New beginning: Billionaire love story

Eligos stepped off the plane and stretched his legs, feeling the warm Italian breeze brush against his face. He adjusted his sunglasses, grinning as he spotted a sleek car waiting for him.

He slipped into the backseat, casually glancing at his phone to check the location of the person he was dying to meet. Excitement bubbled inside him. He couldn't wait to watch this play out, couldn't wait to see the look on Claire's face when he delivered this little surprise. "Let's make this fun," he muttered to himself, already imagining her reaction.

The car took off, leaving the bustling airport behind. The drive was long, much longer than he expected. Whoever this person was, they didn't live in the city. Nope, they were tucked away in some quaint village far off the beaten path. Eligos wasn't the most patient man but for this? It was worth it.

He stared out the window, watching the Italian countryside roll by-fields, vineyards, rolling hills, all the postcard-worthy scenery. Not bad, actually, he mused. A good place to retire, maybe. He chuckled to himself at the thought. He wasn't the retiring type, but hey, never hurts to have options.

After what felt like forever, the car finally slowed down, pulling into a tiny village with cobblestone streets and old brick houses. Eligos stepped out, slipping off his sunglasses and taking in the view. It was... peaceful. Almost too peaceful for someone like him. Still, he liked

it. He checked his phone again, scanning through the files for the photo of the man he was looking for. He started walking, keeping an eye out, but this village was a maze. Every corner he turned led to more winding streets and more locals who spoke absolutely no English. Great.

Eligos spotted a farmer walking by and waved him down. "Hey, excuse me, do you know this guy?" He held up the photo, but the farmer just shook his head and rattled off something in rapid-fire Italian. Eligos sighed, nodding even though he had no clue what the guy was saying. "Yeah, okay, thanks."

He moved on, frowning. This was going to take forever if he couldn't find anyone who spoke English. Where were the locals? All he saw were tourists, snapping pictures and sipping espresso. He needed a real lead, not someone with a selfie stick. Finally, he spotted a small café tucked away on the corner of the street. It looked cozy, with a couple of tables outside shaded by big umbrellas. Eligos figured it was as good a place as any to regroup, so he stepped inside, grateful for the break from the sun. The barista behind the counter greeted him with a polite smile, and Eligos didn't even glance at the menu before ordering. "Iced coffee," he said, still distracted by his phone as he double-checked the picture of the man.

The barista nodded and started preparing the drink, while Eligos drummed his fingers on the counter, his eyes flicking back and forth between the file and the café's front door. He needed to find this guy, and fast. Just as he was about to take a sip of his iced coffee, a thought hit him. Why not ask the barista?

"Hey," Eligos said, pulling up the picture on his phone. "You seen this guy around?"

The barista glanced at the photo, his expression changing slightly as he nodded. "Yes, I know him," he replied in accented English.

Eligos perked up, grinning. "You do? Where is he?"

The barista didn't answer right away. Instead, his gaze shifted toward the door, and Eligos followed his line of sight. The front door swung open, and in walked the very man he'd been looking for.

The guy strolled up to the counter, greeting the barista in rapid Italian. They exchanged a few friendly words, and the barista motioned toward Eligos. "This man here," he said, pointing to Eligos, "he's looking for you."

Eligos couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. *Finally.* This was it. The man turned to him, raising an eyebrow. He spoke in Italian first, asking something that Eligos couldn't understand.

"Do you speak English?" Eligos asked, cutting him off.

The man paused, then nodded slowly. "Yes. What can I help you with?"

"Oh, there's plenty we need to talk about," Eligos said, still grinning. He took a slow sip of his iced coffee, savoring the moment. "You're going to want to sit down for this."

The man frowned, clearly a little uneasy. "What is this about?"noveldrama

Eligos leaned in, his grin widening. "It's about your past, my friend. I've been doing some digging, and I think you and I are going to have a very interesting conversation. But first, I need to make sure you're ready for what's coming." The man's eyes narrowed, clearly not liking the sound of this. "Who are you?"

Eligos leaned back, letting out a small laugh. "Doesn't matter who I am. What matters is what I know. And trust me, I know a lot."

The man hesitated, glancing at the

barista, who was now looking between them with obvious curiosity Eligos noticed this and waved a hand dismissively. "Relax. This isn't a public affair. Just you and me. We can go somewhere more private if you prefer

After a long pause, the man finally nodded. "Fine. Let's talk. But not here."

"Good choice." Eligos stood up, adjusting his jacket. "Lead the way."

The man walked out of the café, and Eligos followed, still buzzing with excitement. This was going even better than he had hoped. They walked a short distance to a quiet alley, away from the prying eyes of tourists and locals.

Once they were alone, the man turned to Eligos, arms crossed. "What do you want?"

Eligos smiled. "I want you to tell me everything you know. And in exchange, I might let you walk away from this with your life intact."

The man's eyes widened. "What? What are you talking about?"

Eligos chuckled, shaking his head.

"Oh, come on Don't play dumb. You know exactly what I'm talking about. I've got files on you. Photos.

Records. All of it. Your lives ains net

rainbow and sunshine and you work three jobs to afford your bills and you have a little history with the police."

The man swallowed hard, his confidence faltering. "Look, I don't know who you think you are, but "

"I think I'm the guy who's going to turn your world upside down," Eligos interrupted, his voice calm but menacing. "And you're going to help me do it."

For a moment, the man looked like he might try to run, but he quickly realized that wasn't an option. Eligos had him cornered, and they both knew it.

"Fine," the man muttered, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "What do you want from me?"

Eligos's grin returned. "Now we're talking. First, you're going to tell me everything about your connection to a certain family. Then, we'll talk about what comes next."

As they began to talk, Eligos couldn't

help but feel surge of triumph. Everything was falling into place, just as he had planned. Soon, he'd have all the information he needed to blow things wide open-and Claire would be right in the middle of it.