Adrian arrived at Claire's place just as the autumn sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with strokes of pink and orange. He stepped out of the sleek black car, his smile warm as he opened the door for her. Claire was already waiting outside, her outfit effortlessly

chic, as always.

"Wow," Adrian said, offering her his arm. "You look stunning."

Claire gave a small laugh, linking her arm through his. "You clean up nicely yourself. I was half-worried you'd show up in a hoodie."

"Hey!" Adrian grinned. "I'd make a hoodie look sophisticated."

"Well," Claire smirked, "you clean up alright."

"Did you manage to avoid the chaos today?" Adrian asked, leaning back against the soft leather seats.

"Define 'chaos," Claire replied with a wry smile. "If you mean dodging paparazzi and people following me around, then yes, barely."

The driver nodded politely as they climbed into the car. As they pulled away, the low hum of the city outside filled the silence between them. Their banter carried on for a bit as the car weaved through the London streets.

"You've been awfully quiet," Adrian said, a teasing lilt in his voice.

Claire smirked and turned to him. "Just enjoying the peace before you start grilling me with questions."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Grill you? I wouldn't dare. I'll just politely interrogate you instead."

"And here I thought this was supposed to be a nice dinner," Claire quipped, crossing her arms in mock defiance.

Adrian leaned back, studying Claire for a moment. "Speaking of which, who was behind it? You said you'd tell me tonight."

"Cindy Marshall." she finally said, her voice steady.

Adrian blinked, sitting up straighter. "Was she really the one who drugged me?"

Claire nodded. "Yup. She spiked your drink and set up the whole thing."

"Wait," Adrian said, his brows furrowing. "Cindy Marshall? The same Cindy who came to me pretending she wanted to talk business?"

Claire raised a brow, intrigued. "She did that?"

Adrian scoffed, crossing his arms. "Oh, yes. She was all professional, all polite-asking about projects, possible collaborations. And the whole time, she was planning... that?"

Claire couldn't help but snort. "Adrian, the only thing Cindy Marshall cares about is her career. Business talk? That was just an excuse to get close to you."

Adrian exhaled in disbelief, muttering something in French under his breath.

Adrian chuckled softly but looked at Claire with a touch of curiosity. "Why would she do this, though? What does she gain from all this?"

Claire's lips pursed in thought. "She said she's jealous of my life," she admitted. "But honestly? I think there's more to it than that. Something doesn't add up."

Adrian tilted his head, intrigued. "Like what?"

"Well," Claire began, tapping her chin, "for starters, Cindy's sudden comeback. One minute her career's in shambles, and the next she's back in the spotlight like nothing ever happened. It's fishy."

Adrian frowned, piecing things together. "You think someone helped her?"

"I don't know but maybe," Claire said, her voice thoughtful. "But her dad wouldn't have done it. He was furious with her after what happened with Alexander. She embarrassed me, and Alexander took her down for it. I didn't even ask him to, you know? Our relationship isn't exactly... cozy."

Adrian's eyes widened slightly. "Wait a second," he said, his voice picking up speed. "Are you saying this is the same Cindy who humiliated you at that business forum in the States? The one Alexander obliterated?"

"The one and only," Claire confirmed with a nod.

Adrian leaned back in his seat, looking genuinely astonished. "Unbelievable. I didn't connect the dots. That Cindy?"

"Yup," Claire said, popping the 'p.' "And now she's back, doing photoshoots and acting like she's on top of the world."

Adrian shook his head. "That's... insane."

Claire smirked. "Insane is her default setting."

The car pulled to a gentle stop in front of an upscale restaurant. Adrian stepped out first, offering his hand to help Claire. "Let's try not to let Cindy Marshall ruin our evening," he said, smiling warmly. "Agreed," Claire said, taking his hand and stepping out.

Meanwhile, on the other side of

London, Alexander was stepping off

a private jet, weary but invigorated Las Vegas had been a

whirlwind-meetings, deals, and late nights. Yet, even as he handed off his luggage to an assistant, his mind was elsewhere.

"She's back already?" he murmured to himself, scrolling through his messages. His assistant had mentioned that Claire had returned to London not long after Adrian's headline hit the tabloids.

He clenched his jaw. "So, it's

because of Adrian, not because of

me,” he muttered, his voice tinged with disappointment. He wouldn't to anyone, but he had hoped

admit it

Claire's swift return had something to do with the work he'd left her in charge of.

Instead, it was all about Adrian. Always Adrian. Alexander's chest tightened at the thought. Was it selfish of him to wish for their breakup? Probably. Did that stop him from wishing? Not one bit. Alexander sighed heavily as he climbed into his waiting car. He was tired, sure, but a small part of him was already plotting ways to see Claire again-ways that didn't involve Adrian Saint Laurent. Back at the restaurant, Claire and Adrian were settling into their dinner. The warm glow of candlelight and the gentle hum of background chatter created a cozy atmosphere.

"This place is beautiful," Claire said, glancing around appreciatively.

"Only the best for you," Adrian replied with a grin.

"Have I mentioned how much I've missed this?" Adrian asked, taking a sip of his wine.

Claire tilted her head, curious. "Missed what?"

"This," Adrian said, gesturing between them. "Us. Having dinner together. Talking like this."

Claire's expression softened. "Me too."

At one point, Claire's smile faded, and she looked at Adrian with a hint of guilt. "I owe you an apology," she said softly.

Adrian blinked, surprised. "For what?"

"For how I acted in Las Vegas," she admitted, fiddling with her napkin. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I let my frustration get the better of me."

Adrian reached across the table, covering her hand with his. "Claire, it's okay. I get it. You had a lot going on, and honestly, I probably could've handled things better, too." Claire nodded, her gaze dropping to the table for a moment. "I know. And I'm sorry. Really."

Adrian reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "Apology accepted."noveldrama

Claire nodded, her gaze dropping to the table for a moment. "I know. And I'm sorry. Really."

Adrian reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "Apology accepted."

She looked up at him, her eyes searching for his face. "You're too nice to me, you know that?"

"Only because you're worth it," he replied, his tone light but sincere.

They shared a warm moment of silence before Claire decided to lighten the mood. "Anyway," she said, a playful grin spreading across her face, "I think I've made up for it by dealing with all this Cindyo Marshall nonsense."

Adrian laughed, shaking his head. "You've definitely kept things interesting, that's for sure."

As the evening went on, their conversation flowed effortlessly. They shared stories, teased each other, and, for a while, forgot about the chaos waiting for them outside the restaurant doors.

But in the back of Claire's mind, a nagging thought lingered. Cindy wasn't acting alone-she was sure of it. And if she was going to protect herself and Adrian, she'd need to figure out who was pulling the strings.