CHAPTER 324: THIS IS HOW A WIFE BEATS A MISTRESS.

"I see..." Augustine’s lips tilted into a smirk.

"Recently, we caught his informant from the head office," Gustave continued. "Luckily, we noticed him on time. Otherwise, he would have blown your cover. But don’t worry—it’s all settled now. We only fed him the message we wanted him to deliver. Right now, both father and son are gushing with pride, believing they are winning this game."

A faint glint of ruthless satisfaction flickered in his eyes. "But in the end, they’ll find themselves crushed—we will be the real winners."

The smirk deepened on Augustine’s face. "What’s the update about Nathan and Mr. Oliver?"

"I’ve already checked what Mr. Oliver is up to. With his help, you’ll get what is rightfully yours."

Before Gustave could go on, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the caller ID, and his expression shifted instantly.

"I need to take this call," he muttered, stepping a pace away. He swiped the screen and lifted the phone to his ear.

"Hello..."

"You won’t believe what just happened here. Jeanne hit Tania in front of a large crowd. She slandered her, called her a mistress, a home wrecker. I’ll send the video. Just watch it."

Gustave’s phone buzzed again with the arrival of a message. His thumb flicked across the screen, and a grainy video opened.

On it, chaos unfolded: Jeanne’s face twisted with fury, her hand striking across Tania’s cheek; the crowd’s gasps rose in the background; Tania stumbled, eyes red with humiliation, as everyone cursed and shouted at her.

Gustave’s usually disciplined composure cracked. Deep in his chest, laughter welled up, unrestrained.

"This is how a wife beats a mistress," he muttered under his breath.

Augustine noticed the sly curve tugging at Gustave’s lips. The glint of amusement in his eyes raised curiosity in Augustine’s mind.

"What makes you so happy? What are you watching?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"If you see it, you’ll laugh as well." Gustave passed the phone to his boss.

With a flick of his thumb, Augustine played the video. Jeanne slapping Tania flashed on the screen.

"This is more than we expected," Gustave said with satisfaction. "I never thought Jeanne would go this far, exposing Tania in front of so many people. She didn’t even care about the family name or her husband’s reputation."

Augustine’s sharp eyes stayed fixed on the video, though his mind was already working several steps ahead. His expression gave nothing away but the faint glimmer of calculation flashing in his gaze. Slowly, the corner of his mouth curved into a small smirk.

"This incident happened at the perfect time," he murmured. "It will stir turmoil in the Beaumont family. But if we push a little further, we can put Gabriel in real danger."

He handed the phone back to Gustave. "Circulate the video on social media. Let public opinion turn against him. Let him taste backlash."

Gustave gave a sharp nod, his amusement transforming into cold resolve. "Consider it done, sir. The timing couldn’t be better. Mr. Oliver is preparing legal action against the Beaumonts for forcing him out of the family. With his help, you won’t just claim what is rightfully yours, you’ll secure both the fortune and the business."

"Hmm..." Augustine finally pushed himself up from the bed, a glimmer of satisfaction flickering in his eyes.

He had already been aware of the situation. Anne had explained everything to him the night before. Now, with his father’s shares secured and his grandfather’s inheritance under his control, the balance of power shifted entirely in his favor.

He no longer had to lurk in the shadows. He could rise, claim the chairman’s seat of the Beaumont Group, and watch those who plotted against him crumble under their own schemes.

At first, he had planned to remain hidden, feigning his coma until Tania revealed her true motives. But this unexpected turn of events handed him the perfect chance to take control of the Beaumont Group, and the opportunity was far too enticing to ignore.

"You are right," Augustine said. "There is no sense in keeping up this act any longer. It’s time to step out of the shadows."

Gustave’s stoic face softened with a rare smile. "Are you saying you are finally ready to come out?"

Augustine had already made the decision. The charade of the coma had served its purpose. Now, it was time to expose the hidden snakes and punish those who had dared to conspire against him.

As for Tania, he chose to let her continue with her little act for now. Eventually, she would reveal her true intentions.

"Yes," Augustine declared. "Call the head office. Inform them I’m awake. Arrange a meeting with the directors. I want every one of them seated before me."

Gustave straightened. "Sure, sir." His eyes twinkled with the briefest spark of playfulness as he added, "Madam will be overjoyed to see you awake. She has been waiting for this moment so eagerly. But..." He hesitated, his tone dropping to seriousness. "Never let her know you were pretending all this time. She will be furious, and it will be difficult for you to get her forgiveness."

Augustine’s expression changed altogether. "Seems you have grown bold enough to comment on my personal matters. Perhaps I should give you more work to keep you occupied."

Gustave’s face crumbled instantly. He bowed his head. "I’ll make the calls immediately."

With that, he walked out of the room briskly.

Augustine muttered a curse under his breath as he sagged back on the bed, his gaze dropping to the phone in his hand. Anne’s image surfaced in his thoughts, stirring a deep ache within him. He longed to hold her in his arms, see her reaction.

Unable to suppress the urge any longer, he pressed her number and made the call.

Across the city, in her office, Anne sat hunched over a stack of files. The sharp trill of her phone shattered her focus. When her eyes landed on the glowing name across the screen, her heart skipped.

"Augustine!" she exclaimed with a mix of disbelief and hope. She snatched the phone with urgency and answered the call.

"Hello? Augustine? Is that really you? Are you awake?" Her voice quivered when she spoke. Tears blurred her vision. Her heart thumped wildly as she eagerly waited to hear his voice.

The voice she had been aching to hear finally came from the other end. "I miss you."

Anne laughed through her sob, pressing a hand to her chest. "I miss you too," she whispered, breathless with relief. "I’m coming."

"I’ll be waiting for you."

That was enough. She shot up from her chair, snatched her bag, and bolted toward the door, her phone still clutched to her ear.

"Keep talking," she said breathlessly as she walked down the hallway. "Don’t hang up, okay?"

"As you wish, my love," he whispered back. "I can’t wait to see you."

"Me neither."

Anne darted down the hallway toward the elevator. Just then, Nathan appeared and blocked her path, his brows drawn in concern.

"Hey, slow down," he said, reaching out to steady her. "Where are you rushing off to? Is everything okay?"

Anne’s face lit up with uncontainable joy. "Yes, everything is fine. I’m going home. Augustine is awake." Her words tumbled out with excitement.

Nathan froze for a moment with disbelief. Then a grin quickly spread across his face. "Wait—what? He is awake? That’s incredible. Uh, right... you should go. But don’t run like this."

"I’ll be fine, don’t worry. I’ll call you later." Anne gave him a fleeting smile before slipping past him into the elevator.

Nathan stood there, watching her figure vanish behind the closing doors. For a moment, he lingered, shaking his head.

"Perfect timing, Augustine," he murmured. "You woke up exactly when you needed to." A chuckle escaped him as he headed back toward his office.

Anne didn’t disconnect the call until she reached home. The moment she stepped inside, her breath caught. There he was—standing tall in the middle of the hall, the phone pressed to his ear. Their eyes locked, and the world around her dissolved into silence.

A trembling smile broke across her lips, tears instantly welling as if her heart had waited only for this moment.

His face was paler than before, his short-cropped hair revealing the recent traces of surgery, yet none of that dimmed his allure. If anything, it made him more handsome, still impossibly magnetic. Her pulse quickened, her body aching to close the distance.

"Augustine..." Her voice cracked.

Augustine’s gaze darkened with emotion. He ended the call, sliding the phone into his pocket, and began walking toward her, one step at a time.

Anne wanted to run, to throw herself into his arms, but her legs remained rooted to the spot. She was overwhelmed by the sight of him—awake, reaching for her.

"Anne," he whispered. His hand rose to her face, fingertips grazing her cheek. He had touched her this way countless times when she was asleep, but now, it felt as though he was rediscovering her after a lifetime apart.

"I missed this."

Her tears spilled freely as she pressed her hand over his. She wanted to tell him everything she had felt during the long nights without him, but her throat closed with sobs, words refusing to come.

Augustine lifted her chin, his thumb brushing away her tears. Regret glimmered behind his eyes. "I’m sorry," he apologized for lying to her, for leaving her to wait alone. But he couldn’t say it out loud, fearing she would be mad at him. So he could only apologize to her. "I wasn’t there with you. I missed the moment when you felt our baby move for the first time."

Anne shook her head, opening her mouth to say he didn’t have to say sorry. But he cupped her face, silencing her.

"I’ll make it up to you... for every moment I missed."

He bent down, his lips meeting hers into a soft, longing kiss.