New beginning: Billionaire love story

Claire sat by Adrian's bedside, her eyes fixed on his peaceful face, hoping he'd wake up soon. The steady beep of the heart monitor filled the room, a reminder that he was alive, but it wasn't enough to calm her racing mind. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, silently begging for him to open his eyes.

Matthew walked in, his footsteps soft, as if he didn't want to disturb the fragile peace in the room. "Hey," he said, his voice low but gentle. "I called Adrian's parents. They're on their way."

Claire nodded, her gaze never leaving Adrian. "Thanks, Matthew."

Matthew shoved his hands into his pockets, looking a little unsure of what to do next. He stood there for a moment, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. "You should probably go home, and get some rest," he offered, though it was clear he already knew what her answer would be.

Claire shook her head firmly. "I'm not leaving. Not until he wakes up."

Matthew gave a small nod, respecting her decision. "Okay. Just... don't push yourself too hard, alright?"

Before Claire could respond, the door to the ER swung open, and a police officer walked in, scanning the room. He approached the nurse's station, speaking quietly for a moment before the nurse pointed in Claire's direction. The officer headed toward her, his expression serious.

"Claire Peterson?" the officer asked, his voice cutting through the low hum of the machines.

Claire looked up, blinking. "Yeah, that's me."

The officer glanced down at his notepad before looking back at her. "We need to get your statement about what happened tonight."

Claire bit her lip, glancing at Adrian, torn. She didn't want to leave him, not even for a second, but she knew this was important. Sensing her hesitation, Matthew stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Go," he said softly. "I'll stay with him. He won't be alone."

Claire looked up at Matthew, gratitude washing over her. "Thank you."

With a deep breath, she stood up and followed the officer out of the ER. They walked down the hall until they found a quieter spot away from the commotion. The officer pulled out his notepad again, clicking his pen.

"Alright, let's start with your full name and the name of the man you were with," he began.

"Claire Peterson," she said, swallowing the nervous lump in her throat. "And Adrian Saint Laurent."

The officer scribbled down the names and then looked up. "What happened tonight? Why were you at the scene?"

Claire took a deep breath, her mind flashing back to the events of the evening. "We were on a dinner date. Everything was perfect. We had this amazing meal, and we were just about to leave when I realized I'd left my phone inside. I told Adrian I'd be right back, and I went in to grab it. That's when I heard the explosion."

She paused, her voice wavering slightly. "When I came out, the car was on fire, and I saw Adrian... lying on the sidewalk."

The officer nodded, jotting down notes as she spoke. "Did you see who did it? Anyone suspicious?"

Claire shook her head, frustration bubbling up. "No, I didn't see anyone. It all happened so fast."

The officer scribbled a few more lines before asking, "Does Mr. Saint Laurent have any enemies? Anyone who might want to hurt him?"

Claire blinked, her brain rejecting the idea. "No," she said quickly. "Adrian is... he's the nicest person. I can't imagine him having enemies. It's impossible."

The officer studied her for a moment, then asked, "What about you, Miss Peterson? Do you have any enemies?"

Claire froze. Her mind immediately

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flashed to the cryptic messages, the system failure, the possibility that this was connected to her, not Adrian But should she tell the police? Would they even believe her? She wrestled with the decision for What felt like an eternity.

"Miss Peterson?"

Claire snapped back to reality, blinking rapidly as the officer waved a hand in front of her face. "Sorry," she muttered, shaking her head. "No, I don't have any enemies."

The officer's eyebrows raised slightly, but he nodded, though his eyes seemed to carry a hint of suspicion. "Alright, we'll be in touch about the investigation. And we'll also keep Mr. Saint Laurent's parents updated." "Thank you," Claire whispered, feeling a knot of guilt in her stomach as she watched the officer walk away.

She made her way back to the ER, her palms sweaty as she approached the waiting room. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw two familiar figures: Adrianna Saint Laurent and Adrian's grandfather. Both of them looked shaken, and Claire's nerves spiked. She had no idea how they would react to seeing her.

What if they blamed her for this? What if they hated her for what had happened to Adrian?

Gathering every ounce of courage, Claire approached them. "Excuse me," she said quietly, her voice barely audible. "I'm... I'm so sorry to interrupt."

Adrianna looked up, her eyes rednoveldrama

and puffy from crying. Her husband,

Mr. Saint Laurent, was standing

beside her, his face a mask of

sadness. Seeing them like this made Claire's heartache. She could only

imagine the pain they were going through.

"I'm so sorry," Claire whispered, looking down at the floor. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Before she could finish, Adrianna stepped forward, and Claire braced herself for anger, for blame. But instead, Adrianna wrapped her arms around Claire, pulling her into a tight, tearful hug.

"Are you okay?" Adrianna asked through her sobs, her voice full of concern.

Claire blinked, caught completely off guard. "I... I'm fine. I just... I'm so sorry about Adrian."

Adrianna pulled back slightly, her hands still resting on Claire's shoulders. "This isn't your fault," she said, her voice shaky. "None of this is your fault."

"I-it is still my fault, Mrs. Saint Laurent. I was the one with him and I-" Claire is loss for words as she doesn't know what else to say. Is not like she would tell them about Claire's secret enemy. That will only make them more worried. "Please Claire dear, don't blame yourself for what happened." Mr. Sant Laurent places a hand on her shoulder in an assuring way.

Claire felt her throat tighten as she nodded, fighting back her own tears. She had been so sure that they would blame her, that they would hate her for what had happened, but Adrianna's kindness was almost too much to handle.

Mr. Saint Laurent, who had been standing quietly, stepped forward, his expression softening. "Claire, we know Adrian cares about you deeply. If he's with you, we trust that he's in good hands."

Claire's heart clenched at his words, and for the first time since the explosion, she felt a sliver of relief. They didn't hate her. They didn't blame her.

"Thank you," Claire whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Adrianna gave her a small, sad smile, wiping away her tears. "All we can do now is wait for him to wake up. And when he does, he's going to need you, Claire."

"I'll be here," Claire promised, her voice steady now. "I'm not going anywhere."