Claire rolled her eyes. “We didn’t do anything for your information.”
Matthew walked forward towards her desk still with a curious look on his face. “No, there is something going on between you two.”
“Matthew?”
“Yes?”
“Please shut up.”
The one journalist from earlier who ask question about Claire parents looked around to make sure no one is following him. He walked towards the alleyway where he spotted a black car parking. He knocked on the window. The back door open and he climbed inside the car.
“I already did what you ask me to do.”
Robert turned to him and smiled. “Good. You chose the right momentum when you asked that question.”
He took the thick envelope and handed it to him. “This is your payment.” The journalist took the money excitedly as he couldn’t wait to spend all this money.
“Thank you, sir. If I may wondering, why the question is about her parents?” Robert lips curled up into a smirk.
“There is something that are not meant to be find out.”
He turned towards the door to leave but then it got locked. “Keep this a secret. I don’t want anyone including Claire to find out about this.”
He nodded. “Of course, sir. Leave it to me. I will keep this a secret. I won’t even talk about this.” He left the car and walked in the opposite direction to what he came from.
Back at Metacortex, Matthew sat at his desk, scrutinizing the stock market figures on his monitor. Following Claire’s orders, he focused on the company’s stock, and to his delight, he noticed that Metacortex’s stock was finally rising. He headed towards Claire’s office to share the good news.
As he walked in, Claire was busy at her desk, surrounded by paperwork. She looked up as he entered. “Matthew, what’s up?”
“The stock is rising,” Matthew announced with a smile. “The press conference earlier really made a difference.”
Claire sighed in relief, her shoulders visibly relaxing. “That’s great news. I guess Alex plan really did work out for the better.” Matthew nodded but couldn’t shake the lingering question in his mind. “So, what are you going to do about Max and Lisa now?”
Claire put her pen down and looked thoughtfully at Matthew. “Well, you already hacked into her phone and blocked any news relating to my press conference with Alex. She still think her plan is working.”
Matthew raised an eyebrow. “So, what’s the next step?”
Claire leaned back in her chair. “I need you to track Lisa’s location. Find out where she is. Also, ask Max to send all the evidence of their conversations and the money Lisa transferred to him. It’s important for us to have all those evidence.” “On it,” Matthew said, turning to leave.
Back at his desk, Matthew began the task of tracking Lisa’s location. It was something he was accustomed to, and within minutes, he had her coordinates. “Gotcha,” he muttered to himself as he saw that Lisa was currently on her way back to London. He then dialed Max’s number. “Hey, Max. I need you to send me all the evidence you have conversations, money transfers, everything.”
“Sure thing, Matthew,” Max replied. “I’ll get it to you right away.”
Matthew thanked him and hung up. He gathered the information and headed back to Claire’s office to update her.
“Claire,” Matthew said as he entered, “I have got Lisa’s location. She’s on her way back to London. And Max is sending over the evidence we need.” Claire looked up, her expression a mix of determination and relief. “Good work, Matthew. This is exactly what we need to turn the tables on her.” Matthew took a seat opposite Claire. “What’s the plan once we have everything?”
She thought for a while then her lips stretched into a smile as a plan crossed her mind. “I have a plan in mind, but Max needs to be involve with this.” Matthew scrunched his forehead in confusion. “Max? Why Max?”
A chuckled escaped her lips. “Oh, you will see, you will see.”
Matthew leaned forward curiously. “Care to share the plan?”
Lisa had finally arrived back in
London, feeling the familiar rush of satisfaction as she stepped off the plane. She didn’t bother to check the news about Claire, confident that her plan was working perfectly
Her sudden vacation to the Maldives had been exactly what she needed, lifting her spirits and giving her a beautiful new tan.
As she made her way through the airport, Lisa spotted Max standing in front of her. Sliding down her sunglasses, she scrunched her brows in confusion. “Max? What are you doing here?”
Max’s expression was serious. “Lisa, we need to talk. It’s about Claire. Follow me.”
Hearing Claire’s name piqued Lisa’s curiosity. She nodded and followed Max to his Prius. He took her bag and placed it in the trunk, his actions calm and methodical. Lisa didn’t feel suspicious at all; after all, she was the one who had hired Max to spread the news about Claire’s
secret marriage to Alex.
Once they were both seated in the car, Lisa turned to Max. “So, what’s this important news you wanted to tell me?”
Max’s tense look didn’t waver. “I’ll tell you later,” he said as he started the car.
Lisa raised her eyebrows and rolled her eyes at his weirdness but didn’t press further.
“Here, I’m sure you are thirsty.” Max offered her a drink. She took it, feeling thirsty from the long flight. She took a big gulp and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked at Max. From the corner of his eye, Max watched her drink. He knew his plan was working.
“So, are you still posting the news about Claire?”
Max nodded. “Yeah, I’ll keep posting it as long as you promise to pay me.”
Lisa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll pay you as long as you keep your word. No tricks, Max.”
Max smirked. “No tricks. Just business.”
Lisa sighed. “What are people saying about her?”
Max leaned back in his seat, a sly smile on his face. “The journalists have been ruthless. They are following her everywhere. And Alex is getting a lot of heat too.”
He paused for a moment, then added, “Oh, and Claire’s limping now. Got mobbed by the paparazzi. It’s all over the news.”
Lisa laughed loudly. “I saw that! She looked so stupid in those pictures.”
Max chuckled along with her, but his eyes stayed sharp, watching her every move. Lisa didn’t notice the intensity in his gaze. She was too busy enjoying the moment.
As they drove through the city, Lisa started to yawn repeatedly. She rubbed her eyes and said, “Why am I so tired all of a sudden?”
Her eyelids grew heavy, and she
found it hard to keep them open. From the driver’s side, Max glanced at her and said in a serious tone, “You dragged me into this mess, Lisa. Now you have to face the consequences.”
Lisa tried to focus on his words, but everything was becoming blurry. She muttered in gibberish until suddenly the world around her became dark.