Chapter 310

Gabriel’s voice wavered with a hint of guilt, but his anger flared stronger. He turned the blame on Anastasia, snapping, “So what if I gave it to her? Did you ever stop to think why I would? If you hadn’t deliberately refused to let Mr. Harrison Lancaster help me, would I have needed to use your mother’s things to curry favor with others?”
Anastasia shot back instantly, her tone sharp. “And why should Mr. Harrison Lancaster help you? Did you forget how you’ve treated me all these years? Not once did you see me as your daughter. All you ever cared about was Nora and her daughter. But now you want to use me to get on Mr. Lancaster’s good side? Keep dreaming!”
“You—!” Gabriel’s face turned an ugly shade as he jabbed a finger at her, nearly trembling with rage.
But when it came to Nora and her daughter, guilt gnawed at him. He was convinced Anastasia still didn’t know the truth-that Penelope and her sister were his illegitimate children-so he dared not say more. Instead, he barked, “The bracelet was a gift for Penelope. She said it could help us get close to the Riverton family. You’d better not mess things up for her!”
Get close to the Riverton family? Anastasia snorted. As if Penelope could do that, running around as someone’s lackey.
She couldn’t even bother arguing. She reminded herself of why she’d come today.
“Everything my mother left behind-I want it back. All of it.”
Gabriel’s expression shifted. He opened his mouth, but Anastasia cut him off. “Don’t give me that lovesick act. It makes me sick. You spent every day with Nora, and now you’re pawning off my mother’s keepsakes to win favors. I honestly don’t know how you have the nerve to act heartbroken.”
“The only person who can access what my mother left in the bank is you. I’m giving you one day to withdraw it all and return it to me. If you don’t, don’t blame me for getting Mr. Harrison Lancaster involved.”
Her words were cold and biting. She spun around and marched out.
Gabriel was shaking with fury. “Ungrateful brat! If I’d known you’d turn out like this,
I should’ve strangled you in your crib!”
At the doorway, Anastasia’s steps faltered for a split second.
But she kept walking, never looking back as she left the Sterling house.
Strangle her? Of course he’d say something like that. She wasn’t even surprised anymore.
And yet, even after all these years after she’d given up hope of having any real father-those words still hurt.
By the time she made it back to her apartment, her spirits were at an all-time low.
“You’re home?” Harrison had been waiting for her. The moment he saw her, he caught the shadow in her eyes. His expression darkened, and he pulled her gently into his arms. “Who upset you?”
Anastasia mustered a small smile. “No one upset me.” The most update n0vels are published on ⓝovelFind.net
He didn’t buy it. His voice grew soft but firm as he pinched her cheek. “Tell me the truth.”
“It’s nothing, really.” She buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled. “I just get jealous sometimes. Other people have moms and dads.”
Not like her. She’d lost her mother as a child, and her father might as well have never existed—he certainly never acted like one.
It wasn’t that Gabriel didn’t know how to be a father. He just saved all his kindness and affection for Nora’s daughter, never sparing a drop for Anastasia.
Harrison felt his heart twist at her tone, so lost and lonely.
He stroked her hair gently. “Isn’t it enough that you have me, Ana?”
Anastasia looked up and, to his surprise, smiled. “You know, people always say girls who like older men are probably missing a father figure in their lives. Maybe they have a point-how else do you explain how much I adore you?”
Harrison nearly dropped her at those words.
His face changed in an instant. “Who’s old, exactly?”
Sensing the danger in his voice, Anastasia’s heart skipped a beat. She realized, a second too late, what she’d just said. Her cheeks flushed with guilty color, and she tried to wriggle free and make a run for it.