Anne’s eyes narrowed slightly. She hadn’t expected to see him here. Augustine, however, barely reacted, his expression unreadable.
"You? What are you doing here?" Anne asked with disbelief.
Denis stood tall, posture rigid, his usual arrogance oozing through his body language. "I could ask you the sa."
Anne bristled. "We are here on business. We had a scheduled eting with the board of directors."
"Really?" Denis looked at Augustine. His confusion was clear—why would the Sphere Group board et with the CEO of a small company?
It didn’t add up.
"What’s so hard to believe?" she shot back. "Augustine is the CEO of the company undertaken by the Sphere Group. We were invited here officially. So yes, we belong here."
Denis didn’t buy it.
The main office wouldn’t summon soone just for a routine update. Those matters could easily be handled at the branch level. Clearly, there was sothing deeper going on beneath the surface.
His eyes shifted to Augustine, the man he had once dismissed as so average executive running a modest firm. But after learning so secrets about him and what he had witnessed just now, his suspicion of Augustine only grew.
He was certain Augustine was no longer the ordinary man he used to know. He had beco far more formidable.
But how?
How had soone like Augustine climbed so high in a company like this?
Denis could feel it in his gut—this man had powerful connections and hidden influence.
His thoughts were cut short when Anne spoke again, snapping him out of his spiral.
"But what are you doing here?"
Denis gave a sly smile, tilting his head slightly. "You should ask your husband," he said with a hint of provocation. "He might already know."
"Actually, I do," Augustine replied coolly. "Before we arrived, I heard that you helped resolve the land issue for Sphere Group’s model city project. The managent appreciated that. I figured they’d call you in."
The managent appreciated...
Those words rang in Denis’s mind like a warning bell. That simple phrase confird that Augustine was a part of the higher-ups in the company. Probably even part of the board of directors.
It made sense now—how he had access to the board. Denis clenched his jaw but masked it quickly with a smug smile.
"Yes," he said with pride swelling in his voice. "And guess what—I secured the ga project. Once it’s done, we’ll be signing a long-term partnership deal."
"Partnership deal?" Anne turned to Augustine, eyebrows raised in confusion. She couldn’t wrap her head around it. How could Denis even entertain that idea?
Augustine, unfazed, simply offered a polite smile. "Congratulations on landing the project." H placed a reassuring hand on Anne’s back. "I’m sure you’ll finish it on ti."
Without waiting for a response, he guided Anne toward the elevator.
Denis remained frozen in place, watching them walk away. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, the muscles in his jaw twitching. Jealousy, anger, and frustration all coiled together like a knot.
His glare locked on Augustine’s back. "You think you have won?" he seethed. "But I’ll bring you down. I’ll expose you to Anne."
Inside the elevator...
Anne turned to Augustine.
"What is this really about?" she asked sharply. "Are you seriously planning to work with the Beaumont Group? You handed over the model city project, and now you are talking about a partnership?"
Augustine didn’t answer right away. Instead, a sly, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Suspicion rose in her heart. "What’s going on in that head of yours?"
"It’s a trap," Augustine replied. "The model city project is practically dood in that area. Land mafia controls most of the region. It’s a war zone, not a construction site. The chaos there will break him. Denis doesn’t stand a chance."
Anne was still trying to process his words. "But that kind of failure... it’ll an a massive financial hit. Aren’t you worried about the damage to the business?"
"To gain sothing greater, I’m willing to take the hit."
Anne stared at him, then a slow, knowing smile curved her lips. "So you knew all along the project was set to collapse. And you used Denis’s ego, his hunger to align with Sphere Group, to make him walk right into it."
Augustine nodded, closing the space between them. He slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.
"What do you think of your husband now?"
"You are dangerously cunning," she whispered, looping her arms around his neck. "And I love it."
"And I love my brilliant wife," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her.
Lost in their kiss, Augustine and Anne didn’t realize the elevator had reached the ground floor. With a soft swish, the doors slid open, and they finally pulled apart. Turning their heads, they spotted a small group of employees standing just outside, staring at them with wide eyes and dropped jaws.
Anne’s cheeks burned fiercely as she quickly buried her face against Augustine’s chest, heat rushing up to her ears. Augustine wrapped his arms around her protectively and calmly guided her out of the elevator. Keeping his usual calm and charm, he nodded politely to the onlookers with a confident smile, moving past them with effortless grace.
Once they were safely inside the car, Anne shot him a playful, but annoyed glare. "You! You are the reason for all that embarrassnt. Everyone was staring at us."
Augustine shrugged casually. "There is nothing to be embarrassed about. We are husband and wife."
Anne pouted, crossing her arms as she turned to look out the window. "Still... I didn’t expect to be so public about our... closeness at the office."
Augustine’s eyes twinkled with amusent. "Alright, alright, don’t be upset. I’ve got a surprise waiting for you."
He started the engine, and the car pulled away smoothly.
Anne’s expression softened, a spark of excitent lighting her eyes. She was eager and curious to see what Augustine had planned next.
~~~~~~~~
Augustine held Anne’s hand firmly as they walked along the private pier, and the tranquil sea glittered under the sunlight. Wind tousled her hair, and though she had tried asking him three tis where they were going, he only responded with a mysterious smile and a wink.
When they reached the end of the dock, Anne froze.
There, waiting like sothing out of a dream, was a dazzling white yacht—sleek, opulent, and utterly breathtaking. Two uniford crew mbers stood ready to assist them aboard.
Anne blinked, stunned. "Augustine... is this—?"
He turned to her, eyes twinkling. "Surprise. Lucien gave us this for the day—it’s a honeymoon gift."
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