Chapter 621
Seeing Harrison descend the stairs, Anastasia felt a smile instinctively touch her lips. All the anger and tension of being cornered by Lauren seemed to melt away.
“Mr. Lancaster, are you really going to protect a murderer?!” Lauren’s sharp voice cut through the silence, her question dripping with accusation.
Her plan for the day had seemed foolproof, but Harrison’s intervention changed everything. Now, she wasn’t so sure. Everyone knew the Lancasters wielded unrivaled influence, and everyone knew how much Harrison cared for Anastasia. She had to force his hand, even at the risk of offending him. If he had any regard for his reputation, he couldn’t possibly defend Anastasia after such a public accusation.
“And what if I am?”
Harrison’s voice was calm, almost devoid of inflection, yet it carried an undeniable weight of absolute power.
The calculating look on Lauren’s face froze, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Anastasia’s heart soared. She hurried to Harrison’s side, looping her arm through his. “What are you doing down here?” she whispered.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, the corner of his mouth ticking up in a faint, almost imperceptible smile. “Just came to watch the show. Don’t let me interrupt. You carry on.”
Their voices were too low for anyone else to hear, leading Lauren to the
immediate and incorrect conclusion that Anastasia was desperately pleading for
his help.
“Anastasia!” Lauren cried out, her voice ringing with self-righteous condemnation. “It seems we’ve all been mistaken about you! Poisoning your own grandfather and now trying to use the Lancaster name to escape justice! What right do you have to be the heir to Health Virtuoso? What right do you have to all the praise you’ve received?!”
The warmth in Anastasia’s expression vanished, replaced by a humorless smile. “The way you say it with such conviction, you’d think I was actually guilty.”
“I saw you poison him with my own eyes! The evidence is irrefutable. Are you still going to deny it?!”
Anastasia gave her a strange look. Just as everyone assumed she was trapped with nothing left to say, her voice rang out, clear and calm.
“Grandfather, you can wake up now. Any longer and I’m about to be branded a murderer.”
The words stunned the entire room into silence.
Before anyone could process what she’d said, Mr. Brennan, who had
been limp in Murray’s arms, opened eyes
hisp
and smoothly stood up on
his own.
“He’s awake! How? I thought he was poisoned and unconscious!” the guests
murmured, their faces a mixture of shock and confusion.
Lauren’s face went deathly pale. “Grandfather, how could you-!”
“How could not be poisoned, you mean?” Anastasia’s smile was icy. “A pity, isn’t it? My grandfather is perfectly fine which means won’t be playing the part of a murderer today. Sorry to disappoint you.”
Lauren’s hand clenched, her knuckles white as she gripped the fabric of her
dress. She frantically tried to figure out what had gone wrong.
But of course, it had been wrong from the very beginning.
Anastasia thought back to her past life. Her grandfather’s sudden
decline had never seemed like a
natural illness; it had felt like foumet Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by
play. Remembering that, she had been on guard this time. The announcement of the new heir was a momentous occasion, and it was completely out of character for Lauren to accept defeat so quietly Her silence leading up to the party had been a blaring red flag.
So, Anastasia had set a trap. If Lauren dared to make a move today, she would show no mercy.
And just as she’d predicted, Lauren had sent Penny to infiltrate the party before it even began.