New beginning: Billionaire love story

Chapter 288 He Knew

Claire sat at her desk, staring blankly at the ceiling, her mind swirling with thoughts. Her office was dimly lit, the evening light barely cutting through the heavy curtains. The case was eating her up inside, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pin down the mastermind. Rafayel, the poor guy, had been no help at all, especially after wetting himself during the interrogation. She sighed heavily, slouching deeper into her chair.

Just then, the door swung open with a creak. Claire blinked, looking down to see Matthew saunter in, holding a cup of coffee. He gave her a small nod, sensing the stress in the room, and placed the coffee on her desk without saying a word. He pulled up a chair, sat across from her, and finally broke the silence. "Still stuck on the woman Rafayel mentioned?" he asked casually.

Claire let out another sigh and picked up the coffee. She wasn't much of a coffee drinker, but this case was dragging her down, and she needed all the caffeine she could get. After a quick sip, she frowned.

"Yeah, it's like I'm missing something, but I can't figure out what," Claire admitted, rubbing her temples. "I've gone through everything a million times, but I'm still nowhere."

Matthew leaned back in his chair, studying her for a moment. "Did Alex call you last night?" he asked, his eyes narrowing a bit.

Claire nodded. "He did, yeah."

Matthew tilted his head. "What did he call about?"

Claire paused, trying to recall the conversation. "He asked if I was looking for the three guys who harassed Abigail. I told him that I'd taken care of them and was focused on finding the mastermind." Matthew straightened up, his brow furrowed. "And then?"

"And then I ended the call. I mean, we were in the middle of dealing with Rafayel, remember?" Matthew scratched his chin, frowning even deeper. "Why would Alex ask about those guys?"

Claire shrugged. "Maybe he thought we were looking for the three guys."

"Maybe, but what if..." He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, and stared at Claire as if trying to piece together a puzzle. "What if," he began slowly, "what if Alex already found the mastermind?"

on. He's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. The

okay. Fair. But think about it he called you out of the blue, asking about those guys. And yesterday, when we were asking the woman, Harris suddenly left without saying anything. It's

cup halfway to her lips. "You think he's figured

feeling. He might

sat up straighter in her chair, the gears in her mind starting to turn. "But if that's true, why wouldn't

it a secret? Who knows, is not like you and Harris have the greatest

on the desk. "Great. So now we're playing 'Did

Maybe he will change his mind and

doubt he will tell me but, I know how to make him talk

"I'm going to see Alexander," she

"You're not going

threw her phone

down to the lobby. The driver, already waiting by the sleek black car, opened the door for

up a hand. "I'll take the wheel today," he said, grinning

little surprised, but nodded. "As you wish, sir." Claire didn't seem phased by the sudden change, hopping into the passenger seat while

pulled out of the

behind all this chaos? The thought kept spinning around in her head, but no matter how much she thought

help either. The 30-minute drive felt like hours. Claire drummed her fingers impatiently on the door. "This traffic is unbearable," she groaned, glaring at the

could've been there by now," she grumbled, folding her arms and

the Harris Company building. Claire wasted no time. She jumped out

lobby, their shoes clicking against the marble floor. Without missing a beat, Claire headed straight for the elevator, pressing