New beginning: Billionaire love story novel Chapter 384

Claire sprinted through the dark, dense woods, her heart pounding in her chest. The only sound was her frantic breathing and the crunch of leaves under her feet.

She had no idea who—or what—was chasing her, only that it was a shadowy figure, a black blur that seemed to be getting closer no matter how fast she ran.

Every few seconds, she threw a glance over her shoulder, eyes wide with panic, but the woods were so dark that even the moonlight couldn’t pierce through the thick canopy of trees.

Her foot caught on a branch, and with a gasp, she went tumbling to the ground, her knee slamming hard into the dirt.

Pain shot up her leg, and she clutched at her knee, wincing. Before she could even think about getting up, she felt it—the presence looming over her. Slowly, she looked up. The dark figure was there, towering over her, an ominous, shapeless shadow that seemed to swallow up the air around it. And then, just like that, it enveloped her.

Claire screamed.

She jolted awake, her body shooting upright in bed. Her heart was racing, and beads of sweat clung to her forehead and neck. For a moment, she just sat there, gasping for breath, trying to calm the wild thudding in her chest. It took a few seconds before she realized it had all been a dream—a weird, terrifying dream.

Claire rubbed her eyes and glanced out the window. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, casting a soft orange glow across the room. It was probably around 5:30 in the morning.

She closed her eyes and tried to shake off the lingering fear from the nightmare. It wasn’t like her to have such dreams. In fact, she rarely ever had nightmares, except for those few times when her amnesia brought flashes of her parents into her dreams—memories she hadn’t even realized she had.

But this? This was different.

A dark figure was chasing her, and instead of standing on her ground like she usually would, she ran away. That was so unlike her. Claire wasn’t the type to run from anything, not in real life. She always faced her problems head-on, always.

So why had she run in the dream? Shaking her head, she pushed the thought aside. It was just a dream. Nothing more.

She swung her legs out of bed, her bare feet hitting the cold floor as she headed to the bathroom. A hot shower seemed like the perfect remedy to shake off the last of the uneasy feeling. The warm water cascaded over her, relaxing her tense muscles. By the time she was done, she felt a little better, more grounded. Wrapping herself in a towel, she quickly got dressed and headed to the kitchen.

Claire made herself a cup of chamomile tea, hoping the soothing aroma would calm her nerves. She was just starting to relax when there was a knock at the door. Frowning, she set down her cup and went to answer it. When she opened the door, her eyes widened in surprise.

“Alexander?” she blurted out, eyebrows raised

There he was, standing at her door, looking oddly out of place with a bag of pastries in his hand. Alexander gave her a small, awkward smile. “Morning, Claire.”

Claire frowned, her expression blank. “What are you doing here?”

He sighed, holding up the bag. “I brought breakfast.”

Claire’s unimpressed look didn’t budge. Her arms crossed over her chest, and she stared at him as if waiting for him to give a better reason for showing up at her door so early. Alexander, clearly sensing her mood, sighed again.

“I heard about what happened,” he explained, a hint of concern in his voice. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Claire rolled her eyes and let out a small sigh. “I’m fine,” she replied, though her tone made it clear she wasn’t in the mood for this conversation.

Alexander’s eyes flickered to the scratches on her cheek, then to the bandage on her arm. He raised an eyebrow. “Fine? You’re telling me you’re fine? What’s all this then?”