Chapter 138: Don’t call me to brag about marrying a man.
Without warning, Charles closed the distance between himself and Augustine, grabbing Augustine’s wrist and pulling it closer to his face.
Augustine froze in place, his heart pounding wildly in his chest as he struggled to guess what Charles was about to do.
’Is he going to bite me? Or... kiss my wrist?
Augustine’s mind spiraled with a dozen unanswered questions, each more confusing than the last.
He couldn’t make sense of Charles’s actions—until he felt it.
Charles gently pressed Augustine’s wrist against his face, rubbing it slowly across his damp cheek as though trying to soothe the fire burning inside him.
Augustine stood frozen.
The sleeve of Augustine’s suit soaked up the tears and the snort on Charles’s face.
Then, Charles leaned back, putting distance between them.
"You said you wanted to clean my tears," he began, locking eyes with Augustine, his voice sharp and steady. "I’ll find a way to pay for breaching the contract, because as it stands, I don’t want to be in any stupid relationship with you."
His words sliced through the air like ice.
Augustine nod.
The only thing Augustine felt was right in that moment was to nod silently, keeping his lips tightly sealed.
He could see the fury burning in Charles’s eyes, and he knew—anything he said now would only pour fuel on the fire.
"I’ll see you tomorrow then," Augustine mumbled, forcing a strained smile to his lips.
"Well, I hope I don’t," Charles replied coldly, spinning on his heels as he walked toward the mansion’s entrance, not sparing him a glance.
Augustine stood frozen for a moment, then finally turned and slid into his car.
As he drove out of the mansion gates, a heavy silence filled the vehicle.
His gaze flicked down to his suit—streaked with Charles’s tears and a smear of snort.
A low, dry chuckle escaped his lips, laced with irony.
’I’ll take this as a sign that Charles is still comfortable being around me,’ he mused, a faint flicker of hope sparking in his chest. ’If Charles truly hated me, he wouldn’t have had the nerve to wipe his snort on my suit.’ Augustine stated and he felt a bit relieved knowing that he could still amend the damage that he had caused.
Exhaling!
A loud exhale escaped Augustine’s lips as he focused on the road, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
Unlocking the screen, his fingers moved swiftly, scrolling through his contacts in search of one name—his mother.
Right now, the only person who could possibly be behind the sudden hacking of the projector was her.
She was his only suspect.
’But why would she do something so reckless—something that could destroy not just my company, but the very empire she built with Dad?’ Augustine thought, his brows furrowing in disbelief as a storm of confusion brewed within him.
Still, despite the turmoil spinning in his mind, he tapped on her contact and brought the phone to his ear.
The call barely rang once before the line clicked. His mother had picked up immediately.
Augustine let out a weary sigh, his voice low and strained. "Ma, are you the one behind what happened today?" he asked, pressing the phone closer more to his ear while his other hand tightened around the steering wheel, his eyes locked on the dimly lit road ahead.
There was a pause—then a sharp scoff crackled through the speaker.
"Is that how you greet your mother?" Mrs. Wales barked, her voice laced with disbelief and ice.
"Why in God’s name would I sabotage something that would drag my company down with yours?" Her tone turned even colder, a chill laced beneath every word. "Think before you speak, Augustine."
"So, are you telling me you weren’t behind what happened today?" Augustine pressed, his voice steady but tinged with frustration.
He ignored the biting question his mother had thrown at him, choosing instead to hurl another at her.
On the other end of the line, Mrs. Wales hissed loudly, the sound sharp and filled with annoyance. "Did you really think I’m that evil?" she snapped, the scoff that followed making it clear she was both irritated and amused by the very notion. "Augustine, don’t forget that I’m still your mother," she replied, her voice softening for a moment, though still carrying a hint of sharpness. "I might be cruel at times, but everything I’ve ever done is to ensure you have a bright future."
Augustine’s jaw clenched as he bit down on his lower lip, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Remember, on the eve of my birthday, you promised me that I would inherit the family wealth and income if I got married, right?" he pressed, his words laced with quiet tension.
Before Mrs. Wales could respond, Augustine continued his statement. "Now that I’m married, I hope you don’t cause any more trouble for me and my husband. And I trust you’ll keep up your end of the bargain," he stated, his tone hardening with a mix of determination and finality.
Mrs. Wales let out a mocking scoff. "So, you called me just to brag about marrying a man?" she sneered, her voice growing icier with every word.
"Augustine, you claimed to have had a court marriage with Charles, but frankly, that’s none of my business. I’ll do as I promised, but only if you marry a woman. I don’t care if she comes from some poor background, as long as you snap out of this ridiculous gay fantasy," she spat, her voice trembling with rising fury.
Augustine swallowed hard. "Ma, the reason I called you is because I need to know who’s behind the projector incident. Since you claim it wasn’t you, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt—for now. But..."
His voice grew colder, his tone more resolute as he placed the phone above his thigh, eyes focused on the phone screen. "But if I find out that you had anything to do with it, then I’ll cut all ties with you and..."
Before Augustine could finish his sentence, a loud car horn blared, cutting through the tense moment.
The car was barreling towards him at full speed.
Augustine quickly jerked his gaze away from the phone, but before he could react further, a deafening thunk echoed through the air.
In an instant, his car was jolted violently, sending it flying through the air, spinning uncontrollably as the force of the impact shattered the moment of calm.