<h4>Chapter 75: The Proposal</h4>


    Anna’s POV


    "Anna, grab my hand, quickly!"


    Logan’s voice cut through the night air, filled with desperation. My wrist was caught in his grasp. I could see the veins in his forehead bulging as his entire body trembled with exertion.


    With thest of my strength, I reached out with my other hand and clutched his wrist in a death grip. "Logan... I... I can’t hold on much longer..." My voice shook uncontrobly. In that terrifying moment, all I could think about was how devastated my mother and grandmother would be if anything happened to me.


    "Don’t look down! Focus on my eyes," Loganmanded, his voice strained but determined. "I’ve got you. I won’t let you fall."


    I could feel his grip tightening on my wrist, the muscles in his arm straining against his tailored suit. The railing groaned ominously beneath ourbined weight, making my heart stop for a fraction of a second.


    Behind Logan, I dimly registered Rachel directing security personnel, Samuel barking orders, and Catherine’s panicked face. Then, with a tremendous effort, Logan pulled me upward. The broken railing gave one final protest before I was hauled back over the edge, copsing onto the safety of the terrace.


    For a brief moment, I felt nothing but overwhelming relief. Then the world spun around me, darkness creeping in from the edges of my vision. Thest thing I remembered was Logan’s concerned face hovering over mine as consciousness slipped away.


    - --


    "Annie? Sweetheart, can you hear me?"


    My mother’s voice broke through the fog, drawing me back to consciousness.


    I tried to open my eyes, immediately wincing at the harsh hospital lighting.


    When my vision finally cleared, I saw Elizabeth’s tearful face staring down at me, her elegant features etched with worry.


    "Mom?" My voice came out as a raspy whisper.


    "Oh thank God," she breathed, squeezing my hand gently. "You’re awake. You scared me half to death, youngdy."


    I attempted a reassuring smile. "I’m fine, see? Tough as nails..."


    When I tried to sit up, searing pain tore through both my shoulders, causing me to gasp and fall back against the pillows. "God... that hurts," I managed through clenched teeth.


    "Don’t move," Dr. Porter-Oscar-said firmly, stepping into my field of vision.


    "You’ve sustained significant injuries, Anna. Both arms have extensive muscle strain, and you’ve torn cartge in both shoulders from supporting your entire body weight."


    "How bad is it?" I asked, trying to focus through the pain.


    "You’ll need physical therapy, but with proper treatment, you should regain full mobility," Oscar replied professionally, though his eyes betrayed his concern. "You’re extremely lucky-if Logan hadn’t reached you when he did..."


    The memory of dangling six stories above the ground sent a fresh wave of panic through me.


    "Where is Logan? Is he alright?" I asked, suddenly remembering how he’d risked his own safety to save me.


    "Right here," Logan answered from the doorway, his arm in a sling. "Just a dislocated shoulder and some scrapes.


    Nothing serious."


    His casual tone belied the severity of what he’d done. I felt a sudden surge of gratitude so intense it brought tears to my eyes.


    "You saved my life," I whispered, meeting his gaze directly.


    He shrugged his good shoulder.


    "Anyone would have done the same."


    But we both knew that wasn’t true.


    Not everyone would have risked their life the way he had.


    My mother patted my arm gently. "T’ll go tell your grandmother you’re awake. She’s been worried sick."


    Once Margaret and Elizabeth had stepped out to speak with the doctor, Logan moved closer to my bedside.


    His expression had changed, bing more serious.


    "Anna, there’s something you should know," he said, his voice low. "Oscar told me that the police examined the terrace railing. The bolts showed signs of deliberate tampering."


    A cold wave of dread washed over me.


    "You’re saying... this wasn’t an ident?"


    "T’m saying someone wanted you to fall," Logan confirmed, his expression grim. "And I’m concerned for your safety."


    My mind raced through potential suspects. Who would want me dead?


    The most obvious answer was connected to the Skke District project. But would someone really attempt murder over a business deal?


    "T’ll find out who did this," Logan promised, his voice dropping to a dangerous timbre I’d never heard from him before. "No one threatens you and gets away with it."


    The door opened again as Catherine burst in, her usual poisepletely abandoned. "Anna! Thank God you’re okay!" She rushed to my bedside, her eyes red-rimmed from crying.


    "I’m fine," I reassured her, though the pain in my shoulders suggested otherwise.


    "Someone tried to kill you," Catherine stated bluntly, her voice trembling with anger. "This has to be rted to Skke District."


    My gaze instinctively darted to the doorway, where I spotted Jack and Pax hovering uncertainly. Their presence immediately set off warning bells in my mind. I remembered seeing Pax whispering with someone in the hallway just before my fall.


    Catherine followed my line of sight and immediately bristled. "What are you doing here?"


    Jack stepped forward, his expression unusually serious. "I came as soon as I heard. Anna, are you alright?"


    "She nearly died," Catherine snapped before I could respond. "But I’m sure that’s of great concern to you."


    Jack’s face hardened. "What exactly are you implying?"


    I carefully observed his reaction, searching for any hint of guilt or knowledge. But all I saw was genuine concern and anger at Catherine’s suggestion.


    When my eyes met Jack’s, I felt an unexpected certainty wash over me.


    Despite everything that had happened between us, I knew in my gut that he wouldn’t try to kill me. He might be weak-willed and easily influenced, but he wasn’t a murderer.


    Jack must have sensed my scrutiny, his expression shifting to one of hurt realization.


    "You suspect me?" he asked incredulously.


    Anna’s POV


    Jack’s question hung in the air, his face disying genuine hurt. The hospital room suddenly felt suffocatingly small, the morning light barely filtering through the half-drawn blinds.


    "I don’t think you’d try to kill me," I finally said, my voice hoarse from exhaustion. "But I saw Pax whispering with someone right before the ident."


    Logan, his arm secured in a sling, immediately stepped forward. "Your assistant was acting suspiciously before Anna fell. Care to exin that, Simpson?"


    Jack’s expression hardened, but I could see the sh of confusion in his eyes.


    "I don’t know what Pax was doing. He certainly wasn’t plotting murder." His voice dropped almost to a whisper. "I would never hurt you, Anna. Despite everything... you know that."


    And the thing was, I did know. Jack Simpson had many ws - weakness, indecision, emotional cowardice - but he wasn’t capable of attempted murder. The genuine concern in his eyes couldn’t be faked.


    "I believe you," I said simply.


    Jack nodded, relief washing across his features. He moved toward the door but paused before leaving. "Get some rest, Anna." The softness in his voice was achingly familiar - a reminder of better days.


    After he left, the room fell into tense silence. Catherine paced by the window, her usualposure fractured by worry. Logan hadn’t moved from his protective stance near my bed.


    "Logan, you should go home too," I said gently. "You need rest as much as I do. We can talk tomorrow."


    He hesitated, his good hand clenching slightly. "I’ll stay in the guest room down the hall. Call if you need anything - anything at all."


    "Thank you," I said, the words feeling wholly inadequate for what he’d done.


    "For everything today."


    Logan’s smile was warm but wordless, his emotions transparent in his eyes.


    Something twisted painfully in my chest - gratitude mingled with guilt.


    How do you repay someone who risked their life for yours when you can’t give them the one thing they truly want?


    After Logan left, Catherine sank into the chair beside my bed, her expression distant. I knew she was thinking about the implications of this attack.


    She sighed, rubbing her temples.


    "Someone tried to kill you, Anna. Over a business deal."


    "We don’t know that for certain," I countered, though I didn’t believe my own words.


    Catherine didn’t bother responding.


    Instead, her gaze drifted to the door Logan had just exited through. "He could have died trying to save you."


    I followed her gaze, remembering how Logan had looked dangling over that broken railing. Not just his dislocated shoulder, but the bruises around his waist where the rescue rope had cut into him without any protective gear.


    The image made my throat constrict.


    "I know," I whispered.


    Daylight brought a parade of visitors.


    My mother and grandmother arrived first, each trying to hide their anxiety behind practicedposure. The quiver in Elizabeth’s hand as she smoothed my nket betrayed her fear. Margaret’s usual witty remarks were noticeably absent.


    Nora Price appeared mid-morning, wheeled in by a nurse. Her ankle was wrapped in apression bandage.


    "What happened?" I asked, genuinely concerned.


    "It’s nothing," she assured me with a gentle smile. "I twisted it running for help."


    After my family left, I turned to her.


    "I’m sorry you got hurt trying to help me."


    "Don’t be ridiculous," Nora replied, her smile elegant despite her circumstances. "I’m just d you’re alright. This is nothing - it’ll heal in a few days."


    Business intruded shortly after lunch.


    Despite the doctor’s orders, I found myself propped up in bed, surrounded by urgent year-end matters that couldn’t wait. Sean Smith stood silently by my door, his presence reassuring.


    Rachel efficiently rearranged my schedule to amodate recovery without sacrificing Shaw Corp’s momentum.


    "Ms. Shaw, you really should be resting," the nurse admonished as she checked my IV.


    I smiled thinly. "Business doesn’t stop for idents."


    When Logan returned in the afternoon, the room had emptied of business associates. He surveyed the scattered papers across my bed with a frown.


    "You’re really nning to work this afternoon, aren’t you?" he asked.


    I offered a tired smile. "What choice do I have? It’s year-end. Aren’t you busy too?"


    "Meetings back-to-back, dealersing in. It’s hectic," Logan admitted.


    He gestured to his injured arm with a wry smile. "At least I have one good arm left - better than your situation."


    My gaze dropped to my immobilized shoulders. "Logan, you didn’t have to do what you did. You’re the future of the Porter family. If something had happened to you because of me, I couldn’t face your parents."


    Logan looked at me with an intensity that made my heart skip. "Annie, I only wish I could do more for you."


    "I don’t need you to do anything for me. I’m fine," I said, trying to lighten the mood.


    "Fine?" Logan’s voice hardened. "You nearly died. And who knows how many people have their eyes on Shaw Corp’s assets and your family’s historic building in Skke District." He sighed. "Anna, please let me help you."


    I stared at him, puzzled. "How?"


    "Our families should unite. Marriage."


    The word knocked the air from my lungs.


    "T’ll sign any prenup you want," Logan continued earnestly. "I won’t restrict your freedom. I won’t touch a penny of Shaw Corp. Even our children, boy or girl, can take the Shaw surname. I just want to be by your side, support you, ease your burdens. Before, when you loved Jack, I stepped back because I saw he made you happy. Anna, now I want to be selfish."


    I stared at him,pletely speechless.