New beginning: Billionaire love story

Claire felt her irritation rise. It was like trying to have a serious conversation with a brick wall. "The woman, Alexander. Tell me who the woman is!"

Alexander leaned back in his chair, raising his eyebrows in surprise. Then, a smirk slowly spread across his face, the kind that made Claire want to punch him. He crossed his arms, mirroring her stance.

"So, you know it's a woman," he teased. "That means you're one step closer to figuring it out."

Claire gritted her teeth. "This isn't a guessing game. I don't have time for this."

He stood up and strolled toward the door, casually as if they were talking about the weather. Reaching for the handle, he opened the door wide and turned back to her. "I'm busy, Claire. I don't have time to be disturbed by your endless questions." Claire remained rooted to her spot, glaring at him. "I'm not leaving until you tell me who she is."

Alexander scoffed, his smirk turning into a grin. "You barely tell me anything. Why should I share my information with you?"

Claire took a step closer, her eyes narrowing. "Because this woman hurt Abigail. And I'm not letting her get away with it. If you know something, it's better if you tell me now."

They stood there, staring each other down, neither one willing to back off. Claire's eyes were practically shooting lasers, and Alexander's frown deepened as the tension between them grew. Just when things were about to explode, Alexander's phone rang, breaking the standoff.

He glanced at the screen, sighed, and answered the call. "Yes, Mary?"

It was Abigail's mother. Alexander's eyes widened in surprise as he listened. "She's awake? I'll be there as soon as I can."

He hung up and turned to Claire, his voice more serious than before. "Abigail's awake."

Claire's hard expression softened for a moment, genuine surprise flickering across her face. But before either of them could say anything else, they both hurried out of the office, the intensity of their previous argument temporarily forgotten.

As they stepped into the lobby, Claire turned back to Alexander, her voice firm. "This conversation isn't over."

Alexander grunted in response as they parted ways. Claire joined Matthew, her right-hand man, and they headed toward their car. Alexander walked briskly toward his own vehicle, feeling the weight of everything piling up on his shoulders.

Sliding into the driver's seat, Alexander was about to turn the key when his phone rang again. He let out a frustrated groan and answered it. "What now?"

It was one of his bodyguards, the one stationed at the private docks to watch over Lisa.

"Uh, sir, we've got a situation," the bodyguard said, his voice wavering a bit. "Lisa's managed to slip away. We're still searching for her."

Alexander's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me right now? I told you to watch her, not let her escape!"

The bodyguard stammered slightly but tried to keep his voice steady. "We're combing the entire area, sir. It's a private dock-she can't have gone far."

"Then find her!" Alexander snapped, his voice cold and sharp. "I want her back in that house, and I want it done now."

He hung up the phone, frustration bubbling inside him. He slammed his hands against the steering wheel. This was not how today was supposed to go.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the city, Alexander felt a knot of anxiety form in his stomach. Lisa was unpredictable at the best of times, and now that she was on the loose, there was no telling what kind of chaos she would stir up. Claire and Matthew were already on the road, heading toward the hospital where Abigail was recovering. The mood in the car was tense, and Claire's fingers tapped restlessly against her thigh.

"Are you still going to ask Alexander?"

"Of course, I will not let him get away with it. But for now, let's see how Abigail's doing. I hope she's okay." Claire said, though her focus was already shifting back to the situation at hand. Back at the docks, Alexander's bodyguards were scouring the area, searching through shadows and every hidden corner. Lisa, however, was proving harder to track down than expected. Alexander pulled up to his private dock. He hopped out of the car, barely letting the engine shut off before a burly man in a black suit approached him, his face looking more anxious than usual. "Boss, uh, I'm sorry," the bodyguard stammered, his hand nervously brushing the bandage on his cheek.

Alexander squinted at him, instantly suspicious. "What's that cut about?"

The bodyguard swallowed hard. "It's... Lisa, sir. She, uh, grabbed a knife and well-she attacked me."

"She what?" Alexander raised an eyebrow, clearly not in the mood for this kind of news. He had enough on his plate, and now this?

"She cut me, but... it's fine. Just a scratch," the bodyguard said, almost proudly.

Alexander wasn't convinced. "Did she hurt anyone else?"

The bodyguard hesitated. A long pause. Alexander crossed his arms, impatient.

"Out with it," he snapped.

"Well, sir, yeah, she, uh, got one of the others. Real bad."

Alexander cursed loudly, causing a flock of birds nearby to scatter into the sky. "I didn't think Lisa had it in her to go this far! Unbelievable!"

He ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated, before barking out orders. "Get him to a hospital, now! And next time, don't let her get her hands on a knife. That seems like basic stuff."

The bodyguard nodded furiously, already pulling out his phone to call for medical help.

Alexander stormed toward the house, pushing open the front door with a bit more force than necessary. Inside, it was a complete disaster-like a tornado had ripped through it. Chairs overturned, lamps broken, and what looked like a vase shattered into a thousand pieces on the floor.

He stood in the middle of the mess, arms at his sides, taking it all in. "Great. Just fantastic," he muttered sarcastically.

"Do we have footage of this?" he asked.

The bodyguard, who had followed him inside, pulled out his phone and handed it to Alexander. "Yeah, boss. Caught it all on the security cams."

Alexander took the phone and

watched in silence. The footage showed Lisa tied to a chair in the kitchen, at first still. But then, after a while she started wiggling and squirming like crazy until the ropes around her wrists loosened novelbin

She was quick, a lot quicker than Alexander expected, and she darted to the kitchen counter, grabbed a knife, and went after the two guards. One was sharp enough to dodge, but the other wasn't so lucky. She slashed him across the arm, and he went down with a cry of pain.

Then, like she knew the place better than they did, Lisa made a beeline for the back door and slipped out into the night.

Alexander frowned as the footage ended. He handed the phone back. "How did none of you see this coming?"

"I'm sorry, sir. We thought she was secure="

"Clearly not secure enough," Alexander cut in. "Get your guys and find her. I don't care where she's gone. She's not getting away with this."

The bodyguard nodded and hurried out, already barking orders into his earpiece.