New beginning: Billionaire love story

It had been one of those days where everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. Claire and Matthew spent hours hunched over their laptops, their eyes darting across screens as they sifted through endless profiles. The mission? Find the perfect candidate to pose as a therapist. Not just any therapist, though-someone who could infiltrate Lisa's life, get close enough to observe her, and eventually gather the dirt needed to send Lisa to jail. Claire was loving Matthew's plan. "Just because my life's been a circus lately doesn't mean I'm going to forget about Lisa," she said with a determined look. "She made my life a nightmare, so I'm returning the favor." Matthew leaned back in his chair, stretching. "Yeah, between the crime scenes and the explosions, it's been a bit of a whirlwind for you, huh?"

"Understatement of the year," Claire muttered. "But Lisa? I owe her. Big time. I'm not letting her slip away."

They continued scrolling, reviewing resumes and profiles, scanning for anyone who could convincingly play the part of a therapist. Hours ticked by, and the sun began its descent, casting a warm, golden glow through the office windows. Claire glanced at the clock, sighing. "We've gotta wrap this up soon," she said. "I'm starting to see double."

Matthew suddenly perked up. "Wait! I think I found something." He waved Claire over to his screen.

She leaned in, peering at the profile he had pulled up. "Hmm. Not bad," she mused, scrolling through the details. "Definitely looks qualified."

Matthew grinned. "And check this one out. Found another one that could work."

Together, they reviewed the third profile, nodding in agreement. They finally had three solid candidates. The two shared a quick high-five.

Claire leaned back, satisfied. "Alright, we've got our top three. Can you set up interviews? And make sure to mention the salary we're offering. We don't want anyone flaking out last minute."

Matthew nodded, jotting down some notes. "You got it. Are you going to sit in on the interviews, or should I handle it?"

Claire hesitated, glancing at the mountain of paperwork piling up on her desk. "I should, but... I've got a lot on my plate. Maybe I'll make time for one or two. But you can handle the rest."

Matthew smirked, crossing his arms. "Can't believe we're going through all this just to put Lisa behind bars."

"Believe it," Claire said with a grin. "She deserves jail after everything she's done. She's straight-up crazy."

Matthew chuckled. "Yeah, that's putting it mildly. Alright, I'll take care of the interviews, and we'll compare notes later."

Claire gave him a thumbs-up before turning back to her screen. "I'm counting on you."

Meanwhile, across town, Cindy was nursing a vodka at a dimly lit club. She'd been staring at the glossy black card she had received for what felt like hours. No name. Just a number. It shimmered under the low light, almost taunting her.noveldrama

"Who the hell gives out a card with no name?" Cindy muttered under her breath. She twirled it between her fingers, contemplating. "Maybe it's a scam. But..." She couldn't shake the thought that the card belonged to that mysterious man she met the one who promised her everything.

Could it really be his number?

Her mind raced. She had nothing to lose, right? Maybe this was her chance. Her old life was in shambles, and the thought of getting it back-of being someone again-was too tempting.

"Alright, screw it" Cindy whispered to herself, grabbing her phone and dialing the number.

The first call rang endlessly. No answer. She tried again. Nothing.

Frustrated, she took a deep breath and dialed a third time. This time, the line clicked, and a deep voice answered, sending a shiver down her spine. "Hello?"

Cindy straightened up, suddenly

feeling like she'd swallowed a handful of rocks. She cleared her throat, trying to sound braver than she felt. "... uh, I've made up my mind, she said, gripping her phone tightly. "I want in. I accept your

offer."

On the other end of the line, Eligos sat back in his car, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "I knew you'd come around, Cindy. I'm glad to hear it."

Cindy bit her lip, unsure how to feel

about the whole situation. Part of her was relieved, but another part-the sane part-was screaming at her to hang up. Still, she pressed forward. "What do I call you, anyway? You never told me your name."

There was a pause, then the voice came through the line, low and deliberate. "Eligos. You can call me Eligos."

Cindy blinked, her brows furrowing. "Eligos? What kind of name is that? Sounds like something out of a horror movie."

But before she could ask anything more, the line went dead. Cindy stared at her phone in disbelief, glaring at the screen as if it had betrayed her. She tossed it onto the table and took a long sip of her vodka. "Eligos, huh? Weird name, but whatever. As long as I get what I want."

Leaning back in her chair, Cindy let out a slow breath. Her mind was still buzzing from the conversation, but one thing was clear: she didn't care what kind of errands or tasks this Eligos guy wanted her to do. If it meant getting her old life back-the fame, the glamour, the status-she'd do whatever it took.

"Bring it on," she whispered, finishing her drink in one gulp. "I'm ready."

Back at the office, Claire was packing up her things, her mind still racing with thoughts of the plan. She glanced over at Matthew, who was busy shooting off emails to the potential actor to act like a therapist, they had chosen. "Think this is gonna work?" Matthew asked without looking up.

Claire shrugged, tossing her bag over her shoulder. "It has to. Lisa's dangerous, and she's not gonna stop unless we stop her first."

Matthew gave a quick nod, his focus still on his screen. "You're right. We've got this. One of these candidates will be perfect, and then... Lisa's done for."

Claire smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. They were making progress, slowly but surely. And while the rest of her life might be a mess, this? This was something she could control.

"I think I'm gonna call it a night." She said as she headed for the door.

"That's pretty rare of you to be out this early." Matthew teased her and Claire rolled her eyes at him.

"Hey, I have been through a lot the least I can do is to get a good night's sleep."

Matthew chuckled. "Of course, boss."

She then shot Matthew a final look. "Don't stay too late, okay? We've got a lot more to do tomorrow."

Matthew waved her off with a grin. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll be out soon."

With that, Claire left the office, the evening air cool against her skin. As chaotic as things were, she couldn't help but feel like they were on the verge of something big.

Lisa had no idea what was coming, and Claire couldn't wait to see how it all played out.