Anna's POV
"Anna Shaw?" A familiar voice called out my name, cutting through the stunned silence that had fallen over the auction hall.
"Yes, it's me." I nodded in response, keeping my expression deliberately calm despite the storm of emotions raging inside me.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"She finally showed up." "Can't believe she's reporting George Simpson at a time like this." "That's either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid."
These whispers washed over me like a gentle breeze-irrelevant compared to the plan occupying my mind. The auction had been interrupted at precisely the right moment, and I couldn't allow anything to distract me from my objective.
Catherine rushed to my side, her eyes frantically scanning me for injuries.
"Are you okay? What happened with the accident?"
