Denis’s expression shifted instantly, his gaze locking onto the ring as if it were a foreign object.
Married?
His mind raced. He recalled her telling him that she planned to marry Augustine, but he had dismissed it as an empty threat, a desperate attempt to wound his pride.
Had she actually done it?
The thought sent a sharp, unpleasant jolt through his chest. He refused to believe it.
"No." He shook his head. "You’re lying. You’re only doing this to frustrate —to make get my attention." His voice grew more insistent, desperate. "You wouldn’t just marry so random guy. You love ."
"She no longer loves you."
Both Anne and Denis turned toward the source.
Augustine strode toward them with slow, deliberate steps, exuding an air of quiet authority. His presence alone was enough to shift the balance of power, radiating a confidence that was both effortless and intimidating.
Denis felt his insides twist with fury at the sight of him, but Anne... she smiled. Relief washed over her features as Augustine approached.
Stopping beside her, he wrapped an arm around her waist. The warmth of his touch sent a flutter through Anne’s chest.
"Anne is my wife now," Augustine stated. He held her gaze with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat.
In that mont, they saw only each other, treating Denis as though he didn’t exist.
"She belongs to ." Augustine finally turned his head, his sharp gaze settling on Denis.
"No..." Denis muttered, refusing to accept what he was seeing. His finger jabbed in their direction, his nostrils flaring. "Both of you are lying. This is just a mind ga—so pathetic trick to get under my skin. But I’m telling you now, it’s not going to work. You can’t fool ."
Yet, despite his defiant words, sothing in his gut twisted with doubt.
The way Anne looked at Augustine—the quiet trust in her eyes, the ease with which she leaned into him—was sothing he had never seen before.
Denis’s chest rose and fell erratically, his emotions clashing in a violent storm of anger, frustration, and desperation. The overwhelming sense of loss clawed at him, sothing he had never felt before—sothing he refused to accept.
’No. This isn’t happening.’
He was Denis Beaumont—a man who never lost, especially not to a man like Augustine.
And Anne...
She had always been his – always clinging to him, following his every command, obeying him without question. She had depended on him for everything—for love, for stability, for financial support. She had once worshiped him.
How could she change so much? How could she suddenly stand there, looking at another man with such certainty? How could she act as if she no longer needed him?
It was impossible.
His pride couldn’t accept it.
He took a step forward, stretching out his hand toward her. "Co with , Anne," he ordered with forced restraint. "Don’t make any more of a scene here. I don’t have much patience."
Anne’s expression turned ice-cold. "Why would I go with you?" she snapped. "My husband is here to pick up."
Denis’s patience snapped like a frayed wire. His composure cracked, and fury poured through him, burning like an inferno.
"Husband?" He scoffed, his voice rising. "What husband? You’re only pretending to be married to irritate . I know you can’t just forget years of loving ."
Anne sneered, crossing her arms. "If you don’t want to believe it, that’s your problem." Her eyes glead with sharp confidence.
"You’ve locked yourself inside a bubble of your own making. You only believe what fuels your pride. You only do what you want, without caring about anyone else’s feelings."
She took a step closer to him and tilted her head. "You know what?" Her lips curled into a mocking smirk. "I just realized how selfish you truly are. You don’t love , and you don’t love Tania either. If you did, you wouldn’t be this desperate to keep , even knowing she is carrying your child."
Her voice dropped into quiet disdain. "You disgust , Denis," she added. "I hate myself for not seeing your true nature sooner."
Denis stood frozen, her words sinking into him like poison. For the first ti, he realized—Anne wasn’t the sa woman who once adored him.
Maybe... she never would be again.
Denis’s fury exploded at this thought, shattering the last remnants of his self-control. His hand shot up, aiming to strike Anne across the face.
But before the blow could land, Augustine seized his wrist, stopping him mid-air.
His grip was unyielding, his piercing gaze locking onto Denis with quiet, deadly rage.
The two n stood locked in a battle of wills, the air between them crackling with hostility. They seethed, shooting murderous glares at each other.
"Dare to hurt her," a low rumble escaped from the depth of Augustine’s throat, "I’ll tear you apart."
Denis yanked his hand free, his entire body seething with unchecked rage. "Well, well..." he sneered, his lips curling in disgust. "So this is how it is? You two conspired to deceive ."
His furious gaze snapped to Anne. "It’s pathetic, watching you stoop so low becoming a manipulative liar just to get back at ."
Then, his glare turned back to Augustine, burning with resentnt. "And you, dear cousin... helping her twist lies into truth? What a miserable attempt to challenge ."
Augustine studied him for a long mont, silent and unmoved. There was no point in arguing. Even if they had shown Denis their marriage certificate, he wouldn’t believe it.
Augustine turned his attention to Anne. "You’re right, Anne," he said, his voice as blunt as a blade. "So people are too full of themselves to see reality. Let’s go. He is not worth another second of our ti."
He placed a firm hand on Anne’s lower back and guided her toward the car. Before getting in, Augustine cast Denis one last, piercing glare, warning him silently that he would not tolerate any further harm toward Anne. Then, he opened the car door for her.
Denis stood rooted in place, his entire body rigid with anger. His knuckles turned white from the force of his clenched fists, his vision darkened with a dangerous mix of rage and obsession.
"How dare you walk away from , Anne," he growled through gritted teeth, his breathing heavy with suppressed fury. "Don’t think you can get away from . I’ll make you crawl back."
His jaw twisted with determination.
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