Chapter 124: You are everything I never thought I deserved.

Words : 1161 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 124: You are everything I never thought I deserved. After their passion slowly ebbed into quiet, a silence settled between them. Anne lay curled against Augustine’s chest, her body warm and pliant with contentment, her breathing slow and steady. Augustine pulled the blanket over them and rested his chin on the top of her head. His arms encircled her protectively. He stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. "Tonight... I was lost in you. When I touch you... It’s like the world disappears. There’s nothing else—just you—it felt like you were pulling me deeper into you, body and soul." Anne was so tired that she could only hum. Her eyelashes fluttered faintly. His fingers absentmindedly played with a lock of her hair. "You’re my calm in the chaos, Anne. The way you look at me with so much love—I don’t know how to hold it all." A faint smile played on her lips. She wanted to respond, but sleep had already begun to claim her. Unaware that she had already fallen asleep so easily in his arms, he kissed the top of her head. "With you, it’s everything. You’ve become everything." He shifted slightly so he could see her face and found her asleep. A rare softness tugged at his chest as he watched her features relax in sleep, her lips parted slightly, her brow smooth. She looked so innocent, so trusting. Augustine held her closer, his heart so full it ached. "In my past life, I lost you, became the reason for your untimely death," he murmured, his throat tightening. "I was in so much grief – I couldn’t forgive myself." He let out a slow, shaky breath. "Thankfully, I got another chance to rectify my mistakes in the past. And you are finally with me." He held her tighter. "You’re everything I never thought I deserved. In this life, I’ll never lose you." He pressed a soft kiss to her temple before gently easing her head onto the pillow. "Sleep well," he whispered. "I won’t be long." Then, slipping out of bed, he wrapped a robe around himself, picked up his phone, and quietly stepped out of the room. Augustine stepped onto the backyard porch and called his grandfather. The night air was sharp, chilling his skin and pushing his hair across his forehead, but he stood firm. The warmth in his expression faded, replaced by a hard, steely calm as he waited for the line to connect. The line rang longer than usual before Dimitri’s deep voice answered. "I thought you wouldn’t call me again after that argument." "Why are you doing this to me?" Augustine shot back. "You know I don’t want to marry Megan. Yet you placed her right in my office. Why?" "What are you talking about? I—" "Don’t act clueless," Augustine cut him off, his voice rising. "Stop the games. I won’t let you control my life. Keep pushing me like this, and one day, you won’t recognize the man you’ve turned me into." "Augustine!" Dimitri’s voice cracked with emotion. "How could you say something so cruel? Are you trying to cut me out completely?" But Augustine’s expression was carved from stone. There was no guilt, no hesitation. Just years of disappointment finally reached a breaking point. "I was stupid to think you still cared. I was willing to give you a chance. But you touched my bottom line. Anne is my limit, and you hurt her by placing Megan at my office. Now, I don’t want to keep any contact with you. I don’t recognize you as my grandfather anymore." "Augustine?" Dimitri roared. "Do you even know what you are saying? You are a Beaumont. You want to sever the blood connection!" "Whatever bond we had—it broke a long time ago," Augustine said bluntly. "Don’t say that." Dimitri’s voice softened. "Just listen. I didn’t—" He tried to explain, but Augustine didn’t let him finish. "I’m done with excuses. I’ve heard them all before. They make me sick." A long, weary sigh came through the phone. "I’m sorry, Augustine," Dimitri apologized. "I regret so much... If only I hadn’t let my bias cloud everything..." His words trailed off, choked by the weight of guilt he could no longer ignore. For a few seconds, none of them spoke. Hearing the genuine remorse in his grandfather’s voice, Augustine felt a flicker of emotion stir within him. Though anger and resentment still weighed heavily on him, he wasn’t entirely hardened toward the old man. "I won’t force you to do anything anymore," Dimitri added softly. "Forget the marriage talk. You have every right to choose who you want. If you’re happy with her, that’s enough for me. Bring your wife tomorrow. Come to the mansion. I’d like to meet her." Augustine had previously thought of taking Anne to the mansion and getting a blessing from his grandfather. But now, he didn’t want to. "I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’ll keep my wife away from the Beaumonts." "You?" Dimitri gritted his teeth, his annoyance returning. But he swallowed his anger. "Since you married her, she is a part of this family. You shouldn’t keep her away. It may make her doubtful. She may think you don’t want to include her in the family. I no longer care about her family background. Bring her. I’d like to see her, talk to her. There is something I want to give her." Augustine remained quiet, letting the words settle. He was cautious—still skeptical—but he felt something different in his grandfather’s tone. Maybe the old man was finally trying. Besides, he wouldn’t let Anne doubt him. After a moment’s pause, he nodded and said, "Alright. We’ll come." The next morning... Anne stirred slightly, her lashes fluttering as she slowly woke. She found herself cradled securely in Augustine’s embrace, his chest pressed to her back, his breath warm against her bare shoulder. For a moment, she simply stayed still. Then she turned her head—slowly, cautiously—and looked at him. Augustine was still asleep, his expression peaceful. His hair was slightly tousled. Anne’s gaze roamed across his face, tracing the strong lines of his cheekbones, the perfect slope of his nose, and finally settling on his jaw—so defined, so masculine. She couldn’t help but reach out delicately, lightly skimming along the edge of his jawline, then brushing over the slight stubble with the barest touch. The warmth of his skin made her heart throb louder in her chest. He looked devastatingly handsome, even in sleep—maybe more so. And he was hers – all hers. The ache in her waist reminded her of the night they had shared. A flush of heat crept up her neck and settled on her cheeks. She bit her lip to stifle a smile. Then, he suddenly caught her wrist. Anne inhaled sharply as she saw him opening his eyes. Her cheeks turned crimson. "Can’t stop staring at me?" he teased, a taunting smile on his lips.

Chapter 124: You are everything I never thought I deserved.

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