New beginning: Billionaire love story

Chapter 227 The Fire

The chaos at the venue reached its peak when the firefighters burst through the door, a whirlwind of urgency and flashing lights. They immediately went to work, guiding Alex, Claire, and Lisa out of the smoky, debris-strewn space. Claire's face remained a stoic mask, but her mind was racing.

Lisa, unconscious and cradled in the arms of a firefighter, was quickly loaded into an ambulance. Claire's eyes followed her, but she remained impassive, her usual composure not slipping even in the midst of the commotion.

As the paramedics worked on Lisa, one of the firefighters noticed Claire standing off to the side, her attention seemingly elsewhere. He approached her, tapping her gently on the shoulder.

"Hey, Miss!" he said, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Are you okay?"

Claire turned, her gaze meeting his. "I'm fine," she replied with a cool, detached tone.

The firefighter's eyes narrowed slightly as he took in her appearance. "You're bleeding," he said, pointing at her arm.

Claire looked down and saw a long scratch running along her forearm, red and angry. Her legs were dusty, with a few scratches peeking through the grime. She winced slightly, realizing that the scratch was probably from when Lisa had pushed her out of the way of the falling debris.

"It's nothing," Claire said, trying to brush it off.

The firefighter didn't seem convinced. "You need to go to the hospital. That could get infected."

Claire's sharp eyes met his. "I'm fine," she insisted.

The firefighter was persistent, though. "You need to get checked out, just to be safe."

Claire sighed, her frustration evident. "Alright, alright. I'll go. But I'm not happy about it."

With that, she climbed into the ambulance, her movements a bit more brisk than usual. As the doors shut behind her, she glanced out to see Alex being attended to by another firefighter.

The firefighter turned to Alex. "Are you okay?"

Alex nodded, though his face was pale, and he coughed slightly. "Yeah, just a bit shaken."

gratefully and began to breathe in deeply. The oxygen helped, and Alex's color improved a

the unconscious

to the City Hospital. The other woman's going there

relief mingling with worry. "Thanks. I'll head

made his way to his car, his steps quick and purposeful. The street was now filled with police and firefighters, the air thick with the remnants of smoke. The fire had died down significantly, but the upper floors of the building were still ablaze. The firefighters were working hard

his car and drove to the City Hospital. His mind was a jumble of thoughts that he couldn't even form a

soot and his face smudged with dust from the fire earlier. The moment he walked in, people turned to look at him, their eyes filled with curiosity and concern. But Alex couldn't care less. His mind was preoccupied, and the

their complicated past swirling in his mind. Recently, when Lisa was in jail, he'd been harsh-maybe too harsh. But at the time, he hadn't regretted it. Lisa had deserved

she had saved Claire from the falling debris. That had thrown him off completely. Maybe, just maybe, Lisa had realized her

being treated by a nurse. The scratches on her arm and leg weren't as severe as the firefighters had feared, but the doctor told Claire it was the right thing to do to come beforehand in case something bad happened.

a quick

bed, her thoughts drifting back to the chaos of earlier The fire,

felt tangled together in her mind. She was still trying to piece it all together, feeling a strange

a voice she knew all too well broke through her

of her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice carrying

his eyes scanning

Claire said plainly, trying to

her arm. "You're far from fine," he said, his

her eyes. "It's nothing.

as he shoved his hands inside his

the nurse that you were

filled the room, and Alex broke

face went cold.

taken aback. "So, shouldn't you

expression remained unmoved. "I'm not going to see her or

you, Claire. The least you

pushed herself up from the bed, clearly agitated. "If you want to thank her, go ahead. Just