In a shadowed corner, Lauren's palms were slick with sweat. She stared at the stage, her heart pounding in her chest.

On stage, Mr. Brennan paused, his gaze falling on his granddaughter with a rare, gentle smile gracing his stern features.

"Therefore, today, I have decided that the position of heir..."

He never finished the sentence.

Before the shocked eyes of his guests, he suddenly clutched his chest. His face turned a deep red, and a strange, choked sound escaped his throat. He looked as if he couldn't breathe, and then he collapsed.

"Ah!"

A scream pierced the air from a guest standing near the stage. People surged forward, trying to help.

"Grandfather!" Anastasia and the other Brennans cried out, their faces paling as they rushed toward the stage.

"Someone call an ambulance!"

In the crowd, Lauren let out a shaky breath, a triumphant, almost manic smile spreading across her face. *So, you want to change the heir? Steal what's mine? We'll see about that.*

Chaos erupted on the stage. As a family of doctors, the Brennans, with Anastasia at the forefront, were about to administer first aid. But someone else pushed through the crowd, getting there first.

It was Otto Evert, the vice president of the Global Harmony Medical Institute.

He quickly performed emergency procedures, stabilizing the old man's condition. Then, he took his pulse, and his expression turned grim.

"Mr. Brennan has been poisoned!" he declared.

"Poisoned?!"

The guests gasped. Who would do such a thing? From the looks of it, whoever it was had intended to kill him.

"Yes, it's poison," Otto confirmed. "Based on the timing, it was likely administered last night. What did he eat yesterday evening?"

The Brennans frantically searched their memories. Suddenly, a maid blurted out, "Oh! I remember now! Last night Ms Ms Sterling personally

made a nourishing soup for the master...!"

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Every head swiveled to look at the maid, who immediately covered her mouth as if

she'd misspoken, her face white with fear as she glanced at Anastasia.

It was true. Anastasia had visited the Brennans last night and had made her grandfather a special soup.

The maid looked horrified. "Last night, besides the soup, the master only had dinner, but everyone ate the same thing, so that should be fine. That means the problem must have been the soup... Ms. Sterling know ther master wasn't always kind to you in the past, but that was your own fault."

"He was trying to make it up to you, even giving you the position of heir," she cried, her voice rising with accusation. "How could you do something so wicked?!"

In just a few words, she had squarely placed the blame on Anastasia.

The surrounding guests stared at Anastasia in shock.

The Brennans' expressions changed, but they refused to believe the maid. Murray immediately rebuked her. "How dare you make such baseless accusations?!"

Juliet was equally furious. "We know what kind of person Anastasia is! Why would she harm Grandpa? What would she possibly gain from it? Stop spewing nonsense!"

Benson's face was a mask of cold fury. His eyes locked onto the maid. "Who put you up to this? Someone call the police and hand her over to them! I suspect she's been bribed!"