Married To My Ex's Brother, Reborn Miraculously-Chapter 264: Are you sure he deserves your trust?

Anne sat frozen, stunned by what she had just heard. Audrey’s cheerful revelation left her in disbelief. She struggled to wrap her mind around the idea that her friend had so easily forgiven the man who once shattered her heart, who deceived her. And now she was even considering marriage?

"Are you sure he deserves your trust?" Her voice tightened with concern. "He cheated on you, Audrey. He left you. And now, just because he says a few sweet things, you are ready to welcome him back like nothing happened? Come on... You can’t be that naive."

The memory of her own bitter experience with Denis surfaced. His lies, his betrayal – she hadn’t forgotten anything. She knew too well what it felt like to be broken by someone you loved with all your heart. And the last thing she wanted was to see Audrey fall into the same trap.

But Audrey chuckled lightly, brushing off her concern. "You are so sweet, Anne. Really, your concern touches my heart. But don’t worry. I know exactly what I’m doing. I trust him. And when you meet him, I’m sure you’ll change your mind."

Anne fell quiet. She didn’t know how to respond. The idea of meeting the man who had once hurt her friend didn’t sit well with her.

"He wants to meet both you and your husband," Audrey went on brightly. "Once I’m discharged, we are throwing a dinner party. It’ll be fun—I promise."

Anne’s brow furrowed. Her gut said otherwise. "I don’t know..." she murmured. "Something feels off. Just... please, be careful, Audrey. That man—"

"Relax," Audrey interrupted. "He explained everything. He didn’t cheat on me. I’ll tell you the whole story when we meet. Okay? I’m hanging up now. See you soon. Bye..."

The call ended before Anne could say another word.

She stared at the screen for a long moment, her chest tight. Audrey had sounded so cheerful, so full of life—it was hard to believe she had just been hospitalized. But that only made Anne more uneasy.

That kind of excitement...It came from hope. She was afraid Audrey would be hurt by placing her trust in the wrong guy.

"I hope you are right, Audrey," she whispered. "I hope he never breaks your heart again."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was late when Augustine finally arrived home, fatigue weighing down his shoulders. As he stepped through the door of their bedroom, his eyes immediately landed on Anne, sitting up in bed with her laptop resting on her legs, her back propped against the headboard.

The soft glow from the screen lit her face, highlighting the gentle focus in her eyes as she typed.

When she heard him enter, Anne glanced up, her face lighting up with a warm smile. "You are home."

She closed the laptop, put it aside, and moved as if to climb out of bed, but Augustine reached her in a few quick strides and gently pressed a hand to her shoulder, stopping her.

"Why are you still awake? It’s already past ten. You should be resting."

Anne took his hand in hers. "I’ve been missing work here and there for so many reasons lately. And because of that, the workload is spilling over to you. That’s not fair, and I don’t want to be the reason you are under pressure. So I decided to finish the pending tasks tonight. While checking the schedules, I saw your meeting with the directors. I’ve been working on the report. You’ll have it ready in the morning. Just a few more touches."

Augustine looked at her with a mixture of gratitude and awe. In the whirlwind of his daily responsibilities, he had completely forgotten about the meeting. But she was quietly picking up the pieces behind the scenes.

A slow, tender smile curved his lips. "Thank you. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without you. You are incredible."

He leaned down, cupping her face, and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Anne tilted her head with a teasing smile. "Trying to flatter me, are you? I know I’m not the best. You are just saying that to make me feel good."

Augustine chuckled, a playful glint in his eyes. "Is it working?"

She gaped at him, her mouth forming an ’O’. "So you admit it—you were flattering me. That means it wasn’t genuine." She pouted, feigning disappointment.

He quickly reached for her hand, brushing his lips gently across her fingers. "No, I meant every word. You are the most important person in my life. Whether or not you complete office work perfectly, that’s not what matters most to me. The company is running fine. What I care about is you and our little one."

Her smile blossomed into a full grin. "We are both doing great. Now go freshen up. I’ll tell the housekeeper to warm your dinner."

"No need. I already ate with Gustave."

"Alright, then. Go get ready for bed."

He leaned forward again, his fingers tightening around hers, and pressed one more kiss to her knuckles. "I’ll be back soon," he whispered with a fond look, before heading toward the bathroom.

As the door clicked shut behind him, Anne let her gaze linger on the spot where he stood. A soft warmth lingered in her chest. Then, with a quiet exhale, she reopened her laptop and resumed her work.

By the time Augustine returned to the bedroom, Anne had already shut her laptop and placed it aside. As he slipped under the covers, she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his torso and resting her head against his chest.

Augustine drew her closer, one arm circling her shoulders, the other smoothing over her back in slow, comforting strokes. "How was your day?" he asked quietly.

Anne hesitated. Her thoughts immediately flicked to her emotional encounter with Paule, the unresolved ache it had left behind. But she decided to keep that to herself.

"I mostly caught up on work," she replied. "And I got a call from Audrey. Hearing her voice... it was such a relief. She sounds better now."

Augustine gave a brief hum of acknowledgment. "Yes. I heard from the hospital. She is recovering well, though still weak. The doctors are keeping her under observation for a few more days."

Anne nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Even as Augustine held her, her mind wandered back to that conversation with Audrey. A gnawing unease had taken root in her heart.

Audrey’s cheerfulness, her blind faith in the man who once betrayed her—it didn’t sit right with Anne. She couldn’t shake the feeling that her friend was heading straight into another heartbreak.

She bit her lower lip. ’How do I make her understand?’ she wondered. ’How do I convince her not to trust him again, without sounding like I’m trying to control her life?’

Anne’s arms tightened slightly around Augustine as her uneasiness grew. The longer she dwelt on it, the more anxious she became. Her instincts screamed that something was wrong, but Audrey seemed too deeply caught in her romantic hope to see it.

Augustine felt the subtle tension in Anne. He looked down at her. "Are you thinking about Patricia and Lorie?"

Anne froze for a moment. The mention of their names brought Paule’s words back to her in a rush—his broken voice, his plea, and his insistence that Patricia hadn’t done it.

A flicker of conflict passed through her gaze. Could Patricia have truly been unaware? Had Lorie acted alone, hiding her cruel intentions even from her own mother?

Anne needed to know the truth for justice. She looked up at him. "Did you find out who actually mixed the poison? Was it Patricia... or was it Lorie?"

This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶