New beginning: Billionaire love story

sounding

The next morning, Cindy's phone rang, flashing Eligos's name. She picked up, slightly taken aback-she hadn't expected him to call, much less ask her to meet. "Come to Café Lumiere, near High Street. I'll text you the address," Eligos's voice drawled over the line, both mysterious and matter-of-fact.

Cindy frowned. "Why?"

"Because I want to talk to you."

"Now?" Cindy sat up from the bed and leaned her head behind the headboard.

"Of course, today. Why would I call you if I want to see you tomorrow? I could've done it tomorrow." He said as a matter of fact.

Cindy's curiosity piqued, but she kept it cool. "Alright, fine, guess I'll see you there," she said, only half-believing it. She couldn't deny she was curious-Eligos was a strange one, to say the least. Plus, he seemed to know a lot about Claire, and that alone was enough to get her interested.

After a quick change into something casual but stylish, Cindy headed to the café. It was a cozy, hidden spot with old wooden tables and plants dangling from the ceiling. She scanned the room, expecting Eligos to be lurking in a corner, but there was no sign of him. She checked her phone, wondering if she was in the wrong place.

After a good five minutes of scanning the crowd and wondering if he'd stood her up, she sighed and took a seat, ordering herself a coffee. Maybe this was all just a waste of time. He hadn't even shown up! Her patience was slipping fast, so she tried calling him, but the line kept ringing.

As she stewed, a waiter suddenly appeared beside her, setting down a drink she hadn't ordered. Cindy looked at the drink, puzzled, and the waiter leaned in, speaking in a low voice, "This is from someone. There's a napkin under it-best open it."

Rolling her eyes, Cindy picked up the napkin, half expecting to see some corny message, but instead, an earpiece dropped onto her lap. "Seriously?" she muttered, tempted to ignore it but ultimately slipping it into her ear.

Almost immediately, she heard a familiar voice. "Good afternoon, Cindy, so glad you could make it," Eligos' smooth tone came through, and she bit back a smile.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Are you serious? Why the cloak and dagger? You woke me up early in the morning just for this? You could have just called me instead if this is how our meeting is supposed to go." she whispered, taking a sip of the drink. "Yes, yes, I'm quite serious. However, I did not expect this as well. Just found out a few hours ago." Eligos replied, calm as ever. "Someone's watching you, likely on Claire Peterson's orders. You really got under her skin last night, didn't you?" She grinned, holding back a laugh. "Oh, I was just doing my job. She practically handed me the chance to make her paranoid."

Eligos chuckled. "Well done. It's exactly that energy I need from you. Now, what did you say to her?"

Cindy leaned back, swirling her drink and keeping her face neutral. "Nothing much. Just dropped a little line about knowing her 'secrets.' I don't even know what they are, but it's not like I care. The way she looked at me? Worth it."

"Bravo," Eligos praised, sounding genuinely impressed. "Now, listen closely. Lay low for a while. I'll reach out with the next step when it's time. And oh, congratulations-you've got a photoshoot tomorrow. Consider it a little perk from working with me." Cindy's eyes widened in excitement. She almost jumped up but quickly remembered she was supposed to be subtle. She bit her lip, trying to contain her enthusiasm. "Really? I mean... yeah, alright, I'll stay calm. Thanks." "Whoever's watching doesn't need to see you jumping for joy."

She managed a composed nod, muttering, "Got it. Thanks for the heads-up. Anything else?"

"Good. And don't do anything that could get you noticed. We are on a tight schedule, and we can't afford any mistakes," Eligos reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. "Relax, I'm not that foolish."

"Just a reminder."

Cindy nodded, murmuring a quick "Got it. So, when can I actually see you in person? You know the first time I met you, I didn't get the chance to see your face." Cindy nodded her tone laced with curiosity. Eligos who was seated inside the café wearing glasses and a coat turned to the window to take a glance at Cindy. "Soon, you will get to see me."

"Hm...you really are a secretive person, huh?"

"It's a part of me. Now remember to lay low, got it?"

"Yes, got it," she answered before the earpiece went silent. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction-whatever Eligos's game was, she was in, and I was about to get interesting.noveldrama

Meanwhile, back at Cryptonic, a

shadowy figure entered the building,

making his way up to Matthew's office. It was the man Matthew had hired to keep an eye on Cindy. He slipped a manila folder onto

OV

Matthew's desk, filled with photos of Cindy's day.

"She left early didn't meet anyone, just roamed around London," he reported. Matthew flipped through the photos, seeing Cindy's casual stroll through the city. The pictures didn't reveal anything out of the ordinary-Cindy seemed to be going about her day as usual.

Matthew looked up. "No sign of contact, nothing suspicious?" he asked, hoping for something more.

"None at all. She was alone the whole time," the man confirmed.

"Alone, huh? Not even on the phone call?"

The man shook their heads. "No sir. It seems like she was enjoying her day out."

He sighed heavily. "Okay, thank you for your help." Matthew thanked them and sent him on his way before making his way down to Claire's office.

As he entered, Claire glanced up from her laptop. "Got any news on our girl Cindy?" she asked, tapping her pen on the desk, half-expecting something dramatic.

Matthew shrugged, a hint of frustration creeping into his expression. "Not much. She didn't meet anyone and didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Just spent the day on her own."

Claire leaned back, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure she didn't see anyone?" Her tone was skeptical, bordering on suspicion.

Matthew held up the photos. "Completely sure. We've got photos of her all day. See for yourself."

Claire took the folder and leafed through the images, each one more mundane than the last. Cindy sipping a coffee, strolling by shop windows, glancing at her phone. There was nothing remotely incriminating or even interesting.

"Well," Claire said, tossing the

photos back onto the desk, "maybe

Cindy's not a real threat. Let's focus on that other issue instead." Her voice dropped, taking on a more serious tone. "You know, the 'someone' who keeps showing up in my dreams."

Matthew nodded. "Agreed. Cindy's just a distraction. But that 'someone'... we need to find out who they are and why they're targeting you."

For a moment, both of them fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts about the unknown figure that seemed to be haunting Claire's life.