As Claire stepped into her office, a familiar voice greeted her from across the room. "How's the self-care going?" Matthew was seated on her desk, casually flipping through a newspaper.

Claire let out a long sigh and plopped down on the couch. "It went well. Honestly, I feel relaxed... but," she trailed off, a thoughtful look crossing her face.

Matthew raised a brow, folding the newspaper. "Uh-oh. What's the 'but'?"

Claire turned fully to him, frowning. "I ran into Cindy Marshall."

Matthew chuckled. "Name rings a bell, doesn't it?"noveldrama

She snapped her fingers, clearly frustrated. "Exactly! Sounds so familiar, but I can't remember where from."

Matthew leaned back, a playful smirk on his face. "Claire, your age is showing."

Claire shot him a glare. "Very funny."

"Hey, I'm just saying," he shrugged. "You remember telling me about her a few months back? The whole mess in America-Cindy Marshall and her dad, Alexander. You even said Alexander pretty much single-handedly ruined her career. Ringing any bells now?" Realization dawned on her face, and she nodded. "That's why her name sounded so familiar. I can't believe I forgot that."

"Must've been one heck of a self-care day if it wiped her right out of your memory."

She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I saw her at my regular salon. But, like... what's she even doing here in London? She's American, and after everything that happened, I thought her career was pretty much over."

Matthew scratched his chin, thinking. "Funny you mention that I saw a new billboard with her face on it just the other day. I thought it was weird, too, given what you told me about Alexander putting an end to her career."

Claire shrugged, looking bored already. "Probably ran crying to Daddy and got herself a job."

Matthew smirked. "So you're not worried?"

"About her?" Claire scoffed. "Not even close. She's not on my radar. I mean, she's not worth it."

Matthew leaned forward, grinning. "Fair enough. Speaking of people on your radar, how's it going with your mystery admirer?"

Claire rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Stuck, honestly. No clues, no nothing. Weirdly enough, there hasn't been any movement these past few days. Whoever this person is, they've been haunting me constantly, but suddenly... radio silence. I mean, either they gave up, or they got wind of the new software I designed to keep their nonsense out."

Matthew raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "So, it's good enough to keep them out?"

She gave a small, prideful smile. "Mostly. There are still a few bugs I need to work on. Every now and then, it just... glitches."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Well, that's still progress. Anyway, keep me posted. I'm still working on finding the guy behind that whole dead-body-in-the-car-trunk situation. Fun times."

Claire snorted. "Oh, good. I'll leave that delightful task in your hands."

"Gladly." Matthew hopped off the desk, giving her a little wave before he strolled out of her office.

Sighing, Claire turned back to her computer and picked up where she'd left off. After a while, Sandra poked her head in, clipboard in hand.

"Claire, just a reminder-you've got that meeting tomorrow with a potential business partner."

Claire looked up and nodded. "Got it. Thanks, Sandra."

As the clock struck five, Claire decided to call it a day. She packed up, slipped her things into her bag, and headed downstairs to the lobby, where her driver was waiting. A light rain had started, soft drops hitting the car windows as they made their way through the city streets.

When they pulled up to the hospital, Claire took a deep breath, steadying herself. She walked inside, took the elevator to Adrian's floor, and made her way to his room. She knocked gently, then pushed the door open, spotting him watching TV with a snack in hand. Adrian grinned, giving her a wave. "Hey, Claire!"

She couldn't help but smile, though her heart twisted a bit. "How're you feeling?"

Adrian muted the TV, motioning for her to sit beside him. She obliged, sinking into the chair by his bed. He reached over and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm fine, Claire. Really. You've gotta stop feeling guilty-it's not your fault."

She shook her head, her brows knitted. "It is my fault. Everything that happened... if I hadn't—"

"Stop it," Adrian said firmly, his expression softening as he looked at her. "None of this is on you. And look, in a week, I'm out of here. Good as new."

Claire let out a shaky sigh, nodding. But then, almost without thinking, she said, "Maybe... maybe it'd be better if we kept our distance in the future." Adrian's face fell, and he looked at her with genuine hurt in his eyes. "Claire, don't say that. I don't want to lose you."

She swallowed, glancing away. "It's not that I want to push you away, Adrian. It's just... seeing you like this, knowing it's because of me I can't stand it."

He held her hand tighter. "You don't get it, do you? I'd rather be in this bed a thousand times than lose you. You're worth it, Claire."

A hint of a smile touched her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I don't want to keep putting you at risk. My life... it's complicated, and I don't want you caught up in it."

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Claire, I knew what I was getting into from the start. I'm not some delicate flower you need to protect."

She bit her lip, clearly torn. "I just don't want to see you hurt again."

"Then don't push me away," he said simply, looking at her with that same warmth that made her stomach twist. "We're in this together, right?" She hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Right."

In the quiet of the hospital room, the only sounds were the steady beeps of machines.

her thoughts twisting and tangling over whether to spill everything. She had a ton on her plate: the mess at Metacortex and Cryptonic, and her fight to clear her name. Adrian's gaze was on her, soft but sharp like he was reading every word she wasn't saying. She was torn. Telling him would pull him deeper into the chaos she was already drowning in.

Did she really want that for him?

Adrian broke the silence, reaching over and gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "What's on your mind?" he asked, his voice low and comforting.

Claire managed a smile, though her mind was still churning. "Honestly?" She shrugged, her eyes flickering away. "I just want you to heal up faster. Maybe then we could pick up where we left off with that date."

Adrian's face softened, a smile tugging at his lips. "I'd like that," he said quietly. Then, as if he'd been waiting to bring it up, he added, "By the way, the officers came to see me earlier. Had a chat about the accident." Claire's expression stayed calm, but her mind was racing. "They did the same to me," she replied, keeping her tone casual.

He paused, watching her. "Claire... I saw something on the news. About... a dead body in a trunk? And, well, they mentioned you as a suspect."

Claire sighed, letting out a slow breath. "Yeah," she admitted, rubbing her temples. "I guess they aren't holding back. Right now, I'm their main suspect... along with Matthew."

Adrian's eyebrows shot up, concern flashing in his eyes. "What? But that's insane! How did you even get tangled up in something like this?"

"It's... complicated," Claire said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Matthew and I, we're trying to figure it all out, doing our own investigation. We know we're innocent, but proving it? That's the hard part." Adrian squeezed her hand, his expression serious. "You don't have to do this alone. I know I'm not exactly at my best right now, but if there's any way I can help..."

Claire shook her head. "I can't drag

you into this any more than you already are you've got enough on your plate just getting better. The last thing I want is for you to get pulled into this mess. Matthew and I... we're not stopping until we find out who's really responsible. Someone's trying to ruin everything, and I'm not about to let them succeed."

Adrian's lips quirked up in a smirk. "Well, I'm just glad you're not the type to back down from a fight. They've seriously underestimated you." Claire's smirk mirrored his. "That's their first mistake."

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