Chapter 219: My life begins and ends with you.

Words : 1182 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Chapter 219: My life begins and ends with you. Augustine took a slow drink. "I used to think she wouldn’t be able to handle all of me, that she’d run if she ever saw what my life truly is." He paused, eyes hardening with certainty. "But tonight, I saw the truth in her eyes. She was ready to die beside me." He looked directly at Lucien. "So no... she won’t leave. She is stronger than I ever imagined." Lucien leaned against the bar, swirling his glass and watching the liquid. "Who were they? Why were they after me?" Augustine asked. Lucien’s jaw tightened, and his grip around the glass stiffened. "They are from a rival gang," he said through clenched teeth. "My godfather wiped it out years ago. But they have resurfaced." He took a hard breath, finishing the scotch in one long pull, then slammed the glass onto the counter with a heavy thud. His eyes burned with fury. "They have been rebuilding in the shadows, forming alliances with smaller syndicates across the globe. And now, they are provoking me." Augustine listened, expression grim, absorbing every word. "I interrogated one of them," Lucien continued. "He talked. They got the wrong intel, thought I was here, relaxing, unguarded. They came to take me out. But instead, they found you. Their boss ordered them to kidnap you. They thought they could use you to control me, force my hand." "I see." Augustine nodded understandingly. Lucien’s gaze narrowed. "But here is the thing. It was supposed to be a secret. Almost no one knew you were coming here. Even fewer know this island is mine, let alone that I have a base here." His voice dropped to a deadly murmur. "There is a mole." Augustine’s face hardened as the weight of the revelation settled in. Lucien’s tone shifted. "Don’t worry. I’ll find the rat. And I’ll bury the rest of them. You are safe. I swear, nothing like this will ever happen again." He gave a tight smile. Augustine nodded. "I appreciate it." Lucien added, "Tell your wife not to worry. My men will escort you both back to the city tomorrow. Everything will be handled." "Thanks, Lucien," Augustine said, standing. He clasped Lucien’s shoulder briefly. "Get some rest. Goodnight." He walked back to the bedroom. Lucien poured himself another drink, eyes distant, mind racing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anne twisted in her sleep, her breathing uneven, trapped inside the nightmare. She was running through a dense, tangled forest, clutching Augustine’s hand. Behind them, voices shouted through the darkness. "Catch them... Kill them..." Gunshots echoed. The pounding of boots grew louder. "Run," Augustine said urgently. "I’ll hold them off." "No—wait—" But before she could reach for him, he slipped from her grasp, disappearing into the darkness. "Augustine!" she cried, panic tearing through her. She spun around, searching, but the forest seemed endless, dark, and terrifying. Then came the gunfire. She froze, heart hammering, as flames suddenly erupted through the trees, licking toward the sky. The jungle lit up in red and orange, and the heat felt real. "Augustine!" she screamed, stumbling toward the fire. Somewhere through the roar, a voice called her name, soft but steady. "Anne..." But she couldn’t focus. Her mind was too hazy. "Anne, wake up." A sudden jolt pulled her from the darkness. Her eyes flew open, and she gasped for air like someone breaking the surface of deep water. Sweat clung to her skin, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Two strong arms clasped her shoulders. "It’s okay," Augustine’s voice soothed. "It was just a nightmare. You are safe. It’s over." Anne clung to him like he was the only thing holding her together. Her fingers curled into his shirt, and she buried her face in his chest. She inhaled his scent, letting his warmth calm the storm still spinning inside her. She hadn’t lost him. They were alive. Together. Far from the chaos. "You are in a safe place now," Augustine murmured as he ran his fingers gently through her hair. "No one is coming after us. It’s over." Anne gave a faint nod, still catching her breath. She pulled back just enough to see his face, her hands rising to cradle his cheeks. "You are here," she whispered, voice shaky. "Alive. But when I couldn’t find you, when I saw the fire," her throat tightened, "I thought I lost you forever." Augustine caught her hands in his, lifting them to his lips. "I’ll never leave you," he said quietly. "I couldn’t. You are everything to me. My life begins and ends with you. How could I ever walk away from that?" He leaned forward, placing a kiss on her forehead, letting it linger. When he finally pulled back, his eyes softened further. "We’ll be leaving soon. Go freshen up, get dressed. We’ll eat, and then we’re heading back to the city." It was then that Anne noticed the pale morning light slipping through the curtains. The sky beyond the window was soft and gold. A new day had begun. They were no longer trapped in the darkness. She nodded and slid out of bed, disappearing into the bathroom. ~~~~~~~~~~ Nathan guided Margaret into the hospital room. On the bed, Paule shifted the moment he saw them, tension rippling through his body. He sat up straighter, eyes flicking between Nathan and the woman beside him with wary curiosity. "Mr. Clair," Nathan began, "this is my mother." He gestured gently toward Margaret at his side. "We are here to ask you about Anne. Please—we need the truth. We need to know if she is my sister." Margaret stepped forward, her eyes already glistening with emotion. "Please, Mr. Clair," her voice trembled, "I’ve been searching for my daughter for over twenty years. There was never a single trace until now." She pulled out her phone with shaking hands and brought up a photo—Anne standing beside Augustine, smiling, radiant, seemingly at peace. She held the screen toward him, her lips curling into a small, hopeful smile. "She looks just like my daughter. Even her features are similar to mine. I can feel it. She is mine." Paule took the phone from her, his eyes settling on the image. Anne’s expression in the photo was warm, full of life, so different from how she had once been, so far from the lost little girl he had taken in. His chest tightened. After all the struggles, she had built something beautiful. But Margaret and Nathan’s presence made him uneasy. He feared that a shadow from the past might resurface and shatter the happiness Anne had finally found. He still remembered how no one had come forward to claim her all those years ago. That silence had led the authorities to abandon the case, and ultimately, Paule had adopted her legally. "My sister was kidnapped when she was just three," Nathan said, snapping Paule back to the moment. "Since then, my mother has been in depression. But when we saw Anne’s picture, it felt like hope again. She just wants to see her daughter. To bring her home."

Chapter 219: My life begins and ends with you.

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