Chapter 200

Her smile vanished in an instant. “What are you doing here?”
There was no disguising the disdain in her voice-directed squarely at her own father.
Gabriel, however, seemed unfazed. In fact, there was a strange mixture of satisfaction and tenderness in his eyes as he looked at her. “I had some free time, so I thought I’d stop by and check on you. How have you been lately?” Chapters fırst released on.net
Anastasia nearly rolled her eyes.
If he really cared, where had he been all these years?
Just then, she spotted Harrison coming down the stairs, tall and composed, his presence commanding. Without another look at Gabriel, she turned on her heel and hurried toward Harrison.
“Darling!”
“Done with class?”
Harrison’s features were sharp, his expression cold and authoritative. Yet the moment he saw his young wife, a barely perceptible warmth softened his gaze.
As she reached him, he opened his arms without a second thought.
Anastasia slipped easily into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist, her voice sweet and soft. “Yep! I came straight home right after class—haven’t even been back fifteen minutes yet! Pretty fast, right?”
She lifted her pretty face to him, eyes sparkling with anticipation, clearly fishing for praise.
Harrison glanced at the clock on the wall. Sure enough, not quite fifteen minutes had passed since her class ended. She must have come straight home, not wasting a second.
A strange, quiet pleasure stirred in him. He gently patted her head. “Mm. Ana gets a reward tonight.”
A reward?
Anastasia’s eyes lit up, but before she could ask what sort of reward, Harrison was already leading her toward the living room, leaving her curiosity to simmer for the moment.
“Mr. Lancaster!” Gabriel stood up quickly, his greeting both respectful and obsequious.
“What are you doing here? Are you here to stick up for Penelope?” Anastasia asked as she sat down beside Harrison.
“Stick up for her? For what?” Harrison’s gaze was icy as it landed on Gabriel.
Gabriel immediately broke into a cold sweat. “No, no, nothing to do with Penelope! I’m just here to see you, Anastasia. It’s been so long since you visited home. I was just worried about how you’ve been, that’s all!”
Apart from the last couple of sentences, Gabriel wasn’t exactly lying.
He did know what had happened with Penelope at school. But after learning the details, he’d pretty much given up on that daughter-and there was no way he’d risk crossing Mr. Harrison Lancaster just to defend her.
But Anastasia…
Watching his daughter nestled so close to Harrison, Gabriel’s eyes flickered with greed. His heart pounded with hope.
Mr. Lancaster had even moved to a place right next to the school for her!
If he could win back this daughter, the benefits would be endless.
Feigning concern, Gabriel pressed on, “Didn’t I ask you to come home recently? Today’s your mother’s memorial day-we agreed you’d visit her. Did you forget?”
At that, Anastasia froze.
Of course she hadn’t forgotten her mother’s memorial day.
She could still picture her, though the memory was faded and blurred by time. A dull ache tightened in her chest.
She turned her head, burying her face in Harrison’s shoulder.
“Darling, will you come with me to visit Mom
She’d planned to ask anyway, but Gabriel’s sudden appearance had ripped open
a wound she’d tried to keep hidden.
Harrison felt a pang in his chest at the sight of the girl in his arms, suddenly so fragile and subdued.
He stroked her hair gently and said, “Of course.”