New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex) novel Chapter 288

Claire sat at her desk, staring blankly at the ceiling, her mind swirling with thoughts. Her office was dimly lit, the evening light barely cutting through the heavy curtains. The case was eating her up inside, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pin down the mastermind. Rafayel, the poor guy, had been no help at all, especially after wetting himself during the interrogation. She sighed heavily, slouching deeper into her chair.

Just then, the door swung open with a creak. Claire blinked, looking down to see Matthew saunter in, holding a cup of coffee. He gave her a small nod, sensing the stress in the room, and placed the coffee on her desk without saying a word. He pulled up a chair, sat across from her, and finally broke the silence.

“Still stuck on the woman Rafayel mentioned?” he asked casually.

Claire let out another sigh and picked up the coffee. She wasn't much of a coffee drinker, but this case was dragging her down, and she needed all the caffeine she could get. After a quick sip, she frowned.

“Yeah, it's like I’m missing something, but I can't figure out what,” Claire admitted, rubbing her temples. “I've gone through everything a million times, but I’m still nowhere.”

Matthew leaned back in his chair, studying her for a moment. “Did Alex call you last night?” he asked, his eyes narrowing a bit.

Claire nodded. “He did, yeah.”

Matthew tilted his head. “What did he call about?”

Claire paused, trying to recall the conversation. “He asked if I was looking for the three guys who harassed Abigail. I told him that I’d taken care of them and was focused on finding the mastermind.”

Matthew straightened up, his brow furrowed. “And then?”

“And then I ended the call. I mean, we were in the middle of dealing with Rafayel, remember?”

Matthew scratched his chin, frowning even deeper. “Why would Alex ask about those guys?”

Claire shrugged. “Maybe he thought we were looking for the three guys.”

“Maybe, but what if...” He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, and stared at Claire as if trying to piece together a puzzle. “What if,” he began slowly, “what if Alex already found the mastermind?”

Claire’s eyes narrowed, and she let out a small laugh. “Alex? Come on. He’s not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. The guy didn’t even realize I’m the CEO of Metacortex, and we’ve been together for how long?”

Matthew chuckled, but there was still a serious look in his eyes. “Okay, okay. Fair. But think about it—he called you out of the blue, asking about those guys. And yesterday, when we were asking the woman, Harris suddenly left without saying anything. It's like he suddenly realized something.”

Claire blinked, the coffee cup halfway to her lips. “You think he’s figured something out?”

Matthew nodded slowly. “I’ve got this feeling. He might have stumbled on something.”

Claire sat up straighter in her chair, the gears in her mind starting to turn. “But if that’s true, why wouldn’t he tell me?”

Matthew scratched the back of his head. “Maybe he doesn’t prefer to keep it a secret? Who knows, is not like you and Harris have the greatest relationship.”

Claire sighed, tapping her fingers on the desk. “Great. So now we’re playing ‘Did Alex accidentally solve the case?’”

“How about you ask the person? Maybe he will change his mind and tell you.”

“I doubt he will tell me but, I know how to make him talk as usual.”

Claire stood up from her chair, eyes darting to Matthew. “I'm going to see Alexander,” she announced, reaching for her phone on the table.

Matthew lifted an eyebrow. “You’re not going without me,” he said standing up.

Claire didn't wait for further instructions. She marched right past the secretary, pushing the door open. Matthew trailed after her, whistling softly under his breath. Inside, Alexander was seated behind his massive mahogany desk, looking up from a pile of papers.

“Claire. Matthew,” Alexander greeted, his deep voice calm. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Claire wasn’t having any of the pleasantries. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “You know.”

Alexander blinked, tilting his head. “Know what?” He sounded genuinely confused.

“Don’t play dumb, Alexander,” Claire snapped. “Have you found out who’s behind all of this? The mastermind?”

Alexander leaned back in his chair; eyebrows furrowed. “You think I’ve discovered something and didn’t tell you?”

“Yes,” Claire said, her voice firm.

“Let's just say I did. What are you going to do about it.” Alexander raised his brows, but Claire only seemed more annoyed by this.

“I'm not in the mood to play games, Harris. Tell me who is the mastermind.” Alexander stood up from his chair and stared at Claire coldly.

“No, you don't even tell me anything. So why would I tell you?”

Alexander wanted to keep it this way. He wanted to be the one to deal with Lisa after what she said last night, Alexander doesn't want Claire to get hurt but she doesn't need to know his intention. Is not like she will believe everything he says.

“You're a know-it-all. I'm sure you can figure this out yourself.”