Chapter 221

Anastasia’s phone buzzed several times in quick succession. When she glanced at the screen, she saw that every message was from Marcus.
Judging by the rapid-fire texts, he must have realized she hadn’t been making things up after all.
But she had a date with her husband right now-she didn’t have time to deal with Marcus. He could wait.
Without hesitation, Anastasia switched her phone to silent.
One hour later.
“Huh?”
She looked out the window in surprise at the enormous sign.
“A fashion exhibition?!”
Wasn’t this the place Maggie and the girls had invited her to earlier?
“Darling, why are we here?” She turned in confusion to the striking, impossibly handsome man beside her.
“To pick something up.” Harrison helped her out of the car, his hand warm and steady.
Pick something up? And he had to come himself? It must be something important, right?
Puzzled but obedient, Anastasia followed at his side.
They entered the exhibition’s private lounge, and there, she met the legendary Master Bing himself.
“Mr. Harrison Lancaster!”
To Anastasia’s astonishment, the blond, blue-eyed Master Bing strode in and bowed respectfully to Harrison.
Harrison nodded slightly, giving Anastasia’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Is the dress I requested ready?”
Master Bing glanced at Anastasia with a knowing smile before nodding. “Of course. It’s finished, sir. I’m certain Mrs. Lancaster will look stunning in it.”
They were talking about her. Anastasia’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up at Harrison, nerves and anticipation knotting in her stomach. “Darling, what dress?”
A soft, unspoken excitement fluttered through her. She couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious.
Harrison’s dark eyes softened. He reached out to ruffle her hair. “You’ll find out soon, Ana.”
Then, turning to Master Bing, he said, “Please, bring it here.”
Master Bing replied, “This dress I designed for Mrs. Lancaster may be my finest work in years. I couldn’t resist putting it on display. If you’ll wait just a moment, Mr. Lancaster, Mrs. Lancaster-I’ll have someone bring it right in.”
Meanwhile, outside-
Thanks to Master Bing’s presence, this year’s exhibition was more lavish than ever. The venue was expansive, and the bustling crowd filled every corner.
At the very center, a single dress commanded the attention of nearly everyone present.
It was an evening gown inspired by the stars—if the dazzling design wasn’t enough, the array of diamonds and gemstones that adorned it left onlookers breathless.
“I couldn’t afford even one gem on that dress
“It’s just gorgeous-I could cry!” ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ
“I heard the dresses on display are for sale if you name a price. And this one- made by Master Bing himself—I wonder who’ll end up owning it!”
“Hey, Alice, you could totally afford it, right?”
A group had gathered around the dress, including Alice and several of her classmates.
Their gazes all turned to Alice.
“That’s right, Alice. You said you loved it. Go ahead and buy it! Most people couldn’t dream of affording a gown like this, but your family is in a league of its own.”
Despite the praise, Alice’s smile was looking a little forced.
Her? Buy it? She could barely scrape together the money for a single tiny gem from the trim, let alone the whole dress…
But after so many months of careful hints and calculated silence, everyone now took it for granted that Alice was the low-key heiress of some obscenely wealthy, secretive family. Admitting she couldn’t afford it was unthinkable.