Revenge is My Love Language novel Chapter 496

“Really, Anastasia? What do you think this is—a joke? We’ve spent months preparing for this annual gala, and you’re just going to ruin it for everyone?!”

Anastasia gave a cold, scornful laugh, tilting her chin up. “And who do you think you’re calling ‘Mom’? My mother had only one daughter—me. Did she ever acknowledge you?”

The staff in the audience sat frozen in shock.

Wait—what did she mean by ‘only one daughter’? Did that mean Lauren wasn’t Cecilia’s daughter at all? But hadn’t Lauren always presented herself as Cecilia’s daughter?

Lauren could feel the room’s mood shift. Her fingernails dug sharply into her palm.

She’d known Anastasia was coming for her today, and that this confrontation would be brutal. But she hadn’t expected Anastasia to be so ruthless, leaving her not a shred of dignity.

Trying to keep her composure, Lauren let out a cold, brittle laugh. “An adopted daughter is still a daughter. I’m grateful Cecilia gave me a home. What’s so wrong about calling her Mom?”

“And as for acknowledgement—even though I never got to hear her answer me, and I regret that, I have my grandparents, Uncle Murray, and Aunt Grace. They all accept me. That’s enough.”

“And don’t forget—Grandpa chose me to be Mom’s successor. I promise I’ll carry on her medical legacy and make sure the world knows what a Health Virtuoso she was. I know, wherever she is, she’d be proud to call me her daughter.”

She made sure to mention the Brennan family’s support, made sure everyone knew she was Cecilia’s chosen heir. She wanted to show everyone: being adopted didn’t make her less than Anastasia—her status and worth were just as high.

The exchange was loaded with implications; it was almost too much for the staff to process. The entire room seemed stunned into silence.

She finished with a sneer: “Lauren, you never fail to amaze me. I’ve lived almost twenty years, and I’ve never seen anyone as shameless as you.”

Lauren glared at Anastasia, her face flaming with a mix of humiliation and fury.

She’d always prided herself on composure, but in an argument, she wasn’t even a match for a tenth of Anastasia’s aggression. Now, those biting words had nearly shattered her icy, dignified persona.

Still reeling, Lauren’s gaze swept over the audience—and her heart sank.

The employees weren’t fools. Anyone with half a brain could put the pieces together by now. And as she looked into their faces, she saw it: their expressions had shifted, their eyes now filled with something she’d never seen before. Doubt.