New beginning: Billionaire love story

Claire held the phone to her ear, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the sketches Abigail had just sent over. The robot design was detailed-really detailed. Claire let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of the project settle on her shoulders. This was going to be more complicated than she'd anticipated.

Abigail's voice crackled through the phone, sounding slightly concerned. "Claire? What do you think? You've been quiet for a while."

Claire snapped out of her thoughts and cleared her throat. "The sketches are...nice, Abigail. Very detailed."

There was a pause at the other end of the line before Abigail's voice came back, a little less confident. "Just nice? You sound like you're holding something back."

Claire smiled, appreciating Abigail's straightforwardness. "Well, they're a bit complicated. But that's not the real issue here."

"Oh?" Abigail's curiosity was piqued. "What's the issue, then?"

Claire leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling as she explained. "Metacortex is going to build this robot from scratch. We can't rely on any other company because no one's willing to take on the project with such a tight deadline." There was a rustling sound on the other end of the line, and Claire could almost picture Abigail sitting up straight, eyes wide. "Are you serious? Why the sudden decision?"

Claire sighed, rubbing her temple. "It's not like we have much of a choice. Every company I approached turned us down. They all said the same thing: the timeline is too short."

Abigail let out a low whistle, then surprised Claire by offering, "Well, if that's the case, I'll help out. I mean, I did graduate with an engineering degree, so this stuff isn't exactly foreign to me."

Claire raised an eyebrow, impressed. "You really want to help? This isn't going to be easy, you know."

Abigail chuckled. "Easy isn't really in my vocabulary. Plus, it sounds like fun. Count me in."

Claire couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Abigail. I really appreciate it."

"So, when do we start?" Abigail asked, her voice full of energy.

"Tomorrow's fine," Claire replied, glancing at the clock on her desk. "I need to pick the right people from my team first. I want to make sure we've got the best minds on this."

"Got it. Just let me know what's next," Abigail said cheerfully.

"Will do," Claire said, grateful for the support. "Thanks again, Abigail."

"Anytime! Talk to you soon."

As the call ended, Claire's gaze fell on Alexander's name in her contacts. She knew she needed to inform him directly about the situation, even though talking to him wasn't exactly on her list of favorite things to do. Taking a deep breath, Claire dialed his number. The phone barely had a chance to ring twice before Alex's deep voice answered, "Claire. What's going on?"

Claire straightened in her chair, adopting her most professional tone. "Hello, Alexander. I have something important to discuss with you."

Alex, who had just taken a sip of his coffee, raised an eyebrow. "Important, huh? What's up?"

Claire wasted no time, diving straight into the issue. "No company is willing to take on our robot order because of the short deadline. So, Metacortex is going to handle it ourselves. We'll build it from the ground up."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Alex responded, clearly surprised. "You're taking it on yourself? I didn't see that coming. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Claire's confidence was unshaken. "Absolutely. I've got the best team in the business. We'll get it done."

The line went quiet again, but this time the silence felt more thoughtful. Finally, Alex spoke up. "Alright. As long as you're sure. The agreement says you're in charge of the tech, so I'll stay out of it as long as it meets the deadline." Claire nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "It will. I'll keep you updated."

Just as she was about to end the call, Alex's voice softened, catching her off guard. "How are you, Claire? Really?"

Claire paused, not expecting the shift in tone. She quickly composed herself. "I'm fine, Alexander. Busy, but fine." There was a small pause before she added, "I'll let you know when we start building the robot."

"Good," Alex said, his voice returning to its usual firmness. "Keep me posted."

With that, the call ended. Claire stared at her phone for a moment, a mix of emotions swirling in her chest. Shaking it off, she set her phone down and focused on the task ahead.

Meanwhile, in his office, Alex stared at his phone screen, a slight frown on his face. He set the phone down on his desk, letting out a quiet sigh before taking another sip of his coffee.

Claire's office was a whirlwind of activity, the kind that could make a caffeine junkie feel like they needed to catch up. Phones were ringing, keyboards were clacking, and there was a low hum of voices as people hurried in and out of the room. It was organized chaos, the kind Claire thrived on.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

She stood at the center of it all, her

sharp eyes scanning over the faces of her team members as they gathered around. "Alright, everyone," Claire called out, her voice cutting through the noise like a knife. "We've got a big project ahead, and want the best of the best on this. No stacking off, no half-baked

ideas-this is our chance to do

something groundbreaking."

Matthew who stood next to her joined in. "If this sudden project of ours goes well, then Metacortex will open a new division."

A few people exchanged glances, some looking excited, others a little nervous. Claire could sense the tension in the room, but she also felt the buzz of excitement humming just beneath the surface. This was something new, something big, and everyone knew it.

"Matthew is right. However, let's not

think about that. I gather all of you,

who were once involved in a robot project with a high hope that we can connect our minds in building this robot. Phope we all can work together as a team and also let's Keep this confidential." Claire throws them a smile.

First up was Marcus, one of the top engineers on the team. He was the kind of guy who could solve

complex problems in his sleep, but right now, he looked wide awake and ready to dive in. "I've been working on a prototype for the interface," he said, holding up a tablet with a confident grin. "It's rough, but it should give us a good starting point."

Claire nodded, glancing at the screen as he passed it around. "Looks promising, Marcus. But we're going to need to refine that make it smoother, more intuitive. I don't want our users fumbling around trying to figure out how to use it." The next day, Claire and Abigail met with the team to dive deeper into the plan. The conference room table was covered with sketches, notes, and diagrams, creating a colorful mess that somehow made sense to everyone involved. "Alright, let's get down to it," Claire said, clapping her hands to get everyone's attention. "We've got a lot to cover, and I want us all on the same page."