Chapter 24: You’re already falling for me.

Words : 1233 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 24: You’re already falling for me. Anne stiffened, his words shocking her. Fall in love with him? The idea should have made her laugh. She should have scoffed, rolled her eyes, brushed him off. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. Because deep down, she felt it—the undeniable pull toward him. The way her heart pounded, the way her body reacted at his nearness – it was something she hadn’t anticipated. It terrified her. Her silence and the look in her eyes revealed that he had certain effects on her. At least, she didn’t push him away. Augustine’s eyes flickered with something triumphant. A knowing smile touched his lips. It was enough for him to believe that he could make her fall for him. Leaning even closer, he whispered in her ear, "You’re already falling for me." Anne inhaled sharply, startled by his sheer confidence. Her lips parted to protest, to throw back a sharp remark—but before she could speak, he pressed a finger against her lips. Her entire body tensed at the light touch. His voice dropped lower. "Tonight is our wedding night. Let’s not waste it arguing." A small smirk played at the edge of his lips. "Come, let’s sleep." Anne swallowed. A nervous weight settled in her stomach, pulling her down with uncertainty. Sharing a bed with him? Even though they were legally married, the mere idea of it sent unease creeping into her chest. "Augustine..." she murmured, pressing her hands firmly against his chest, creating a barrier between them. "Can we... take it slow? I—I’m not ready yet." For a moment, he said nothing. His intense gaze lingered on her, dark and unreadable. "I’m not a very patient man," he rasped. "But for you, I can wait." A quiet sigh of relief escaped her lips. "Thank you for understanding," she whispered. But that relief was short-lived. Before she could even process it, his hand tilted her chin slightly, his eyes locking onto hers with quiet possession. "But," he warned, his voice edged with something dangerously firm, "you are not allowed to think about another man. It should be only me in your heart and mind." And before she could react, in one swift, effortless motion, Augustine scooped her into his arms. A startled gasp escaped her lips as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, her heart hammering against her ribs. His grip was strong, steady—unwavering. The world blurred as he carried her toward the bedroom. Her mind went blank, words eluded her, and all she did was stare at him. Augustine gently laid her onto the bed. Hovering over her for just a second, he studied her face, his gaze filled with something that made her breath hitch. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips against her brow. The lingering warmth sent a strange tingling sensation through her body. "Sleep," he said quietly. The next minute, he straightened and exited the room. Anne lay still, her fingers drifting up to where his lips had just touched her skin. The warmth was still there. Unwittingly, her lips curled into a smile. ’He is impossible.’ Biting her lower lip, she hugged a pillow tightly against her chest. ’How am I supposed to ignore a man like him?’ ~~~~~~~~~~~ Denis didn’t go home. Instead, he drowned himself in liquor at a bar, the bitter taste of alcohol doing nothing to numb the storm raging inside him. Anne had actually left. She left with Augustine. He couldn’t accept it. The memory played over and over in his mind—Augustine’s hand resting on her waist, the way she had leaned into him and smiled at him as if he were the only man who mattered. Denis gritted his teeth and poured the last remnants of whiskey into his glass, downing it in a single gulp. The burn of alcohol seared down his throat, but it was nothing compared to the inferno consuming him from within. His fingers clenched around the empty glass. "How dare she?" he muttered under his breath. Grabbing another bottle, he twisted the cap off, but before he could, a firm grip clamped around his wrist. "Enough already." The bottle was snatched from his hand in one swift motion. Denis turned sharply, glaring at the interruption. Roger, his longtime friend, stood beside him, his expression tight with frustration. "You’ve already finished an entire bottle," he said, shoving the whiskey out of Denis’s reach. "I’m not letting you drink more. Your stomach is gonna hate you for this." Denis scowled, reaching for the bottle anyway. "Give it back." Roger didn’t budge. Instead, he pushed the bottle farther away. "Why the hell are you acting like this?" he snapped, clearly impatient. "You and Tania dated for five years before she went abroad. You spent all that time waiting for her, hoping to reconcile, wanting to marry her—even when you had Anne." Denis didn’t say a word. Roger shook his head. "It’s obvious you had no real feelings for Anne. She was just a distraction. But now? Tania’s back. Isn’t that what you wanted? Shouldn’t you be happy?" Denis maintained silence. For the first time, he wasn’t so sure what he wanted anymore. Roger had witnessed Denis’s excitement firsthand when Tania announced her return. He had seen the way Denis had dropped everything to be with her, treating her like she was the most precious thing in his life. And now? He was sitting here, drowning himself in alcohol, acting like a man whose heart had just been shattered because Anne had left him. Roger couldn’t wrap his head around it. "When Anne was with you, you didn’t care about her," he said, exasperated. "And now that she has broken up with you, you’re furious?" He arched an eyebrow in disbelief. "Come on, dude... isn’t this a good thing? You can finally be with Tania. Isn’t that what you wanted?" Denis’s jaw clenched, and before Roger could react, he slammed his fist onto the table. "She has no right to break up with me," he snarled, his bloodshot eyes gleaming with obsession. Roger tensed. Denis’s voice rose, thick with anger. "She has been chasing me for so long! Her only dream was to marry me. For the past three years, I’ve taken care of everything—her expenses, her lifestyle. How could she just leave me?" He shook his head, his mind scrambling for an explanation, any explanation that made sense to him. "This isn’t normal," he muttered. "She can’t be with another man." Then—his expression shifted. His fists loosened slightly as something clicked in his mind. "Of course," he said with a twisted justification. "This is about money." Roger’s eyes narrowed. "What?" Denis scoffed, his lips curling in bitter sarcasm. "That bastard Augustine must have lured her with money. He definitely has ulterior motives for approaching Anne. He is using her against me." His gaze hardened. "I won’t let him do that. I won’t let him use her against me." With renewed determination, Denis pushed himself up from his seat—only for his balance to waver. His body swayed unsteadily, his legs barely holding him upright. "Whoa, careful—" Roger was at his side in an instant, grabbing him before he could stumble. He sighed heavily, frustrated. "Why the hell did you drink so much? Come on, I’m taking you home." Roger looped Denis’s arm over his shoulder and guided him toward the exit.

Chapter 24: You’re already falling for me.

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