Chapter 77

She shot Anastasia a resentful glare. “Weren’t you just about to pack your things and leave?”
Anastasia’s eyes lit up as if she’d just remembered something, and a sly smile tugged at her lips. “Oh, thanks for the reminder! I do need to pack-”
Before Alice could let even the tiniest hope rise within her, Anastasia continued, “Mr. Lancaster and I have an appointment at the registry to get our marriage license. If we wait any longer, the office will close!”
“A marriage license?!”
Alice’s eyes flew wide in disbelief.
“That’s right,” Anastasia replied, watching Alice struggle to compose her features. “Is there a problem with that?”
A problem?
Alice didn’t dare have an opinion-not that she had any right to one. She nearly dug her nails into her palm, biting her lip so hard it almost bled. Under Mr. Lancaster’s chilling gaze, she managed to force out a strained, twisted smile. “No… no problem at all.”
Harrison barely spared her a glance before looking away, as if she were utterly unimportant.
He checked his watch and said to Anastasia, “Go get changed.”
Anastasia nodded obediently and was about to leave when she stopped short, remembering something.
“Mr. Lancaster, what’s Alice’s status here at Rosewood Manor?”
Harrison’s answer was brief and cold. “She’s staff.”
“So, does that give her the right to go through my things whenever she wants?”
Alice’s heart thudded anxiously—she knew exactly where this was going.
She rushed to defend herself. “Mr. Lancaster, I was just cleaning the room when I saw the phone-”
Anastasia cut her off. “That phone was locked in a drawer. How could you have seen it by accident?”
Alice grit her teeth, refusing to back down. “What locked drawer? There wasn’t one. I saw the phone right there on the table!”
Anastasia didn’t need to guess-Alice was only so defiant because she’d clearly tampered with the cameras in Anastasia’s room. But Anastasia was in a hurry to get to the registry office and had no patience for pointless arguments.
“Fine, let’s say the phone was out in the open. Who gave you the nerve to go snooping through my things in the first place?”
Alice was struck dumb, unable to retort.
“Mr. Lancaster, what do you suggest we do with someone like Alice?” Anastasia asked immediately.
Harrison answered without a trace of hesitation or concern. “Tell Mary her daughter needs to pack her things and leave.”
Alice’s face drained of color. “Mr. Lancaster!”
She’d wanted to get rid of Anastasia-how had things turned around so that she was the one being thrown out?
“Mr. Lancaster Thomas, unable to watch any longer, tried to plead on Alice’s behalf.
Anastasia narrowed her eyes and turned.
She caught sight of Harrison’s expression, lips pressed into a stern line, clearly displeased. Inspiration struck, and she quickly corrected herself, “Darling!”
Only then did his expression soften-if only slightly.
Anastasia breathed a sigh of relief and promptly complained, “Just now, Thomas tried to hit me!”
Harrison’s eyes, cold and bottomless, fixed on Thomas. “Go punish yourself,” he ordered, his voice icy.
Thomas stiffened, shooting Anastasia a venomous glare-if looks could kill, she’d be dead. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ.net
Anastasia flashed him a triumphant smile.
Watching Thomas nearly explode with rage, she turned on her heel and happily headed off to change her clothes.