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."

an oxygen mask, which he took gratefully and began to breathe in deeply.

the unconscious woman to?" Alex asked,

her to the City Hospital.

nodded, relief mingling with worry.

the firefighters continued to manage the scene, Alex made his way to his car, his steps quick and purposeful. The street was now filled with police and firefighters, the air thick with

His mind was a jumble of thoughts that he couldn't

face smudged with dust from the fire earlier. The moment he walked in, people turned to look at him,

the entrance, Alex hesitated. Should he go see Lisa or not? The thought gnawed at him, the memories of their complicated past swirling in

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

as severe as the firefighters had feared, but the doctor told Claire it was the right thing to do to come beforehand in case

mumbled a

in bed, her thoughts drifting back to the chaos of earlier The fire, the debris, and Lisa's unexpected

piece it all together, feeling a

in thought, a voice she knew all too

saw Alex standing in front of her. "What are you doing

came to check on you," Alex said, his eyes scanning her from

Claire said plainly, trying to keep

to the bandages on her arm. "You're far from fine," he said, his concern evident despite the dust and

"It's nothing. How

he shoved his hands

nurse that you

silence filled the room, and Alex broke it by adding, "Lisa helped

face went cold.

was taken aback. "So, shouldn't you thank her?

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

clearly frustrated. "Why not? She saved you, Claire. The least you could do is

agitated. "If you want to thank her, go ahead. Just don't drag