New beginning: Billionaire love story

Claire's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "Are you talking to me?" she asked, turning to face him fully.

"Yes, you." Alexander's gaze was intense, his jaw clenched, though it seemed his anger wasn't directed at her but at the daring dress she was wearing. The plunging neckline clearly made him uncomfortable. "That dress is not suitable for the Royal Ascot." Claire rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, please. You have no right to tell me what to wear, Alexander."

"I still have a right," he snapped, stepping closer, so close that Claire could feel the warmth of his breath. "You're my ex-wife."

Claire sucked in a deep breath, her heart skipping a beat at their sudden proximity, but she kept her face calm, scoffing. "Ex-wife, Alexander. Ex. You have no rights over me anymore. And besides, didn't you just apologize last week for being overbearing?" Alexander's eyes narrowed, his voice strained as he tried to keep his temper in check. "I apologized for being unfair to you, yes. But seeing you in this dress, with a thousand men ogling you... it bothers me."

Claire's lips curled into a smirk. "Are you jealous, Alexander?"

Before he could respond, she cut him off. "You have Abigail now. You should be focusing on her, not me."

With that, she turned and walked off, heading down the stairs, determined to find another spot to watch the races. The nerve of him! She needed to cool down before she said something she might regret. As she searched for an empty place, a familiar voice called out to her.

"Claire!" She looked up to see Adrian approaching, a warm smile on his face. Relief washed over her.

"Adrian!" she greeted him with a smile of her own. He had a way of making her feel at ease, even in the most awkward situations.

"Why aren't you in your booth?" Adrian asked, his brow furrowing in concern.

Claire's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly plastered on a smile. "I needed a better view," she lied, not wanting to get into the details of Alexander's unexpected presence. How on earth did he end up at this event? And in the same booth, no less?

Adrian glanced around, as if trying to spot something-or someone. "Well, you're welcome to join me in mine," he offered, extending his elbow with a charming grin.

Claire hesitated only for a second before slipping her arm through his. "Thank you, Adrian. I'd love that."

As they walked, Adrian glanced down at her, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "By the way, that dress looks stunning on you."

Claire blushed slightly, feeling a flutter in her chest. "Thank you," she said, then pointed at his top hat, eyes twinkling. "And look at you, Mr. Fancy Hat. I've never seen you in one of those."

Adrian laughed, tipping the hat to her in a mock bow. "It's the dress code. Gotta fit in, right?"

She giggled, shaking her head. "You should wear it more often. It suits you. Very 1800s fashion vibe."

They both laughed, their lighthearted banter a pleasant contrast to the tension that had gripped her earlier. As they reached Adrian's booth, Claire's eyes widened slightly when she spotted Edward. He stood frozen for a moment, his gaze bouncing between Claire and Adrian.

"How-what-Claire?" Edward stammered, clearly surprised.

Claire remained calm, offering a polite smile. "Hello, Edward. Didn't expect to see you here or should I say Prince Edward?"

Edward chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit shy. "Nah, just Edward is fine. No need for the 'Prince' stuff."

He then turned to Adrian, raising an eyebrow. "How do you know Claire?"

Adrian grinned, glancing at Claire. "She's a friend of mine."

Edward's eyes widened as he stared at Adrian. "And it doesn't occur to you to tell me that she is your friend?"

Henry stepped up beside Edward, joining the conversation with a mischievous smile. "Oh, it's more fun this way. Watching you get all flustered around her."

Edward's face turned bright red, and

he muttered something under his breath, clearly embarrassed. Henry turned to Claire with a polite smile. "I don't think we've had the pleasure. I'm Henry, the Viscount of

ΛΟΓ

God-knows-where," he said with a playful wink.

Claire laughed, extending her hand. "Claire Peterson. It's nice to meet you, Henry."

She turned to Adrian, raising an eyebrow. "I had no idea your circle was full of royalty. I'm impressed."

Adrian laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, it's a bit unusual, I guess."

Claire looked genuinely curious. "So, how did you all become friends?"

Henry and Edward exchanged amused glances. Edward leaned closer, grinning. "Oh, we've got plenty of stories about Adrian. But Henry's got the best ones since I'm the younger one here." Henry nodded enthusiastically. "That's true. I've known him forever. Want to hear some good ones?"

Adrian quickly jumped in, waving his hands. "No, no! How about we just enjoy the race instead?"

Henry smirked and winked at Claire. "Fine, but after the race, I'm telling you about the time Adrian tried to impress a girl by pretending to be a magician."

Adrian groaned, rolling his eyes. "Henry, I swear-"noveldrama

Ignoring Adrian, Henry chuckled and took a sip of his champagne, clearly enjoying himself.

Adrian, looking a bit desperate, turned to Claire, placing a gentle hand on her waist to guide her toward the railing. "Let's watch the race. It's about to start," he said, his voice almost pleading.

He handed her a pair of binoculars

so she could get a better view of the

track. Claire took them, smiling as she peered through the lenses.

Edward, still leaning on the railing beside them, glanced at Claire.

"So, which horse do you think will win?" he asked, his tone curious.

Claire studied the horses through the binoculars, then lowered them, pointing confidently. "Number six. I have a good feeling about it."

Henry and Edward exchanged skeptical looks. Edward leaned closer. "Green Clover? Are you sure? He's not exactly the best. Only won once, and that was pure luck."

Henry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, maybe pick another one? Like, maybe number seven? That one's a strong contender."

Claire shook her head, a playful smirk on her lips. "Nope. I'm sticking with number six. I trust my instincts."

Henry raised an eyebrow, glancing at Adrian. "Adrian, you know your stuff. What do you think?"

Adrian shrugged, giving Claire an amused smile. "I'm staying out of this one. Claire's pretty stubborn when she's made up her mind."

Claire grinned, then turned back to Edward. "Tell you what. If Green Clover, I'll give you my F40."

Edward blinked, his jaw dropping. "Wait, you mean the Ferrari F40? The classic one?" Claire nodded, looking completely serious. "Yep, the very one."

Edward hesitated, glancing at Adrian as if looking for confirmation that this wasn't some kind of joke. When Adrian simply shrugged with a small smile, Edward turned back to Claire.

"And what do you want if you win?”

Claire shrugged, her tone casual. "If I win, you owe me a favor. Anything I want." Edward thought for a moment, then nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Deal."

They shook hands, sealing the bet. Henry watched them with amusement, shaking his head. "You two are something else."

As the race started, Edward leaned over the railing, shouting excitedly. "Come on, number seven! You've got this! There's an F40 waiting for me!"