Turning her head, she hugged Harrison's arm, her voice soft. "Hubby, what brought you here?"

"If I hadn't come, you would have been bullied." He squeezed her hand, his expression turning grim again at the thought of the reckless Lennon.

Anastasia snorted in disdain. “As if that loser could ever bully me."

If Harrison had shown up even a second later, Lennon's head would have met the wine bottle in her hand.

Suddenly, she remembered Gwen behind her. She turned to see Gwen looking disheveled, her hair and clothes soaked through. She seemed to be in a daze, perhaps from the cold, while the girl who had guided her stood nearby.

After a pause, she said, "Hubby, I'm going to take my friend to get changed."

Harrison glanced over his shoulder and then stroked her hair. "Go ahead."

Marcus instructed the manager to lead them to a changing room and to bring them a fresh set of clothes.

Anastasia said her thanks and left with Gwen and the other girl.

“Anastasia, was that... was that your Hubby just now?"

Gwen asked, still in a state of shock.

Anastasia smiled, a sweetness she couldn't hide in her eyes. “Yes,” she said frankly. “We haven't had the wedding yet, which is why I haven't told you.”

Gwen glanced back, still reeling from the shock.

Who was Anastasia's husband? Monica's boyfriend was a Lancaster, yet this man had beaten him without a second thought. And Lennon had been utterly terrified of him!

After Anastasia led them to change their clothes, she asked, "What happened back there?"

Gwen's smile became strained as she recounted the humiliating incident. It turned out that Monica had never really liked Gwen and had alway@treated her like a joke, even when Gwen followed her around.

After Anastas

had offended her.

Monica couldn't retaliate against

Anastasia, so she took her anger out

on Gwen.

Someone like Lennon would naturally associate with unsavory characters Seeing that Gwen was attractive, the so-called Mr. Jones and MD Brown had started getting handsy. When Gwen resisted they had punished her by forcing her to drink.

And Monica, out of a desire for revenge and to curry favor with those men, had not only allowed it but had watched it like it was entertainment.

Gwen looked terrified, unable to imagine what would have happened if Anastasia hadn't shown up.

Anastasia frowned and said directly, "You should stop hanging around people like Monica."

Gwen gave a bitter smile. “I don't want to, but my family needs her family's help. I don't have a choice..."

Anastasia thought for a moment. "What does your family do?"

Ultimately, Gwen had been dragged into this because of her, so she felt she should offer some compensation.

Gwen immediately thought of the man who had made even Lennon Lancaster cower. Her eyes lit up for a moment, but she hesitated instead of accepting. "Won't that be too much trouble for you...?"

She knew the Sterlings' situation. Anastasia's husband was clearly from a powerful family, and with such a large gap in their social status Anastasia probably had a

difficult time in her husband's home.

Anastasia had no idea what she was imagining. She simply said, “It's fine. Just tell me about it, and I'll ask when I get back. If I can help, I will. I won't force it if I can't.”

Only then did Gwen feel reassured and explained her family's situation.

Half an hour later, Anastasia returned upstairs to find that only Harrison, Barnett, and Tyrone were left in the room.