Chapter 12 Here Comes the Ultimate Simp
As soon as Claudia stepped inside, she caught a faint scent of tea in the air.
Her blindfold was removed.
69%
+5 Free Coins
In front of her was a traditional–style hall, steeped in classic elegance. A graceful woman with her hair tied in a bun and a hairpin in place helped Claudia out of her down coat, then brought over a wooden basin filled with warm water.
Claudia dipped her hands in and washed them. After the woman inspected them, someone led her deeper into the house.
Another hall–bedroom layout.
She had just sat down when someone brought over tea and snacks. No one said a word the entire time–it was silent.
The rules here were strict, and it reminded Claudia of Alan’s grandfather’s estate, where things were similarly rigid. She could adapt.
But adapting didn’t mean she felt comfortable. The air was stifling.
About half an hour later, she heard steady footsteps outside. The wooden door slid open, and in walked a tall, refined man with a polite smile.
He nodded and said, “Miss Lane?”
Claudia, who went by Lane professionally, nodded in return and asked politely, “And how should I address you,
sir?”
Until now, all their communication had been through text. This was her first time seeing the generous client in person.
From the measurements she’d received, she already knew the man had a great figure.
But she hadn’t expected him to be so handsome–and refined, at that. It was a different kind of handsome than Alan’s. This man was gentle and elegant, while Alan exuded a dangerous, aristocratic magnetism.
The man smiled distantly without answering. Clearly, he had no intention of introducing himself.
Claudia didn’t mind.
30
|||
O
Г
1/4
22:59 Sat, Aug 30 R
Chapter 12 Here Comes the Ultimate Simp
$ཊཱི 69%ཁོ
+5 Free Coins
She’d dealt with clients like this before–some preferred anonymity. It didn’t affect the working relationship.
Still, something about his face struck a chord. She felt like she’d seen him somewhere before.
But that wasn’t something she could mention–not with a client. She pushed the thought down.
Soon, the suit and tools–already inspected–were brought into the room.
After the man changed into the suit, Claudia approached to inspect the fit and check whether he was satisfied.
If anything needed adjustment, she would fix it on the spot.
As she got closer and lifted her arm to adjust the fit, her movement paused slightly.
He smelled strongly of tea–but beneath that was a faint scent of blood.
Because she often dyed fabrics or mixed scents herself using natural ingredients, Claudia had developed a sharp sense of smell over the
years.
She hadn’t misjudged it. That was blood. Fresh.
“What’s wrong?” the man asked gently.
Claudia had spent enough time around powerful people at Moore Corp to keep her composure. Her tone was smooth and polite. “Your frame is excellent. I think the waistline could use a slight adjustment.”
Her hand moved steadily over the fabric, not betraying a hint of hesitation.
From above, where she couldn’t see, the man’s dark eyes lingered on the crown of her head. His smile remained warm and unwavering.
Claudia continued her final adjustments calmly.
Fortunately, the client wasn’t just generous–he was easygoing, at least when it came to the suit. He didn’t raise any
issues.
In the end, an older butler came to settle the balance.
The suit featured traditional embroidery techniques, rare gemstones, and gold and silver threads. The final payment was 1.8 million–150,000 more than originally agreed.
DO
30
30
|||
O
2/4
22:59 Sat, Aug 30
Chapter 12 Here Comes the Ultimate Simp
69%
+5 Free Coins
When Claudia asked about the increase, the butler said, “Sir is very satisfied. This is a token of appreciation. He hopes you’ll collaborate again in the future.”
Claudia didn
turn it down.
These people weren’t short on money, and refusing repeatedly would only offend them. Still, she had no intention of working with them again.
The atmosphere here was stifling. The host might look gentle, but the longer she stayed in the same space, the heavier it felt. And there was that faint smell of blood.
Not enough to scare her, but enough to keep her away.
She didn’t say any of that, of course–just smiled and nodded.
Once the blindfold was back on, Claudia was escorted down the mountain.
As soon as she reached the bottom, she drove straight into the city to find something to eat. Gloria called, right on time, and Claudia didn’t mention anything about the mountain.
She knew what to say–and what not to ask.
Still, the man’s vaguely familiar face stuck with her. But she had no desire to dig deeper.
Not that she’d need to. The answer was about to come to her on its own.
She had just parked near a bustling shopping district and was heading to one of her favorite restaurants when a familiar, arrogant voice called out:
“Claudia?”
Claudia froze and turned.
A young man stood behind her, dressed in flashy, rebellious clothes. He had a rakish, handsome face.
But the moment Claudia saw him, her mood plummeted.
Timothy. Alan’s childhood friend–and Summer’s most devoted fanboy.
He’d had a crush on Summer since they were kids. But since she only had eyes for Alan, and Alan was not only his best friend but objectively more accomplished, Timothy had kept his feelings to himself and remained loyally by Summer’s side.
In short: a hardcore simp.
C
0
30
30
O III
3/4
22:59 Sat, Aug 30
Chapter 12 Here Comes the Ultimate Simp
69%
+5 Free Coins
Claudia didn’t have much room to talk, though. She had once been a simp for Alan too–just not as extreme as Timothy Taurine.
Because of a certain incident, Timothy had always blamed Claudia for “destroying the bond” between Alan and Summer. He conveniently ignored the fact that Alan and Summer hadn’t even been a couple at the time.
Ever since then, Timothy had gone out of his way to sabotage her.
Once, he even used Alan’s phone to message her, asking her to bring food to Alan at the office. He arranged for a driver to pick her up.
Thinking the message was from Alan, Claudia had happily agreed.
She had no idea the driver would take her to an isolated villa on the outskirts of the city instead.
Halfway there, she sensed something was off and tried to get out–but was forcibly held down.
They took her phone, locked her in the empty villa, and left her there with no
Way to call for help. It wasn’t until Alan returned from a business trip a week later that she was let out.
Only afterward did she learn that it had been Summer’s birthday that day–and Alan had been out of the country.
After that, Claudia never tried to enter Alan’s social circle again. She kept her distance.
Timothy was insane.
“Claudia? What are you doing here?‘
Timothy’s brows furrowed. He strode over, then seemed to come to a conclusion on his own. “I get it. You’re following Alan and Summer, aren’t you?”
He sneered. “Have some shame. You ruined them before–now that Summer’s back, you should be stepping aside. Instead, you’re still out here making a scene?”
Claudia was speechless.
In her head, she silently added, What a lunatic.
To her surprise, she actually said it out loud.
Timothy’s eyes went wide. He glared at her. “What did you just say?!”
O
