New beginning: Billionaire love story

Chapter 372 The Explosion

Adrian stood by the restaurant's entrance, beaming as he extended his hand toward Claire. The entire place was empty-well, aside from the two of them. Adrian had booked the whole outdoor dining area just for their special night. His eyes sparkled as he asked,

"Ready?"

Claire looked up at him, momentarily stunned by the gesture. "You did all this?" she asked, taking his hand and nodding as her smile widened.

Adrian led her to the table by the lake, the soft glow of fairy lights dancing on the water's surface. Claire felt her heart skip a beat. It was the stuff of romance novels-the kind she never expected to experience in real life. The breeze was gentle, the night sky clear, and the setting was beyond perfect.

"Wow," she murmured, taking it all in. "No one's ever done something like this for me."

Adrian chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I came up with the idea, but I did need a little help setting it up," he admitted shyly, eyes flickering toward the lights as if to emphasize how much work went into this.

Claire grinned at him. "Adrian, this is amazing. It's like something out of a book!" Her eyes wandered over the scene: the candlelit dinner table, the soft glow of fairy lights strung above them, the peaceful lake shimmering in the distance. Everything was so... romantic. Adrian smiled and gestured to the table. "Please, have a seat, m'lady," he said, pulling out her chair with an exaggerated flourish.

Claire let out a playful chuckle. "Why, thank you, kind sir," she teased, taking the seat with a grin. They both laughed at their own silliness, the tension of the world outside melting away as they settled into the moment.

Meanwhile, far from the dreamy lakeside scene, in a hidden room lit only by the cold glow of computer monitors, Eligos sat hunched over his desk, his fingers tapping away at the keys with growing frustration. His gaze flickered from one screen to the next, eyes narrowing as he muttered under his breath.

"Claire... you've been busy," he said to himself, smirking slightly.

Metacortex and Cryptonic again, just like old times. But something was different. He couldn't get through. Claire upgraded the firewalls and the encryptions. And she had done it fast. Eligos couldn't help but feel a grudging admiration. "Damn it! She changed the whole damn firewall in 24 hours," he muttered, impressed but annoyed. It

to get into Cryptonic's database, hoping to corrupt some of

his fingers. "Alright, Claire," he muttered, "you're good. But I'm better." But each

he growled under his breath, trying again, only to be blocked yet again. He slammed his fist on the desk, glaring at the screen as if his anger alone could break through the defenses. But Claire had fortified the system well. Too well. Shifting his focus, Eligos turned his sights on Metacortex, but the result was the

snarled, cracking his knuckles in frustration. "Well, if I can't get in quietly... it's time to put on a show." His

the upper hand. If he couldn't break through the firewalls, he'd find another way. Maybe it was time to stop playing around and up the ante. He wasn't just some hacker. He was

conversation, the wine flowing and the night growing cozier. Claire felt more relaxed than she had in ages. Adrian was telling a story about a potential business partner he was avoiding meeting, and his animated expressions made her giggle. He was charming, in a slightly awkward but endearing

to meet him?" Claire asked, raising an

a crooked smile. "I mean, he's not really the kind of guy I want to get involved with. It'd be bad

head slightly, her expression turning more serious. "How's your cheek?" she asked, remembering the punch Alexander had thrown

touch his face as if testing it. Then, with a grin, he shrugged. "Better

Without thinking, Claire's hand

his cheek. She hadn't planned it, but seeing him smile like that made her want to comfort him in some way.

smile, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed

She hadn't expected that, but it felt... nice. Adrian noticed her flustered expression and chuckled softly. "You're cute when you get all shy,"

rolled her eyes playfully, trying to hide the fact that her

out a light chuckle and he stared into Claire's eyes. "I

lot of work to do back in the office. Maybe we should get going," she said, her voice light, though her cheeks were