Chapter 149

“Anastasia?” Helen stared at her in disbelief.
How could someone change so much in just one summer? Hadn’t they always been best friends? Usually, whenever they met, Anastasia would greet her with warmth and excitement. But today, she seemed so distant.
Helen felt a stab of annoyance.
Anastasia clearly had no interest in chatting; she turned away, giving brisk instructions to the bodyguards to put her luggage away, then headed back downstairs with her entourage.
Harrison was still waiting in the car. Anastasia slipped into the back seat, wanting to savor a few more moments with him. But he seemed busy-within minutes, his phone buzzed with several calls.
After watching him ignore the third call, Anastasia, not wanting to hold him up, leaned in and said gently, “Honey, I’ll head up now. Go on home, okay? I’ll be back for the weekend!”
She hugged him, then stepped out of the car, waving at him with a bright smile before heading inside.
As the car pulled away, Harrison watched her slender, graceful figure through the window. “She asked?” he said quietly.
Logan, his assistant, knew exactly what he meant. “She did.”
Catching the look on Harrison’s face in the rearview mirror, Logan hurried to add, “But Mrs. Lancaster isn’t interested in Mr. Lancaster-she’s just curious. She said that compared to you, Mr. Lancaster is a total loser. Honestly, she wouldn’t look at him twice, even if you paid her.”
For a moment, the air inside the car grew heavy. Then, just as suddenly, the tension vanished.
Harrison leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and looked completely at ease.
Logan let out a silent breath of relief.
Dorm room.
Anastasia pushed open the door just as Helen walked in from the balcony. Without missing a beat, Helen asked, “Anastasia, who dropped you off just now? Was that the guy who carried your bags up? Is he your boyfriend?”
Logan wasn’t Harrison’s boyfriend-he was just his assistant—but with his good looks and cool demeanor, Helen had clearly gotten the wrong idea.
Catching on to Helen’s nosy tone, Anastasia replied coolly, “Even if I told you, you wouldn’t know him. Why are you asking so many questions?”
She turned away, busying herself with unpacking.
Helen was taken aback, then blurted out, “Anastasia, why do you seem so different? It’s only been one summer.”
Her voice took on a wounded edge. “Is it because I grew up in foster care? Do you think I’m not good enough to be friends with someone like you?”
In the past, whenever Helen said things like this, Anastasia would immediately apologize, terrified of losing her only friend. Right or wrong, she’d always try to make it up to her.
But this time, Anastasia didn’t even glance in her direction.
Helen watched as Anastasia went about her business, acting as if she hadn’t heard a word. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
Still, she remembered the real reason she’d come back in, and quickly swallowed her pride. “By the way, did you get the necklace for me?”
She asked as though it were a given, fully expecting Anastasia to have bought it.
Necklace?
Anastasia paused, then remembered what she meant.
Helen’s birthday had been a few days ago, but since they’d still been on break, Anastasia hadn’t been able to celebrate with her. Before the holiday, Helen had made it clear what she wanted as a gift—a necklace that cost a whopping fifty thousand dollars. She’d insisted Anastasia bring it at the start of the school year. A smirk curled at Anastasia’s lips.
Did everyone just assume she was a bottomless bank account?
Fifty thousand dollars might not mean much to her, but for someone from Helen’s background, it was a fortune. Yet Helen had asked as though it were nothing at
all. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ
Looking back, Anastasia realized she’d been giving Helen expensive gifts for years, ever since they met in high school. No wonder Helen’s appetite had grown so big.
Her eyes flashed with icy resolve. Dropping the shirt she was folding, she turned slowly toward Helen.
“You really want that necklace?”