'll make sure we get what we need. Claudia may have the upper hand now, but this isn't over." Christian glanced at him, still serious. "And the PI? He's looking for her, right?"

Alexander nodded, his voice cold. "Yeah, and when he finds her, I'm going to make sure she regrets ever pulling this stunt."

The tension in the room was thick, both men fully aware that the stakes had just been raised. Alexander might have been caught off guard, but now, he was ready to strike back. Alexander stared at his phone waiting for the callback from his Pl. Ten minutes later, his phone rang, and he answered it almost immediately.

"Where is she?"

"France, sir. Claudia Wright is in France."