New beginning: Billionaire love story

Claire sprinted through the dark, dense woods, her heart pounding in her chest. The only sound was her frantic breathing and the crunch of leaves under her feet.

She had no idea who or what was chasing her, only that it was a shadowy figure, a black blur that seemed to be getting closer no matter how fast she ran.

Every few seconds, she threw a glance over her shoulder, eyes wide with panic, but the woods were so dark that even the moonlight couldn't pierce through the thick canopy of trees.

Her foot caught on a branch, and with a gasp, she went tumbling to the ground, her knee slamming hard into the dirt.

Pain shot up her leg, and she clutched at her knee, wincing. Before she could even think about getting up, she felt it-the presence looming over her. Slowly, she looked up. The dark figure was there, towering over her, an ominous, shapeless shadow that seemed to swallow up the air around it. And then, just like that, it enveloped her.

Claire screamed.

She jolted awake, her body shooting upright in bed. Her heart was racing, and beads of sweat clung to her forehead and neck. For a moment, she just sat there, gasping for breath, trying to calm the wild thudding in her chest. It took a few seconds before she realized it had all been a dream-a weird, terrifying dream.

Claire rubbed her eyes and glanced out the window. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, casting a soft orange glow across the room. It was probably around 5:30 in the morning.

She closed her eyes and tried to shake off the lingering fear from the nightmare. It wasn't like her to have such dreams. In fact, she rarely ever had nightmares, except for those few times when her amnesia brought flashes of her parents into her dreams-memories she hadn't even realized she had.

But this? This was different.

A dark figure was chasing her, and instead of standing on her ground like she usually would, she ran away. That was so unlike her. Claire wasn't the type to run from anything, not in real life. She always faced her problems head-on, always.

So why had she run in the dream? Shaking her head, she pushed the thought aside. It was just a dream. Nothing more.

She swung her legs out of bed, her bare feet hitting the cold floor as she headed to the bathroom. A hot shower seemed like the perfect remedy to shake off the last of the uneasy feeling. The warm water cascaded over her, relaxing her tense muscles. By the time she was done, she felt a little better, more grounded. Wrapping herself in a towel, she quickly got dressed and headed to the kitchen.

Claire made herself a cup of chamomile tea, hoping the soothing aroma would calm her nerves. She was just starting to relax when there was a knock at the door. Frowning, she set down her cup and went to answer it. When she opened the door, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Alexander?" she blurted out, eyebrows raised

There he was, standing at her door, looking oddly out of place with a bag of pastries in his hand. Alexander gave her a small, awkward smile. "Morning, Claire."

Claire frowned, her expression blank. "What are you doing here?"

He sighed, holding up the bag. "I brought breakfast."

Claire's unimpressed look didn't budge. Her arms crossed over her chest, and she stared at him as if waiting for him to give a better reason for showing up at her door so early. Alexander, clearly sensing her mood, sighed again.

"I heard about what happened," he explained, a hint of concern in his voice. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Claire rolled her eyes and let out a small sigh. "I'm fine," she replied, though her tone made it clear she wasn't in the mood for this conversation.

Alexander's eyes flickered to the scratches on her cheek, then to the bandage on her arm. He raised an eyebrow. "Fine? You're telling me you're fine? What's all this then?"

Claire shifted her arm behind her back, hiding the bandage as if it would magically disappear. "You see nothing," she said, her voice dry with sarcasm.

Alexander shook his head, clearly exasperated. "Look, I came here with good intentions. I'm not here to fight."

Claire stared at him for a long

moment before sighing in defeat. She hated arguing this early in the morning, especially when she hadn't even finished her tea yet. With a small gesture, she stepped aside and opened the door wider. noveldrama

"You've got five minutes. No more."

She grabbed the bag of pastries from his hand and walked back to the kitchen, setting them on the counter. Alexander followed her in, grateful to be let inside, even if it was under strict time limits. He leaned against the counter, watching her carefully. "How are you really, Claire?" he asked, his tone gentler now.

Claire busied herself with the tea, her movements calm and deliberate. "I'm okay," she said, her voice even. "Really."

Alexander wasn't convinced. "And Adrian? How is he?"

For a second, Claire's expression softened, but she quickly masked it with her usual calm. "Stable. He's got some wounds, but he's going to be fine."

Alexander looked concerned. "How did it happen?"

Claire shrugged, leaning against the counter now. "I have no idea."

Alexander frowned, clearly not satisfied with that answer. "Do you think it's possible Adrian has... enemies?"

Claire raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "How are you so sure Adrian has enemies and not me?"

Alexander opened and closed his mouth a few times, looking like a fish gasping for air. "Well, because... I mean, a person like you doesn't have enemies."

Claire let out a sharp laugh, though it lacked any real amusement. "Really? A person like me? Explain Lisa, then."

Silence hung in the air for a moment. Alexander had no comeback for that one. He glanced down, his brow furrowed.

Claire straightened up, her arms falling to her sides. "Look, if you came here just to tell me to stay away from Adrian, you can go. I don't need your advice."

She headed to the door, opening it

and holding it open as a clear signal for him to leave. Alexander, looking a bit flustered, started to explain himself. "No, that's not- I only wanted to look out for you, Claire. I care

about you."

Claire's expression softened, but only for a brief second. She motioned to the open door. "Your five minutes are up."

Alexander stared at her for a moment longer before finally stepping out into the hallway. He turned to say one last thing, but Claire had already closed the door behind him.

For a moment, Claire stood there,

staring at the door. She let out a

small sigh, her fingers brushing

against the scratches on her cheek. It was barely 6:00 a.m., and her day was already off to a stressfubstart.

"Great," she muttered, walking back to the kitchen and grabbing her tea.