"You!"
Anastasia let out a mocking laugh. “What, cat got your tongue? Your queen’s already left—aren’t you going to run after her?”
Penelope’s face turned red, then white. She always told people she and Shirley were friends, but anyone with eyes could see she was just Shirley’s sidekick. Was Anastasia seriously calling her someone’s lapdog?
She used to be the darling of the Sterling family, the campus goddess back at Kingsbridge University. Now, she’d been reduced to following in someone else’s shadow. With everyone staring, Penelope’s mind went blank. She rushed off, practically fleeing in embarrassment.
Watching Penelope’s awkward retreat, Maggie and the others couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
But as the excitement faded, Juliet’s worry took over. “Anastasia, how could you agree to that bet? They’re just trying to trap you! Penelope grew up with you—she knows you never studied medicine!”
“What?” Maggie and the girls gasped in shock.
Earlier, they didn’t want Anastasia to take the bet—they were sure it was a setup and told her not to fall for it. But once she agreed, they tried to reassure themselves: at least Anastasia was a famous doctor’s daughter, maybe she’d have a chance.
But now Juliet was saying Anastasia didn’t know medicine at all!
“Anastasia, is that true?!” Sandra and the others looked stricken.
Juliet, desperate, blurted out, “Cousin, why don’t you tell them I’ll do it instead? Shirley didn’t compete herself, she sent Penelope—so you could send me!”
Everyone was anxious, but Anastasia remained utterly calm.
She said, “If I dared to agree, it means I have my reasons. You don’t need to worry so much.”
They wanted to keep persuading her, but seeing how composed she was, somehow their panic faded.
That’s right—Anastasia was never one to lose her head or act on impulse. If she agreed, she must have a plan.
—He’d once tried to play the doting father, ever since he realized Harrison cared about Anastasia. Gabriel had hoped to use her to curry favor with Harrison.
But Anastasia was never going to let him get away with that. After she’d witnessed him trying to cozy up to Harrison for benefits, she’d wasted no time letting Harrison know exactly how she felt about her so-called father.
From that point on, Gabriel found himself locked out of Rosewood Manor and the apartment—forget about getting any perks.
He’d even tried using Harrison’s name around town, but when word got back to Harrison, the warning was swift and brutal.
It didn’t take long for Gabriel to realize: Harrison Lancaster wasn’t going to be his meal ticket after all.
Naturally, after that, he stopped pretending to be nice to Anastasia.
But Anastasia couldn’t care less. She stared him down, voice cold and direct. “Don’t play dumb. My mother’s bracelet—did you give it away?”
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