Chapter 957
The hard lines of the man’s face immediately softened, a look of deep satisfaction
and pleasure in his eyes.
As always, his Ana put him first.
He pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “I’m not that petty,” he murmured.
Anastasia felt a wave of relief wash over her. “Then p>
“Since you care about this friend, it’s only natural that I accept him as well,” he explained.
Anastasia was filled with a mix of gratitude and guilt, but before she could speak, Harrison anticipated her thoughts. He gently stroked her hair. “You don’t need to feel guilty. I don’t care about his identity. Whether he’s an illegitimate son or the son Susan had with her ex-husband, it makes no difference to me p>
It was just as Anastasia had sensed before; he’d never truly seen Carter. Now, he was finally acknowledging the boy, but only because Anastasia had acknowledged him as a friend.
And since his Ana treasured this friendship, he would never do anything to make things difficult or awkward for her.
Accepting Carter was a small matter for him. From what he’d seen so far, the boy seemed decent enough. He just hoped the young man wouldn’t let his Ana down in the future.
With Harrison’s explicit approval, Carter’s status within the Lancaster estate shifted overnight. By the next day, even the servants spoke to the young man with a newfound attentiveness and respect.
Harrison had mentioned his intentions to Marina beforehand, and she had expressed a similar sentiment. She felt nothing in particular for Carter; she didn’t dislike the boy, but given that his mother was Susan, it was impossible for her to feel any real warmth or affection for him. Still, she had no objections.
Now that she and Ryan were divorced, she was technically no longer part of the Lancaster family. However, her bond with Lady Lancaster, forged over years as a daughter-in-law, was as strong as that of a mother and daughter. With her beloved son and daughter-in-law also here, she still visited often.
This day, hearing that Lady Lancaster was feeling unwell, she made time in her schedule to visit.
Lost in thought, she hurried through the entrance without looking and collided with someone coming out.
The person’s reflexes were quick; they steadied her instantly, preventing Marina, who was wearing four-inch heels, from taking a nasty fall.
“Thank you Marina said, looking up, and her expression faltered for a second. It was Carter.
Carter helped her regain her balance and then took a respectful step back. “Are you alright p>
He wasn’t sure what to call her, so he stood there a bit awkwardly.
It only took a moment for Marina to compose herself. She offered a
fine Thank you for
small smile in fine
catching me. How is Lady
Lancaster p>
“It’s nothing serious. Anastasia said it’s a recurring issue. She gave her an acupuncture treatment, and she’s feeling much better now p>
Marina felt a sense of relief. “That’s good. I’ll go in and see her p>
She started walking, her elegant stride having a hurried quality to it.
Her assistant hurried to catch up. As they walked away, Carter faintly overheard the assistant’s anxious, indignant voice. “We still haven’t found anything. There’s no hard
evidence, but it has to be that
woman’s doing! Everyone in the
industry knows she pulls these kinds
of stunts p>
Marina raised a hand, cutting her off. “Let’s not talk about that right now. I’m here to see my mother-in-law p>
“But the situation is getting urgent. They called and said they can’t hold things off much longer p>
The voices faded as they moved away.
Carter stood there for a moment before pulling out his phone to call Anastasia. “Ms. Lawson is here p>
Anastasia had just finished checking
on Lady Lancaster when she was called over by Bruno to the Austin’s
estate. Harrison was also outon business.