Claire was determined to celebrate Anastasia's new chapter and insisted they go out for dinner. They opted for an upscale fusion restaurant, and Claire stared in awe at the towering mound of salmon before them. "I spent half a month's paycheck on this! Loyalty like mine isn't exactly easy to come by, right?" Anastasia smiled, the corners of her mouth lifting softly. A true friend remained steadfast. Even if she had lost her partner, she still had her best friend by her side. "Are you still living in a hotel?" Claire asked. "If you don't mind my place being small, you could move in with me." The Abbott family home still stood. But since Sebastian had taken her to his place, Anastasia hadn't returned. That house was full of cherished memories, now tainted by loss. She feared the flood of emotions it would trigger. "I got a call from my mom this afternoon," Anastasia said. Claire dropped her fork. "Madam Olson? She actually called you?" The mere mention of Rebecca's name ignited Claire's anger. Few mothers could be that heartless. After Anastasia's father and brothers died, Rebecca had abandoned Anastasia, marrying into the Lawson family and leaving her underage daughter to navigate life alone. She had deserted her daughter at her lowest point, only to pamper the Lawson family's daughter instead. Anastasia continued, "She invited me to dinner at the Lawson family's place." "And you said..." "Of course not. They're not my family." "Exactly," Claire affirmed, nodding. "If Sebastian's home felt suffocating, the Lawson family is worse. You're an adult now-you don't need anyone to depend on." When she was first forsaken, Anastasia had once gone to the Lawson residence seeking her mother. Rebecca had told her, "It's not that I don't want you. I just got married, and Hannah won't accept me. Bringing you here would only make things worse." Hannah Lawson was the family's biological daughter, and Rebecca was merely her stepmother. Anastasia had found it cruel. It was unforgivable for a mother to abandon her own child just to keep the peace with someone else's daughter, yet Rebecca had shared something important with her. 1/3 2:05 pm D DDD. As they enjoyed their meal and exchanged words, Ethan hurried by the restaurant, failing to stop and greet Anastasia. Thirty minutes later, he settled into a booth with Sebastian. "What's up? Why aren't you home with your wife instead of sitting here drowning your sorrows with the gang?" Sebastian offered a weary smile. "We had an argument." Ethan looked surprised. "Just reconcile with her! I saw her having a meal with a friend." He snatched Sebastian's phone. "Here, I'll call her. We can help smooth things over." He dialed quickly, but his expression froze. Sebastian frowned. "What's wrong?" "She blocked you," Ethan said flatly. Sebastian's face fell. He tried calling again, only to hear a busy tone. He looked utterly bewildered. "Being blocked isn't the end of the world." Ethan tried to console him. "Every girl does it after a fight. My ex blocked me three times a day right after our honeymoon. She unblocked me the second she saw a purse she liked." Sebastian scowled. "Don't compare Anna to a gold digger." "Yeah, yeah. She's nothing like that. I'm just saying..." Ethan pulled out his phone. "I'll text her, see if she'll come over." Sebastian's eyes flickered briefly. "Forget it." "Why?" Ethan asked. "Call Juliana first," Sebastian replied. Ethan frowned. "What are you planning to do? Isn't Anastasia jealous right now? Are you sure you still want to call Juliana over?" Sebastian set down his glass, clipped a cigarette between his lips, and said, "Do you know how to take pictures?" A phone call cut short Claire and Anastasia's conversation. Apparently, a famous celebrity had just announced on Twitter that he'd been secretly married with children for years, and the news had immediately crashed the site. As a gossip reporter, Claire had no choice but to dash back to the office for an urgent meeting. 2/3 2:05 pm D DDD. Anastasia, meanwhile, had barely touched her food and felt her appetite vanish. She summoned a car through an app, stood beneath a streetlight, and idly scrolled through her social media while waiting. The first notification to catch her eye was Ethan's Instagram post from just two minutes earlier. 'Seb's charm is unbeatable! Nobody even comes close!' The image featured a vivid, neon-lit backdrop. Juliana sat beside Sebastian on the couch in a crop top, her eyes fixed on him with an intensity that bordered on obsession. Sebastian's face was partially turned away, concealing his expression. He wore a crisp white dress shirt, looking impeccably refined. A glass of red wine swirled in his hand, yet his gaze was nowhere near Juliana. Anastasia glanced briefly, then closed the app with a faint sigh. After a pause, she unlocked her phone again. After a few minutes, Sebastian asked, "Has she said anything?" Ethan glanced at his screen. "Not a peep. My phone's dead silent." Sebastian's brow furrowed. "Are you sure she even saw it?" Ethan hesitated, then tapped on Anastasia's profile. "Do you want me to send her a message and see what happens?" 19 3/3 2:06 pm The Rose Who Chose His Rival Over Him +8 Pearls