NovelApexChapter 325
The next morning at six, his car cruised past her. Clara had been on her feet all night, and though exhaustion
weighed heavily on her, her eyes sparkled when she saw him.
"Mr. Dylan..." she called out, but the car didn't even slow down.
With a sigh, she resumed her vigil. She waited until afternoon, standing in the biting cold of a New York winter.
Her feet felt like blocks of ice as the temperature continued to drop. Snow began to fall again, and she sniffled,
knowing she couldn't leave until Dylan's anger had melted away.
Somehow, Simon caught wind of her standing outside Dylan's place in Palm Bay and showed up in no time, his
voice laced with irritation when he saw her.
"Clara! What on earth are you doing here? Why are you camped outside Dylan's house?"
Ever since his last run-in with Jacob, Simon was convinced Clara had feelings for him. But her silence left him
unsure, leading to countless rants to his rowdy group of friends.
In the past, they all sneered at Clara, seeing Simon's devotion as a joke. They'd often egg him on. Lately, though,
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtSimon's attitude shifted. Whenever he got drunk, Clara's nwas the only thing on his lips, muttering about
love and loss.
"How could she just stop loving me? Did she ever really loveat all?"
"Is Jacob just a placeholder? Am I? Are we both?"
"No way, I'm Simon! I'm decent-looking and loaded. Clara must be blind to treatlike a substitute."
He'd go on and on, sprawled over a club table, while his friends, always quick to back him up, joined in on the
Clara-bashing.
"Why waste your ton her? There are plenty of better women in New York. If you're unhappy, let's move on."
At this, Simon would snap upright, "lI won't have anyone badmouth Clara. It's my fault. | was foolish to fall for
someone as toxic as Quinn, and sleeping with her taintedin Clara's eyes."
He'd keep lamenting until everyone ran out of words. He could criticize Clara, but no one else was allowed to.
Now, standing by Clara, Simon saw her cheeks flushed red from the cold and angrily started to shrug off his coat.
"What happened with you and Dylan?"
He was puzzled, trying to drape his coat over her shoulders, but she stepped aside.
Simon felt frustration boiling up, almost ready to lash out, but he bit his tongue, remembering he was trying to
win her over.
"Con, Clara. Just be honest with me. Did you use Jacob as my stand-in? If you still care for me, let's quit this
back-and-forth and get married. I'll do whatever you want."
The idea of marriage made his eyes light up, imagining a future with Clara. She had always been good to him,
and her cooking was amazing. A life with her would be blissful. His lips curved into a hopeful smile until she
responded coldly.
"I've said it a hundred times-I don't like you."
Simon's smile vanished, and he tried once more to wrap his coat around her.
Clara frowned, a memory flashing in her mind.
Long ago, she had made him soup. It was freezing, and she waited for him to cdown and get it, but he was
upstairs with Quinn, who was pretending to be sick, ignoring her calls. Clara had waited until the soup went cold,
then took it back hto reheat.
She rubbed her temples, feeling a pang of sympathy for her past self. To put an end to Simon's persistence, she
spoke plainly.
"Simon, | have boundaries. You slept with Quinn. We can never be."
Simon felt as if he'd been stabbed, angrily throwing his coat to the ground. "Clara, you!!"
Hadn't she been with someone else too? Who was her mystery man? Was it Dylan? The curiosity was eating him
alive.
He wouldn't care if she'd been with someone else, so why did his past matter so much to her?
The more he thought about it, the more wronged he felt, even suspecting his night with Quinn was a setup,
knowing her manipulative ways.
His eyes reddened, his finger nearly jabbing at Clara's face.
"I must've been set up with Quinn!"
Clara looked at him calmly and dropped a question that cut to the core.
"Even if the first twas a setup, what about after that?"
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