The seat was incredibly capable—these days. Anastasia tried him in the handle of her personal form of use. After getting that sorted out, Anastasia finally felt at ease. Since Cassian was still traveling for business, she hadn’t mentioned any of this to him. Plus, given Cassian’s high profile and how spontaneous their marriage had been, Anastasia didn’t want to drag him into family drama. If Sharpson found out she was married to Cassian, he’d definitely pull some shameless stunt to try and exploit the connection. She knew exactly what kind of person her father was: thick-skinned and completely without shame.
Soon enough, the weekend arrived. The Kingdry family was still considered old Manhattan money, so Patricia J. Kingsley’s 80th birthday was being thrown as a major society event. Tons of guests had shown up with expensive gifts to celebrate. Patricia was wearing an elegant burgundy cocktail dress with a stunning set of vintage diamond and pearl jewelry, looking absolutely radiant. She was sitting in the place of honor, watching the entrance expectantly.
Anastasia put on a simple but sophisticated black sheath dress and drove to the Kingsley family estate. The mansion was as impressive as ever, with luxury cars packed along the circular driveway—clearly a huge turnout. Anastasia took a deep breath, got out of her car, and walked through those familiar but now foreign wrought-iron gates. The moment she stepped inside, she spotted Sharpson and Whitney playing host and hostess. Whitney was wearing an over-the-top emerald green gown with way too much jewelry, her arm linked through Sharpson’s as she greeted guests with a beaming smile. When she saw Anastasia, her smile faltered for just a second before snapping back into place.
“Oh, Ana! You made it! Your grandmother was just asking about you,” Whitney said with fake sweetness. Perfect—the little bitch had actually shown up. Whitney had been worried Anastasia might skip it. She had some very special “surprises” planned for her today. This was too good an opportunity—it was going to destroy Anastasia’s reputation and make her suffer. Thinking about the plan she was about to execute, Whitney’s expression turned sinister for a moment.
Anastasia just nodded coolly without saying much. She walked straight over to Patricia. “Hi Grandma, happy birthday,” Anastasia said warmly. Patricia’s face immediately lit up with genuine joy. “Ana, sweetheart! Come here and let me look at you.” Anastasia walked over, and the old woman eagerly took her hands, her eyes full of affection. “You look thin, honey. Have you been working too hard?” Anastasia shook her head reassuringly. “No, Grandma, I’m doing really well. Don’t worry about me.” They started chatting warmly.
Watching this, Whitney felt her blood boil with jealousy. Damn it, the old woman had always played favorites with Anastasia. Ever since Whitney had married into the family, the old bat had treated her and Valeria like they were beneath her. But whatever—she’d take her time. She’d get rid of them one by one, and eventually, everything the Kingdry family owned would be hers.
Just then, Valeria walked in wearing a bright pink designer gown with Jasper looking sharp in his navy suit. Since it was Patricia’s birthday, Valeria had seized the opportunity to bring Jasper home and show him off. She wanted everyone to see how well she’d done for herself, landing such an impressive boyfriend. Meanwhile, Anastasia had nothing to show for herself after leaving Jasper. The moment Valeria entered, she spotted Anastasia too. She smirked slightly. That Anastasia still looked so basic and understated. She couldn’t wait to see what pathetic gift Anastasia had brought for Patricia. Valeria was practically dying to watch Anastasia embarrass herself.