Chapter 3: No Need to Please Me

William couldn't help but frown. "Anna, what kind of attitude is this?"

Anna was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Isn't my attitude good enough, Mr. Hayes?"

Rosalind looked displeased and accused. "Anna, he's your father. How can you speak to him like that?"

Benjamin sneered, "What now? Anna, are you throwing a tantrum? Look at the bad habits you've picked up! He's your father. Without the Hayes family, you'd be nothing."

"Yes, you're right," Anna replied, lying back down. She began to dismiss them. "If you have nothing else, please leave. I need to rest. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

She had tried to protect Thea, leading to a worse beating for herself, and now she still lay in the hospital while the Hayes family sought justice for the unscathed Thea.

Everything was repeating the trajectory of her past life.

She hadn't even been discharged yet when they started targeting her speech.

Seeing their annoying faces, Anna didn't want to deal with them; she just wanted them to leave sooner.

Everyone frowned, and Samuel exploded. "Anna, what's wrong with you? Do you even know what you're saying? How dare you try to send us away?"

Anna turned away, her back to them, refusing to communicate further.

In this life, if Thea wanted the spot in the speech competition, she could go to hell!

Thea slightly lifted her head, her gaze sweeping over Anna's silhouette, a flicker of confusion and something indecipherable in her eyes.

Then, with a smirk, it seemed Anna wasn't so foolish anymore.

The faces of the Hayes family members turned sour. Seeing that Anna was impervious, they spat a few harsh words and left.

The door slammed shut loudly, shaking loose some plaster from the wall beside it.

One could only imagine how furious the members of the Hayes family were at that moment.

As the door closed, Anna opened her eyes; her heart was calm.

It turned out that not craving the warmth of family affection, not being a compliant fool, felt quite exhilarating.

In her previous life, she had been too naive, always believing that if she was sensible enough, good enough, she could blend into this family. But what she got in return was...

She had done all she could for the people of the Hayes family.

Since she had a chance to do it all over again, she had to make it count and not repeat the same mistakes.

The door opened again, and Anna, impatient, turned around. It was Andrew.

He approached her bedside and said, "Anna, don't be too stubborn. Is it really that hard to just appease Mom and Dad? I believe if you just apologize to Thea and promise not to do it again, Mom and Dad will forgive you."

But Andrew was met with silence. Anna kept her eyes closed, unwilling to speak.

Andrew sighed, "Take care. I'm leaving."

The door closed again, and after so much noise, Anna felt thirsty. She got up to look for water.

In the hospital corridor, people of all sorts passed by.

After filling her cup from the water dispenser in the corner, Anna gulped down several mouthfuls, finally feeling some relief.

She filled the cup again, ready to leave, when she turned and saw a man in a wheelchair behind her.

The man had striking features and wore a neatly tailored shirt, its sleeves casually rolled up to reveal his slender, pale wrists.

Even seated in a wheelchair, his noble and aloof demeanor was unmistakable.

"Mr... Mr. Lancaster," Anna stuttered a greeting.

Hearing Anna's voice, Adrian lifted his dark eyes to her. "Hmm?"

"I... I'm Anna. We've met before at Sullivan Manor." Under Adrian's intimidating gaze, Anna felt immense pressure, her words coming out clumsily.

Anna had seen him twice before. He was Jasper's half-brother. Anything related to Jasper always caught her attention.

It was said that Adrian had been afflicted with a chronic illness from a young age, yet he possessed a rare talent for business.

The fate of the Sullivan family was in his hands, granting him an unparalleled status within the family, though for some reason, he did not use their surname.

Most importantly, Adrian was destined to die young from his illness in two years.

At this thought, Anna's heart skipped a beat as she took in Adrian's nearly perfect profile, her eyes reflecting complexity.

In her past life, Anna had been preoccupied with the Hayes family and was unaware of the exact timing of Adrian's death until she heard about it later, which left her feeling regretful for some time.

Adrian responded indifferently, "A friend of Jazz's? William is your father?"

Anna nodded awkwardly, surprised he knew. "Yes..."

Despite his handsome appearance, his eyes were too cold, emitting a chilling aura. Anna felt uneasy, her grip tightening on her cup.

In her past life, she had been infatuated with Jasper, doggedly pursuing him in a manner well-known to everyone.

During her two visits to Sullivan Manor, she had tried to curry favor with the Sullivan family, flattering and ingratiating herself, initially thinking she was doing well.

But she later realized that the Sullivans viewed her as a joke.

Behind her back, they mocked Anna for being an undignified girl who chased after men, frivolous and cheap.

Glancing at the water dispenser and then at Adrian's wheelchair, Anna kindly took the cup from his hand.

She filled it with water and handed it back to him.

Holding the cup, Adrian averted his gaze slightly as he said coolly, "Don't try to please me. I don't care about Jazz's affairs."