clock on her wall, slightly impatient, but kept her tone upbeat.

Claire leaned back in her office chair, putting her phone on speaker while continuing her conversation in rapid French. Her business partner in Paris was on the other end, droning on about projected quarterly figures and potential expansions. She glanced at the ornate "Écoute, Louis," (Listen) she said, leaning forward. "The numbers look good, but we have to focus on quality over quantity. Expansion means nothing if we lose our brand's integrity."

"Ah, Claire," Louis laughed on the other end. "Toujours si prudente! But you're right. Still, the shareholders expect growth." (Always so careful!)

"Oui, oui," (Yes) she sighed with a smile. "But only if it makes sense, yes? Let's not lose our heads for profit."

"Très bien," (Alright) Louis agreed. "I'll let them know. But we may need a new strategy. We'll talk more next week?"

"D'accord," (All right) Claire replied. "Let's set it up. Merci, Louis."

"Merci à toi, Claire. Au revoir." (Thank you, Claire. Bye.)

As she ended the call, a gentle knock on the door drew her attention. "Come in," she called.

Sandra, her assistant, slipped in, holding a crisp white envelope. She had that polite, knowing smile Claire was so used to by now. "I apologize for interrupting you, Ms. Peterson."

"Do you need something, Sandra?" Claire asked, tilting her head.

Sandra's smile widened as she placed the envelope on Claire's desk. "This came in for you. I don't know who it's from; just received it at the front desk with strict instructions that it was for you personally."

Claire raised a brow, eyeing the envelope like it might contain a bomb. "Really?" She prodded it lightly with her finger, curiosity piqued. "Should I be concerned?"

Sandra smirked. "Want me to open it?"noveldrama

Claire shook her head. "No, it's fine. Thanks for bringing it, Sandra."

Sandra nodded, leaving her with a soft "Of course, Ms. Peterson. Tell me if you need something, miss," as she stepped out.

Alone again, Claire opened the envelope slowly, unfolding a thick card inside. She read it, muttering to herself, "What...?"

Her eyes scanned the fancy text, then she let out a scoff. "A press release invitation... for Venus AMD's latest project?" She laughed, genuinely amused. "Oh, Frank, what are you up to this time?"

The mere idea of Frank from Venus AMD trying to flaunt his newest project made her grin. She was hardly concerned-she knew Metacortex was miles ahead, not only because of her hands-on involvement but because she never missed a single detail in the development process. But attending this little event? That could be entertaining. At least it would break up her week with some much-needed amusement.

"Why not?" she murmured, placing the invitation back on her desk with a smile. She leaned back, already imagining Frank's face when he saw her there. "This might actually be fun."

At 1 p.m. sharp, Claire found herself at the police station, fidgeting slightly as she waited to be called in. Another round of questioning-it was getting old, but she understood why they kept circling back to her. She'd been there when it happened, after all. Anyone would think she was the culprit.

She spotted Matthew lounging in the waiting area, tapping his foot. When he noticed her, he stood and came over.

"Ready for another round?" he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice.

"Oh, absolutely," Claire replied with mock enthusiasm. "Can't wait to sit through another thrilling interrogation."

Matthew chuckled. "That's the spirit."

An officer appeared, gesturing them toward the familiar, bleak little room they'd visited before. The detective was already seated, waiting for them with an expectant look. "Have a seat," he said, motioning toward the chairs across from him.

Claire raised an eyebrow as she settled in. "Why bring Matthew in with me this time?" she asked, a slight challenge in her tone.

The detective shrugged. "Won't be long. We just need some clarification on a few things you both mentioned earlier."

She exchanged a quick glance with Matthew, who gave a tiny nod, his expression cool.

The detective leaned forward. "We found some fingerprints on the car, specifically the steering wheel. Care to explain?"

Claire nodded. "As I've said before,

yes, we were there. We both touched

the car why wouldn't we? We were looking for something. You know, searching usually requires touching things."

en

The detective's lips twitched, trying not to smile. "And this 'something' you were looking for?"

She tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Do I really need to explain every detail?"

"Yes," he replied firmly, "especially if you don't want us to start jumping to conclusions. You were found near a dead body, Ms. Peterson. This isn't exactly a casual matter."

Claire let out a long sigh, frustration

flashing across her face. "Fine," she

said in a clipped tone. "We were trying to track someone down. Someone who's been messing with our technology, tampering with things they shouldn't."

The detective's eyebrows shot up. "And you thought you'd just follow the trail yourselves, like some detective duo?" Matthew cleared his throat. "We didn't exactly have a choice. We had reason to believe this person was a serious threat." "Alright." The detective nodded, jotting down notes. "Do you still have communication records with this person?"

"No," Matthew interjected. "The messages were... gone. Completely disappeared the next day, like they never existed." The detective frowned, giving them both a long, scrutinizing look. "And you have no idea who you're dealing with here?"

Claire shrugged, maintaining her calm. "Not really. That's why we're here, answering your endless questions. We're trying to figure this out as much as you are."

The detective leaned back, letting out a low sigh. "It's just... unusual, is all. Everything about this is unusual. But if you're hiding anything—" "Believe me," Claire interrupted, "I've told you everything relevant to that body. Whatever else you're digging for has nothing to do with him." The detective gave her a dubious look. "You know, we could hold you for obstruction if we find out there's more you're not sharing."

Claire rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Look, detective, I'm here, talking to you, not running off. I don't see how you think I'm hiding anything." Another sigh, this one from the detective, as he tapped his pen on his notepad. "Alright. I think we've covered enough... for now."

He gave them both a pointed look, one that said he wasn't entirely convinced but was ready to wrap it up. Claire barely suppressed a relieved sigh.

When they finally left the room, Matthew shot her a sympathetic look. "Well, that went... smoothly?"

"Smoothly?" Claire snorted. "If that was smooth, I'd hate to see rough."

They both chuckled as they walked out of the station, the weight of the questioning finally lifting. Claire pulled out the invitation from her bag and waved it in front of Matthew. "What's that?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"Oh, just a little entertainment for us

this week, she grinned. "Venus AMD

is having a press release. Frank's

latest project. I get invited and

thought you might come with me as well."

Matthew laughed, shaking his head. "Of course, you did, and I will be there to accompany you."