gan stood frozen, her mouth slightly open, heart thudding wildly in her chest. "Already married?" she exclaid, stunned. "When? How?" Her mind raced, unable to comprehend.
If Augustine was truly married, why would his grandfather send a marriage proposal to her family? No, it had to be a lie, a bluff to push her away.
Her fingers curled into fists, fury bubbling beneath her skin. "You think you can run from with that cheap excuse?" she muttered.
The more he pushed her away, the stronger her desire to conquer him grew. It wounded her pride and beca a challenge, and she hated to be defeated.
"I’ll make you mine," she growled, watching his retreating figure with venomous resolve.
As Augustine settled into the backseat, Gustave slid into the driver’s seat. He turned to him and handed his phone over. "Robert found the guy. He sent a picture. You’ll want to see this."
Augustine took the phone casually, but the mont his eyes locked onto the image, his entire body tensed. His gaze darkened with recognition. "This man! Isn’t he Tania’s ex-boyfriend?"
Gustave nodded grimly. "Yes. That’s Enzo. The last recorded call he made was to Tania on Saturday. Since then, he has vanished. Robert is still tracking him and has asked for more ti. He is confident he’ll find him."
Augustine’s mind raced. He had already looked into Tania’s past—her connection with Enzo during her years abroad was no secret to him. She had reappeared out of nowhere three years later and conveniently set her sights on Denis. But Enzo resurfacing and then disappearing after attempting to harm Anne didn’t sit right.
"Tania is more dangerous than we assud," he said thoughtfully, a hint of suspicion sharpening his tone. "Enzo’s sudden disappearance is not normal. Sothing is wrong. I want eyes on her. Dig into everything. Why did she target Denis after all this ti? And why is she so desperate to marry into the Beaumont family?"
"I’ll get on it," Gustave replied resolutely.
"Good. Now take back to the office," Augustine ordered, his expression cold and calculating.
Without another word, Gustave started the car.
When Augustine stepped into the office, his gaze imdiately landed on the bouquet resting on Anne’s desk. The sight struck a nerve.
gan’s words echoed in his mind—’Denis had brought flowers for Anne.’
His hands slowly clenched into fists at his sides. He pulled out his phone and dialed Anne’s number. As the line rang, an ache twisted in his chest at the thought of her being with Denis.
The call connected after a few rings.
"Where are you?" he asked flatly, keeping his tone casual though the edge in his voice betrayed his agitation. "I returned to the office and saw your desk empty."
Anne, unaware of his inner turmoil, responded gently, "You ca back to the office? How was the eting?"
"I asked you sothing," he snapped, unable to mask his frustration.
"I’m at the hospital," she answered quietly. "Sothing happened to my father. He is in the ICU, but the doctors say he is stable now. I’m waiting for Patricia. Once she arrives, I’ll co to the office."
"No. Don’t co. Go ho and rest. We’ll talk in the evening."
"Okay, um—" she began, but the line went dead before she could finish.
Anne stared at her phone with a sigh. Was he upset? she wondered, her heart sinking slightly.
It wasn’t hard to guess why—he must’ve heard about Denis’s visit to the office.
"I’ll explain everything to him later," she murmured.
In Denis’s office...
He burst through the door, his face twisted with fury. On the sofa, Tania was lounging casually, scrolling through her phone, but the mont she saw him charging in with a thunderous expression, her posture straightened, wariness flashing in her eyes.
Denis seized her arm, yanking her to her feet. "Are you spying on now?"
"No." Tania wrenched her arm free, glaring. "gan sent a ssage." She quickly held out her phone, displaying a series of photos of Denis with Anne.
"You took her flowers. We are about to get engaged, and you still haven’t let her go?"
Denis’s face hardened. "I went there to speak with Augustine," he growled. "Dad asked to arrange a eting with the Sphere Group. It was about business, not Anne."
Tania faltered, her lips parting, but no words coming out. Regret flickered across her face as she realized her mistake—she had overreacted without knowing the full story.
"I’m warning you," Denis said coldly. "Just because I agreed to this engagent doesn’t an you get to ddle in my work. Stay out of it."
Her anger gave way to desperation. She reached out and took his hand. "I’m sorry... please don’t be upset. When gan sent that ssage, I just—"
"gan?" Denis cut in sharply. "Who is she? Are you close to her?"
The suspicion in his gaze made Tania’s throat tighten. The conversation had taken a sudden turn, and now, she realized, she had no answer.
"I..."
"That woman is jealous of Anne," he snapped, cutting Tania off. "She has her eyes on Augustine and wants to marry him. She’ll try every underhanded tactic to stir trouble for Anne."
He raised a stern finger, his eyes flashing with warning. "Let make this very clear—don’t even think about ssing with Anne. She is now part of this family. Grandpa has already accepted her. If you do anything reckless, it’ll co back to , and I won’t forgive you. Got it?"
Tania’s eyes stung with unshed tears. She bit her lip, the sting of humiliation washing over her. This wasn’t the Denis she used to know—the one who resented Augustine and would never have welcod him into their circle. But now, he was standing up for Anne, claiming that she was a part of their family.
"I understand," she murmured, lowering her gaze. She didn’t dare argue back. But deep inside, she made a silent vow: ’Anne wouldn’t last in this family.’
Denis turned his back on her, walking to his desk and sinking into his chair, already imrsed in work. "You can leave now." The dismissal was evident.
Tania lingered for a beat, her pride aching. Then, silently, she turned and left the room, wiping her tears.
"Enjoy it while it lasts, Anne," she muttered, her expression hardening. "Soon, the family will throw you out. Let’s see how Augustine can protect you this ti."
~~~~~~~~~
When Anne stepped into the house, the sight of Augustine sitting stiffly on the living room sofa made her pause. His jaw set in a grim line, his posture rigid—clear signs he was upset. Still, she mustered a smile and approached him.
"When did you get back?" she asked softly, hoping to ease the tension.
But her steps ca to a halt as her eyes fell on the bouquet resting on the table—the sa one Denis had handed her earlier that day. Her smile faded.
Augustine didn’t miss her reaction. His eyes stayed fixed on her, reading every flicker of expression. "What’s wrong? Surprised? The bouquet is yours, isn’t it? I found it on your desk."
His voice was calm, but the chill in it was unmistakable. He wasn’t pleased.
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