New beginning: Billionaire love story novel Chapter 296

Claire raised an eyebrow. “Revenge? You mean this is all because of Alexander Harris?” She threw the name out like a grenade, waiting to see if it would blow up in Lisa’s face.

It did. Lisa's eyes lit up for a second, and then she smiled, a wide, unhinged grin spreading across her face. “Oh, I see you’re not as clueless as you look.”

Claire’s lips curled into a smirk, enjoying the slight power shift, even if she was tied to a chair. “You’re pathetic, you know that? Even after Alexander rejected you not once, but twice, you’re still stuck on him. He doesn’t even care about you.” Her words were sharp, designed to cut deep.

Lisa’s smile faltered, her expression going icy in an instant. Claire could tell she’d hit a nerve. Good. She needed to keep Lisa distracted, and off-balance. Sure, being tied to a chair in the middle of a deserted shack wasn’t ideal, but Claire wasn’t about to sit there quietly and wait for things to get worse.

Lisa, trying to shake off the blow, crossed her arms. “He does care about me,” she said defensively. “He moved me to the VIP room at the hospital when I had that accident.”

Claire snorted. “Please. Do you mean the accident that you caused? Don’t act like it wasn’t part of your plan. That venue didn’t just go up in flames by itself, Lisa.”

Lisa's lips twisted into a smug smile. “Maybe your brain needs a little break from overthinking, Claire.”

“Ha!” Claire leaned back in the chair, knowing she’d just gotten confirmation. “I knew it. You’re so easy to read, Lisa.”

Lisa narrowed her eyes. “Oh, really? If I’m so easy to read, then what am I thinking right now?”

Claire pretended to ponder for a moment, then answered with a casual shrug. “You're thinking about how you’re gonna get Alexander. You’ve got this whole twisted plan mapped out in that psycho brain of yours.”

Lisa nodded, mockingly impressed. “Wow, Claire, you can really read minds.” Then her tone turned deadly serious. “And you’re right. But there’s one part you’re missing—I’m also thinking about how I’m going to kill you.”

The way she said it, so straight-faced and matter-of-fact, caught Claire off guard for a second. But then, to Lisa's surprise, Claire burst out laughing.

Lisa blinked, completely thrown. “What’s so funny?”

Claire wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, still chuckling. “It’s just—the way you said that. Like, oh, I’m planning on killing you.” She mimicked Lisa’s voice in a flat, exaggerated tone. “It’s hilarious.”

The laughter vanished from Claire's face in an instant, replaced by a cold, challenging glare. “But let’s be real, Lisa—you don’t have the guts to do it.”

Lisa’s face twisted with rage. She hated being underestimated. Without thinking, she stormed over to Claire and slapped her hard across the face.

Claire’s cheek stung, but she didn’t flinch. Instead, she cracked her neck to the side and slowly turned back to Lisa with a mocking grin. “If you’re gonna hurt me, you’ll have to hit a lot harder than that.”

Lisa’s frustration was boiling over now. She leaned in close, her breath hot with anger. “No one’s going to find you here, Claire. This place is in the middle of nowhere. By the time anyone realizes you’re missing, you’ll be long dead—starved, and dehydrated. You’ll be nothing but a headline.”

Claire arched an eyebrow, unphased by the threat. “Let me guess, that's not the only reason you kidnapped me, right?”

Lisa straightened up, a wide smile spreading across her face again. She patted Claire on the head, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Wow, aren’t you clever? Figuring things out just like that.” She snapped her fingers mockingly.

Claire rolled her eyes but kept her tone calm. “You always did like playing the long game, Lisa. But I don’t get it. What’s your angle? Do you think if I’m out of the way, Alexander will suddenly fall into your arms? Newsflash—he’s not interested. And he never will be.”

Lisa’s expression darkened, but she quickly masked it with another sly grin. “You think I’m doing this for Alexander? Sure, he’s part of it. But I’m not that stupid, Claire. I know he’s not going to come running just because you’re out of the picture.”

“Then why?” Claire asked, genuinely curious now.