From Substitute To Queen novel Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Edward’s POV

“Your Majesty, may I come in?” I pushed open the office door, a stack of reports balanced in my hands.

The sight that greeted me made me pause mid-step. Caelan sat behind his mahogany desk, but he looked nothing like the formidable Lycan King who commanded thirteen territories. His elbow rested on the polished surface, chin propped in his palm, a soft smile playing at the corners of his mouth. His eyes had that distant, dreamy quality I’d never seen before.

His right hand moved in lazy circles across the desktop, fingers tracing invisible patterns.

I cleared my throat. “Your Majesty? The northern patrol arrangements require your approval.”

“Mmm.” He nodded absently, but his gaze remained unfocused, that gentle smile never wavering.

I tried again. “The treasury department has submitted their quarterly budget projections.”

Another distracted nod. His finger continued its meandering path across the wood grain.

Something was definitely wrong.

A mischievous thought crossed my mind. If he wasn’t paying attention anyway…

“And then the moon turned purple,” I said in the same serious tone I’d used for the reports. “All the wolves have started dancing the

tango.”

“Sounds good.” Caelan’s response came automatically, that dopey smile still fixed on his face.

My eyes widened. He wasn’t even listening.

The stack of papers nearly slipped from my shocked grip.

‘I’ll take my leave then, Your Majesty.” I gathered the documents, still watching him carefully.

“Very well.” He waved me off with the same distracted air.

As I reached the door, I glanced back one final time, Caelan had returned to his previous position, that soft, almost silly smile spreading across his features again.

My Lycan King is almost unrecognizable. What on earth happened to him?

Caelan’s POV

The door clicked shut behind Edward. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, allowing the warmth spreading through my chest to wash over me completely,

Last night played through my mind like a film reel. Sable’s public declaration of love. And this morning… The memory of her soft skin beneath my hands, the sweet sounds she made, the way she whispered my name.

My lips curved upward involuntarily. My adorable wife.

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Chapter 116

I never imagined love could make someone this happy

I want to give her everything the world, the stars, anything she desires.

A sharp knock shattered my reverie. Edward’s voice carried urgency through the heavy oak. “Your Majesty!”

1 straightened immediately, schooling my features back into their usual mask of authority. “Enter.”

Edward strode in, his expression grim, a manila file clutched in his hands. “We have a significant development.”

“What is it?”

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“We finally caught the server from the engagement party.” He placed the file on my desk with deliberate emphasis. “The one who deliberately collided with you.”

My eyes narrowed. “Where did you find him?”

“A small inn on the city outskirts. He was preparing to flee the territory.”

I stood, my earlier contentment evaporating completely. “The two rogues still refuse to talk?”

Edward nodded. “They’d rather die than reveal who’s behind this.”

My hands clenched into fists. The memory of that night burned fresh in my mind – the server stumbling into me, spilling wine across my jacket, then insisting on helping me clean it while precious seconds ticked away. Seconds that could have cost Sable’s life.

“That night he deliberately delayed me,” I said, moving toward the door. “His timing was too convenient to be coincidence.”

“Exactly, Your Majesty.”

I strode past him. “Take me to the dungeons. Now.”

Edward fell into step beside me. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

The stone steps leading to the royal dungeons were worn smooth by centuries of use. Damp air rose to meet us, carrying the scent of moss and old fear. Torches flickered along the walls, casting dancing shadows that seemed to writhe with malevolent life.

Edward gestured toward a cell near the end of the corridor. ‘James Miller, thirty years old.

I approached the iron bars. Inside, a medium built man cowered in the corner. When he heard our footsteps, he looked up. The moment his eyes met mine, his entire body began to shake.

James Miller

He dropped to his knees instantly. “Your Majesty, I haven’t done anything wrong…

I stepped closer to the bars, my presence filling the small space with oppressive authority. Nothing wrong? Then explain why you deliberately collided with me at the engagement party.

“That… that was an accident! His words tumbled over each other in panic. I was nervous, I made a mistake…”

“An accident?” I allowed a thread of my wolf’s power to seep into my voice. Then why did you insist on helping me clean my jacket?

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Chapter 116

I just wanted to fix my error… His voice cracked with terror.

My eyes began to glow with golden light. “You’re lying.”

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The supernatural pressure in the air increased. James gasped, struggling to breathe as my dominance pressed down on him like a physical weight.

‘Please… mercy…” he wheezed.

“Tell me the truth,” I commanded. “Or you’ll wish you’d never been born.”

His resistance crumbled completely. Tears streamed down his face as he sobbed, “I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you everything!”

I waited, letting the silence stretch until he found his voice again.

“My father…” he choked out. “He’s dying. Cancer. The medical bills…”

“Continue.”

“Someone offered me money. Enough to cover all the treatments.” His shoulders shook with each word. “They contacted me through

an anonymous account.”

Edward stepped forward. “Who contacted you?”

“I don’t know!” James’s voice rose to a wail. “They only gave me a phone number. Everything was done electronically.”

I leaned against the bars, studying his terrified face. “What were your exact instructions?”

“To infiltrate the engagement party. To watch you carefully.” He swallowed hard. “If you tried to go looking for Miss Crawford, I was supposed to create a distraction.”

“How did you know there would be a moment when I’d need to find her?” The question came out deadly quiet.

James shrank back. ‘I don’t know! They just said to be ready.”

I exchanged a meaningful look with Edward.

“How did you get into the party?” Edward demanded. “Security was airtight.”

“They provided everything,” James whispered. ‘A server uniform, identification badge, work schedule, I entered through the kitchen

entrance.

“This proves it,” I said to Edward. ‘Someone inside Blackwood pack orchestrated this.”

Edward nodded grimly. An outsider couldn’t have arranged that level of access.”

“Continue investigating Blair. I suspect she’s behind this.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I took one final look at the sobbing man in the cell. If I discover you ve hidden anything else from me, death will seem like mercy.”

James nodded frantically. ‘I swear on my father’s life, I’ve told you everything!”