"You... you only ever think about that," Anne muttered, pouting as she crossed her arms. "I wasn’t talking about that at all. I wanted to ask you about... your schoolboy crush on ."
Augustine’s grin only widened, clearly enjoying her flustered state. "Eager, aren’t you?" he teased. "I wasn’t lying, you know. I really did follow you around quietly."
"Then why didn’t you ever co talk to ?" Anne was genuinely curious.
"Because I was a coward back then," he admitted, a hint of embarrassnt coloring his tone.
His cheeks ward slightly as mories flooded back — mories of standing at a distance, stealing glances at her, feeling a surge of jealousy whenever she smiled at another boy.
"I saw how you threw away all those love letters from other guys. It scared . I was sure you’d reject too, without even a second thought."
Anne grew quiet, lowering her gaze to her hands resting on her lap. His fears hadn’t been entirely wrong. Back then, she had been so caught up in her one-sided love for Denis that she had been blind to everyone else. She had dismissed every boy who dared approach her, without ever noticing the quiet, brilliant boy who admired her from afar.
She had admired Augustine for his sharp brain and perfect grades, but love?
Back then, she hadn’t even considered loving anyone other than Denis. Now all her illusions had shattered. Her youthful dreams about Denis had crumbled, leaving scars that had shaped the woman she had beco. There was no going back to that foolish, blind girl.
Looking up at Augustine, Anne forced a mischievous smile onto her face, pushing away the lancholy. "Here I thought you were just the studious boy, all about books and grades. anwhile, you were busy keeping an eye on the whole ti."
Augustine gently reached for her hand, lifting it to his lips and pressing a tender kiss to her knuckles.
"Back then," he said quietly, his chest heavy with the weight of old wounds and hard-earned strength, "I was weak. I was scared. People pushed around, and I let them."
His thumb brushed lightly over her hand. "But life didn’t let stay that way. It knocked down, taught the hard way, and forced to beco soone stronger, soone who doesn’t flinch or back away anymore."
He turned his gaze to her. "You’re my life now. I’ll protect you — always." He kissed the back of her hand yet again.
Anne’s heart swelled at his words. Smiling softly, she shifted closer, resting her head against his shoulder. His warmth, his presence, wrapped around her like a comforting shield.
"I know," she whispered. "And I’ll always be with you, through everything."
~~~~~~~~~~~
The mansion had fallen into an eerie stillness as everyone fell asleep. But Tania remained awake, her figure barely visible in the dimly lit room as she stood by the large French windows. She pressed her phone tightly to her ear, her voice low and urgent as she spoke.
"Relax, Aunt. Everything is going exactly the way I planned. The engagent is next week. Once I officially beco a Beaumont, no one will be able to push out. I’ll bring you back as soon as I have secured my place."
There was a brief pause, the faint sound of her aunt’s worried voice crackling through the speaker.
"What about the fake pregnancy? How are you going to explain not having a baby later?"
Tania’s lips curved into a sly, sinister smile. "I’ve already thought it through. The baby won’t make it. That’s the only way to cover up this lie. Everything is set... It’s just a matter of perfect timing now."
She sounded so confident, so certain, as if failure was never even a possibility.
Her aunt’s voice rose slightly with alarm. "You are planning to fake a miscarriage? Tania, that’s dangerous! What if soone finds out? These Beaumonts — they are powerful. If you get caught, you will be ruined. We won’t be able to fight them. It would be better if you just gave up and ca back. Why didn’t you accept Enzo’s offer? I thought you agreed to return with him. He even called the other day to say you would. Now he is not answering my calls. Have you spoken to him?"
At the sudden ntion of Enzo, a shadow crossed Tania’s face, her features tightening with a mix of rage and unease. Enzo was gone, lying buried in the cold earth beside her parents’ graves. She had killed him and sealed away the secret with her own hands.
"I’m not giving up on my plan," she spat. "I don’t know anything about Enzo anymore. I’ve cut him off for good. My only focus now is marrying Denis and fulfilling my promise to Mom and Dad. I’m not leaving until it’s done."
"What promise?" A voice ca from behind.
Tania gasped and spun around, her heart leaping into her throat. Standing a few steps behind her was Denis, his sharp gaze fixed suspiciously on her.
Panic flared inside her as she quickly ended the call, stuffing her phone behind her back. Her mind raced frantically — when had he co in? How much had he overheard?
Denis moved closer, his head tilting slightly. "Who were you talking to? You said sothing about a promise."
Tania’s heart pounded, but relief flickered when she realized he had only caught the tail end of her conversation. Plastering on a soft, innocent smile, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself against him. The strong scent of alcohol clung to him, filling her nostrils.
"I was talking to my aunt," she said sweetly, tilting her head to et his gaze. "I visited my parents’ grave today. I told them about you... and our baby. I promised them I would be happy and make them proud."
She sighed softly. For now, her secret was safe.
Denis froze for a mont as Tania clung to him, his body stiff under her touch. But he eventually relaxed, pulling Tania into a gentle hug. "You miss them a lot, don’t you?"
"Every single day," Tania replied, her eyes clouded with sadness. "My father died in a tragic accident, and my mother couldn’t bear the loss. She had a heart attack and passed away soon after. It was devastating. If my aunt hadn’t stepped in, I would have ended up in an orphanage. She sacrificed her own life, never married, just to raise . She ans everything to ."
"Then why not invite her to our engagent?" Denis suggested.
Tania shook her head gently. "She won’t be able to make it this ti. But she promised she would be there for our wedding." Looking up at him with a flicker of hope in her eyes, she asked, "Could we get the marriage certificate first? The wedding can wait, but... I want to have your na before our baby is born."
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