Chapter 279

Marcus's POV

I narrowed my eyes, studying the woman before me. The resemblance was uncanny—same bone structure, similar features—yet everything about her screamed imposter. The way she held herself, the nervous flutter in her eyes, the subtle tension in her shoulders. Annie never looked at me with such fear.

"You're not Annie," I stated with absolute certainty.

Mary let out an exaggerated "Ha!" that echoed off the crystal chandelier. "Marcus, what kind of joke is this? Who else could she be if not Anna Shaw?"

I ignored her theatrics, keeping my gaze fixed on the woman who dared to wear my fiancée's face. The silence stretched until Donna shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Marcus," she said, her voice tinged with embarrassment, "even if you want to stand by Anna's side and firmly believe in her character, you can't just say she's not Anna."

Still, I didn't acknowledge them. Something primal in me recognized the deception—the way she breathed differently, how her hands trembled slightly, the absence of that spark that made Annie uniquely herself.

Derek cleared his throat from across the room. "Marcus, I agree with Phillip's suggestion. Tomorrow's engagement ceremony should proceed as planned. Everything else can wait until we've cleared this up."

"Who are you?" I asked the imposter directly, my voice carrying an edge that made her flinch.

Catherine suddenly straightened in her chair, Caroline stirring slightly in her arms. "You're not Annie?" The disbelief in her voice matched the confusion spreading across her face.

Jack leaned forward, studying the woman with newfound scrutiny. His eyes widened with recognition. "She's definitely not Anna."

"She's really not?" Catherine's jaw dropped. "That's impossible, right?"

The room erupted in chaos as Mary practically flew across the space, her heels clicking sharply against the marble. "Impossible! She's clearly Anna Shaw. Marcus, have you lost your mind?"

Just as the cacophony reached its peak, a familiar voice cut through from the doorway—a voice that sent relief flooding through my veins.

"If she's Anna Shaw, then who am I?"

Anna's POV

My gaze swept across the room like a blade, taking in every shocked face. The woman beside me—my doppelganger—stood with her head bowed, the very picture of guilt.

The silence that followed felt electric, charged with disbelief and confusion. William's weathered face paled further while Mary's mouth worked soundlessly, struggling to process this unexpected turn.

"The woman in the video is me," Amanda finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm... I'm Mr. Porter's lover."

She reached up with trembling fingers and began removing the carefully applied makeup. Each wipe revealed more of her true face—still similar to mine in structure, but lacking the refinement that came from a lifetime of privilege.

"You're saying the woman in the video is you? Just because you say so?" Mary's voice pitched higher, desperation bleeding through her attempted authority. "What proof do you have? For all we know, Anna Shaw hired you to lie for her!"

The audacity of her denial sent white-hot rage coursing through my veins. I crossed the room in three swift strides, my heels clicking against the marble like gunshots.

"Do you have anything else to say?" I asked, stopping directly in front of her.

Mary lifted her chin defiantly. "What should I say? If the woman in the video isn't you, then it isn't—"

The sharp crack of my palm against her cheek echoed through the room like thunder. The force sent her stumbling backward, her hand flying to her reddening face.

"You dare hit me?" she gasped, eyes wide with shock.

"Why wouldn't I dare?" I kept my voice dangerously level despite the fury burning in my chest. "I'll do more than hit you—I'll sue you. Lester's right here. Perhaps you should ask him whether slander and defamation are crimes in America."

I took a step closer, watching her shrink back. "You don't want me engaged to Marcus, so you conspired with Logan Porter to stage this little drama. Did you think I'd be intimidated?"

Mary's face flushed an even deeper red. "You're the one with an unclear relationship with Logan Porter! Being targeted and manipulated by him—I was only trying to protect Marcus and the Murphy family's reputation. What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing wrong? You're innocent?" My laugh held no humor. I turned to address the room. "Everyone here received that video, correct?"

Murmurs of assent rippled through the assembled family members.

"Then tell me—who sent it? Logan Porter?" I let sarcasm drip from every word. "Was Logan so idle that he personally collected everyone's phone numbers?"

The realization dawned on faces throughout the room like dominoes falling. Catherine's lips curved into a satisfied smile while Derek shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

William's cane struck the floor with explosive force. "What else do you have to say?" His voice shook with rage as he turned on Mary. "Helping outsiders bully your own family—do you have any sense at all?"

He stood shakily, leaning heavily on his cane. "What has Annie ever done to deserve this? When she was Jack's wife, you tormented her. Now you're still at it?"

"Get out!" His voice cracked like a whip. "I don't want to see your face again. And don't you dare show up at tomorrow's engagement ceremony!"

Mary's mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air, but no words came. She grabbed her purse and fled, her heels clicking frantically against the floor.

The room fell silent again, but this time it felt cleaner, like the air after a storm. I turned to face the remaining family members, drawing a steadying breath.

"I've always maintained a proper relationship with Logan Porter," I stated clearly, meeting each gaze. "I've never had feelings for him, and I never will."

My eyes found Marcus, still seated in his chair, his expression unreadable. "Marcus, do you believe me?"

He stood slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. "I never doubted you."

Relief flooded through me so suddenly my knees nearly buckled. Those four words meant everything.

Then his lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Since everyone seems so curious about whether the children are mine, why don't we settle this once and for all? Stay and bear witness."

My blood turned to ice in my veins. Witness? Witness what?