New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex)

Claire sat on the hospital bed, her sprained ankle elevated on a pillow. Adrian was by her side, looking concerned. The doctor had just finished examining her ankle thoroughly to ensure there were no broken bones. Satisfied with his findings, he began wrapping Claire's foot with a bandage.

"You'll be fine in a few days," the doctor said, securing the bandage. "But in the meantime, you need to avoid wearing heels."

Claire's eyes widened slightly. "I can't! Heels are a part of me."

Adrian chuckled softly. "It's only for a few days, Claire."

Claire pouted and sighed. "Fine. A day without heels it's like a day of not working."

The doctor continued, "Also, try not to move around too much and apply ice to reduce the swelling."

Adrian nodded. "Got it. Thank you, doctor."

The doctor gave a small nod and left the room, leaving Claire and Adrian alone.

Adrian turned to Claire. "How's your ankle feeling now? Still hurting?"

Claire moved her ankle slightly, wincing a little. "It still hurts, but it's much better than earlier."

"Good to hear," Adrian said, relieved. "Let's get you down from here."

Adrian carefully helped Claire down from the bed. He held her heels in one hand and supported her with the other. Claire balanced on her good foot, grateful for Adrian's help.

"You really should listen to the doctor, you know," Adrian said gently.

"I know, I know," Claire replied, rolling her eyes playfully. "But you know how much I love my heels."

Adrian smiled. "You'll survive a few days without them. Think of it as a mini-vacation for your feet."

Claire laughed. "I suppose that's one way to look at it."

Adrian looked down at the heels in his hand. "You know, I've always wondered how you manage to walk in these things."

Claire smirked. "It's a skill, Adrian. One you wouldn't understand."

"Just don't wear these to often. It can injured you."

They both exited the room, and as they were about to head out, Matthew appeared with a worried look. As he spotted Claire, he breathed a sigh of relief, placed both his hands on her shoulders, and asked, "Are you okay?" Claire smiled and said, "I'm fine." She gestured to her foot. "It's already been treated, thanks to Adrian."

Claire then introduced them, "Adrian, this is Matthew, my advisor and best friend."

Adrian nodded and smiled slightly. "Nice to meet you."

Matthew nodded back and said, "Thank you for looking out for Claire."

Adrian shrugged modestly. "No problem. I'm just glad she's okay."

Matthew then turned to Claire and asked, "How did it happen?"

Claire sighed. "The paparazzi caused it. They were chasing me, and I tripped."

Matthew's expression darkened. "I'll sue them. They hurt you."

Claire shook her head. "Ignore them, Matt. It's not worth it."

Matthew frowned. "But they can't just get away with this."

Adrian chimed in, "Maybe we can handle it differently. Drawing more attention might make things worse."

Claire nodded. "Adrian's right. I don't want more drama."

Matthew sighed, looking conflicted. "I just hate seeing you hurt, Claire."

"I know," Claire said softly. "But as you can see, I am fine. Anyway, how did you know I was here?"

Matthew shrugged and replied, "I saw a news article about you, then I hacked you. Easy."

Adrian, standing beside them, scrunched his brows in confusion. "What do you mean by 'hacked'?"

Claire turned to Adrian and said, "Track. He means he tracked me." She then glared at Matthew, who looked away sheepishly. "Matthew used Find My iPhone to track me," Claire explained.

The three of them exited the

hospital, the cool evening air a welcome change from the stuffy atmosphere inside. Claire turned to Adrian and said, "Thank you for your help and for understanding earlier at the restaurant. It means a lot to me."

Adrian smiled warmly. "I was just doing my job as a friend."

Claire smiled back, feeling a surge of gratitude. "I'm lucky to have met you, Adrian."

They both nodded, acknowledging the bond that had formed between them. As they prepared to part ways, Adrian looked at Claire seriously. "Take care, Claire. And try not to overthink the situation."

Claire nodded and disappeared inside the car with Matthew. They drove away, leaving Adrian in the parking lot. He realized he was still holding Claire's heels and chuckled lightly.

In the car, Claire turned to Matthew and asked, "Why did you call earlier?"

Matthew glanced at her and said, "I went to the location where the person posted your news."

Claire's interest perked up, and she raised her brows. "What did you find?"

Matthew shook his head. "Nothing. The two locations I went to seem false."

Claire's eyebrows scrunched in disbelief and confusion. "That's not possible. I tracked it too, and the location is right."

"I wanted to believe that too," Matthew said, "but I checked the surveillance cameras, and I didn't see anyone suspicious or weird."

Claire frowned. "Are you sure you checked the right cameras?"

"Yes," Matthew replied, sounding frustrated. "I double-checked everything. There was nothing out of the ordinary."

Claire sighed, feeling more anxious. "Then what do we do now? If the locations are false, how do we find out who posted the news?"

Matthew thought for a moment. "We might need to look at it from a different angle. Maybe the person used a proxy or some other method to disguise their real location."

Claire was silent for a moment. Her

head filled with thoughts. "Maybe but I don't know. I got a feeling that the location is right but maybe we aren't able to track him cause we don't know him. this feels confusing. It's like Eligos again. We are not done finding his location and now, this? What have I done in my past life that makes me this unlucky."

She stared at the window suddenly feeling drained.

"You are not unlucky Claire. You were just caught up in a situation but it shows that you are strong and you are not the type of person that easily give up."

A small smile appear on her lips. "You know, Matt. If you aren't a hacker, I bet you would make an amazing therapist."

A chuckled escape from his lips. "That is the biggest compliment people ever gave me." he place a hand to his heart in a dramatic action.

Claire rolled her eyes playfully.

""Now, let's get you home."

"No."

Matthew glanced at Claire then back at the road. "What do you mean no?"

"I mean I don't want to go home just yet."

"So where do you want to go?"

"Cryptonic headquarter."

"But you are unwell, Claire." Matthew argue. A look of disbelief etched on his face.

Claire scrunched her brows. "It's just my foot not my brain and besides I need to see the surveillance camera you mention." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"But the doctor said you need rest and tell you not to move much."

""Then I will seat."

"You are so stubborn you know that."

The corner of Claire lips curl into a smirk. "So, I've been told."

Matthew sighed. "Fine."

Reluctantly, Matthew agreed to drive Claire to the headquarter.