New beginning: Billionaire love story

A ripple of gasps spread through the courtroom. Whispers filled the room, and people exchanged shocked glances. Claire, however, didn't gasp. She didn't even blink. Instead, her frown deepened, her eyes narrowing in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?" Claire muttered under her breath. She looked around at the others, who seemed so shocked by the news. Why wasn't anyone else seeing through this? It was so obvious to her.

The judge raised a hand, signaling for silence in the room. "Given this new development," he said, his tone heavy with reluctance, "I'll have to postpone my decision until we have more information on Miss Thompson's condition." Claire's jaw clenched in frustration. Postpone? Postpone? This was supposed to be over today! She could feel the victory slipping through her fingers. Her fists tightened, and she shot up from her seat, her body practically vibrating with anger. "Your Honor, this is not fair!" she tried to protest, her voice sharp and pointed as she locked eyes with the judge.

The judge, however, didn't flinch. "Ms. Peterson, my decision will be made once we have more information regarding Ms. Lisa Thompson's recent incident," he said firmly, cutting off any further argument from her.

Claire's face twisted in disbelief. More information? What kind of game was Lisa playing now? What incident? The woman was always pulling something, and Claire was just about done with it. She clenched her jaw again, every muscle in her face tightening. Lisa had somehow managed to drag this thing out again, and it made Claire's blood boil. How long could this circus continue? Was Lisa trying to run out the clock on her life or something?

As the judge stood up and left, the tension in Claire's body reached a breaking point. She could barely keep herself together, every fiber of her being screaming in frustration. She watched the courtroom clear out, her hands fisting at her sides as she struggled to suppress the urge to scream.

"Claire," David, her lawyer, said softly beside her. "Calm down. We'll handle it."

Claire shot him a look so fierce it could've melted steel. "Calm down? Calm down? Lisa just managed to wiggle her way out of this again, David! She's playing some kind of twisted game, and I'm not going to sit around while she keeps getting away with it!" David held up his hands in a placating gesture, taking a step back from her fury. "I know, but-"

"But nothing," Claire cut him off, snatching up her bag. "I have no idea what Lisa is planning, but whatever it is, I'm going to find out. I'm not waiting around for her next move."

Before David could respond, Claire was already storming out of the courtroom. She practically flew down the courthouse steps, her mind racing. She needed to know what Lisa was up to. Now.

Once she reached the car, she slid into the backseat, slamming the door shut. Without wasting a second, she pulled out her phone and dialed her private investigator.

"Find Lisa Thompson," she barked into the phone the moment her PI picked up.

There was a pause on the other end. "Already on it," he replied smoothly, clearly accustomed to Claire's no-nonsense demeanor. "She's at Center Hospital."

Claire's heart skipped a beat. Hospital? She clenched the phone tighter. "She really hurting herself again?"

"Do you want me to find out what she is doing?" the PI said.

"Don't bother. I'll handle it myself," Claire said, ending the call without a second thought. "Drive me to Center Hospital," she ordered the driver.

She leaned back in her seat, her mind buzzing with questions. What was Lisa doing at the hospital? Was she faking something to buy more time? That woman was always pulling something new. Claire could almost admire the effort if it weren't so infuriating. Her phone buzzed in her hand, and she glanced down at the screen. It was Matthew, her brother. She sighed and answered the call, her voice flat. "What's up, Matt?"

"How's the trial going?" he asked.

"It's a mess," Claire said, rubbing her forehead. "Worse than a mess, actually."

Matthew frowned on the other end. "What happened?"

Claire sighed deeply. "I'll explain later. Right now, I'm not in the mood to go over it again."

Matthew knew better than to push. "Okay. We'll talk later then. Just... hang in there, alright?"

"I'll try," Claire muttered before hanging up. She shoved the phone back into her bag and closed her eyes, trying to calm the storm inside her. The drive felt like it was taking forever every minute ticking by adding to her frustration. When they finally pulled up to the hospital, Claire practically jumped out of the car before it even fully stopped.

She marched into the hospital lobby, heading straight for the receptionist. "I need to see Lisa Thompson. Which room is she in?" she demanded, not wasting any time.

The nurse behind the desk blinked, clearly caught off guard by Claire's directness. "Uh, who are you in relation to the patient?" she asked, her voice unsure.

Claire could feel her patience rapidly evaporating. "I'm here on important legal business regarding a trial," she said, her voice sharp as a knife.

The nurse visibly flinched at Claire's tone, quickly checking the records. "Room 304, third floor," she said in a small voice.

Claire muttered a quick, "Thanks," and headed for the elevator without a backward glance. She didn't have time for niceties. Not today.

As the elevator doors closed, Claire's

mind raced with possibilities. What was Lisa's angle this time? Was she really sick, or was this just another one of her stunts to delay the trial? Whatever it was, Claire was going to find out. One way or another, this was going to end.

The elevator dinged, and Claire stepped out onto the third floor, her heels clicking sharply against the tile floor.noveldrama

She spotted room 304 right away, thanks to the two stern-faced officers guarding the door like a couple of bulldogs. Great, she thought, just what I need.

As she approached, her heels clicking on the linoleum, one of the officers stepped forward, hand raised to stop her. "Hold up, ma'am. Who are you, and what's your business here?"

Claire flashed a polite but

tight-lipped smile. "I'm Claire

Peterson," she said, trying to sound

calm and collected, though inside

she was anything but. "I'm the victim in Lisa Thompson's case. I'm here because I want to talk to her need I to know why she didn't show up in court today." She took a small step

forward, testing the waters.

The officer didn't budge. In fact, he stepped in closer, blocking her path like a human wall. "I'm sorry, ma'am. No visitors allowed."

Claire frowned. “I'm not here to bust her out, for God's sake. I just need to talk to her for a minute."

The officer, a tall guy with a buzz cut that screamed 'by the book,' shook his head. "It's protocol. No exceptions."

"Protocol?" Claire repeated, her voice dripping with frustration.

The officer shrugged, clearly used to these kinds of complaints. "I don't make the rules, ma'am. I just enforce 'em."

Claire could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. She wasn't exactly a hothead, but this situation was pushing her patience to the edge. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her cool. "Fine."

She turned on her heel and walked away, her footsteps echoing in the hallway, each one louder than the last as her irritation grew. How could they just refuse to let her talk to Lisa? After everything that woman had put her through, Claire thought she at least deserved that much.

As she reached the end of the hallway, Claire glanced back at the officers, still standing there like sentinels, and muttered under her breath, "Protocol my ass."