New beginning: Billionaire love story

Lisa stood up from her sitting position on the floor and looked around for her bags. She spotted her bags near the door and in search of her phone. She sighed in relief that at least her phone was safe. What she is about to do is quite risky, but Lisa doesn't have much choice if she doesn't want to go to jail.

Taking a deep breath, she pressed the call button. It rang once, twice, and then went to voicemail. She tried again, and again, it went unanswered. On her third attempt, Alex finally picked up.

"What do you want, Lisa?" Alex's voice came through the line, his tone laced with annoyance. "I thought I told you to never call me again."

Lisa's heart skipped a beat, but she knew she had to play her part convincingly. She started crying, letting her sobs echo through the phone.

At the other end, Alex was taken aback. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

"I need your help," Lisa managed to say between sobs.

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered. "After everything you've done, you still have the nerve to ask for my help? What do you need help with?" "It's about Claire," Lisa said, her voice trembling.

Alex straightened up in his chair, his curiosity piqued. "What does Claire have to do with this?"

"She's going to put me in jail," Lisa blurted out, her voice breaking.

Alex stood up from his seat, his eyes wide with shock. "I'm sorry, what?" he said, his voice rising. "Claire is going to put me in jail," Lisa repeated, her sobs intensifying.

"Slow down," Alex said, trying to process the information. "Why would Claire want to put you in jail?" Lisa, on the other end, had sounded distressed. "I made a mistake, Alex. A terrible mistake."

Alex frowned, his patience wearing thin. "What mistake, Lisa? You need to tell me so I can help."

But instead of answering, Lisa broke down into sobs. Alex gritted his teeth, feeling a mix of frustration and pity. He couldn't handle any more of her crying.

"Lisa, stop crying," he said more gently. "I'll talk to Claire about it, okay?"

There was a pause at the other end, and then Lisa sniffled. "Really? You'll talk to her?"

Alex sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes, I will. But you need to calm down. We'll sort this out."

Lisa's voice trembled with gratitude. "Thank you, Alex. Thank you so much."

The call ended, and Alex felt a wave of relief. He put his phone down and sat on the couch, rubbing his temples. He didn't understand the full story, but he was determined to get to the bottom of it. Lisa's reaction seemed genuine, but something about her behavior nagged at him.

Meanwhile, in her penthouse, Claire had just returned after Matthew dropped her off. She headed straight to her room, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on her. She dropped her bag on a chair and walked over to the mirror. A red handprint marred the skin on her neck, a stark reminder of Lisa's tight grasp. Claire closed her eyes, but the memory of the confrontation played in a loop in her mind.

She opened her eyes and sighed, deciding a hot shower might help. Claire undressed and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash over her. The heat relaxed her tensed muscles, and the headache that had been building all day began to fade. She stood under the stream for a long time, until her fingers pruned, and the water started to cool.

Stepping out, she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and walked to her bed. She lay down, staring at the ceiling, her mind a whirl of thoughts. This was the third time she had come close to death, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was a sign. Was her death near? The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

She muttered to herself, "I'll die peacefully once I get revenge on my parents." But she pushed that thought aside. For now, she needed to focus on the situation with Lisa and teach her a lesson she would never forget.

After Alex ended his call with Lisa,

he tried to dial Claire's number. However, it went straight to voicemail. He sat back on his couch, his mind racing with thoughts about why Claire would want to put Lisa in jail. He couldn't help but think if this was some devious plan of Lisa's to lure him back into her life.

The next day, Claire woke up with a start, realizing she had fallen asleep still wearing her bathrobe. She got up and went straight to the shower, hoping the hot water would wash away her exhaustion. As she. stepped into her walk-in closet t

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dressed, she noticed the hand-shaped bruises on her neck

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had become more visible.

Frowning in annoyance, she muttered sarcastically to herself, "Lucky me. Now I get to wear a turtleneck in this sunny London weather."

Once she was ready, Claire decided

to skip breakfast. She needed to get to the office. When she arrived, her employees greeted her, and she managed to give a slight smile and a nod. Claire headed to her office on the top floor and stepped inside, surprised to see Matthew-lying down on her couch with his legs up on the coffee table.

Claire smiled in amusement. "How is it you always get here early?"

Matthew grinned. "Just trying to become Employee of the Month."

Claire rolled her eyes, but then noticed Matthew eyeing her outfit strangely. "Why are you wearing a turtleneck in this sunny weather?" he asked.

Claire stammered, searching for a quick excuse. "It's... a trend. I'm a fashion icon, remember? I have to play the part."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "Good luck with that in this heat."

"I will survive." Claire made her way to her desk and placed her bag down on the table. Claire took a sit behind the desk and looked at Matthew, her expression became serious. "Matthew, have you send me the evidence from Max?"

He stood up and nodded. "Yes, I sent all the evidence to your email."

"Thanks." Claire pressed the office button to call on her secretary. "Sandra, I need you to contact my lawyer and tell him to come to Metacortex. Claire Peterson wanted to discuss something with him." "Right away, Ms. Peterson."

Matthew stared at her with a scrunched forehead. "You are seriously going to sue Lisa, aren't you?"

"Yes, I don't want to wait another minute of my time."

He nodded in approval. "I'm glad you decided too. If you need my help, please don't hesitate to inform me."Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Claire shoot her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Matthew. You have been really helpful."

"I can do what I can do, boss." He winked at Claire which made her chuckle.

Then a knock at her door interrupted them. Matthew raised his brows as he turned his attention towards the door then back to Claire. "Are you expecting someone?"

"No. Maybe it's my lawyer. Please come in."

The door opened and it revealed none other than her business partner.

"Alexander?"