Chapter 274
Anna’s POV
Streetlights blurred into golden streaks outside the car window as we drove away from the restaurant. My head buzzed slightly from the wine I'd needed to endure that interminable business dinner. I caught a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror and froze, a realization hitting me with the force of a physical blow.
Amanda Lewis—Logan's secretary.
Those eyes. They were unmistakably similar to mine. Not just the color, but the shape, the way they tilted slightly at the corners. If she wore makeup like mine, styled her hair differently... the resemblance would be uncanny.
My chest constricted as if gripped by an invisible hand. Logan hired a knockoff version of me. The thought made my skin crawl.
"Has the room been canceled?" I forced the words past the tightness in my throat, desperate to focus on anything else.
Rachel glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Yes, and I've collected all your personal items."
I nodded mechanically, silently vowing never to set foot in Room 3303 of Sapphire Sky Hotel again.
My thoughts drifted to tomorrow's engagement ceremony. Invitations had already gone out to our closest friends and family from both the Murphy and Shaw sides. Still, we'd planned for thirty tables—an unavoidable necessity given both families' extensive connections. The logistics had consumed my days, but beneath the planning lurked a constant anxiety that Logan might show up at Brown Manor to harass the children.
Yet strangely, everything had been quiet lately. Too quiet, I thought, my stomach knotting with unease. Is he planning something bigger?
---
The next evening, I left work at six—earlier than usual to rest before tomorrow's big day. The front desk attendant's voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Ms. Shaw, Mr. Porter has been waiting for almost an hour."
My heart sank, throat instantly dry. Just when I thought I'd forgotten about this ticking time bomb—is he ready to detonate?
I chose the visitor lounge adjacent to the lobby for our meeting—a neutral space with glass walls, fully visible to security. Logan sat with a glass of water, looking oddly relaxed while I remained coiled with tension.
"State your business," I said, sitting across from him. "I need to get home for dinner."
Logan looked up, his eyes cold behind his glasses, sending an involuntary chill down my spine. "Are you sure you want to talk here?"
I crossed my arms and uncrossed my legs—my signature move when irritated. "As opposed to what? Finding a place to dine and chat?" I smiled without warmth. "Logan, that's impossible. We will never share a table again in this lifetime."
His smile froze, muscles tightening around his eyes. Good. I wanted him to feel the sting.
"Annie, do you know what will happen if you anger me now?" His voice dropped to a threatening whisper.
Fury blazed through me like wildfire. "I only know hearing you call me that makes me sick." Only family and Marcus were allowed to use my nickname.
"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you." His tone turned glacial.
I narrowed my eyes, staring directly at him. "What exactly are you planning? To publicly expose the children's parentage tomorrow? Ruin my engagement ceremony with Marcus?"
"Are you afraid?" he challenged.
"What do I have to fear?" I responded frankly, my hands steady despite the nervous energy coursing through me. "Marcus already knows he's not the children's biological father. Even if you expose this tomorrow, he'll only lose face. As long as he doesn't change his mind, I'll still marry him."
Logan gazed at me with unsettling intensity. "Our relationship had improved somewhat, but now we're back to freezing point. Is it because of that night at Olympus Club when I took advantage of you?"
The mention of that incident set my blood boiling. "I wish I could press charges against you," I said, each word dripping with contempt.
To my surprise, Logan smiled. "Very good."
His cryptic response left me confused, but before I could respond, he stood up and left. I'd never been able to read Logan, nor did I care to guess his intentions.
---
"Should I go knock Mr. Porter unconscious so he can't ruin tomorrow?" Rachel asked as we gathered our things, only half-joking.
I rubbed my sore eyes. "The children's situation can't be hidden forever. If he makes a scene in front of Marcus tomorrow, I have nothing to fear. Worst case, I'll have Jack help me fight for custody rights, though it would be unfortunate for him."
"Marcus is big-hearted," Rachel reassured me. "At most, he might feel a little jealous."
As we exited Shaw Corp's main entrance, a thunderous "BANG" from the parking lot made me jump. My heart leapt into my throat as security guards shouted.
"Car crash!" "Someone's injured!"
I quickly instructed Rachel to call 911 as we rushed toward the commotion. When we arrived, two security guards were lifting someone from a crumpled vehicle.
"It's Mr. Porter," Rachel said tensely.
The metallic scent of blood hit me before I could see clearly.
Rachel tried to shield me. "Don't look, Ms. Shaw. Mr. Porter is injured, bleeding a lot."
My heart thundered against my ribs, surprise, concern, and confusion swirling through me like a toxic cocktail. "Is he alright? How serious are his injuries?"
Rachel checked his neck. "He's alive. Head injury. Can't tell about other injuries."
"Was he driving?" I asked incredulously.
Rachel nodded grimly. "Yes, the car hit the wall. It looks... it looks like it was deliberate."
Deliberate? I stood frozen, utterly baffled. What kind of strategy was this? Why would Logan intentionally injure himself?
Marcus’s POV
My phone buzzed against the desk. A message from an unknown number. I almost dismissed it.
Instead, I clicked open the video attachment.
On screen was Anna—my Anna—her slender neck arched back, eyes half-closed in apparent pleasure. The man moving above her showed only half his face, but it was unmistakably Logan Porter.
Five seconds of footage turned my blood to liquid nitrogen. But not because I doubted her. No. I knew Anna Shaw. Knew her character, her loyalty, her love for me. This video was fundamentally wrong.
My jaw tightened until my teeth ached. Someone was targeting us. Someone wanted to destroy what we had built. They'd misjudged catastrophically if they thought I'd throw away everything over this obvious manipulation.
I tucked the phone into my jacket pocket, its weight suddenly unbearable.
---
When I walked into Brown Manor's dining room, Elizabeth was already seated, the crystal glasses catching light from the chandelier. Her eyes brightened when she saw me.
"Marcus! I was just about to call everyone for dinner." She glanced behind me expectantly. "No Anna?"
My throat constricted painfully. "She's not back yet?"
Elizabeth checked her watch. "She's probably tied up with that Phoenix project again. We might as well start without her."
The casual mention of Anna's name made my chest tighten. Where was she right now? Was she safe? If someone sent me that fabricated video, what else might they be planning?
"I need to step out," I said abruptly, already turning toward the door. "Urgent."
---
Peter Reed's voice broke through my thoughts from the driver's seat. "Sir, we've received word that Logan Porter has been in a car accident. He's currently at Tranquil Hospital."
My fingers froze mid-motion. Car accident? The timing was too convenient to be coincidental.
"Ms. Shaw is also there," Peter added, catching my eye in the rearview mirror.
Anna at the hospital with Logan? This only confirmed my suspicions. The video, Logan's accident, Anna's presence—someone had orchestrated this entire scenario.
"Take me there," I commanded, my voice unnaturally calm given the storm raging inside me.
The city lights blurred past as we accelerated toward the hospital. I needed to see Anna, to confirm she was unharmed, then together we would face whatever scheme had been set in motion against us. Our relationship had weathered worse storms than this pathetic attempt at sabotage.
My phone rang, Phillip's name illuminating the screen.
"Marcus, you need to come to Murphy Estate immediately," my brother said without preamble. "Layla, Catherine, and I just received an anonymous video."
I closed my eyes briefly, unsurprised yet still disturbed.