New beginning: Billionaire love story

Chapter 205 Lunch with LHS

Lisa re-read the article and the clarification post that had just been published. Anger bubbled up inside her, making her heart race. She couldn't believe that Claire would do this-publicly label her as a depressed, crazy woman due to heartbreak. And to make matters worse, there was a picture accompanying the article. Even though the image was blurry, anyone who knew Lisa could easily recognize her. Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. The screen showed Kayla's name. Lisa stared at it for a moment, debating whether to answer. She needed to sound calm, and maybe come up with another lie to protect her reputation. Losing Alex had already damaged her image among her friends, and if they found out about this article, the news would spread like wildfire at the office. She couldn't afford to lose her job too. Everything was getting more complicated by the minute.

With a deep breath, Lisa answered the call, trying to keep her voice steady. "Hello?"

"Lisa? Are you there?" Kayla's voice was curious, bordering on concern.

"Yeah, I'm here," Lisa replied, forcing herself to sound casual.

Kayla didn't waste any time getting to the point. "Is that you in the article? The one they're calling a 'depressed crazy woman'? I thought it looked like you."

Lisa let out a laugh, though it came out awkward and strained. "Kayla, you've got it all wrong," she said, trying to deflect. "Why would you think that's me?"

"Well, the photo looks like you, even if it's not clear," Kayla said, her tone curious but cautious.

Lisa's mind raced. She couldn't let Kayla suspect anything. "Oh, please," Lisa scoffed, injecting arrogance into her voice to mask her anxiety. "That's definitely not me. It's probably just some fan who had plastic surgery to look like me." Kayla chuckled on the other end, seemingly convinced. "Maybe you're right. It's just... I don't know, it felt like it could be you."

"Trust me, Kayla, it's not me," Lisa said firmly. She was relieved that her lie had been swallowed so easily.

Kayla paused for a moment before shifting the conversation. "So, what's going on with you and Alex? Are you guys still together?"

Lisa froze. Her mind scrambled for a response. Should she tell the truth or keep up the lie? The answer came to her almost instinctively. "No, we broke up," she said, the lie rolling off her tongue as easily as the others. "I dumped him." Kayla gasped. "What? Why?"

Lisa hesitated for just a second before crafting another lie. "Because Claire stole him from me," she said, bitterness lacing her words. It was easier to paint herself as the victim, especially to Kayla.

There was a moment of silence on the line, and then Kayla spoke, her voice tinged with annoyance. "That's awful, Lisa! You should get back at Claire for what she did."

smirked to herself, pleased that Kayla had so easily believed her story. "Maybe I

sit back and let Claire tarnish her name. She had to talk to Claire and set things straight. But as she started to dial Claire's number, she realized with frustration that she

get in touch with Claire. The last thing she wanted was to show up at

of the car, watching the cityscape of London pass by as she made her way to the restaurant. She had received a text earlier from the London High Socialite group, reminding her of their annual meetup. It had been weeks since she'd last seen any of them, her work at Metacortex consuming nearly every waking hour. Now, she

tension in her shoulders. The valet opened her door, and she stepped out gracefully, her heels clicking against the pavement. The waiter at the

always the first to notice new arrivals, beamed and hurried over to her. "Claire! How wonderful to see you!" she exclaimed; her smile as bright as

returned the smile, feeling a bit more at ease. "It's great to see you too, April. I've been

nodded understandingly.

you look as stunning as always. Are you really, okay? You've

her back, appreciating the concern.

private room opened again, and several more members

wasn't Adrianna, but the

to Claire with a warm smile and a hug. "Claire, darling, how

smiling as she replied, "Busy, but I'm surviving.

million things," Adrianna said with a playful sigh. But Claire's

wide smile broke across Claire's face as she

place but undeniably charming, chuckled lightly. "I didn't expect to

one of the members now? Last I checked, this

rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit shy. "You caught me," he confessed, his smile sheepishly. "When I heard you were coming, I decided to tag along with my mom." Adrianna, always quick to support her son, chimed in with a proud smile. "Isn't he the sweetest? He just wanted to see you,

chuckled at the scene,

amusing and

she said, genuinely pleased to see him. The easy banter was

hoped was long forgotten.