Chapter 60: A special reward

Words : 1104 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 60: A special reward Anne’s jaw dropped, her mouth forming a big ’O’. "What? The CEO?" she exclaimed. "Yes." His voice remained calm, as though it was nothing out of the ordinary. But for Anne, it was incredible news. "Oh my God! You are the CEO! Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?" Augustine cast her a teasing look. "Well, now that you know, what are you going to do? Shower me with gifts? Or do you have a special reward in mind?" Her face lit up with excitement. "Anything you want," she declared. "For news this big, I’m willing to give you anything." A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes. "Alright, I’ll tell you what I want. But don’t go back on your word." "I won’t," she promised confidently, completely unaware of what he had in mind. ~~~~~~~~~ At Denis’s office... "How did this happen?" Denis roared upon hearing that Anne’s father had been taken out of the hospital. Haris trembled, lowering his head. "This was only supposed to be a warning for Anne," Denis barked. "How could the hospital discharge him? I gave clear instructions to the dean—what was he doing?" "Mr. Augustine took him away," Haris revealed hesitantly. Denis’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. "What? Did you say, Augustine? How could he possibly manage that? He is nothing..." The idea that Augustine had the power to take someone from his grasp was beyond his imagination. "The dean received a call from the chairman and had no choice but to approve Paul Clair’s discharge," Haris explained after a moment of hesitation. A muscle under Denis’s eye twitched as he processed the information. Augustine had actually influenced the hospital’s chairman. It was completely unexpected. How could he manage to do that? "Mr. Augustine has strong ties with the Sphere Group," Haris added. "Not only is he the CEO of Starlite Corp., but he is also overseeing the Sphere Group’s new office. He has been seen visiting the newly acquired building, and word is that operations will begin there as soon as next month." "Humph!" Denis scoffed in disdain. To him, Augustine was just another employee under the Sphere Group’s umbrella—nothing more. "He is only riding high because of the Sphere Group’s support," Denis sneered, his mind already calculating his next move. "And that support can be taken away. Without them, he is nothing but a worthless stray—a dog raised by the Beaumont family." His fists tightened on the table. If he could prove Augustine’s incompetence in handling the business, the Sphere Group would have no reason to keep him. And once they discarded him, Denis would make sure he was finished for good. "Keep me informed about his every move," he ordered, waving Haris away. Haris nodded and promptly walked out of the office. Left alone, Denis’s expression grew even colder. He snatched up his phone and dialed a number. When the call connected, a sly smile stretched across his lips. "Grandpa, when are you coming back? We all miss you." His grandfather had been staying at their ancestral home in the suburbs for several months. Normally, Denis wouldn’t have cared whether the old man returned or not, but only his grandfather had the power to control Augustine. Years ago, it was because of him that Augustine had been sent abroad and kept away for ten years. Now, Denis wanted history to repeat itself—he needed Augustine gone so no one could stand in his way. "You miss me? Don’t lie!" his grandfather’s booming voice nearly deafened him. "In the past six months, you never called me once. And now you say you missed me?" Denis grimaced and pulled the phone slightly away from his ear. If he hadn’t needed his grandfather’s help, he wouldn’t have bothered calling. Swallowing his irritation, he softened his tone. "Grandpa, trust me. I really did miss you. I’ve just been swamped with work. But now, I want to see you. I’ll come and bring you home." "There is no need," Dimitri, his grandfather, replied dismissively. "I’ll return before my eighty-fifth birthday." "Your birthday is still three months away. That’s too long," Denis said impatiently. "You should come back sooner. Augustine has finally returned after all these years. Don’t you think we Beaumonts should welcome him properly? You should be here." A heavy silence hung on the other end before Dimitri let out a deep sigh. "You are right. We should welcome him in grand fashion." Denis smirked as he ended the call. Knowing his grandfather’s pride, he was certain the old man would never accept a woman like Anne, who came from a humble background. He would undoubtedly pressure Augustine to leave her. And, as always, Augustine wouldn’t dare defy Dimitri. "Anne, let’s see how long you can hold out without anyone to support you," Denis murmured, a triumphant gleam in his eyes. Ding... His phone buzzed with incoming messages from Tania. Unlocking the screen, her photo immediately filled the display. She was dressed in a revealing nightgown, the sheer fabric barely concealing her fair skin beneath the deep red fabric. The plunging neckline left little to the imagination. ’I bought a new nightdress just for you. Come over tonight. I can’t wait to see you.’ Once, messages like these would have sent his pulse racing, making him drop everything to rush to her. But now, they barely sparked any interest. With an indifferent glance, he tossed the phone aside and returned to his work. Tania kept staring at her phone, waiting for a reply—but the screen remained blank. No messages. No calls from Denis. Frustration bubbled inside her. He used to respond to her messages instantly—Denis had never ignored her like this before. But now, his obsession with Anne had grown so intense that he no longer even paid attention to her. "Ugh..." she groaned, slamming her fist against the soft mattress. "He is ignoring me." A sense of unease crept over her. She had done everything to keep him by her side—she had drugged him, slipped into his bed, and even faked a pregnancy, hoping to make it real soon enough. But after three months of sleeping with him, she still hadn’t conceived. If Denis ever found out the truth about her fake pregnancy, she would be finished. The thought of losing him sent a wave of desperation through her. "No, I won’t let that happen. I have to do something. I must marry him and secure my place in the Beaumont family." Her mind raced for a solution. "I need to find him and talk to him. He can’t just ignore me like this."

Chapter 60: A special reward

Comments (0)