New beginning: Billionaire love story

Matthew was just finishing his shower, steam curling around the bathroom like lazy ghosts, when his phone buzzed on the counter. With a towel slung over his shoulders, he squinted at the screen. The driver.

He frowned. Calls at odd hours were rarely good news. "What's up?" he answered, his voice casual as he started drying his hair.

The moment the driver's panicked voice came down the line, Matthew froze, the towel slipping from his hands.

"Mr. Matthew-it's-Ms. Peterson! She's-she's gone!"

Matthew's brows snapped together. "What do you mean, gone?" he demanded, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.

The driver sputtered. "I was on my way to the Saint Laurent mansion. Someone knocked on the window-I thought they needed help. I rolled it down, and the next thing I knew, I was being dragged out and hit with... chloroform, I think? I woke up in the bushes, but Ms. Peterson-she must have thought I was the one who pick her up."

Matthew clenched his jaw as he absorbed the information. "Did you see who did it? Anything-height, build, hair color?"

"No, sir. It all happened so fast. I'm so sorry."

Matthew pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting to keep calm. "You did what you could. Stay put. I'll handle this."

The call ended, and Matthew stood still for a moment, his mind racing. Claire. Kidnapped. This wasn't just a bad night-it was an awful night.

Grabbing his phone, he called Adrian.

The phone rang a few times before Adrian picked up, his voice casual and cheerful, laughter from the party echoing in the background. "Matthew, what's up?"

"Claire's gone," Matthew said, straight to the point.

The laughter on the other end vanished in an instant. "What do you mean, gone?" Adrian's voice dropped, laced with panic.

"She's been kidnapped," Matthew said grimly. "Driver got ambushed, knocked out with chloroform. By the time he woke up, his car gone and Claire thought her driver was the one who pick her up."

There was a beat of stunned silence before Adrian cursed under his breath. "Where is he now? Have you called the police?"

"No police. Not yet," Matthew said firmly. "We don't know who's behind this, and I don't trust them not to make things worse. We're handling this quietly."

"Handling it quietly? Claire's been kidnapped, Matthew!" Adrian snapped. "I'm coming to help."

"No, you're staying at your party," Matthew said, his tone brooking no argument.

"Are you serious right now?" Adrian's voice shot up. "You expect me to sip champagne and pretend everything's fine while Claire's out there-God knows where?"

"I need you to stay put for now. If you leave, it's going to raise eyebrows," Matthew argued. "You disappearing will make this mess even bigger. I'll send you a location. Meet me there if you're coming but keep it discreet. No entourage." Adrian was silent for a moment, likely battling the urge to shout. "Fine. But if you think I'm sitting this out, you don't know me at all," he said sharply.

Matthew sighed. "Just be careful. And Adrian? If you're bringing anyone, make sure they can keep their mouth shut."

""Got it."

As the call ended, Adrian stared at the message Matthew sent: coordinates to a spot on the outskirts of London. A quick check on his phone told him the location didn't exist on any map. Great. A wild goose chases on top of everything else. "Adrian?" His mother's voice pulled him back to reality. He turned to find her standing nearby, a questioning look on her face. "Where are you going? The party's just getting into full swing."

Adrian's mind raced for an excuse. "Work," he lied smoothly. "Something urgent came up. I won't be long."

His mother didn't look convinced. "Work? On your birthday?"

"Duty calls," he said with a strained smile, kissing her cheek. "I'll be back before you know it."

As he turned to leave, Alexander,

who had been lingering near the bar, caught sight of Adrian's hurried departure. His sharp eyes narrowed. Adrian wasn't one to leave his own party-especially not without good reason.

оп

"What's the rush?" Alexander murmured to himself, swirling his drink thoughtfully. Whatever it was, it had to be serious.

The sleek car pulled up to an unmarked building that looked more like a tech startup than a "hideout." Adrian stepped out, his driver glancing around cautiously.

"You sure about this, sir?" the driver asked, clearly uneasy.

"Positive." Adrian squared his shoulders, his curiosity outweighing his nerves.

A text buzzed on his phone: "Head inside. Billy will meet you."

Adrian followed the instructions, stepping into the building where a man with glasses and a no-nonsense expression was waiting.

"What is this place?" he muttered to himself.

"You must be Adrian Saint Laurent," Billy said, offering a polite but curt nod. "Follow me, please."

Adrian did, his eyes darting around the minimalist interior. It was high-tech and sleek, yet oddly sterile. "What is this place?"

Billy didn't slow his stride. "Ms. Peterson's hideout."

Adrian blinked. "Her what?"

Billy ignored the question, leading Adrian into an elevator. They rode in silence until the doors dinged open to reveal a spacious, high-tech office.

Billy knocked on a door before stepping inside. "He is here," he announced.

Matthew looked up from his desk, motioning for Adrian to enter.

Adrian stepped in, his gaze darting around the room before landing on Matthew. "Alright, what is this place? And what do you mean by Claire's 'hideout'?" Matthew leaned back in his chair; his expression unreadable. "This is where Claire does her work. Let's just say it's her... other life."

"Other life?" Adrian frowned. "What does that mean?"

Matthew stood, walking to a shelf lined with files and gadgets. "Claire's not just some CEO or the woman you know. She has... resources. Skills A network. This is where she operates when she's not playing the part of Claire Peterson."

Adrian crossed his arms. "I know that Claire has skills in hacking, but I have no idea she has another hideout? If that what you say." Matthew turned to him with a smile on his face. "Well seems like you already know what she do but I'm not gonna go into detail."

"Wait, what you're saying she's living some double life? Like what? A spy? A vigilante?"

Matthew smirked, though his eyes

stayed serious. "I wouldn't call her

that, but you can call it what you want until Claire herself explain it to you. But right now, all you need to

know is that this place is our best

shot at finding her."

Adrian watched as Matthew worked, the screen lighting up with various feeds, maps, and data. "How are you even getting this information?"

Matthew glanced at him. "You'd be surprised what you can get with the right connections."noveldrama

Adrian sat down, trying to process the information. "And you? What's your role in all of this?"

"I'm her fixer,” Matthew said simply. "When things go south, I clean up the mess."

"Well," Adrian said, voice tight with frustration, "consider this a hell of a mess."

Matthew nodded, already pulling up surveillance footage on a wall-mounted screen. "No kidding. Now, let's find her."