Chapter 8

Anna's POV

"Ever since Edward's accident, Arthur's faction has been putting pressure on us from every direction."

Patricia let out a quiet sigh. Worry was etched into her face, as though she'd been carrying this burden for a long time.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the flower stem.

"If Edward doesn't recover, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect everything we've built."

I stared at her.

"But Edward built Sterling Group himself, didn't he? Arthur had nothing to do with it."

"Not officially, no. But Edward is my only child, and they've already written him off. They're watching everything that belongs to our family, waiting for the chance to take control while he's unable to stop them."

She sighed again.

A surge of anger rose inside me. Edward was still lying unconscious in bed, yet Arthur's people were already circling what they hoped to claim from him. It was despicable, even by the standards of the world I had come to know.

"Anna, I need your help."

Patricia turned to face me directly. Her eyes held the desperation of someone clinging to her last hope.

"You have to do everything you can."

"I..." I didn't know what to say.

The doctors hadn't been able to wake Edward. What could I possibly do?

"Just as you suggested, stay close to him. Talk to him. Let him hear a familiar voice. Sometimes that kind of stimulation can reach someone, even when they can't respond. It might be enough to bring him back."

I didn't answer immediately.

How long had Edward and I even known each other? The things I'd told Patricia at the hospital had been nothing more than words I'd come up with in a desperate attempt to save myself. I hadn't actually believed I could make a difference.

"If that still doesn't work..."

Patricia tightened her grip on my hands. Her palms were cool against mine.

"Then have his child. If we have a child, there'll be an heir to carry on Edward's family legacy. It'll also make it much harder for them to take control of what belongs to us. You understand, don't you?"

I went rigid.

For a moment, my mind went completely blank.

So this was what she'd been leading up to. She wanted me to have Edward's child.

When I'd agreed to this marriage, all I'd been thinking about was survival. I needed somewhere safe to hide from Julian and the Hartwells. I hadn't imagined that Patricia would expect something like this from me.

Now that she'd said it outright, I realized I couldn't accept it.

"Anna, I know I'm asking a great deal of you. But we don't have many options left. If we lose the company, neither of us will have an easy future."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

Just then, the housekeeper stepped into the room.

"Mrs. Sterling, the Hartwells are here. They'd like to see Anna."

My entire body stiffened.

A surge of hatred rose so quickly that my fingertips went cold. Memories of my previous life flashed through my mind, each one as painful as the last.

I wanted nothing more than to jump up, rush to the door, tear away their carefully maintained masks, and make them pay for everything they'd done to me.

"The Hartwells?"

Patricia raised an eyebrow and glanced at me.

"Anna, do you want to go back with them?"

"No."

My answer came without hesitation.

Going back to the Hartwell house now would be like walking straight into a trap. Their plan to force me into surgery had failed, but I knew they wouldn't simply give up. They would find another way to get what they wanted.

That house had never been a home to me. It was a place I'd spent years trying to escape.

"All right."

Patricia gave me a brief, reassuring look before turning to the housekeeper.

"Show them in."

Harold and Vivian followed the housekeeper into the living room. The moment they spotted me sitting beside Patricia, their expressions changed.

I noticed their jaws tighten and their eyes darken. From their reactions, I suspected they were furious that I'd made such an important decision without consulting them, as though I no longer considered myself under their control.

Harold cleared his throat and forced a polite smile.

"Mrs. Sterling, I apologize for the intrusion. I've come to take my daughter home."

"Mr. Hartwell."

Patricia's tone remained calm and courteous, but there was no mistaking the firmness beneath it.

"Anna has a home of her own now. You're welcome to visit whenever you like, but she won't be leaving with you."

Harold and Vivian exchanged a glance.

Judging by their reactions, Julian must have told them that I'd married Edward Sterling. They seemed to be struggling to accept that it was actually true.

I could tell from their expressions that they weren't convinced the marriage meant anything beyond convenience. The Sterling family and the Hartwells had never been close, and Edward and I had barely crossed paths before all this happened.

They probably assumed I'd simply latched onto the Sterling family as a way to escape the surgery. If they could get me back to the Hartwell house, they might still be able to put everything back the way it had been.

"Mrs. Sterling, with all due respect, Anna is engaged to Julian Vance."

Vivian forced a smile.

"Our families have understood that for quite some time."

"I've already discussed that matter with Mr. Vance personally."

Patricia's expression didn't change.

"I have nothing more to add."

The fists I'd been clenching slowly relaxed. As I watched Patricia handle them without losing her composure, some of the anger inside me began to settle.

There was no point in screaming at them in the living room. The best way to make them pay wasn't to argue. It was to be patient, take back everything they'd stolen from me, and make sure they could never use me again.

"But Anna and Edward barely knew each other," Harold pressed, his question sounding more like an attempt to probe for information. "How did they end up getting married so quickly?"

"I knew him before."

The answer slipped out before I had time to think.

It was true, in a way. I'd known who Edward was, at least. I wasn't even sure he remembered me.

"Anna."

Vivian's voice rose slightly. A flicker of something crossed her face before she quickly composed herself.

"Why have you never mentioned this to us?"

I almost laughed.

Judging by her reaction, I suspected she was already regretting the way she'd handled things. If she'd known I had some connection to Edward Sterling, would she ever have wasted her time pushing Julian on me?

Even a small share of the Sterling family's wealth would have been enough to keep the Hartwells comfortable for the rest of their lives.

Vivian exchanged another glance with Harold. His attitude changed almost immediately, and his voice softened into something far more accommodating.

"Well, in that case, we certainly have no objections. As your family, we naturally want what's best for you. Of course, a marriage like this deserves a proper celebration. We should all sit down and discuss the arrangements..."

A cold, humorless laugh escaped me.

Just minutes ago, they'd come here intending to drag me back for surgery. Now they were calculating what they might gain from my marriage.

Their change of attitude was almost impressive.

"There won't be a wedding."

My voice was flat and firm.

"The Sterlings aren't interested in anything I might bring to the marriage, and I'm not asking them for anything in return."

Vivian's expression faltered, but she quickly forced another smile.

"Anna, what are you saying? Marriage is one of the most important events in a person's life. There are proper ways to handle these things..."

"Proper ways?"

I looked straight at her.

"Has the Hartwell family ever done anything properly?"

Then I said what I'd wanted to say for a very long time.

"You're not my mother, Vivian. You have no right to tell me how to live my life."