CHAPTER 34: POWER ISN’T GIVEN

Anna’s POV

The more he underestimated me, the more determined I became to pursue the Skylake District project. His condescension had only crystallized what I already knew:we were never meant to walk the same path.

Back at the office the next morning, I found my mother had forwarded me a flurry of emails and texts. Just as I’d anticipated, invitations had been pouring in—all of them conspicuously addressed only to her and me. Some requested our presence for afternoon tea, others for dinner gatherings. One socialite from the arts circle had even sent show tickets.

"Annie," my mother’s voice was tentative when she called mid-morning, "I’ve never seen so many invitations. It’s rather overwhelming."

I smiled grimly. "The Shaw family suddenly has excellent social currency, it seems."

"What should I do?" she asked.

I replied. "I’ll look through the list later and decide which ones are worth our time."

After ending the call, I stared at the growing pile of invitations on my desk. The Skylake District project had elevated our family’s status overnight.

People who had once whispered behind our backs were now eager to curry favor.

An idea began forming in my mind, taking shape with surprising clarity.

Almost unconsciously, I found myself driving toward Rosa Villa that afternoon. It wasn’t until I spotted Marcus sitting on the terrace that the realization hit me: why had I instinctively come to him for counsel?

Thinking about it logically, there really wasn’t anyone else suitable. My grandmother and mother, while intelligent and resilient, were out of their depth in modern corporate warfare. William was too elderly to burden with such matters, and more importantly, he was Jack’s grandfather -asking him to help me compete against his own grandson would be inappropriate. As for Marcus...

I sighed inwardly, not denying there was an element of exploitation in my seeking his help. But as long as he didn’t explicitly mention his feelings for me, I would be willing to do whatever he asked of me. *Within reason, of course.*

I hesitated at the entrance, debating whether I should proceed, when Rachel’s voice broke through my thoughts.

"Ms. Shaw, Mr. Murphy has already seen you."

Taking a deep breath, I decided that since I was already here, I might as well continue to leverage his assistance.

I put on my most charming, most attractive smile.

"Uncle Marcus, I brought you chicken soup."

The soup had been specially prepared by my chef, filled with premium ingredients selected for their healing properties. After Rachel brought a bowl, I personally ladled a portion for Marcus, feeling somewhat guilty but feigning concern.

"Uncle Marcus, how’s your injury? I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance to check on you."

Marcus observed me quietly, seemingly waiting for the next act in my performance. I enthusiastically continued, "Please try the soup, Uncle Marcus. It contains herbs that help your body."

He took a sip, responding simply,

"That’s thoughtful of you."

"It’s the least I could do." Seeing him drink the soup, I finally revealed my purpose. "Uncle Marcus, I’d like your advice on something."

He gave me a level look, as if he had already seen through my intentions.

"Go ahead."

I explained about the flood of family invitations we’d received, then said earnestly, "You know Shaw Corp is nowhere near the scale of Simpson Group. If I want to compete for Skylake District, I’ll need allies."

Marcus cut straight to the point.

"Murphy Global hasn’t been involved in real estate development in recent years. I’m afraid Skylake District might not interest them."

I’d considered this possibility but wanted to try anyway. "But Skylake has natural advantages. If developed properly, it would certainly be profitable. Might your brother reconsider?"

He finished the soup in a few quick sips, then countered with a question of his own. "Have you considered that if Murphy Global agreed to work with you, would you still maintain control?"

I froze. I had thought about this on my way here, but too simplistically. I’d forgotten that Phillip Murphy was a highly successful businessman-if Murphy Global truly became interested in Skylake, why would they let someone else take the lion’s share?

They could easily monopolize the entire Skylake District, just like Simpson Group had tried to do. Like with the Phoenix Project—because Simpson Group was more powerful than Shaw Corp, Jack had brought Lucy in, and I couldn’t refuse.

Seeing my serious expression, Marcus continued, "You can forget about my brother, but as for me, you might want to consider my offer."

I was stunned, hardly believing what I was hearing. "Uncle Marcus, what-what do you mean?"

He poured himself a cup of tea, saying calmly, "William is getting old. I’m planning to gradually shift my business operations back to America.

Skylake District could be my first investment here."

I exclaimed, "You mean you want to invest in Skylake District?"

He looked directly at me. "So I’m telling you-go for it. You’ll succeed.

Your Uncle Marcus has plenty of money."

I felt my adrenaline surge, my heart beating faster. This man really knew how to apply pressure, targeting my vulnerability with almost surgical precision. Indeed, what Shaw Corp lacked was capital. But such an arrangement would entangle me more deeply with Marcus Murphy.

I inwardly laughed coldly: *He likes to use William as a shield.* If he were truly that filial, all these years it wouldn’t have always been William flying back and forth to see his son.

No wonder he had been so supportive of me—he had probably anticipated I would come seeking help today.

Coming back to myself, I forced a casual laugh. "Ha ha, Uncle Marcus, you must be joking. Your business empire is entirely overseas—a small project like Skylake District hardly seems worth your attention."

I thought to myself: *Do I really have enough allure to make Marcus Murphy abandon his international business and return to America? That’s absurd.* While I had confidence in my attractiveness, I wasn’t blindly self-assured. Besides, sacrificing myself for the Skylake project? I wasn’t that foolish.

Marcus seemed to see through my thoughts, saying unhurriedly, "I’m just giving you something to think about.

You can go back and consider it carefully."

Remembering something, he emphasized, "Rest assured, regarding Skylake District, we’re only discussing business cooperation."

Marcus’s POV

I watched Anna’s retreating figure as she practically fled Rosa Villa, her composed exterior betrayed by the hastiness of her departure.

Once her car disappeared down the driveway, I turned to Peter who stood silently nearby, awaiting instructions.

"You think she’ll be back tomorrow?" asked casually, though I already knew the answer.

Peter considered the question carefully.

"I doubt it, sir. You made your position quite clear, and Ms. Shaw seemed... unsettled by the conversation."

A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Actually, I’m betting Anna goes straight to Murphy Estate from here."

Peter’s eyebrows rose slightly-the closest he ever came to expressing surprise. "After what you just told her?

She seemed eager to leave, sir."

"That’s exactly why," I said, leaning back in my chair. "Anna Shaw doesn’t retreat; she regroups and counterattacks. It’s in her nature."

I sipped my tea, contemplating the complex woman who had occupied my thoughts for so long.

"She won’t believe what I’ve told her without testing it herself," I continued.

"She needs to see the rejection with her own eyes before she’ll truly accept it."

Peter nodded, his expression carefully neutral.

Half an hour later, Peter’s phone rang.

I watched as he answered it, listened intently, then glanced at me with a look of barely concealed surprise.

"Thank you for the information," he said before ending the call and turning to me. "Mr. Murphy, you were right.

Ms. Shaw just arrived at Murphy Estate. She went there directly after leaving here."

I continued typing an email, my fingers never pausing on the keyboard.

"She’s predictable in her unpredictability," I replied, allowing myself a small smile of satisfaction.

"That’s her nature-she needs to verify everything personally, especially information that contradicts what she wants to believe."

"What’s the status of our investigation?" I asked, deliberately changing the subject.

Peter’s tone immediately shifted, professionalism masking his earlier surprise. "I apologize, Mr.Murphy, but we’re facing significant constraints in Sky-view City. Our team can’t operate with the same freedom we have in Europe. We’ve confirmed Mr. Simpson returned to Moonlight Cove after the incident, but we couldn’t track his movements or contacts once he entered the community. The security there is... substantial."

I processed this information silently.

The pieces were aligning exactly as I’d suspected.

"If my assessment is correct, we’ll see new developments soon," I said finally, my voice calm despite the gravity of the situation. "They’ve made their first move. They’ll be watching for our reaction before determining their next step."

Anna’s POV

The drive to Murphy Estate had been impulsive. Marcus’s offer to invest in Skylake District seemed too convenient, too perfectly timed. I needed to verify his claims about Murphy Global’s lack of interest myself, directly from his brother. If Phillip Murphy confirmed what Marcus had said, I’d be forced to reconsider my options.

Now, sitting across from Phillip in his meticulously organized study.

"If Murphy Global were to enter Skylake District," Phillip said, leaning forward in his leather chair, "our share would have to be at least eighty percent." His tone was friendly, but his words cut through my hopes like a blade. "Anna, you’re a young person I greatly admire, so let’s set everything else aside—you should understand this isn’t me taking advantage of you. And if I partner with you, I’d inevitably offend the Simpson family, which is something I must consider. Purely from a business perspective, I hope you won’t take it personally."

My chest tightened, but I maintained my composure. "I won’t take it personally," I replied quickly, "thank you for being so candid with me. I understand." The words felt hollow in my mouth, a thin veneer over the bitter disappointment settling in my stomach.

Phillip nodded, seemingly satisfied with my response. Then those weathered eyes-eyes that had witnessed decades of business triumphs and failures-fixed on me with unmistakable meaning. "You’re a smart young woman. Let me be clear:

Murphy Global has no interest in Skylake District. Whoever you partner with, we have no objections."

My heart skipped a beat, my expression sharpening involuntarily.

This business veteran’s perceptiveness was remarkable-had he already deduced I’d just come from Marcus?

More than that, his words carried implications beyond Marcus, possibly extending to the Simpson family. Was he subtly suggesting that regardless of whether I chose to work with Marcus or Jack Simpson, he wouldn’t oppose it?

Feeling heat rise to my cheeks, I struggled to maintain my poise.

"Thank you for your advice. I won’t take up any more of your time. I’ll go find Catherine for a chat."

I found Catherine in the garden pavilion, sprawled comfortably across a chaise longue, scrolling through her phone with practiced disinterest. When she spotted me, her face lit up with genuine warmth.

"The business talk is over already?

That was quick," she remarked, patting the space beside her.

"Your father made his position quite clear," I admitted, unable to keep the disappointment from my voice.

Catherine sat up straighter, her eyes sparkling with sudden enthusiasm.

"Girl, you go for it! I’m totally supporting you. My aunt Mary has been looking down on you all this time, right? You need to show her what you’re made of."

The mention of Mary Simpson brought an unexpected smile to my face.

Catherine and Mary’s strained relationship was well-known among those close to the family. Years ago, during Catherine’s college days, she’d secretly dated a young man—a relationship unknown to the Murphy family until Mary accidentally discovered it.

Mary, who had been trying to match Catherine with a Simpson family nephew, was furious-more so than Catherine’s own mother. After investigating and finding the boy’s family was of modest means, Mary had gone to his parents’ home and humiliated them. I never learned the full details, only that Catherine eventually broke up with the boy.

Since then, she’d lived freely and uninhibitedly, harboring not a shred of affection for her aunt Mary.

"My father won’t invest, but I will," Catherine declared, mentally calculating her resources. "I can put up two or three hundred million.

Would that be enough?"

Hearing that figure, a wave of bitterness washed over me. This heiress had hundreds of millions in idle funds while doing nothing, and here I was, having worked tirelessly for years with a net worth nowhere near hers.

"Don’t be so quick to jump in," I said, forcing a casual tone. "Wait until I crack this Skylake District tough nut, then I’ll bring you aboard."

Catherine grinned happily. "Then I’ll just wait to ride your coattails!"