Chapter 171: Chris’ Gender Didn’t Really Matter

Claire got up early the following day and, after breakfast, went to pick up the custom gift she’d ordered for Elizabeth. She only had the million dollars Antony had returned, and she’d spent bits of it here and there lately. The custom evening gown for Elizabeth had cost her nearly a hundred thousand dollars. It was haute couture, and the designer was notoriously nomadic—getting your hands on one of her pieces was more about luck than anything else. Compared to other designers of the same caliber, her prices were actually quite reasonable. She exclusively created evening gowns, and uniquely, she treated everyone equally; each dress cost precisely a hundred thousand dollars, no exceptions. Her talent was extraordinary! She could create the perfect dress just by looking at a photo, matching both style and design to the client’s desires.

Claire remembered how Elizabeth had always dreamed of owning a “Chris” original but never had the chance. She’d never even seen the designer in person. “Chris” was a ghost in the fashion world. She never gave out contact information and worked without assistance. She had boutiques in various cities, but they were perpetually closed. If you wanted one of her dresses, you had to leave a note in the suggestion box outside her store. If she happened to return and saw your message, she’d make your dress. But if she didn’t return to that city for a long time and missed your note, you’d just have to keep waiting indefinitely.

Claire had placed an order for this evening gown at “Chris” Boutique ages ago, leaving a note in their request box long before she went to prison. It wasn’t until recently that she finally received a text from “Chris.” The timing couldn’t have been better—Elizabeth’s birthday celebration was just around the corner. Though a hundred thousand was a fortune to her now, she couldn’t help but think about her grandmother’s age. There weren’t many more four-year milestones they’d have together. If she missed this one, nobody knew when the next chance would come.

Claire arrived at the “Chris” Boutique around 10 AM. Getting there from the villa district by bus had eaten up quite a bit of time. The pickup process was uniquely modern—everything had been handled through text messages, from the order confirmation to the completion notice. They’d informed her that the dress would be waiting in a security locker outside, accessible with a provided code.

At the boutique, Claire found several lockers and quickly spotted the one labeled with her name, retrieving her dress. The moment she laid eyes on it, she was stunned, speechless. She’d never seen such an exquisite gown in her life! It was elegantly understated, crafted in forest green to suit an older woman, but the fabric was magical! It seemed to shimmer with rainbow hues when it caught the sunlight. The unique feather-styled mandarin collar buttons added an incredibly distinctive touch. After carefully examining the evening gown, she placed it back in the box.

Just as she turned to leave, a middle-aged woman who looked to be in her fifties approached. “You must be Chris’ daughter!” the woman greeted her warmly. “Huh?” Claire was caught off guard.

The woman continued, “I had the pleasure of meeting you two how years ago. You both have incredibly expressive eyes! They…” Her sentence trailed off.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, but you’ve mistaken me. I’m just here to pick up an evening gown. I don’t know Chris at all.” Claire gave an awkward smile, though she found it amusing that she could be mistaken for someone else.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry! Please forgive my mistake!” The woman apologized repeatedly with an embarrassed laugh, then pulled out her phone to type on WhatsApp: “It’s all your fault! You were the one going on about Chris’ daughter recently, which made me mistake someone else for her today. But I’m telling you, that girl’s eyes looked exactly like Chris’!”

Claire shook her head with a slight smile and left with the gown. After walking quite a distance, it suddenly struck her that she hadn’t asked whether this wealthy “Chris” was a man or a woman. She glanced back but figured it was too late to return and ask. Besides, Chris’ gender didn’t really matter or affect her in any way.

Lost in thought, Claire didn’t notice someone walking towards her until she crashed right into them. “Oh! I’m so sorry, I’m really sorry,” Claire quickly apologized. “It’s okay, are you… alright?”

The middle-aged man started to speak but froze when he got a good look at Claire’s face. Long after Claire had walked away, he finally snapped out of his daze and pulled out his phone to make a call. “Chris, you won’t believe what just happened. You know how you asked me to find that person in the photo? Well, I just ran into someone near your shop who looks exactly like them.”