From Substitute To Queen novel Chapter 101

Chapter 101

My heart hammered against my ribs. I thought about the endless series of failures. Every potential investor had turned me down. Every pack I’d approached for alliance had rejected my proposals.

Why won’t anyone work with us? What did we do wrong?

But the worst failure had been that damned necklace. I’d spent a fortune I didn’t have at that auction, convinced that impressing Rodrigo’s daughter would secure an alliance with the Crawford pack.

Then I’d discovered his daughter was Sable. The engagement gift had become a humiliating symbol of my desperation.

That purchase had pushed us over the financial cliff. The debt from that single night had made everything else impossible.

I’m drowning. The pack is drowning.

The mysterious woman’s offer hung in the air like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man.

I fell silent for several seconds, weighing my options. There weren’t many left.

“What do you want in exchange?”

“Something very simple.” Her voice turned silky. “Help me separate Sable from Caelan.”

I stopped pacing.

“Why?” Suspicion crept into my tone. “What do you have against them?”

“That’s not your concern.” Her voice cooled slightly. “You only need to know that our interests align.”

“I would provide you with information. Opportunities to create… misunderstandings between them.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “Nothing too dramatic. Just enough to plant seeds of doubt.”

My mind raced. I started pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, my instincts screaming that this was too easy.

“That’s it? You don’t want to use me to hurt Sable, do you?”

My voice sharpened. “I can help you break them up, but I absolutely will not let Sable get hurt!”

“That’s my bottom line. If your plan involves harming her in any way, I’d rather let my pack go bankrupt than cooperate!”

Silence stretched across the line for several heartbeats. Then came a soft laugh.

“Of course not. Hurting her wouldn’t serve our interests. Our goal is simply to separate them.”

“Just one requirement. Her voice turned deadly serious. “Complete discretion. This conversation never happened. Our arrangement remains absolutely secret.”

I thought about Sable’s resolute figure walking away from the coffee shop. The disappointment in my pack members’ eyes during recent meetings.

“I need time to think about this,” I finally said.

“Three days.” Her tone brooked no argument. “But I’ll provide a small advance as a gesture of good faith.”

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Chapter 101

“What kind of advance?

“Check your bank account in ten minutes.”

The line went dead.

I stared at my phone, heart racing. This felt like making a deal with the devil. But what choice did I have?

Ring.

A text notification. Bank alert.

My hands trembled as I opened the banking app. The account balance loaded, and my breath caught in my throat.

Seven figures. Enough to pay off our most pressing debts immediately.

I leaned against a lamppost, staring at the screen. The mysterious woman had delivered exactly as promised.

My phone buzzed again. Another text from the unknown number:

“Consider this a preview. Don’t disappoint me.”

I looked up at the sky, feeling like I was standing at a crossroads that would define the rest of my life.

Sable’s POV

91

I sat in my car outside the hospital, staring at the pastry box on the passenger seat. The photos Darrell had shown me kept flashing through my mind – Caelan with that blonde woman, their faces impossibly close in that last shot. My fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

What if he really is cheating on me?

“He’s not,” Esme’s voice was firm in my mind. “You’re letting Darrell get to you again.”

I closed my eyes, focusing on her presence. But those photos looked real. That last one showed them kissing.

“Did it? Or was it just taken from an angle to make it look that way?” Esme’s tone was skeptical. “Think about it. Who benefits from you doubting Caelan?”

Darrell, I admitted. But why would he go through all this trouble?

“Because he’s desperate,” Esme growled. “He lost you, and he can’t stand it. He’ll say or do anything to get you back.”

I rubbed my temples. You’re probably right, but still…

“If you’re worried, just ask Caelan directly. You know he wouldn’t lie to you.”

I picked up the pastry box. You’re right. I’ll just ask him.

“Good. And stop letting Darrell live rent-free in your head,” Esme added. “You’ve got strawberry macarons to deliver.”

With a small smile, I exited the car and walked into the hospital. My mind was clearer now, but those images still lingered at the edges of my thoughts as I navigated the antiseptic-scented corridors.

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Chapter 101

I reached Caelan’s room and paused, balancing the pink box in my hands. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open with a gentle nudge.

Caelan’s eyes found mine instantly, his whole expression softening when he saw me. “You’re back already? Didn’t I tell you to go

home and rest?”

His voice held no accusation, just concern wrapped in warmth. Something in my chest loosened at the sound.

“I made something at home,” I replied, lifting the box slightly. “Thought you might like it.”

“You should be resting, not cooking for me.” He shifted against his pillows, wincing slightly.

I walked closer, feeling a smile tug at my lips. “This barely counts as work. And besides…” I gave the box a little shake, ‘I made your

favorite.”

Caelan’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. I set the box on his bedside table and flipped open the lid, revealing a dozen perfectly formed strawberry macarons, their glossy pink shells gleaming under the hospital lights.

His expression changed instantly a flash of surprise followed by something that looked suspiciously like embarrassment. He cleared his throat. “Why’d you make these?”

I tilted my head, teasing. “Sarah said you were obsessed with strawberry macarons. Or… did she get that wrong?”

Caelan shifted, adjusting his pillow with a little too much focus. “Sarah talked too much.”

“Oh, so you admitted it?” I pressed, biting back a smile.

“I admitted nothing.” He looked away. “Just said Sarah’s got a big mouth.”

I reached for the box. “Well, if you don’t want them…”

“Wait. His hand shot out to stop me, then he composed himself. “I mean, you made them yourself. No way I was letting them go to

waste.”

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “Oh, so it’s about my effort, huh? That’s the only reason?”

“Exactly.” His face was perfectly serious. “Your heart was in these. That’s what mattered.”

I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Alright, my little princess, they’re all yours.”

Caelan’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “What did you just call me?”

I leaned in, smirking. “With your secret girly dessert obsession, what else was I supposed to call you? What other secrets were you hiding?

His expression shifted, eyes darkening as he leaned forward slightly. “You want to know what other secrets I have?”

I crossed my arms, holding his stare. Like what?

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From Substitute To Queen