Chapter 274

By now, dawn was beginning to break. Anastasia jolted at the words, tugged urgently at Harrison’s sleeve, and looked up with a feeble pretense. “Honey, I think I’m better now
The whole night had passed, and the deadline set by whoever had tried to trap her husband had long gone. There was no need to fake illness anymore.
If she kept pretending, she’d probably end up in a bigger hospital-maybe even somewhere they’d run tests and discover she was faking the whole thing.
What would she do if they found out?
“You’re really feeling better?” Harrison wiped away the sweat she’d forced onto her brow.
“Mm-hmm!” Anastasia put on her best performance, appearing just a little stronger than before.
Harrison was about to speak when Logan burst into the room, his steps hurried. “Mr. Lancaster!”
“What is it?”
“You need to see this.” Logan held out a small box. When he opened it, the grisly sight inside made the air turn cold-a severed, bloody finger.
Harrison’s eyes turned steely in an instant. He reached out, shielding Anastasia’s curious gaze with his hand and pulled her tightly into his arms.
Then he looked back at the box. Besides the finger, there was a note, written in blood: “Mr. Harrison Lancaster, help me.”
Harrison didn’t even flinch at the gruesome sight. His eyes were cold, his voice colder. “Where did this come from?”
“The people who sent it said… it’s Alice’s finger.”
Alice’s finger?
Anastasia, still pressed against Harrison’s chest, looked up sharply.
That had never happened in her past life. She guessed it was because Harrison had shown up at the meeting right away, so the kidnappers hadn’t needed to threaten him with Alice.
She tried to pry off Harrison’s hand, desperate to see the box, but he gently pushed her face back into his chest. Thıs text ıs hosted at
“Be good,” he warned softly, a hint of worry in his tone-as if he thought she might be frightened.
Anastasia made a face, annoyed.
She’d seen plenty of blood and worse during her years as a doctor-nothing about this fazed her. And if it really was Alice’s finger, she felt nothing but a dark sense of satisfaction. Serves her right.
Others might not know what was really going on, but Anastasia did.
Back then, during this same time, even though she’d been distant with Harrison, everyone could see how much he favored her. Alice had always felt threatened, convinced that Anastasia had stolen her place. In a desperate bid to win back Harrison’s affection, Alice had done something utterly stupid-
She leaked Harrison’s medical records and conspired with a gang of kidnappers. The plan was to lure Harrison into a trap, have him kidnapped, and then come to his “rescue.” She thought that, after saving his life, Mr. Harrison Lancaster would finally see her differently.
But she never expected the kidnappers to be real criminals, already targeting Harrison. Alice had handed them exactly what they needed.
Nothing went according to her plan. Harrison fell into their trap and was gravely injured. Thomas, trying to save him, died in the chaos.
In this life, Alice had made the same foolish mistake, probably hoping to use a heroic rescue to worm her way back into Rosewood Manor.
Anastasia snapped back to the present as Logan finished his report. “They say they have Alice. If Mr. Lancaster doesn’t show up at the appointed time tonight, they’ll kill her.”