Anne swallowed hard, her chest tightening at his words. This man... he trusted her, standing by her side, his support unwavering.
Anne lifted her arms, encircling them around his neck as she leaned in, her lips brushing against his in a tender yet deliberate kiss. "Thank you for trusting ," she whispered, her breath warm against his lips. "Thank you for not blaming for the thing I didn’t do."
A deep hum rumbled in Augustine’s chest as he pulled her closer, his hands tightening around her waist. "I’ll never bla you," he murmured before capturing her lips once more.
This ti, his kiss was slow and deliberate, his lips moving against hers in a sensual caress as if savoring the feel of her.
Anne let out a soft, breathy laugh, placing her hands firmly against his chest. "Control yourself," she teased, her flushed cheeks betraying her own excitent. "We’re still at the office."
Augustine exhaled sharply, amusent flickering in his dark eyes. "Don’t bla ," he growled as he fought the temptation gnawing at him, his voice rough with desire. "You make it impossible to control myself."
He had been restraining himself since last night, and now that she was in his arms, his resolve was slipping fast.
Tilting her chin with a single finger, he locked his lips with hers again. This kiss was different—urgent, demanding, filled with a hunger he could no longer suppress. His mouth moved against hers, tasting her, devouring her, his tongue slipping past her lips to deepen the kiss.
Anne lted into him, her fingers threading through his hair as she kissed him back just as fervently. Their tongues tangled, neither willing to give up dominance.
The heat between them surged, their bodies drawn together by an undeniable spark. Every instinct urged them to give in, to lose themselves in the mont and forget the world around them. But restraint won out—they knew exactly where they were and forced themselves to hold back.
As they pulled away, their breaths mingled, both still recovering from the intensity of their kiss. Augustine kept his arms securely wrapped around her, unwilling to let go.
Anne leaned into his chest, her head resting against him, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. His warmth surrounded her, lting away the last remnants of her worries. But she still pouted with disappointnt.
"My phone – it’s broken," she complained.
Augustine caressed her hair soothingly. "Don’t worry. I’ll get you a new one."
Her smile returned. "I cleared the interview," she murmured. "They appointed as the lead of the project. I start tomorrow."
A slow smile spread across Augustine’s lips. "I knew it," he said, his tone brimming with pride. His arms tightened around her slightly, his admiration for her growing even more.
But then Anne pouted, a slight frown appearing on her face. "I’m a little upset with you."
Augustine imdiately tensed. His smile faded as he glanced down at her. He assud she was upset about what had happened earlier with Lorie. "Are you still thinking about what happened outside? If you don’t like her, I’ll fire her right away."
Anne tilted her head up, her eyes locking onto his. "Why did you even hire her in the first place? Don’t you know she is my stepsister?"
Stepsister?
The word echoed in Augustine’s mind like an alarm. Irritation flickered across his face as he silently cursed himself for not looking into Lorie’s background sooner.
"Sorry," he apologized. "The company assigned her internally, and I didn’t check. I had no idea she was your stepsister. But don’t worry—I’ll have her removed imdiately."
Anne, however, lifted a hand, stopping him mid-sentence. "There is no need for that."
Augustine studied her, intrigued. "Why not?"
A knowing glint sparkled in her eyes. "Lorie doesn’t know I’m your wife yet. That’s why she is trying to paint as the villain. If you fire her now, it’ll send the wrong ssage. Employees will assu I used my influence to get rid of her, and that won’t sit well with my position here."
Augustine nodded slightly, assessing her with interest. "Then how do you plan to handle her?"
Anne smiled slyly. "Let’s keep our marriage a secret for now. I want to see just how far Lorie is willing to go."
Augustine’s brows pulled together slightly, concern flickering in his eyes. "I know you’re capable of dealing with her," he said gently, his hands gliding up and down her arms in a comforting rhythm. But he didn’t forget to reason with her. "But she is unpredictable. She could hurt you, cause problems. Why keep soone like that close when you know exactly what she is capable of?"
Anne felt a warmth stir in her chest at his words—genuine, protective, and unfiltered. Aside from her father, no one had ever made her feel this way. Knowing that Augustine was by her side strengthened sothing inside her. It assured her that she wasn’t alone anymore. And that made all the difference.
"All those years growing up, Lorie bullied , blad for things I didn’t do, and stole the recognition I worked hard for," Anne said bitterly. "I stayed quiet—for my father’s sake. I felt obligated because of everything he did for . But that ends now."
She drew in a long breath, straightening her spine. "I’ve spent my life putting others first—caring for them, smoothing out their paths, convincing myself that their happiness would bring mine. But I see it clearly now—I lost myself in the process."
A bitter smile tugged at her lips. "No one values sacrifice when they get used to it. The people I trusted the most are the ones who left with the deepest wounds."
Her eyes hardened with resolve. "That won’t happen again. I’m done being the quiet one. Anyone who tries to step on will regret it. As for Lorie—she picked the wrong person to ss with this ti. I’m not backing down. I’ll wait for the right mont, and when I strike, it’ll be a blow she’ll never recover from."
The fire in Anne’s eyes struck a chord in Augustine. He saw his own past in her—years of being underestimated, mistreated by people like Denis. He knew exactly how that kind of pain shaped soone. At that mont, her fight beca his.
"Alright," he relented. "Handle it your way. Just don’t forget—I’m here. Whatever you need, I’ve got you."
Anne’s smile widened, warmth replacing the steel in her eyes. "I know."
"Good. Now, let’s stop wasting breath on her. I have sothing for you."
He took her hand and led her over to the chair by the desk, gently easing her into it. "Sit tight," he murmured, his eyes lingering on her before he straightened up and moved around the worktable.
He opened a drawer and pulled out a small velvet box. His fingers brushed on its edge as he wondered how she would react to seeing the necklace. With steady steps, he returned to her.
"Go on, open it," Augustine said, the corners of his lips lifting in a quiet smile as he placed the velvet box in her hands.
Anne’s eyes lit up. "Another gift?" she gasped, barely able to contain her excitent.
He nodded. "To celebrate your new role. You deserve it."
"Thank you," she grinned, flipping the lid open with eager fingers—only for her smile to vanish the mont she saw what was inside.
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