Chapter 400

With the situation with Penelope settled, Anastasia’s attention shifted to the Brennan family.
She’d originally planned to wait a while before calling on them, but fate had other plans. The meeting came much sooner—and far more unexpectedly than she’d anticipated.
Since that was the case, she had no choice but to bring her visit forward.
She was just considering the right opportunity when, suddenly, she heard the news: Mr. Brennan was ill.
“Grandpa’s sick?” The words had barely left Logan’s mouth before Anastasia shot to her feet, her worry impossible to hide.
In her previous life, her grandfather’s health had always been poor, and in the end he’d passed away quite suddenly. Hearing this now, how could she not be anxious?
“I have to go see the Brennans!” she decided at once.
But this would be her first visit to her grandparents since her return to this life, and nerves fluttered in her stomach. She needed to prepare.
“It’s only proper to bring a gift when you visit. I’ll have Logan arrange something for you, so there’s no need to rush,” Harrison said gently, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Anastasia shook her head. “No, I want to do it myself.”
These gifts were for her grandparents-she wanted to choose them with her own care and attention. It would feel too perfunctory to leave it to Logan.
Harrison’s gaze softened. “Alright, you can prepare them yourself. But Logan can still help you if you need anything. Just let him know what to look for.”
Anastasia blinked up at him. “Can’t my husband help me instead?”
Her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief, a little selfish wish tucked beneath her words.
If he helped her, it would be as though both of them-husband and wife-were presenting the gifts together. She longed for her grandparents to accept him, even though she knew it was a little too much to hope for right now. They barely even acknowledged her existence, after all.
But a little cleverness couldn’t hurt.
Harrison paused, then realized what she meant and smiled. “Alright.”
Anastasia grinned.
She took her time, recalling her grandparents’ preferences, carefully selecting each gift over the better part of a day. In the end, she settled on the perfect choices. The most update n0vels are published on
One of the gifts for her grandfather was a rare hundred-year-old ginseng root-a treasure Harrison had managed to procure. Without him, she never would have found something so precious.
When everything was ready, it was time to visit the Brennans.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Harrison asked.
Anastasia thought for a moment, then shook her head and hugged him. “Let me
go alone this time. I’ll bring you to meet them another day.”
Harrison nodded. “Alright. Go ahead.”
With her car packed full of carefully chosen gifts, Anastasia pulled up outside the Brennan family home.
She paused at the gate, taking a steadying breath before walking up to the door and ringing the bell.
As luck would have it, the housekeeper who answered was Penny-Lauren’s so- called aunt.
Lauren had been an orphan before the Brennans took her in. She’d become Ms. Brennan, and only then did this “aunt” miraculously appear. Once she’d reconnected with Lauren, Penny had simply moved into the house and never left. Penny recognized Anastasia at once-and made no effort to hide her dislike.
She stood in the doorway, glaring. “What are you doing here?” Anastasia’s tone was cool. “This is the Brennan family home. Do I need your permission to visit? I’m here to see my grandfather. Now let me in.”
Penny blocked the doorway, her expression hostile. “The Brennans don’t recognize you anymore. Ms. Brennan’s daughter is Lauren now. You’d better leave!”
Anastasia had come here worried about her grandfather’s health and didn’t want to cause a scene, but Penny just wouldn’t quit.
Her eyes turned icy. “And who do you think you are? Who is Lauren, for that matter? Do you really think you’re one of the Brennans?”