"My heart has always had room for only one person-you. I just... I was too dense to realize it before."

Aaron gazed at Anastasia, his eyes brimming with emotion. He'd never really paid attention to her before, but now, looking at her astonishingly beautiful face, he felt his heart pounding faster.

He realized he wasn't lying to himself. Somewhere along the way, he'd truly fallen for her.

"Anastasia, I'm sorry for everything in the past. Please, forgive me. Let's start over, can we?"

"My mom-she's changed her mind. She doesn't care about your background anymore. She's willing to accept you, as long as you're willing to "

"Aaron!" Anastasia suddenly cut him off, her voice sharp.

She stared at him, equal parts incredulous and mocking. "Where on earth do you get the nerve to say these things to me?"

She was genuinely appalled. How could Aaron possibly say something so absurd with a straight face?

And claiming his mother 'didn't mind her background' anymore, as if she were bestowing some kind of favor-just hearing it made Anastasia want to gag.

"Let me remind you: your mother used to look down on me because of my family? She never had the right, and she certainly doesn't now."

"Back then, your father was nothing but the illegitimate son of the Lancaster family, and she was just the wife of an illegitimate son. What made her think she could look down her nose at me and my perfectly respectable family?"

"And now? Now that your whole family has been completely cast out by Mr. Harrison Lancaster, you're even less than you were before! Of course she can't look down on me-she couldn't even dream of it."

"And as for me marrying into Rosewood Manor, I'd say that's hardly a secret. If I'm not mistaken, she'd have to bow her head respectfully just to see me, wouldn't she? She's not even qualified to step through my front door."

"So really, where does she get the audacity to 'not mind' my background? Anyone listening to you would think your father was king and she was the queen!"

Anastasia's ridicule hit Aaron like a bucket of ice water.

His face went chalk white, every muscle tense with shock and humiliation.

He never dreamed that the sweet, naive girl he once knew could speak with such biting clarity. He glared at her, part furious, part stunned. "Anastasia! You-"

"What about me? Which word did I get wrong?" Anastasia sneered. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay far away from me. Don't come crawling back to disgust me again. Or I won't be so polite next time."

She looked him up and down, this handsome man who now walked with a limp, her eyes cold and unfeeling.

In their past life, how high and mighty had he been?

He took every asset from Harrison, let Penelope steal every bit of glory that should have belonged to Anastasia, and the two of them paraded around behind her back, claiming their love was true and pure.

But now, the once-glorious man was a cripple, standing humbly before her, bad- mouthing Penelope and blaming it all on her seduction.

She wondered, with a hint of cruel amusement, how Penelope would feel if she heard him now.

Just then, someone approached—Logan.

“Ma'am, Mr. Harrison Lancaster is asking for you. It's time to go home."

Anastasia followed his gaze and saw a familiar car parked in the shade of the trees not far away.

-Harrison!

Her eyes lit up, love shining in their depths. Without a backward glance, she ran toward him.

Aaron, left behind, stared at the car. His face blanched, panic filling his eyes.

Mr. Harrison Lancaster...?

When had he arrived?!