Chapter 576

Logan moved to her side. “Ma’am,” he said, his voice just loud enough for those nearby to hear. “Ms. Brennan is a person of interest in today’s incident. For the sake of her reputation, Mr. Lancaster has requested she stay to cooperate with the investigation.”
“Logically, if Ms. Brennan were innocent, she should welcome the chance to clear her name.”
“However, she seems quite reluctant and is insisting on leaving. She has even suggested that this entire event was orchestrated by you, ma’am, as a way to frame her.”
As soon as he finished, the onlookers who had been confused began to look at Lauren differently. If she was innocent, what was the harm in staying to cooperate? Why insist on leaving? Was it guilt, or fear? And to baselessly accuse Anastasia of setting the whole thing up… was this the same gracious, widely admired genius Lauren they all knew?
Feeling the weight of their suspicious glares, Lauren could have bitten through her own lip. Anastasia was bad enough, but her lackeys were just as venomous.
She squeezed her palm and looked at Anastasia, her gaze heavy. “Anastasia, Erin spoke out of anger when she accused you. I hope you won’t hold it against her. But I have to ask, of all the people in this room, why am I the only one you’re detaining?”
“I know you have issues with me because of many things, but you can’t slander and humiliate me like this!”
Lauren’s words were a veiled suggestion, leading people to believe that Anastasia was targeting her out of a personal vendetta, trying to pin the day’s events on her.
But Anastasia just laughed. “Many things? Are you referring to the fact that you, an adopted daughter, have been parading around with the title ‘Cecilia’s daughter,’ tricking people into thinking you were my mother’s biological child to gain advantages?”
“Or are you talking about how you, an adopted daughter, not only stole my position as heir but also tried to get your hands on the inheritance my mother left for me?”
“Or perhaps you mean the time you grew jealous of my acceptance into the Global Harmony Medical Institute and conspired with your professor, Mr. Evert, to have me expelled?”
Anastasia’s voice was calm and clear, but each word she spoke landed like a bombshell, leaving the entire audience in stunned silence.
“What? Lauren isn’t Cecilia’s biological daughter?”
Lauren’s face went deathly white. The moment Anastasia started speaking, she knew she had misspoken out of desperation. But it was too late to stop her. The stares from the crowd felt like ice, and a chiff spread through her veins.
“Lauren, is what Anastasia said true?!” an industry titan demanded, his brow furrowed. He had been a great admirer of Lauren and had offered her considerable help and guidance, believing her to be Cecilia’s daughter.
And now he was being told that Anastasia was the true daughter, and Lauren was just an adopted stand-in?
They had been confused when
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Anastasia first appeared as the Chairwoman of Unison Pharma. Wasn’t that Cecilia’s company Shouldn’t Lauren be in charge? NoW, it all made sense. Anastasia was the rightful heir they should have been supporting all along.
The irony was staggering. Lauren had flourished under the protection of Cecilia’s legacy, while Anastasia the biological daughter, had to fight her way into the industry on her own merits. Even though they hadjust witnessed Anastasia’s undeniable talent proof that she didn’t need her mother’s name to succeed the thought of how many benefits Lauren had reaped from Cecilia’s connections and reputation left a sour taste in their mouths.
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