Chapter 12: The rescue

Words : 1522 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 12: The rescue Both men tensed instantly, exchanging alarmed glances. "I told you – someone is in danger." Augustine ran toward the source of the sound, Gustave hurrying closely behind him. The cries grew louder as they neared. Under the faint glow of moonlight, they saw a man pinning a struggling woman to the ground. "Get off me, you monster..." That voice. Augustine’s blood ran cold when he recognized the voice. He froze in the mid-step, disbelief and shock flashing across his face. "Anne." Her name ripped from his lips in a furious shout as something inside him snapped, dashing over. Hearing a voice calling her name, Anne’s heart thumped with hope. "Help," she cried, using every ounce of her strength to shove against the man pinning her down. But he was too strong, his grip too unforgiving. Suddenly, a dark figure lunged toward them. Before Anne could process what was happening, her attacker was ripped away from her, yanked off with a force so brutal that he tumbled backward with a choked grunt. Anne gasped, scrambling back against the rough earth. Her fingers dug into the dirt as she watched, wide-eyed, the scene unfolding before her. ’Augustine,’ Anne mumbled inwardly, relief crashing over her in waves. With raw fury burning in his eyes, Augustine descended on the man, his rage spilling over in a series of merciless punches. The man groaned in pain, but Augustine wasn’t done. He pounced, straddling his attacker and raining down blows with relentless force. His fist crashed into the man’s face, snapping his head back. Then again. And again. His anger consumed him whole, and he wanted nothing but to finish the man, who had dared to hurt Anne. "Sir, leave him," Gustave intervened, grabbing Augustine’s arm mid-swing. "He is already unconscious." But Augustine was too furious to listen to anyone. With a guttural groan, he pushed Gustave away, his body coiled like a beast ready to tear its prey apart. He started punching the man yet again. "He’ll die," Gustave exclaimed, grabbing Augustine by the shoulders, dragging him back with all his strength. "Calm down. You are scaring Miss Clair." As soon as Augustine heard Anne’s name, his expression froze, and his movements stilled. His chest heaved as he turned, his furious gaze locking onto Anne. She sat curled against the rough ground, her knees drawn to her chest, arms wrapped around herself as if trying to disappear. Her torn dress barely covered her trembling form. The faint moonlight illuminated her tear-streaked face. The rage inside him simmered. But her fearful state twisted in his gut. "Take her away," Gustave urged. "I’ll handle this man." Augustine barely heard him. His feet moved on instinct, closing the distance between him and Anne in a few long strides. His steps came to a halt when he looked at her torn clothes. Anne tried to cover herself with her shredded dress, not meeting his eyes. The sight made something inside him break. Augustine shrugged off his coat and draped it over her shoulders wordlessly. "Are you okay?" he asked gently, squatting in front of her. Anne’s shoulders quivered. She slowly shook her head, her fingers gripping the edges of his coat. Augustine watched her for a long moment, his mind racing with questions. How had she ended up here? Alone, in a deserted place in the middle of the night? Shouldn’t she have been home? But he didn’t ask. Now wasn’t the time. The terror in her eyes was still fresh. His questions would only make her feel worse. First, he had to take her to a safe and warm place. He would later find a suitable time to talk to her clearly. "Sorry, I should have ensured your safety," he apologized, regret flickering in his eyes. He had left her alone this morning, thinking she would be fine. "But I won’t let anyone hurt you again. From now on, your safety is my priority. I’ll take care of you, Anne. I promise." He slid his arms beneath her, lifting her effortlessly into his embrace. Holding her close, Augustine carried her to his car. Anne instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at him, warmth spreading across her chest. Even though none of this was his fault, he still apologized for not protecting her sooner. The worry in his eyes —she had only expected to see such sincerity in Denis, but she had never noticed it in their three years of relationship. Denis—the man she had loved, devoted years of her life to—had abandoned her in the middle of nowhere without a second thought. Just a phone call from Tania had been enough for him to discard her, leaving her vulnerable, not even considering what might happen to her. He didn’t care. And yet... he still refused to let her go. Anne’s heart twisted in pain. If she had been wise enough to recognize the truth earlier, she wouldn’t have gone through all this. ’I should have seen through him sooner.’ Augustine gently placed her in the passenger seat, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Hold on, I’ll take you home." He walked around to the driver’s seat. Igniting the engine, he pulled the car away. Anne leaned back against the seat, her head resting against the cushion as she gazed out of the window. Her mind reeling from the incident. If Augustine hadn’t arrived in time... She shuddered at the thought. "Thank you," she murmured in a daze. "I don’t know what would have happened to me if you didn’t show up." His eyes flicked toward her, concern deepening in his gaze. He hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, unable to keep the question at bay any longer. "What were you doing there?" Anne swallowed, her fingers tightening around the coat draped over her. "I went to a club with Audrey," she began. "I just wanted to unwind, to forget everything for a little while. Then, I ran into Denis. He forcefully took me out of there..." Her voice wavered as she recalled the argument in his car—the accusations, the condescension, the moment he shoved a credit card at her like she was nothing more than a possession to be bought. "Tania called," she forced out, her hands clenching into fists. "That was it. That was all it took for him to throw me out of the car like I meant nothing." Her voice cracked. "He left me in the middle of nowhere." His jaw clenched, his expression darkening with restrained fury. His heart twisted as he saw the pain in her eyes. He reached out and covered her hand with his. "I know you are hurt. You are scared, angry, and in pain. But the best thing is that you are safe now. I know it won’t be easy to forget what happened. But don’t let it consume you. Can you not think about it?" Anne took a shaky breath, forcing herself to push the pain down. "I’ll try," she whispered. A flicker of relief crossed Augustine’s face. But deep inside, something hardened within him. ’I’ll make you forget all the pains,’ he vowed silently. The ride was wrapped in silence. No more words were exchanged after that. Several minutes later... They finally arrived at Augustine’s house. Once inside, he led her to the bedroom. Anne sank onto the edge of the bed, her shoulders slumping, her eyes vacant. She looked lost—like a ghost of herself. Augustine hesitated for a moment before speaking. "If you want to clean up first, go take a shower. I’ll grab the first aid box." He turned to leave, but before he could take a step, a delicate hand reached out, clasping his wrist. His entire body tensed. The unexpected touch sent a strange shiver through him, and for a moment, he just stood there, still, his heartbeat drumming in his ears. Slowly, carefully, he turned back to her. "It was my birthday," she murmured, tears brimming in her eyes. "But no one cared about it. No one wished me." His chest tightened, feeling her pain. It was not different from his. Ever since his parents had died, no one remembered his birthday. He had never celebrated it. "In the past, my father always brought me cake," she murmured, a faint, bittersweet smile tugging at her lips. "He’d buy me a new dress, cook my favorite meal, and always have a surprise gift waiting for me." Her voice wavered as she swallowed down the lump in her throat. "But ever since he has been in a coma... no one truly cares." The agony in her heart seeped into every word, twisting her features with pain. "I thought Denis loved me. I gave him three years of my life. I put him first—his likes, his happiness, his needs. I thought if I loved him enough, if I tried hard enough, he’d forget about his Tania and love me back." Tears streamed down her cheeks. "But in the end, I was nothing to him. Just a stand-in. A substitute for the woman he really wanted."

Chapter 12: The rescue

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