Chapter 48

Lady just chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. “How is that talking back? I’m delighted Harrison finally has someone who brings a little life into this house!”
Alice faltered. “But she’s so arrogant
Lady smiled, her tone gentle but tinged with unmistakable pride. “And what of it? She’s Harrison’s wife, the new Mrs. Lancaster. Not just in Fairhaven-when they return to Riverton, even there, if she wants to be bold, others will just have to accept it.”
Alice fell silent, jealousy and bitterness twisting inside her. She knew Lady was right.
Anastasia had come out to see Lady off, hoping to exchange a few words, and happened to overhear the conversation. Catching a glimpse of Alice’s sour expression, she nearly laughed out loud, suppressing it with a subtle curl of her lips.
All those little schemes-what good were they? In the end, what isn’t yours will never be yours.
Ambition was one thing, but if you didn’t have the ability to match it, all that desperate scrambling only made you look like a fool.
Alice, glancing back by chance, spotted Anastasia and her face fell instantly.
Anastasia smiled at her, the expression not reaching her eyes, and called out, bright and clear, “Grandma!”
Lady turned, her voice noticeably warmer than it had been moments ago. “What are you doing out here?”
Anastasia held up a small paper bag. “Mr. Lancaster isn’t feeling well, so he asked me to come out and see you off.”
She handed the bag over. “I heard your knees have been troubling you. This is a remedy from an elder in my family. If you soak your feet with it each night, it should help a little.”
The truth was, Anastasia had mixed the herbs herself, thinking of Lady’s knee pain a few days earlier. But if she admitted as much, Lady probably wouldn’t trust it—she’d just let it sit unused. So she vaguely attributed it to a family elder. After all, everyone knew her mother was a renowned doctor; it wasn’t a stretch to claim she had a relative skilled in medicine.
Lady looked pleasantly surprised, but still accepted the package, her voice gentle. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”
Anastasia watched Lady leave, then turned to find Alice gone. She didn’t care, and started back inside-until a faint quarrel caught her ear.
She paused, tilting her head, then quietly approached the source of the voices. Google seaʀᴄh.net
Under a lush wall of bougainvillea, she spotted May and Alice arguing in hushed tones.
May’s voice was low and trembling. They told me if I don’t pay up, I’ll go to jail! Alice, don’t think I’m stupid. You knew exactly what you were doing when you talked to me yesterday! If you hadn’t provoked me, do you really think I would’ve done something so reckless?”
“And those flowers-you’re the one who asked me to steal them for you!”
“Alice, be reasonable. You smashed the jade figurine on purpose and tried to pin it on Anastasia. That was all you. What does any of this have to do with me?”
“So you’re really not giving me the money? Then don’t blame me for going to Mr. Lancaster! What do you think he’ll say—will he believe you had nothing to do with it?”
“You-!”
Before Alice could reply, she caught sight of Anastasia.
Anastasia stood behind a curtain of vines, arms crossed, posture relaxed, and who knew how long she’d been listening?
Alice’s face drained of color.
Anastasia smiled coldly. She’d suspected all along that Alice was behind this.
Her gaze swept over them both, but she didn’t bother with further explanation. She simply said to Alice, “I’ve recorded everything you two just said. I hope you’ll behave yourself from now on, or I won’t hesitate to hand the recording to Mr. Lancaster.”
With that, she turned and walked away, light as a feather.
May called after Alice, “Alice, you owe at least forty thousand of that fifty. If you don’t pay up, I’ll go straight to Mr. Lancaster too!”
Alice looked absolutely stricken.
Anastasia strolled off, hands empty-she hadn’t even brought her phone outside. A recording? Of course not. She’d just wanted to give Alice a little scare.