Alexander sat back in his chair, staring at the screen. The live press release from Venus AMD was playing out in front of him, and the more he watched, the more incredulous he became.

Frank was going on and on about how their robot was superior to Metacortex's, but the moment Frank pulled the drapes and revealed it to the crowd, things went south. The robot malfunctioned, and the room full of guests went from excited chatter to panicked whispers. Then, out of nowhere, Claire stepped onto the stage, calm as ever. She walked backstage, fixed the problem, and turned the robot off with a few quick keystrokes. The whole room was watching, and the journalists were already writing down their notes. Of course, Claire became the talk of the event, trending online before the press conference had even ended. "Unbelievable," Alexander muttered to himself, leaning forward in his chair. "She just can't help herself, can she?"

Even when Claire wasn't trying to steal the spotlight, she did. It was like a superpower. Alexander couldn't help but be captivated by it. The last time they spoke, it hadn't gone well. Claire had made it clear she wanted a professional relationship, nothing more, and while that stung, he couldn't blame her. She was clear about her boundaries.

But seeing her again, helping out Venus AMD like that, made him miss her more. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. What was he supposed to do? She was in a relationship with Adrian Saint Laurent now, and that complicated things further. He couldn't just show up at her office uninvited-it would only make things worse.

Alexander glanced at his calendar. He had a meeting with Metacortex the next week to discuss the progress of their robot. He needed three robots ready for the Vegas hotel opening on Christmas. That meant he had to fly out to Vegas soon to ensure everything was in place. But he still couldn't shake the thought of Claire out of his mind.

Meanwhile, across town, Winnie was getting ready for work at her apartment. She adjusted the collar of her blouse, checked her phone one more time, and grabbed her bag. Her boyfriend, who was sitting on the bed, gave her a skeptical look as she buttoned up her jacket.

"So, what exactly is this job you're doing?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "Isn't it dangerous? I mean, if you get caught, you could... well, you know, being put to jail."

Winnie sighed, rolling her eyes slightly but trying to keep her tone light. "I know it's dangerous, but I don't have much of a choice. You know how hard it is to find decent work these days. The economy's a mess. I need the money."

"Is this...boss of yours will really protect you?"

"Yes, she promised me she would protect me if any bad things happened."

Her boyfriend frowned but didn't press further. "Just... be careful, okay?"

"I will," she replied, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I've got this under control."

She grabbed her things and left the apartment, heading out into the cool air. She flagged down a taxi, gripping the file and her notebook tightly in her hands. She had a lot of questions to ask Lisa today, but she had to be careful not to raise suspicions. Claire had warned her that Lisa was faking it, and now she was beginning to wonder why someone would do that. It didn't make sense to her. But she couldn't just let her guard down.

At the ward, the usual protocol of checking in was routine. But today, as Winnie was walking down the hallway, she heard a loud noise. Nurses and staff were rushing toward it, and her curiosity got the better of her. She followed them, her heart pounding in her chest. As she turned the corner, she saw two women fighting, struggling to break free from the security guards trying to pull them apart. Winnie squinted and got a better look at one of the women.

Lisa.

She frowned, surprised. Lisa had been acting so erratic the last time she saw her. Now, here she was, fighting? That didn't add up. Winnie felt a sudden rush of confusion, her thoughts racing. Why would Lisa be fighting? Wasn't she supposed to be the one pretending to be mentally unstable?

Before she could process much more, the security guards separated the two women and led Lisa back to her room. Winnie walked up to a nurse who was standing nearby, still trying to make sense of the situation.

"Is Lisa, okay?" Winnie asked, her voice concerned.

The nurse nodded, though she didn't seem particularly happy to answer. "She's fine, but she's not allowed any visitors today."

Winnie raised an eyebrow, not understanding. "But I'm her doctor. Can't I see her?"

The nurse shook her head, her tone firm. "No visitors today. You can see her tomorrow when she's calmer."

Winnie felt a twinge of frustration.noveldrama

She didn't understand what was going on. The last time she saw Lisa, everything was fine and not gonna lie, Lisa didn't look like a mentally ill person, and she almost believed Claire's words, and now she wad

fighting? None of this made sense. Claire had said Lisa was faking everything, but it was hard to shake the feeling that something wasn't adding up.

She stayed in the hallway for a moment, wondering if she should push harder or just wait until tomorrow. But the uncertainty

gnawed at her. Was Lisa really net

faking it? Or was she just acting like a crazy person to avoid something else? And if that was true, what was really going on?

Back in the city, Eligos was making his own plans. He had been waiting for Cindy to pick up the phone for a few moments when finally, her voice came through the line. "Yeah?"

"Cindy, I think it's time for you to prove how much you want to join me."

"So, is this like a test?"

"Yes, so are you up for it?"

"Sure."

"Well, I've got work for you," Eligos said, his voice calm and collected, but there was a note of urgency in it. "Something that could benefit both of us."

Cindy paused for a moment, considering. "What's it about?"

"Let's just say, it involves Claire,"

Eligos replied with a smirk that Cindy couldn't see but could almost hear in his voice. "I need you to help

me with something, and it's going to take a little work, but it'll be worth it."

Cindy was silent for a beat, clearly weighing her options. "Alright. What do you want me to do?"

Eligos chuckled. "Hm...Just a little task, and in return, you'll get something you've been wanting. Trust me, you'll like it."

Cindy wasn't entirely sure what Eligos had in mind, but she could already guess that it wasn't going to be simple. And that intrigued her more than anything. She wasn't one to shy away from challenges. "Alright. Share me your plans."

Eligos outlined the plan, his voice low and steady as he detailed the task at hand. Cindy listened closely, already planning out her next moves in her head. This was going to be interesting.