Married To My Ex's Brother, Reborn Miraculously-Chapter 344: The funeral

Mourners gathered quietly at the funeral of Jeanne and Dimitri, dressed in black, their faces solemn as two caskets were lowered side by side. The sky was covered with rain-filled clouds as if the weather itself was mourning.

Denis stood close to the graves, his eyes red and swollen from crying. Although Jeanne wasn’t his biological mother, it was always she who had loved him unconditionally as if he were her own. Now, at the time of saying last goodbye, he felt like a stab to his heart.

"Sorry, Mom," he whispered. "I couldn’t be there with you. I couldn’t protect you." He still believed he could have saved Jeanne if he had taken the butler’s call seriously and gone to find her. His grief was raw, spilling from him in broken sobs.

"Sorry, Grandpa, for the arguments I had, for not spending enough time with you, for not listening to you...Now I’ve lost you and Mom forever. Dad doesn’t want me anymore. I feel so lonely. Grandpa, why did you leave me like this? Why did you hide the secret for so long? Tell me, where do I find my real parents?"

Just a step behind him, Augustine stood tall, his face calm, almost unreadable. He didn’t cry like Denis. But inside, his emotions took the shape of a storm. Seeing Denis grieving like this, his own heart was in disarray.

He wished to hold him, tell him that he was still there by his side. But he couldn’t say that. He had made up his mind. After handing over everything to Denis, he would leave abroad.

As the priest’s final words faded into the still air, Denis collapsed on his knees, weeping. For a long moment, no one dared to move toward him.

Then, quietly, Augustine stepped forward. He didn’t say anything, didn’t try to console with words. Instead, he simply placed a steady hand on Denis’s shoulder.

Denis stopped sobbing and looked up at him. There was no anger in his eyes, no trace of hatred. Instead, there was only defeat, an acceptance of the truth.

What right did he have to fight Augustine?

He was like a lost puppy, abandoned, with no knowledge of his origin. But Augustine was still a Beaumont. How could he compare himself with him?

Dragging his sleeve across his damp face, Denis steadied himself and stood up. "All these years, I resented you, treated you as my enemy. But now... all of it feels pointless."

His throat tightened, but he pushed on. "Let’s end this here. You take your road, I’ll take mine. I swear, I’ll never stand in your way again."

He had decided not to fight for his rights. After this funeral, he would leave this place and start anew, where no one knew him.

Augustine took his time to respond. He looked down at the file he had been holding for so long. "Before you make your decision, go through this." He handed him the file. "And check this too."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen drive, stuffing it into his palm.

"What is it?" Denis frowned as he held up the pen drive.

"You will know when you check it." Augustine put a hand on his shoulder. "And you are not alone. Remember it. Someone is waiting for you."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Denis confused and curious at the same time.

’What does he mean by someone is waiting for me?’ he wondered anxiously.

A hope flickered in his eyes. ’Did he know about my parents?’ he thought. His gaze dropped to the file and the pen drive in his hands. He had a feeling that Augustine knew something about his biological parents. ’Maybe this file and the pen drive contain something about my family.’

With anticipation and eagerness brimming in his chest, he strode away.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you sure you want to leave?" Nathan exclaimed, stunned as to Anne was leaving abroad with her husband. "Why now? Augustine’s business is thriving here. His branch office has so many projects lined up—shouldn’t he stay and manage them?"

He didn’t look happy with this decision. "And what about you? You have your own responsibilities here. What about us? We just found you. And you are already leaving."

Anne could understand his frustration, but she had already made up her mind. "I know you are upset, but this is my decision. Augustine returned here for a mission. He had never planned to settle down here since the beginning. Now, his work is done here, and he wants to leave."

"But, Anne..."

Anne smiled, clasping his hands. "Don’t be sad. We’ll meet often. I’ll come to see you, Mommy, and Dad. You can also come to see me any time you want."

At her words, Nathan couldn’t help but smile. Yet, he didn’t welcome the decision. "Why leave in a hurry? You are pregnant. You could wait until after the baby is born before moving back abroad."

Anne had already considered that. She had even suggested waiting until the child arrived, but Augustine refused. He didn’t want to wait.

"So much happened here," she started slowly. "Since he has learned Denis is his brother, he has been living in regret and guilt. He can’t forget that he treated his own twin as his enemy. He is unable to forgive himself."

She let out a deep sigh. She had tried to explain that it wasn’t his fault and that he wasn’t wrong here. But nothing could lessen the weight of guilt he carried.

"Maybe time will ease his pain. Maybe distance will help him heal. Staying here will only keep reopening old wounds. That’s why I’m not stopping him."

Nathan finally understood her point, but his heart remained heavy. "Alright then. Whatever decision you make, I’m with you. When are you leaving?"

"In a few days," Anne answered. "Augustine is in the middle of handing over all the business responsibilities here to the right people. Once that’s done, we’ll go."

He nodded, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Then I’ll arrange a family dinner before you leave."

Anne hummed. Meanwhile, her phone rang and Augustine’s name blinked on the screen.

"It’s Augustine," she said, glancing up at Nathan. "Maybe he has returned from the funeral. He must be upset."

"Talk to him," Nathan urged. "Go home early if you need."

Anne smiled slightly with gratitude. "Thanks."

Swiping the screen, she answered the call and put the phone to her ear.

"Anne, I am home," Augustine said with his heavy voice, sounding weary. "Can you come back?"

"Yes, I’ll be right there."

Ending the call, Anne rose from her chair. "I need to go home."

Nathan also stood up. "Do you need me to come with you?" he asked worriedly.

"No need. Sam is with me."

He nodded. "Take care of yourself and him."

"I will." With that, she left the office.

At Augustine’s house...

Augustine lay quietly on the bed, fixing his vacant eyes on the ceiling. He had stepped down from the position of chairman at Beaumont Group, passing every responsibility into Denis’s hands. Even the shares he once held were now transferred to his twin.

Denis had always been the rightful heir, and Augustine had finally returned to him what belonged to him. The heavy burden in his chest seemed to lift a bit, but the worry still lingered.

He had no idea how Denis would react after knowing the truth. The man he had trusted and loved as a father was the one who had destroyed his family, taking the lives of his biological parents.

Could he withstand the truth?

Augustine sighed. He feels tired and hollow after years of burning with vengeance. Now, he wanted nothing more than to leave this place as quickly as possible and live a quiet life with Anne, away from this hatred, from this painful memory.

He had given his brother all the evidence he had collected against Gabriel. Denis would decide what to do with the man whom he had thought of as his father all his life. Whether he sent him to jail or forgave him, it would be entirely up to him. Augustine wouldn’t interfere. His part was over.

For the first time in his life, what he desired was not power, not revenge, but peace.

Time dragged, but Anne hadn’t arrived yet.

’She should be here by now,’ he thought. ’Why is she taking so long?’

Augustine sat up and took his phone, dialing her number.

"The number you have called is currently switched off," an automated voice came from the other end, making Augustine frown.

"Why is her phone off?" he wondered, his mind racing. "Maybe the phone’s battery is dead."

He then dialed Sam’s number, but the call didn’t connect. His pulse quickened. "What’s going on? Why can’t I reach either of them? Is Anne alright?" His brow pinched, a dreadful feeling creeping into his mind.

He remembered Anne complaining about an ache in her tummy in the morning. Since he had to attend the funeral, he had left, asking her to rest. But she still went to the office to finish some paperwork for their departure abroad.

Augustine was afraid something bad had happened to her and the baby. He dialed Sam’s number yet again, but the result was the same.

"Damn it," he groaned, his scowl deepening. He jumped out of the bed and raked a hand over the back of his head, his thoughts scattering wildly. "I need to find out what’s going on. Nathan—he might know."

Without a delay, he phoned him.

"Hello?" Nathan’s voice came through after a few rings.

"Where is Anne? Is she with you? Is she okay?" Augustine blurted impatiently.

"Anne?" Nathan sounded surprised. "She left as soon as she talked to you. Didn’t she reach home yet?"

Augustine felt a jolt on his spine, an ominous thought taking hold of his chest. ’Something is wrong.’