Chapter 64

the Sterling family
The moment Anastasia stepped through the front door, a furious shout rang out-
“How dare you come back?!”
Gabriel stood there, eyes blazing with anger. Anastasia’s expression didn’t even flinch. “Aren’t you the one who told me to come home?”
“Oh, so you’re talking back now? Do you even realize what you did to Penelope?”
Penelope had just returned from the hospital and was now lying pale and fragile on the living room sofa. Nora sat beside her, dabbing her forehead with a damp towel, her face etched with worry.
When Nora caught sight of Anastasia, her eyes rimmed with red, disappointment written all over her face. “Anastasia! I have never treated you differently—not once. I’ve always loved you like my own daughter. Is this how you repay me? How could you be so cruel to Penelope?”
Anastasia met her gaze, voice steady. “And what exactly did I do to her?”
Gabriel’s anger boiled over. “You left your sister in the water for hours! She’s come down with a fever because of you! And you still won’t admit it?”
Penelope let out a frail sob, tears welling up as she spoke, “Anastasia, I know you did it on purpose! I just don’t understand… What did I ever do to you to make you hate me so much?”
Seeing Penelope in that state only made Gabriel more furious. He snatched a glass from the coffee table and hurled it at Anastasia’s feet. The glass shattered, spraying shards across the floor.
Pointing toward the broken glass, Gabriel barked, “Get on your knees! You’re not getting up until you properly apologize to Penelope and earn her forgiveness!”
Anastasia stepped back from the shards that nearly grazed her legs. Her eyes grew cold.
She shot her father a mocking look. “So a little swim and a fever are enough to make you rage like this? Funny… When I was a kid and Penelope pushed me into the freezing lake—when my fever spiked to a hundred and four-you didn’t seem half this upset.”
“If I remember right, you didn’t even make Penelope apologize. Instead, you blamed me for getting so sick and scaring her, didn’t you?”
Thinking back on it, she could hardly believe those words had come from her own father.
“I’m your daughter, Dad. Penelope is just your stepdaughter. The way you treat us, anyone watching would think she’s your real child and I’m the adopted one.”
Gabriel’s face darkened, his guilt flashing for just a moment before he slammed his hand onto the table. “Watch your mouth! Say that again and see what happens!”
Anastasia met his glare without fear. “Did I say anything that wasn’t true?”
“You-!” Gabriel struggled for words, his face shifting from red to pale and back again. “Penelope didn’t mean to! That was an accident-this is completely different!”
“Oh, so when she does something, it’s always unintentional, but if I do it, I’m the villain?” Anastasia let out a bitter laugh, then turned her gaze to Penelope. “Honestly, I thought you’d at least have the decency to apologize to me today, Penelope. But it seems you’re not even going to mention it.” Thıs text ıs hosted at.net
Penelope’s face went blank, as if she’d misheard. Apologize? Shouldn’t Anastasia be the one apologizing to her?
“Don’t you think you should?” Anastasia crossed her arms, a cold smile on her lips. “Back when Lady Lancaster from the Lancaster family accused me of being uncultured-said I must have grown up without a mother, that I had no manners- what did you do as my sister? I thought you’d stand up for me. Instead, you apologized on my behalf, making it sound like her insults were true.”
She tilted her head, her tone cutting. “Should I really be asking what your motives were, Penelope?”
“Why do you think Logan-Mr. Lancaster’s assistant-threw you into the water in the first place? Wasn’t it because your own actions made him think you were one of the people picking on me? I mean, who would ever imagine my own sister would side with strangers calling me names? Isn’t that right?”