New beginning: Billionaire love story

The courtroom buzzed with a low murmur of voices as Claire stood by, arms crossed, her gaze fixed on the judge. She sighed, frustration building in her chest. The trial had dragged on longer than she anticipated, and the judge had just announced that she needed more time to review the evidence. "Why can't this just be over today?" Claire muttered under her breath. She was hoping to wrap things up, but it looked like the wheels of justice were moving slower than she expected. "I just want this nightmare to end."noveldrama

Matthew, standing beside her, noticed her frustration and leaned in with a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't worry, Claire. The judge is just being thorough. It'll be over soon."

"Yeah, but not soon enough," Claire replied, glancing at the clock. She was hoping today would be the day she could finally press charges against Lisa and put it all behind her. But law wasn't as easy as signing a paper. It was a waiting game, and today, the game wasn't in her favor.

Meanwhile, Alexander Harris was not having the smoothest day either. He had tried to set up a meeting with Claudia Wright yesterday, but she'd flat-out rejected him, saying she didn't want to meet.

He found it strange since she had shown up at Claire's press release, looking as calm and confident as ever. Yet now, when he wanted to talk business, Claudia was playing hard to get.

Alexander was nothing if not persistent. When Claudia finally agreed to meet, she directed him to a small, almost obscure restaurant. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he wasn't going to turn down the chance to figure out what was going on in her head.

He pulled up to the restaurant and parked his car, glancing at the nearly empty lot. "This better be worth my time," he muttered before getting out and making his way inside. The restaurant was quiet, eerily so, and it didn't take him long to spot Claudia sitting alone at a table in the center of the room, calmly stirring her tea.

As Alexander approached, Claudia's lips curled into a small smile, and without even looking up, she spoke. "You came."

He stopped in front of her, irritation clear on his face. "You sound surprised," he said dryly.

Claudia finally looked up, her smile widening just a touch. "Not surprised, just amused."

Alexander narrowed his eyes. "Alright, Claudia. What do you want? I'm not here to play games."

She chuckled softly, still stirring her tea as if his presence hadn't shifted the air in the room. "Oh, Alexander. Always so direct. But business talk can wait. Why rush things when we can enjoy a nice meal first?"

Before he could protest, she clapped her hands, and as if on cue, a server appeared, placing plates of food in front of them. Alexander eyed the steak on his plate suspiciously.

Claudia leaned back in her chair, still smiling. "Take a seat. It'll only hurt your legs if you stand there glaring at me all day."

With a frustrated grunt, Alexander sat down, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'm not eating this."

Claudia raised an eyebrow, her smile turning into a smirk. "Why not?"

"Who knows what you've put in it," Alexander shot back, his tone serious.

Claudia let out a short laugh. "Smart man. But if I wanted to poison you, I'd pick something a little more subtle than steak."

She grabbed her fork, jabbed it into the steak on his plate, and took a big bite. After chewing dramatically, she swallowed and grinned. "See? Nothing happened. If anything, it's delicious."

But Alexander didn't budge. He folded his arms across his chest, looking unimpressed. "I'm not hungry."

Claudia shrugged, not bothered in the least. "Suit yourself. If you're not going to eat, you'll just have to wait until I'm done."

Alexander's patience was already running thin. He leaned forward, his voice sharp. "I don't have all day, Claudia."

She took another bite, chewing slowly, her eyes never leaving his. "You seem tense. You should really try the steak."

Alexander scowled. "What's this all about, Claudia? You rejected my call, refused to meet, and now I'm here in some quiet restaurant while you play games. If you want to talk, let's talk."

"I'm surprised that you found out my name. Thank you for investigating me." Claudia said with a smirk on her face.

"How can I not? You interrupted my business partner's press release." He glared at Claudia.

"I was doing her a favor, so she won't make any deals with you."

The corner of Alexander's lips curl up into a smirk. "Well too late, she is already my business partner. She gets to the point and tells me what you want."

Claudia paused, setting her fork down. "Fine. If you're in such a hurry to get to the point." She leaned forward slightly, her playful expression shifting to something a bit more serious. "What do you want from me, Alexander?" He blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in tone. "I want to know what you're up to. You show up at Claire's press release, then dodge me when I try to reach out. Now you're acting like you control the room." Claudia chuckled again, though there was a sharper edge to it now. "I do control the room, Alexander. And as for what I'm up to-" she paused, locking eyes with him "I wasn't coming for Claire but I was coming for you." "What do you want from me?" His voice was calm, but the tension was clear.

Claudia didn't miss a beat. "I want 70% of the profit from the Solstice Vineyard."

Alexander's scoff was loud enough to fill the entire room. He stared at her like she had just grown a second head. "Seventy percent? Are you serious?"

Raising an eyebrow, Claudia folded her arms. "What? You don't want to agree with my offer?"

He glared at her, shaking his head. "That's not a negotiation. That's you telling me to hand over everything. What do I get out of that?"

"You've had 70% for years. That's what my father felt every day. Thirty percent for us, seventy for you. So now it's your turn."

Alexander's laughter died quickly,

replaced by a sharp stare. "You think

it's that simple? Your father took that deal for a reason. My father's influence is the reason your family's vineyard is even worth something. Back then, no one knew about Solstice. It was just another small, struggling vineyard. My father brought it into the spotlight."

Claudia's eyes didn't waver. "So you think that justifies you taking the lion's share for years? That doesn't change the fact that Solstice is the reason Harris Hotel becoming more famous especially with theor wine. We were the ones out there making sure it was top quality."

Alexander leaned forward.

"I didn't scam your father. I didn't trick him into anything. It was an honest deal. He agreed because he knew Harris could make Solistice big."

Claudia shook her head. "I don't

believe that. If it was so honest, why

didn't you of your father ever come

to my father when he was sick? You kept taking your seventy percent. And where were you when I took over the company? No

no

congratulations, no advice. Nothing. Just silence."