New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex) novel Chapter 221

Claire was sprawled on the couch, a thick blanket wrapped around her like a cocoon, when Matthew stormed into her penthouse. His expression was a mix of exasperation and determination, like he was about to deliver the world's most dramatic speech.

“You, Claire,” he announced, pointing an accusing finger at her, “are not going to work today. You're not working until you've fully recovered. Doctor’s orders.”

Claire rolled her eyes, already knowing where this was headed. “Matthew, I'm fine. It's just a little poison. Nothing I haven't handled before.”

But Matthew wasn’t having it. He crossed his arms, standing tall like some sort of stern babysitter. “Oh, really? And what if you collapse at the office? I’ll have to haul your unconscious body out of there.”

Claire snorted. “You’re being dramatic.”

“Dramatic?” Matthew echoed, incredulously. “Claire, if I catch you even thinking about going to Metacortex, I’ll personally call security to drag you out. And you know I mean it.”

Claire raised an eyebrow, but the small smile playing on her lips betrayed her amusement. “Is that a threat, Matthew?”

“Absolutely,” he said, dead serious. “Now, you’re going to stay right here, rest, and let me take care of everything. I’ll handle the company, the meetings, the phone calls—everything. You just focus on getting better.”

Claire’s gaze drifted to the bowl of porridge on the table in front of her. She’d been poking at it with her spoon for the last ten minutes, but the thought of eating it didn’t exactly thrill her. Her mind was still stuck on last night, specifically on Ivanov’s defiant glare and his stubborn refusal to talk.

Noticing her lingering stare, Matthew sighed. “You’re still thinking about Ivanov, aren’t you?”

Claire looked up from the porridge, leaning back onto the couch. “Can you blame me? He was so adamant about not revealing who sent him. It’s frustrating.”

Matthew, who had been pacing across the room, stopped and leaned against the dining table. “It’s probably one of your many enemies,” he said with a shrug. “You’ve racked up quite a few, you know."

Claire frowned, considering his words. “Sure, but which one?”

“I’ll investigate,” Matthew assured her. “You don’t need to worry about it. But for now, you need to take your medicine and get some rest. The doctor gave you strict orders, remember?”

Claire waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll take it later.”

“Now, Claire,” Matthew insisted, pulling a small bottle out of his pocket and setting it on the table next to the porridge. “Or I’ll feed it to you myself.”

Claire narrowed her eyes at him, but there was no real heat in her gaze. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Absolutely,” Matthew replied with a grin. “I never get to boss you around like this. It’s a rare treat.”

Claire chuckled, but she reached for the medicine anyway. “Fine, fine. You win this round. But don’t get too comfortable.”

Matthew watched as she swallowed the pills, satisfied that she was at least trying to follow the doctor’s orders. “Good. Now, eat that porridge and rest. I’ll handle everything at Metacortex.”

As Matthew headed for the door, Claire called after him. “You’d better not mess anything up, Matthew. I don’t want to come back to a disaster.”

Matthew turned back with a wink. “Relax, boss. I’ve got it covered. Just focus on getting better, okay?”

Claire gave him a small nod, watching as he left the penthouse. She stared at the porridge again, this time with a resigned sigh. It wasn’t exactly appetizing, but she knew she needed to eat something.

Christian arched an eyebrow. “Everything? You’re going to have to be a bit more specific than that.”

“Claire,” Alex muttered, his voice muffled by the pillow he was still using as a shield. “It’s all about Claire.”

Christian tilted his head, his curiosity piqued. “What about Claire? Is this about what happened at the event last night?”

Alex lowered the pillow slightly, just enough to glare at Christian. “Of course, it is. She was poisoned, Christian! Poisoned! And there was Adrian, playing hero, with his lips all over her while I couldn’t do anything!”

Christian’s eyes widened. “Adrian kissed Claire? I didn’t hear about that part.”

“It wasn’t like that,” Alex snapped. “He was just… helping her. But still! And then Matthew wouldn’t even let me take care of her like I wasn’t good enough or something.”

Christian listened, piecing together the story. “Okay, so Claire got poisoned, Adrian helped her, Matthew wouldn’t let you near her, and now you’re here, drinking yourself into a stupor because… why? Claire didn’t give you the response you wanted?”

Alex huffed and slumped back on the couch, letting the pillow drop to the floor. “She was so cold, Christian. Like she didn’t care at all. It’s driving me insane.”

"Then, you need to talk to Claire. Find out what’s going on in her head. You won’t get anywhere by sulking in the dark.”

“You think talking will actually help?”

Christian shrugged. “Can’t hurt to try. And if it doesn’t work, at least you’ll know where you stand.”