Married To My Ex's Brother, Reborn Miraculously-Chapter 232: She was abandoned.

The meeting room gradually emptied, murmurs fading as the representatives of both the Beaumont and Sphere Groups exited with handshakes and nods of approval. The project had officially begun, and everyone left feeling optimistic.

But Augustine remained in his chair, silent and composed. To him, this deal wasn’t a genuine collaboration. It was a calculated move, a well-laid trap for the Beaumonts. The pieces were in motion now. All he had to do was wait and watch his plan unfold, step by step.

Gustave approached quietly and placed a thin folder on the table in front of him.

Augustine looked up, his eyes sharp with curiosity.

"The report on the Granet family’s missing daughter," Gustave started solemnly.

Augustine opened the file, his eyes immediately falling on the photograph clipped to the first page. It was a picture of a young girl, no more than three or four, smiling at the camera. But it wasn’t just the smile that struck him, it was the uncanny resemblance to Anne. The same delicate features, the same light in her eyes.

Then he noticed the pendant around her neck. He recognized it instantly.

It was the same pendant Anne had given him. He took it out of his pocket and looked at it. This pendant was the undeniable evidence that Anne was the missing daughter of the Granets.

"Her name... is Raya," Gustave added.

It was only at that point that Augustine’s eyes dropped to the name printed below the photograph: Raya Granet.

"Back then, Mrs. Granet had gone to visit her father’s home in the neighboring city," Gustave started narrating. "She took both of her children—Raya and Nathan—with her and stayed there for a few days. On one of those days, she took them to a park."

Augustine’s brows knitted together as his mind began to piece together the events, conjuring the image of a mother happily out with her children.

"According to the report," Gustave continued, "Mrs. Granet was momentarily distracted. She stepped away to buy ice cream for the kids. When she turned around, Raya was gone. She searched everywhere in panic, but there was no sign of her."

Augustine’s jaw tightened as he listened.

"A missing person report was filed that very day. The police launched a thorough search. For days, they scoured the area, questioned witnesses. But nothing turned up. No leads, no suspects. Eventually, the case hit a dead end, and the file was marked ’unsolved.’ They closed it."

"That’s all?" Augustine asked skeptically. "No ransom call? No threats? Nothing?"

Gustave shook his head slowly, his expression grim. "Nothing. No demands. No contact. It was like she disappeared without a trace."

Augustine leaned back in his chair, his frown deepening. The whole story felt too clean, too empty. And it only confirmed what he had begun to suspect. Someone had gone to great lengths to make Raya disappear and ensure no trace was left behind.

This wasn’t a random kidnapping. It was a planned and deliberate attempt. Someone from within the Granet family had wanted Raya gone.

But why?

His thoughts spiraled deeper. One question kept echoing—How did Paule find her here, in this city, when the abduction had happened elsewhere?

Someone must have moved her back here so the police there couldn’t find her. And surprisingly, all these years, Oliver Granet had found nothing. That didn’t sit right with him.

Before he could voice his doubts, Gustave’s calm voice cut through the silence, pulling him back to the moment.

"Since the incident, Mrs. Granet’s health has deteriorated. She has been suffering from severe depression. She never forgave herself for looking away for those few seconds. She held herself responsible for Raya’s disappearance."

Augustine looked down at the photo again. His chest tightened.

"To help her cope," Gustave continued, "they adopted a girl around the same age as Raya."

That made Augustine’s head snap up. His sharp eyes locked on Gustave’s face as a vague, forgotten memory clicked into place. He did remember hearing that the Granets had adopted a daughter.

"Yes, Megan is adopted," Gustave confirmed as if he could sense what his boss was thinking. "But it didn’t help Mrs. Granet’s condition. In fact, it made things worse. She resented Megan. Never allowed her to call her ’mother.’ The bitterness deepened, and eventually... it tore the family apart. The Granets divorced not long after."

Augustine remained silent, letting the words sink in. His mind churned to find the missing links. He was beginning to see just how twisted the truth might be.

"The search for Raya had been abandoned for years," Gustave continued. "It wasn’t until Nathan grew older that he resumed the search, convinced that finding his sister was the only way to help his mother recover. When he met Madam Anne, her uncanny resemblance to his mother made him suspect that she could be Raya—his long-lost sister."

"Understood," Augustine murmured, though his tone betrayed the storm still churning inside. His thoughts were far from settled. His questions remained unanswered, and the growing suspicion refused to settle. He wouldn’t rest until he uncovered the full truth.

"This isn’t as simple as it seems," he said slowly. "There are layers of secrets buried beneath the surface. She was taken from another city, yet somehow ended up back here, only to be discarded like she meant nothing. And with all his influence and resources, Oliver Granet still failed to locate his daughter, who was living right under his nose in the same city."

He shook his head, jaw tightening. "No... this wasn’t just a kidnapping. Someone inside the family wanted her gone. She was abandoned."

"But why would they do that to their own flesh and blood?" Gustave asked, confused.

"That’s what we need to find out," Augustine replied. "Start with Oliver. I want everything—his records, his past, his secrets. And look into Mrs. Granet, too. Every little detail. I don’t care how far back you need to dig."

Gustave nodded firmly. "Consider it done. What about the meeting with Nathan?"

"I still want to hear what he has to say," Augustine said, rising from his chair.

"Then let’s go. The car is waiting. I already told Sam to bring Madam Anne to the restaurant."

Augustine closed the file and handed it back to Gustave. "Let’s get going." He walked out of the conference hall, Gustave trailing close behind.