New beginning: Billionaire love story

Chapter 352 The Confession

Claire froze.

She opened her mouth to respond but found herself at a loss for words.

Adrian, noticing her hesitation, gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I know this might be out of the blue, but I had to say it. I've been holding it in for too long." His voice was steady, but there was an edge of vulnerability beneath it. "I guess I just need to know... do you feel the same way?"

Her mind was racing. She hadn't expected this-at all. The warmth of the evening, the ease of their conversation, all of it seemed to blur into the background. She stared at Adrian, her mind frantically trying to process what he had just said.

Her heart raced, but her thoughts were tangled. Did she feel the same way? Could she? There was so much history between them-so much friendship, loyalty but romantic feelings?

For the first time that evening, she found herself unsure of what to say, how to respond. The moment hung in the air between them, heavy with possibility, and Claire, usually so quick-witted and sharp, was caught completely off guard. Adrian, sensing her inner conflict, smiled gently, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "You don't have to answer right now," he said softly. "I just wanted to be honest with you."

Claire took a deep breath, nodding slowly. "Adrian, I... I don't know what to say. This is... a lot to take in."

He nodded, his smile still gentle. "I get it. It's okay. Take your time."

The tension slowly eased, though the air between them felt different now-charged with unspoken feelings and unasked questions. Claire forced a small smile, trying to regain her composure. "Thank you for telling me," she said quietly, her voice soft but sincere. Adrian nodded, releasing her hand slowly. "No matter what, Claire, I'll always be here for you. That won't change."

Claire smiled. "I know. I appreciate that."

The quiet hum of the jet's engines filled the cabin as Claire and Adrian sat across from each other, both lost in their thoughts. After the unexpected confession Adrian had dropped over dinner in Paris, the whole vibe between them had shifted.

Claire couldn't shake it-things just felt different now. Not bad, just... different. She glanced at him a few times during the flight, but every time their eyes met, she quickly looked away, pretending to be deeply focused on something important.

In truth, Claire liked Adrian. He was smart, charming, and sweet. But love? That was a whole other story. She just wasn't sure if she was ready to dive into anything serious, especially when her head was so full of business and drama. Yet, there was something about him -something that made her stomach do flips when she thought about his confession.

Claire? She spent the entire trip replaying that moment at the restaurant over and over again in her head. When they finally landed in London, the tension still hung in the air like fog. As they stepped off the plane and made their way across the tarmac, Claire turned to Adrian, catching him just before they parted ways. "Hey," she said, her voice soft. Adrian looked at her, his

I wanted to thank you. For coming with me. It really meant a lot."

"I meant what I said, Claire. But I'm not gonna push you. Take your

Claire paused, gathering her courage before leaning in to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I'll think about it, okay?" Adrian's heart practically stopped for a second as he stood there, frozen in place. "Okay," he murmured, watching her step into the black car waiting for

the car pulled away, Adrian let out a long, deep sigh, his fingers crossed in his pocket. Maybe just maybe she'd come around. Maybe they could be more than just friends. For now, though,

own punctuality, but after a sleepless night spent tossing and turning in her penthouse,

given him a straight answer. It wasn't that she

the wrong choice? What if she wasn't ready? And worst of

screen, not really seeing anything.

on her

daze. Matthew walked in, eyebrows furrowed clearly noticing something was off. "Whoa, Claire. You okay?" He closed the

as if to dismiss his concern. But the vacant look in her eyes said

it. He raised an eyebrow and sat down on the edge of her desk, staring at her with suspicion. "You're

point in trying to hide

not following.

her lip. "He, uh, confessed his

trying to make sure he'd heard her right. "Our

back, shaking his head in disbelief. "Wow. I did not

through her hair. "I told him I'd think about

"You're

am!" she shot back, sounding almost defensive. "He's a great guy, Matthew. I just...

"I mean, you guys

"Yeah, I do. I like him. He's sweet and kind, and we get along great. But...

her face for a moment before responding, a grin slowly