New beginning: Billionaire love story

Claire scoffed, crossing her arms. "Observing? That's all?" She leaned forward slightly. "Because from where I stand, it seems like you've been obsessed, not just observing."

Eligos didn't flinch. Instead, he took a slow sip of his wine before setting the glass down. "The past is the past, Claire," he said, his voice dismissive. "You should stop dwelling on it."

Claire raised a brow and let out a short, humorless chuckle. "That's rich, coming from you." She tilted her head slightly, studying him. "If I should stop dwelling on the past, then why are you so desperate to find out about Allan Smith?"

For the first time that night, the easy amusement on Eligos's face vanished. His expression hardened, the air around them growing heavier.

"That," he said coolly, "is a different matter."

Claire's eyes narrowed. "And what makes it different?"

Eligos was silent for a moment, his fingers tapping idly on the table. Then, after a deep breath, he spoke.

"I will tell you," he said slowly, "but only if you tell me the reason why you asked me to meet you."

Claire didn't hesitate. "Because I know what happened to Allan Smith."

Eligos's eyes sharpened. "And?"

"It wasn't because of me," Claire continued, holding his gaze, "like you keep insinuating."

Eligos's eyebrow twitched. He had been so sure, so certain that Claire had something to do with Allan's disappearance. But the confidence in her voice made something uneasy settle in his chest.

He leaned forward slightly. "What do you mean?"

Claire exhaled. "Allan Smith didn't die because of me," she said evenly. "The one responsible for his death is Robert Robertson."

A sudden stillness settled over the room.

Eligos felt as though the world had just stopped. His breath hitched slightly, his grip on the glass tightening.

Robert Robertson?

The name echoed in his mind like a cruel joke.

The same Robert Robertson whom he had trusted, the man he had made deals with, the man he had relied on to manipulate events to his advantage... had he been the one responsible for Allan's death? "No," Eligos said finally, shaking his head. His voice was quiet but firm, like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. His gaze turned sharp as he glared at Claire. "You're lying." Claire shook her head. "I'm not."

Eligos's jaw clenched. "Then prove it."

Without a word, Claire reached into her bag and pulled out a photograph, sliding it across the table toward him.

Eligos picked it up, frowning as his eyes scanned the image. It was a picture of Robert Robertson and Allan Smith-together.

Eligos's frown deepened. He hadn't expected them to be that close.

"This proves nothing," he muttered, setting the photo down.

Claire exhaled. "It does when you know the rest of the story," she countered. "Listen, Allan died a few days after the car crash incident. The cause of death listed was heart failure."

Eligos's fingers tightened around the glass again.

"So?" he pressed.

Claire leaned forward. "Allan had no history of heart conditions. Nothing. His medical reports were clean." She gave him a pointed look. "And you know who the only person who knew about my destination that day was?"

Eligos's frown deepened.

"Robert," Claire said flatly. "And knowing that Robert and Allan were friends, don't you think it's

suspicious? Don't you think it's possible that Robert told Allan about my plans, then orchestrated the whole incident?"

Eligos remained silent. His thoughts were racing, colliding into one another as he tried to make sense of the information.

Robert managed to outsmart me...noveldrama

The realization burned like acid. He had been blinded by his anger toward Claire. So much so that he hadn't even considered the possibility that Robert had his own agenda.

He felt like laughing. How foolish.

But beneath the anger, beneath the betrayal, something else nagged at him.

Claire noticed the shift in his expression.

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Why do you care so much about Allan Smith, Eligos?" she asked.

Eligos didn't answer immediately. His gaze was still fixed on the photograph, his fingers ghosting over the edges.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"Allan Smith..." He paused, inhaling deeply.

Matthew and Claire waited.

Then he finally said it.

"Allan Smith is my father."

A stunned silence followed.

Claire felt the air leave her lungs.

Matthew, who had been quietly listening the entire time, looked just as shocked. "Your what?" he asked, his voice unusually sharp.

Claire couldn't believe it. Out of all the possibilities, out of all the revelations she had prepared herself for -this wasn't one of them.

She had already been blindsided by the truth about her parents. She had already been shocked by Andre's story.

And now this?

Eligos's father had been the very man at the center of this mystery?

"This is insane," Claire finally said.

Eligos let out a breath, setting the photograph down with an unreadable expression. "It is," he admitted. "But it's the truth."

Claire frowned. "And you thought I was responsible."

Eligos met her gaze, and for once, there was no trace of arrogance or amusement. Just raw, simmering emotion.

"Yes."

Claire exhaled. "Well, now you know the truth."

Eligos's expression remained unreadable, but Claire could see the gears turning in his head.

Finally, he leaned back, exhaling a slow breath. "Robert Robertson," he murmured, almost to himself.

"Now that you know. I need your help." Claire finally asked him.

Eligos raised his brows. "I need your help to find the evidence about Robert involvement. I think it's time Robert have a taste of his own medicine."

"I don't work in teams." Said Eligos coldly.

Claire stared at him with a serious look. "I've told you the truth. Without me, you wouldn't find out the mastermind behind the play."

Eligos thought for a while. "Fine. But I expect you to follow my pace."

Robert Robertson had no idea what was coming for him.

The past few days had been nothing

short of exhausting. Claire, Matthew, and Eligos worked tirelessly, piecing together fragments of evidence that had been buried for years. The three of them made an odd team-considering their history—but they were united by a single goal: bringing down Robert Robertson.

It wasn't easy. Three years had passed, and many crucial records had mysteriously vanished. Some surveillance footage from the night of the ear crash was missing, and key documents had been erased. It was clear someone had been thorough in covering up the truth.

However, Eligos had his ways. His skills in hacking had always been unmatched, and it didn't take him long to dig deep enough to retrieve the "lost" footage. The video showed what they already suspected- Robert was behind the incident.

Meanwhile, Claire worked on

hacking into Robert's personal phone, retrieving countless incriminating messages, deleted emails, and conversations that. detailed his involvement in multiple illegal activities. It was tedious work, but with Matthew helping to decode certain encrypted files, they managed to compile a damning

case against him.

By the time they finished gathering the evidence, Claire leaned back in her chair, exhaling sharply. "That's

it," she announced, determination burning in her eyes. "I'm taking this to the police."

Eligos, who had been reviewing the footage one last time, frowned at her words. "The police won't do anything."

Claire turned to him, arms crossed. "What do you mean?"

"You think people like Robert Robertson don't have connections?" Eligos leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

Claire's jaw clenched. "Then what do you suggest?"

Eligos smirked, though there was something dark behind it. "We do it our way."

Claire narrowed her eyes. "Our way?"

Matthew, who had been silent, immediately understood what Eligos meant. He sat up straighter, shaking his head. "If you're talking about doing something illegal, count me out."

Eligos scoffed. "Oh, please. Don't act like the legal system will suddenly become competent overnight. Robert won't be scared of a prison cell, but he will be scared if we take control over his life, his reputation, and everything he values."

Claire let out a humorless chuckle. "So you want to play dirty?"

Eligos grinned. "I always play dirty."

"Well, I don't," Claire shot back. "And let me remind you, Eligos-if you're thinking of handling this your way, then you're no different than Robert.

The words hit harder than she expected. Eligos' smirk faltered for a fraction of a second, his expression darkening.

Claire wasn't finished. "You think your father wanted this?" she asked, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "Justice isn't about revenge. If we take Robert down the right way, he'll pay for his crimes properly."

Eligos' jaw tightened.

"Fine," he muttered. "But if we do this your way, I want him locked up for years. Not some slap-on-the- wrist sentence."

Claire's lips curled into a smirk. "Don't worry," she assured him. "I've got enough dirt on Robert to make sure he never sees the outside of a prison again."

Matthew let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "So... we're doing this legally?"

Claire nodded. "Yes."

Eligos rolled his eyes but didn't argue further. "You better make this count, Claire."

She smirked. "Oh, I will."