Dimitri clenched his teeth, trying to endure the stabbing pain in his chest, but when his gaze fell on Gabriel, fury blazed in his eyes. Even now, with him suffering before his eyes, Gabriel showed no concern—only selfishness and complaints.
Regret twisted Dimitri’s heart painfully. If only he had acted against Gabriel earlier, Jeanne’s life might have been spared.
"Gabriel..." he forced out through gritted teeth. "You heartless man. I disown you..." His words broke into a violent cough.
"What did you just say?" Gabriel exclaid, stunned.
"You were never a good son. You failed as a husband, and you failed as a father," Dimitri rasped, his mouth twisting as the pain deepened. Still, the fire in his eyes didn’t waver. "You murdered a devoted wife for the sake of a wild woman. You don’t deserve a shred of happiness."
Gabriel scrunched up his nose. "Are you...cursing now?"
"Enough," the butler snapped. "Can’t you see how much the master is suffering? And still you have the heart to argue with him? If you can’t help, then leave at once."
Gabriel let out a bitter laugh. "Even the servants dare to scorn now," he muttered. "Fine...since none of you care about , I won’t care either. You are not my father anymore."
With that, he stord out, slamming the door behind him.
Dimitri slumped against the sofa, his breathing ragged and uneven. Alard, the butler grabbed the phone and dialed. "This is Beaumont Mansion," he said urgently. "Send an ambulance imdiately—the master’s condition is deteriorating fast."
Augustine had just wrapped up shopping with Anne, his arms stacked high with bags as he guided her out of the mall. Their soft laughter echoed through the parking lot.
He let out a dramatic sigh while tossing the bags into the back seat. "Ah, my hands are killing ."
Anne imdiately caught his hands, frowning when she noticed the red imprints lining his palms and fingers. Her face tightened with concern.
"Why didn’t you give so? You always act to be strong and end up hurting yourself. Look at this—again."
"It’s nothing, barely a mark," he reassured, slipping one arm around her and resting his other hand gently on her baby bump. "See? I’m all better now."
Anne tried to keep her stern look, but the tug at the corners of her lips betrayed her. "You are getting ridiculously dramatic."
"If it makes you smile, I’ll keep it up," he teased.
A laugh rose in her chest, though she forced it back. "You are wrong—I don’t like it at all." She gave him a playful nudge in the stomach before slipping into the passenger seat.
Augustine chuckled, circling the car and sliding into the driver’s seat. "Are you sure you want to head straight ho? Or should we stop by your favorite restaurant for dinner?"
Anne paused to think. "After months of ho-cooked als, I’ve grown fond of the housekeeper’s simple dishes. Let’s go ho."
"As you wish," he said, turning the key in the ignition.
Just then, his phone buzzed, and the butler’s na flashing on the screen made his brow crease.
"Hello?"
"The old master’s condition has worsened," the butler’s urgent voice ca through. "He has had another heart attack. The doctors are preparing for ergency surgery. Please co to the hospital right away."
Augustine’s stomach dropped. "I-I’ll be there imdiately."
He ended the call and turned to Anne, his words tumbling out. "Grandpa has been taken to the hospital. I need to go there."
Anne’s face paled with worry. "I’m coming with you."
"No," Augustine shook his head. "I’ll take you ho first. I don’t want you under any stress."
"But I need to be with Grandpa," she pressed firmly. "I can handle it."
He faltered, caught between worry and her resolve, then gave a reluctant nod. "Alright. Let’s go."
Without wasting another second, he sped off.
~~~~~~~~~~~
By the ti Gabriel returned ho, dusk had already settled. He trudged heavily into the house, only to be unsettled by the eerie silence that greeted him.
When Jeanne was alive, the place was always bright, alive with warmth. Now, the sa house felt hollow, stripped of its soul.
The hall sat in shadows, the kitchen was pitch dark, and even the bar in the corner was swallowed by gloom.
His brows knitted. "Why hasn’t Tania turned on the lights? Could it be she isn’t ho?"
He made his way toward the bedroom, but froze mid-step when muffled, suggestive noises drifted from behind the closed door.
"What is she doing in there?" he muttered under his breath, unease prickling his skin. A sudden thought struck him, making his chest tighten. "Could sothing have happened to her?"
He grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, only to find it locked from the inside. Confusion crept across his face.
Why would she lock the door?
He raised his hand to knock, but before his knuckles t the wood, the sound of a man’s laughter rang out from within.
His frown deepened, his blood running cold. ’She brought another man into the house.’ His mind went blank.
"The cops won’t let him off so easily," the man said with certainty. "And even if he does get out, Denis and Augustine won’t spare him. He murdered his wife and buried her in the jungle. I can’t wait to see Denis’s reaction when he finds out. Let send him the video. He deserves to see how that monster buried his own wife."
Gabriel stumbled back, his face draining of color. He had been convinced no one had witnessed him killing Jeanne or disposing of her body. But he was wrong. Soone had been watching him all along, recording every move. The truth hit him like a thunderclap. Terror rippled through him.
"Patience," Tania’s lazy voice followed. "We’ll do that later. For now, we need to stay cautious until he signs everything over to our baby."
Gabriel froze, his head snapping toward the door, eyes narrowing in disbelief. ’What did she just say? That baby... isn’t mine?’
Another crushing jolt of realization struck him.
He rembered the warnings, everyone telling him not to trust Tania. But he hadn’t listened. Blinded by desire, intoxicated by her youth, he had believed every word she spoke, forgetting that soone who lied once could just as easily lie again.
A bitter, humorless laugh slipped past his lips. "So, you deceived after all."
When she told him she was pregnant, he had been overjoyed, convinced he finally had a child of his own. But it had all been a lie. He had clung to her false promises, fallen into her trap, and turned his back on the very people who had truly cared for him.
Denis might not have been his blood, but the boy had still called him Dad. And what had he done in return?
He had betrayed him, slandered him, destroyed his na. Worst of all, he had murdered the woman who had stood by him through every storm.
His knees weakened, and he staggered back, tears stinging his eyes.
"How blind I’ve been," he murmured. "I betrayed my own family... and trusted a stranger."
"You are cunning," the man’s voice floated from behind the locked door. "But that’s what I like about you. Soon, our child will inherit the Beaumont fortune."
"It will," Tania replied firmly. "Gabriel is gullible despite his pride. His desperation for a son makes him easy to manipulate. He’ll do anything for the child as long as he believes it is his. He is not the real obstacle. Augustine is. Unlike hot-headed Denis, he is calm, calculating, and dangerous. He is the true threat."
"Leave Augustine to ," the man assured her. "We’ve been waiting for the right ti to strike. He and his boss will soon be under our grip, begging for rcy."
Listening from outside, Gabriel’s face twisted in fear. The man with Tania wasn’t just so fling. He sounded dangerous and was plotting against Augustine.
"They are planning to hurt him," Gabriel muttered, dread churning in his stomach. "I-I must warn him."
A decision hardened in his mind. He would admit his mistakes, beg Denis and Augustine for forgiveness, and stand with them to bring Tania down. That was the only way to make ands, to protect the family.
"I know it’s selfish," he whispered, regret hitting him hard. "But I need to set things right. Maybe... they’ll forgive ."
He spun around and rushed down the hall, but in his haste, his leg struck an antique showpiece. It toppled and shattered across the floor, the sharp crack echoing through the silence.
Gabriel froze, a shiver crawling over his skin, his eyes darting back toward the closed room.
"Soone is outside," Tania exclaid sharply. "Go check."
Gabriel’s pulse spiked, and he turned to run, but it was too late.
The door burst open, and a tall, powerfully built man stord out. In a few swift strides, he caught up to Gabriel and drove a brutal kick into his back.
Gabriel crashed to the floor, gasping as the air was knocked from his lungs.
"Argh..." he groaned, pain shooting up his spine. Struggling, he lifted his head, only to see a towering figure glaring down at him, grey eyes glinting with nace.
His gaze flicked past the man to Tania, who had followed. She slid her arm possessively around the stranger’s, her expression nothing like the pitiful woman he once knew. Confidence radiated from her, her eyes gleaming with sly amusent.
"You..." Gabriel stamred, shock tightening his throat. "Who is this man?" he demanded, trembling with anger and pain. "What’s your relationship with him?"
Tania’s lips curled into a smile as she glanced up at the man. "He is Vlad," she said sweetly. "My boyfriend."
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