<h4>Chapter 71: A Public Deration</h4>


    Marcus’s POV


    The Sanders family’s gathering buzzed with Skyview City’s elite mingling throughout the spacious ballroom. Weaving through clusters of tuxedos and evening gowns, I made my way toward Joseph, nodding at acquaintances but avoiding any substantial conversation.


    Joseph’s eyes lit up with mischief the moment he saw me approaching.


    "Well, if it isn’t the lovestruck genius himself," he said, voice pitched low enough for only me to hear.


    "You old dog," he said, leaning closer.


    "I never pegged you for the lovesick type. Flying back and forth across the Antic like some teenager with his first crush."


    I didn’t dignify his teasing with a response, instead scanning the room with practiced indifference. "I need your advice on something."


    Joseph’s eyebrows shot up in exaggerated surprise. "The great Marcus Murphy needs *my* advice?


    Alert the media!"


    "How do I get the Shaw family’s approval?" I asked, ignoring his theatrics.


    "Shaw family’s approval for what?"


    Joseph tilted his head.


    "For everything. Including Anna," I answered directly. This was my most pressing concern: how to make Anna and her family ept our rtionship.


    Joseph erupted intoughter, nearly spilling his drink. "Wait, you’re telling me you still haven’t revealed yourself?


    All this time?"


    He looked around conspiratorially before lowering his voice. "Why don’t you just tell her who you really are?


    The girl will probably stop fighting it once she realizes she’s already slept with you. The age gap and family connections be trivial details at that point."


    I considered his suggestion, weighing the potential oues. Anna’s feelings were paramount to me—I couldn’t risk losing her. "Not possible. Anna has explicitly said she doesn’t want marriage. The trauma from her previous rtionship still lingers. If I confess everything, she’ll likely never see me again."


    Thinking about Anna’s stubborn nature made me sigh internally. I had no certainty about how she would react to the truth. Revealing my identity might solve some problems but could create even more barriers between us. I wasn’t willing to take that risk.


    Joseph slouched into the plush sofa, carelessly remarking, "Anna has quite the ambition, you know. She’s been meeting with Samuel Griffin recently.


    Gotta admire her courage not many would dare deal with someone like him."


    My heart sank at the mention of Anna’s involvement with Samuel. My expression darkened involuntarily.


    "What’s happening with Griffin?"


    "Griffin probably doesn’t want to work with the Simpsons," Joseph replied.


    "George Simpson and Samuel Griffin are well-matched opponents-both greedy and calcting. Two smart foxes who don’t want to be outsmarted. They’ll never truly coborate."


    He added thoughtfully, "Though Griffin is unpredictable. Yes, he’s a bit of a bastard, but he’s reliable in business. If he genuinely wants to coborate, Anna might have struck gold."


    Anna’s POV


    The Sanders estate looked magnificent tonight, every crystal chandelier casting prismatic light across the ballroom’s polished marble floors. I nursed my first ss of champagne, watching Skyview City’s elite mingle among themselves with practiced smiles and calcted conversations.


    "Let me refresh that for you."


    Logan appeared at my side, champagne bottle in hand, his warm smile impossibly sincere. He’d been hovering near me all evening, anticipating my every need with an attentiveness that would have been sweet if it didn’t feel so suffocating.


    "Thank you," I replied, offering a polite smile as he filled my flute with expert precision. Not too full, not too little-just perfect.


    "The turnout is impressive," hemented, settling into the empty seat beside me. "Nearly everyone who matters in Skyview City is here tonight."


    I nodded in agreement, scanning the crowd. My mother and Doris Porter sat across from us, their heads bent together in conspiratorial whispers, asionally ncing our way with poorly disguised hope in their eyes. I pretended not to notice, focusing instead on the string quartet in the corner.


    "I heard your mother has been introducing you to some potential suitors," Doris said loudly enough for me to hear, her tone carrying a hint of reproach.


    My spine stiffened involuntarily. I kept my eyes fixed on the quartet, straining to hear my mother’s response over the ambient chatter.


    Elizabethughed softly, a touch of embarrassment coloring her voice. "I’m just giving her options. Once she sees what’s out there, she’ll appreciate what’s right in front of her."


    I nearly choked on my champagne.


    Subtlety had never been my mother’s strong suit.


    Doris nodded approvingly. "In all of Skyview City, who could possiblypare to my Logan? He’s sessful, handsome, and he adores her." She leaned closer to my mother, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that somehow still carried. "Can you imagine their children? If they have a daughter who inherits Anna’s beauty and intelligence... I’ve always wanted a granddaughter."


    My champagne suddenly tasted bitter.


    They were already nning my hypothetical children while I sat not ten feet away. I shot Logan a sidelong nce, wondering if he could hear his mother’s matchmaking efforts. If he did, he gave no indication, his attention focused solely on me.


    "Would you like something from the buffet?" he asked, ever attentive. "I noticed you haven’t eaten much."


    Before I could respond, a noticeable hush fell over our section of the ballroom. Heads turned, conversations paused, and a path seemed to clear through the crowd. I didn’t need to look to know who had arrived- Marcus Murphy’s presencemanded attention without a single word.


    Marcus moved with quiet purpose, his tall frame cutting an imposing figure in his perfectly tailored suit.


    Catherine quickly vacated the seat on my other side, creating the perfect opening for Marcus to join our little group. He settled beside me without a word, his presence instantly altering the dynamics at the table.


    "Mr. Murphy," Logan acknowledged with a polite nod. "I didn’t realize you were back in Skyview City."


    "Yesterday," Marcus replied, his deep voice a study in economy. Nothing extraneous, not a single wasted syble.


    What happened next left me utterly speechless. Marcus reached forward picked up my champagne flute, and drank from it. From *my* ss. His lips touching exactly where mine had been moments before.


    I turned to stare at him, my eyes wide with shock. Was he *deliberately* making some kind of statement? In front of everyone?


    "Uncle Marcus," I managed, forcing a strained smile, "I didn’t expect to see you here tonight."


    His eyes met mine with that prating intensity I’de to recognize. "I saw you across the room."


    Four simple words that somehow carried the weight of something much more significant. I felt heat creep up my neck.


    Logan, bless his perceptive heart, immediately retrieved a fresh champagne flute for me. "Here you are, Anna," he said, filling it with practiced ease.


    I epted it gratefully, taking arger sip than strictly necessary. The bubbles burned down my throat, giving me something to focus on besides Marcus’s overwhelming presence.


    "The men seem to be gathering at the bar," Doris observed, her voice cutting through the tension. "Perhaps you gentlemen would like to join them?


    I’m sure there’s business to discuss."


    Logan nodded amiably. "Excellent idea, Mother." He turned to Marcus.


    "Shall we, Mr. Murphy? I’d love to hear about your European ventures."


    Before rising, Marcus leaned closer to me, his voice low and intimate. "T’ll drive you home afterward."


    My heart stuttered in my chest. "That won’t be necessary, Uncle Marcus," I replied firmly. "I’m returning to Shaw Estate with my mother tonight."


    His response was to ce his hand briefly on my shoulder—a casual touch that felt electric through the thin fabric of my dress. "Thene to Murphy Estate for dinner tomorrow. William has been asking about you."


    I could feel every eye at the table watching this exchange, analyzing our bodynguage, noting his casual intimacy and my flustered response.


    "Of course," I managed. "T’ll make time to visit William soon."


    Marcus finally rose, following Logan toward the bar. I exhaled shakily, unaware that I’d been holding my breath.


    The moment they were out of earshot, three pairs of eyes locked onto me withser focus.


    "What?" I asked defensively, taking another sip of champagne.


    Catherine’s perfectly shaped eyebrow arched high. "Just being polite, huh?


    You two have quite the chemistry for people who are just family friends."


    "What exactly is going on between you and Marcus?" my mother demanded, her expression aplicated mix of concern and something I couldn’t quite identify.


    Doris looked genuinely distressed.


    "Anna, dear, you won’t find many mothers-inw as understanding as me. Won’t you at least consider Logan?"