New beginning: Billionaire love story

As Matthew drove through the quiet streets, Claire sat beside him, her eyes glued to her phone. She had been trying for what felt like hours to track down the owner of a suspicious number but doing it on her phone was proving to be a nightmare. It was slow, clunky, and

far from flexible. Claire let out an exasperated sigh, her fingers tapping at the screen in frustration.

"Anything yet?" Matthew asked, glancing over at her while keeping one hand on the steering wheel.

Claire shook her head, not looking up. "No, it's taking forever. This stupid phone isn't cut out for this kind of thing. I should've brought my laptop or something."

Matthew smirked. "Aren't you supposed to be a tech genius? Can't you make that phone do whatever you want?"

Claire gave him a sideways glance, her mouth twitching into a small grin. "It's not magic, Matthew. It's just a phone."

Matthew chuckled. "Could've fooled me. Anyway, how close are we?"

Claire looked out the window, noting the familiar landmarks. "We're almost there. Just a few more minutes."

Back at the hospital, Alexander sat next to Abigail's bed, keeping Mary, Abigail's mother, company as they waited for any signs of improvement.

Suddenly, Alexander remembered something-the bag the police had handed to him yesterday. Abigail's belongings. He hadn't really gone through it yet, and it dawned on him that perhaps Mary should have it. He turned to her, her face tired and lined with worry. "Mary," Alexander started, his voice soft, "I have Abigail's things. The police gave them to me yesterday, but I think you should have them."

Mary looked up at him, her eyes red from crying. She gave him a weak smile, grateful for the gesture. "Thank you, Alexander. I didn't even think about her things."

He stood and retrieved the bag from the couch, but as he held it, something struck him as off. Frowning, he opened the bag and rummaged through it. Abigail's phone-he distinctly remembered seeing it yesterday-was gone.

Mary noticed his hesitation and asked, "What's wrong, Alexander?"

He forced a smile, not wanting to worry her further. "It's nothing," he lied. "It's just... the police must've forgotten to give her phone back. I'll check with them later."

Mary took the bag from him, her hands trembling slightly as she held it close to her chest. She turned toward Abigail, lying still on the hospital bed, and her voice wavered as she asked, "Do you think she'll wake up? I just want her to wake up, Alex." Alexander put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "She will. Abigail's strong. She'll pull through this."

Mary continued speaking softly, lost in her thoughts about her daughter, but Alexander's mind was elsewhere. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Where had Abigail's phone gone? He knew for a fact the police had given it to him, and now it had mysteriously disappeared.novelbin

As he replayed the events in his mind, a sudden realization hit him. Claire. She had been in Abigail's hospital room the day before. She was the only person, besides him and the police, who knew about Abigail's belongings. Could Claire have taken the phone? But why? Alexander's heart pounded as he tried to piece everything together.

He quickly excused himself from Mary. "I'm going to check with the police about the phone. I'll be back soon, okay?"

Before she could respond, Alexander hurried out of the room, pulling his phone from his pocket. He immediately dialed Claire's number, but it went straight to voicemail, as usual. He clenched his jaw in frustration. What on earth was Claire doing with Abigail's phone? Alexander paced outside the hospital, thinking hard. The police had told him earlier that morning about new information they'd uncovered. Before Abigail's accident, three men had approached her.

They had shown him the footage from the surveillance camera in that area, and Alexander saw the driver he had spoken to yesterday, and true to his words, he really didn't have any involvement with hurting Abigail on purpose. Abigail came out of nowhere from the footage he saw.

Alex wondered if Claire had figured this out including tracking the three men that harassed Abigail. One thing that stuck in his mind was how Claire managed to stay ahead of him in getting this information.

He dialed Claire's number again. Voicemail. Again.

"Claire, call me back as soon as you get this," he muttered into the phone before hanging up. Something was definitely off. What was she up to?

"Is she in her office?" Alexander muttered to himself.

With no other option, Alexander called his private investigator. When the line picked up, he spoke quickly. "I need you to track Claire's phone number. Now."

A few minutes passed, and then the PI's voice crackled through the line. "Got her. I will send you the location."

Alexander's heart raced. "Keep me updated on her location. I need to know where she's going."

"Will do," the PI replied before hanging up.

Alexander gripped the steering wheel tightly as he drove through the quiet streets, his mind racing. He wasn't one for unnecessary drama, but something about Claire always seemed to pull him into the thick of it. He checked his phone again, ensuring he had the right location.

Claire and Matthew had already arrived at the same spot, and Claire was frowning, checking the address on her phone for the fifth time. It was a quiet residential

neighborhood, not the kind of place she expected for what she had in mind. "Are you sure this is the right address?" Matthew asked from the driver's seat, clearly confused.

Claire nodded, her eyes narrowing at the screen. "It's the right address. Rafayel sent it himself."

Matthew sighed, glancing around the area. "You think Rafayel purposely gave us the wrong address? Maybe he's messing with us."

Claire's expression turned icy. "If he did, he'll regret it. I'll make his life miserable if this is a wild goose chase." She opened the car door and stepped out, motioning for Matthew to follow. "Let's check it out."

Just as they started walking toward

the house, a bright beam of

headlights flooded them, making both of them freeze for a moment A car screeched to a halt behind them, and Claire squinted through the glare. To her surprise, Alexander jumped out of the car, his face

etched with a deep frown He looked anything but happy as he strode

toward them.

"What a pleasant surprise," Claire muttered sarcastically, folding her arms as he approached.

Alexander didn't waste any time. "Did you steal Abigail's phone?" he demanded, his voice sharp and his expression accusing.

Claire's face remained calm, though inside, she was a bit taken aback that he had figured it out so quickly. "Borrowed. I merely borrowed her phone," she corrected, her tone cool and even.

Alexander's frown deepened. "What are you doing here, Claire?"

Claire raised an eyebrow, not liking the accusatory tone. "I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?"

"Deflecting questions now?" Alexander shot back with a hint of sarcasm. "You're good at that."

Claire shrugged nonchalantly. "Not my first time."

Alexander clenched his jaw, clearly frustrated. "I don't like wasting time, Claire. I know why you're here. You're looking for the three men, aren't you?"

That caught her off guard. Claire's brows shot up in surprise, but she quickly composed herself. "And how exactly do you know about that?"

Alexander said. "The police showed me the surveillance footage.

Before Claire could respond, Alexander added, "I want in. I don't know what you're planning, but I'm going to be part of it."

Matthew, who had been watching the exchange with increasing irritation, stepped forward. "You should stop interfering, Harris. This has nothing to do with you."

But Claire, to Matthew's surprise, simply glanced at him and said calmly, "Let him and Harris," her eyes darted towards Alexander. "don't get in my way." She turned away from both men and started walking toward the house.