New beginning: Billionaire love story (Claire and Alex)

her arm.

Claire was sitting in the sterile hospital chair, watching the nurse carefully as she finished the blood transfusion. Two packs of her blood had been donated, and now her arm felt a little heavier than usual. The nurse smiled at her warmly, expertly detaching the needle from

"All done," the nurse announced, her voice gentle but cheerful. "You did great, Ms. Peterson. I'll call your friend waiting outside. You're going to need some help walking."

Claire felt a wave of dizziness as soon as the nurse mentioned walking. She nodded weakly, her body feeling strangely light and heavy at the same time. As the nurse stepped out to fetch Matthew, Claire closed her eyes for a second, trying to steady herself, but the world still felt like it was spinning.

Moments later, Matthew strolled into the room with a concerned look on his face. "Claire, are you okay?" he asked, immediately walking over to her.

Claire gave him a weak but reassuring smile. "I'm fine," she said, though her voice was softer than usual. "Just a little weak."

Matthew, who wasn't entirely convinced, slipped his arm around her waist as he helped her stand up. Claire stumbled slightly, just as Matthew expected, and he tightened his grip to steady her.

"You weren't supposed to donate blood, you know," Matthew scolded lightly, raising an eyebrow at her. "Especially after the week you've had."

Claire brushed off his concern with a shrug. "It's fine," she said calmly, though the wobble in her legs told a different story. She knew she wasn't in the best shape, but Abigail needed help. That was more important.

The nurse returned with a glass of milk and a small snack, looking at Claire with a knowing smile. "You need to rest, drink this, and don't do anything too strenuous until your body's back to normal," the nurse advised kindly.

Claire gave a small nod, though inside, she already knew she wasn't going to follow that advice. There was too much work waiting for her and taking it easy wasn't exactly part of her nature.

Matthew helped her out the door, holding her securely despite Claire's quiet protests. "Matthew, I'm fine," she huffed, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I broke my legs or anything."

Matthew shook his head, his grip still firm. "I just want to make sure you're okay," he insisted. "You're stubborn, Claire. You'd try to run a marathon after donating blood if I wasn't here."

They both made their way to the waiting room in front of the operation room, where Alexander, Joan, and Abigail's parents were sitting. As soon as Alexander spotted Claire, his eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze dropping to where Matthew's arm rested around her waist. He didn't like seeing another man touch Claire, even if it was Matthew, her trusted right-hand man. His protective instincts flared up, but he knew now wasn't the time to get into it. There was too much going on.

He stood up as Claire approached, his frown still present but his tone controlled. "How did it go?" he asked, trying to keep the focus on the situation at hand.

Claire nodded calmly. "It went well," she said, her voice steady. "Everything's going according to plan."

Abigail's parents, who had been sitting quietly, stood up as well. Her mother looked at Claire with teary eyes, clearly overwhelmed by gratitude. "You really donate your blood?" she asked, her voice filled with emotion. Claire smiled warmly at them, even though she was starting to feel the exhaustion hit her. "Yes," she replied. "I wanted to help. Abigail's my friend."

Without warning, Abigail's mother pulled Claire into a hug, squeezing her tightly. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much. You've given us hope."

Claire, though not typically one for emotional moments like this, returned the hug briefly before pulling away. "It's really fine," she said softly. "I'm just glad I could help."

But as soon as she stepped back, the world tilted slightly. Her vision blurred for a moment, and her legs felt like jelly beneath her. Before she could fall, Matthew's reflexes kicked in, and he grabbed her waist again, steadying her before Alexander could even make a move,

Alexander clenched his fists at his sides, fighting the urge to push Matthew out of the way and be the one helping Claire. He didn't like seeing someone else stepping in to take care of her, but he knew better than to start something right now. He forced himself to stay calm, his jaw tightening as he spoke. "You need to rest, Claire."

Claire, still feeling lightheaded, nodded in agreement. "I know," she said, her voice quieter than usual. She turned to Abigail's parents, offering them another smile. "I'll head home for now, but I'll be back once my energy's back." Abigail's father nodded, his face still full of gratitude. "Take care of yourself, Claire. We can't thank you enough for what you've done."

Abigail's mother nodded, her eyes brimming with tears of relief. "Thank you, Claire. Thank you for everything you've done."

Claire gave a faint smile. "It was nothing."

Alexander stepped forward slightly, clearing his throat. "I'll take you home," he offered, his voice a little too eager. He stepped closer to Claire, but she quickly shook her head.

"I've got Matthew," she said, shaking her head. "He's already taking care of me."

Matthew, still holding Claire by the waist, gave a smug smirk. "Yep, I'm on it," he said, clearly enjoying the situation a little too much.

Alexander stood there, a frown pulling at his lips as he watched Claire and Matthew head toward the exit. He didn't say anything, but the tension in his posture spoke volumes. He couldn't shake the feeling of being sidelined, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

As they left, Claire glanced back once, catching Alexander's expression. She sighed softly, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Matthew was already guiding her to the car, making sure she didn't stumble again.

"Let's get you home before you fall over completely," Matthew teased as they walked out of the building.

Claire rolled her eyes but allowed herself to lean a little more on him. "I'm fine," she muttered, though she knew he was right. The events of the day had taken a toll on her, and she was drained, both physically and mentally. "You're fine?" Matthew scoffed, helping her into the passenger seat of the car. "If you're fine, I'm a ballroom dancer."

Claire laughed weakly. "You're definitely not that."

Matthew chuckled as he closed the car door behind her and slid into the driver's seat. "Exactly. So don't try to convince me you're okay when you look like you've just run a marathon."

A few hours later, at the hospital,

Abigail had been moved to a VIP room. The blood transfusion had worked wonders, and her operation had been a success. Her parents had stayed by her side the entire night, refusing to leave even for a moment. They were exhausted, but their relief overshadowed their fatigue as they waited anxiously for Abigail to wake up.

"Do you think she'll wake up soon?" Abigail's mother whispered to her husband, her eyes never leaving her daughter's peaceful face.

"She will," he replied, his voice low but full of hope. "She's a fighter."