Chapter 282

Chapter 282
Anna’s POV
The leather seats of the car should have felt luxurious, but I sat rigid, watching Skyview City blur past the tinted windows. Elizabeth's fingers fidgeted with her pearl necklace—a nervous habit she'd developed in recent years.
"You know, I just don't understand how Logan could become depressed like this," she said, her voice carrying that maternal concern that had once extended to every child in our social circle.
"He's not depressed." The words came out sharper than intended, like ice cracking beneath pressure. I kept my gaze fixed on the passing buildings, counting down the minutes until we reached Murphy Estate.
"Not depressed? Annie, how can you be so sure?" Elizabeth turned in her seat, studying my profile with those eyes that had witnessed my every triumph and failure.
I finally met her gaze, letting certainty color my voice. "He's definitely not depressed, Mom. Don't worry about it."
Someone who spent so much effort on sabotage couldn't possibly be depressed. I knew his tricks well—deliberately hospitalizing himself just to ruin my engagement.
My phone buzzed against my clutch. Logan's name flashed across the screen, and despite my better judgment, I opened the message.
【Do you remember what you said before?】
The words sent a familiar chill down my spine. I'd told him I'd never marry a man who deliberately raped me. Now, knowing Marcus was that man, Logan was twisting the knife.
My fingers moved across the screen with practiced precision: 【I have double standards.】
Let him chew on that. The truth was simpler than he imagined—I could forgive Marcus what I'd never forgive him. Love made hypocrites of us all.
"If I'd known, we shouldn't have gone to the hospital. It's all Doris's fault, crying on the phone and scaring me." Elizabeth's complaint pulled me from my thoughts as we pulled up to Murphy Estate.
I was indeed furious this morning, too angry to sleep at all. But now watching the time approaching, I felt anxious again. Such complex emotions tangling together.
The grand entrance of Murphy Estate's private club loomed before us, its marble columns gleaming in the late morning sun. My heels clicked against the polished floor as we entered, and there he was—Marcus Murphy, looking devastating in his charcoal suit, his eyes finding mine across the crowded foyer.
For a moment, the world narrowed to just us. The anger from last night still simmered beneath my skin, but something else stirred too—that damnable attraction that had gotten me into this mess.
I crossed the space between us, keeping my expression neutral despite the war raging inside. When I reached him, I leaned in close enough to smell his cologne—sandalwood and something darker.
"Engagement first, settling accounts later," I whispered, my breath ghosting against his ear.
His only response was a single word, delivered with characteristic composure: "Alright."
Fortunately, Mother has changed over these years, no longer as easily influenced as before. Otherwise, seeing Logan like that with Doris crying, she would definitely have softened.
The ceremony space took my breath away. White orchids cascaded from crystal chandeliers, their petals catching the light like frozen tears. The who's who of Skyview City filled the room, their designer gowns and bespoke suits creating a sea of affluent anticipation.
I thought this engagement would be like my previous wedding with Jack—just going through the motions. I never expected Marcus to propose publicly.
Everything proceeded according to plan until the moment for ring exchange arrived. Instead of simply sliding the diamond onto my finger, Marcus did something that stopped my heart.
He dropped to one knee.
The entire ballroom gasped in unison. This wasn't part of the script—Marcus Murphy, the man who controlled every variable, was improvising.
"Annie," his voice carried across the hushed space, deep and certain despite the vulnerability in his gesture. "Marry me."
In that moment, my heart suddenly softened.
The massive diamond caught the light, throwing rainbows across his face as he waited. This calculating man who'd orchestrated our entire relationship was kneeling before five hundred witnesses, publicly declaring what I already knew—he was mine, completely.
"I do," I heard myself say.
THE END.