From Substitute To Queen novel Chapter 194

Chapter 194

Caelan turned to meet my gaze.

“Thank you, Sabi.”

I reached up to smooth the worry lines from his brow. “Do you remember what you told me when we first started dating? You said I needed to stop thanking you for everything.”

A ghost of a smile touched his lips.

“Well, now I’m telling you the same thing.” I squeezed his hand gently.

“I love you, Sable. You should go home and rest.”

I stood, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead before running my fingers through his tousled hair. “I love you too, Caelan. Try to get some sleep yourself.”

He nodded, though we both knew he wouldn’t leave Katherine’s side tonight.

I touched his cheek once more, memorizing the feel of stubble against my palm, then slipped out of the room.

The taxi dropped me off in front of my apartment building, and I was fumbling with my purse when I noticed the figure leaning against a black Maserati parked under the streetlight.

Fire-red roses filled his arms, the blooms vivid against the night sky. The sight was so unexpected that I actually rubbed my eyes, thinking exhaustion might be playing tricks on me.

But no. It really was Darrell.

He straightened when he spotted me, right hand automatically smoothing his tie.

My first reaction was irritation. I was bone-tired, emotionally drained from the night’s events, and in no mood to deal with complicated relationship drama.

The night breeze caught my hair, sending long strands across my face. I pushed them back with one hand.

‘Darrell?” I stopped about two meters away, exhaustion clear in my voice. “What are you doing here? It’s almost ten PM.

He lifted the roses slightly, his expression uncharacteristically uncertain. “Sable, I… I heard some news. Thought I should check on how you’re doing.”

“What news?”

Darrell cleared his throat, clearly struggling to appear casual. “About… about Caelan’s infidelity. And the news that you two called off the engagement. I thought maybe you needed someone to talk to, to comfort you.”

I studied his face carefully, noting the forced casualness in his tone.

“Darrell, I need to clarify something.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Caelan and I haven’t broken up. Those rumors are completely false-they’re part of a strategy we designed to deal with Lucian. We’re getting married very soon.”

“What… what?” The word came out strangled.

I stepped closer, watching his reaction intently. “So you don’t need to worry about me at all. I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my

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12:09 Fri, 22 Aug

Chapter 194

life.”

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Darrell’s grip on the rose stems tightened visibly, as if he were trying to crush the life out of the flowers. His attempt at a smile looked painful.

“Is… is that so? Then… congratulations to both of you.”

His voice carried a note of forced cheer that didn’t match the tightness around his eyes.

“Thank you. My tone remained coolly polite. “You can leave now.”

Darrell thrust the roses toward me with sudden desperation. “Here, take these. Think of them as… as a blessing for your upcoming marriage.”

I hesitated for a moment, then accepted the bouquet. The roses were beautiful, their petals soft and fragrant.

“Thank you for your concern, Darrell. But in the future… maybe we shouldn’t have these kinds of private meetings anymore.”

He nodded quickly, but something flickered in his eyes-disappointment, frustration, maybe even anger.

“I understand. I hope you and Caelan will be happy, Sable.”

Darrell hurried to his car with almost unseemly haste, as if fleeing the scene of a crime. The Maserati’s engine roared to life, and he was gone within moments, taillights disappearing around the corner.

I stood under the streetlight, holding the roses and staring after him. Something about his reaction had seemed off-too accepting, too gracious.

Darrell was never that good at hiding his emotions. Tonight he seemed… different. More controlled.

I shook my head, attributing my suspicions to exhaustion, and headed for the apartment building. In the elevator, I looked down at the roses in my arms. They really were beautiful.

The elevator doors opened on my floor. Without hesitation, I walked to the trash chute and dropped the entire bouquet inside.

Darrell’s POV

I gunned the Maserati’s engine, tires squealing against asphalt as I peeled away from Sable’s building. The speedometer climbed rapidly as I tore through the empty streets.

Streetlights flashed past the windows in rapid succession, creating a strobe effect that matched the chaos in my head.

At a red light, I slammed on the brakes so hard the car lurched forward violently. My body jerked against the seatbelt before 1 collapsed back against the leather seat.

Rage exploded out of me, I hammered my fists against the steering wheel, the impacts reverberating through the car. The horn blared with each strike, sending harsh noise into the quiet night.

My breathing came in ragged gasps, like a wounded animal’s.

Damn it all… so everything was just their game plan! I actually thought Caelan had thrown Sable away, so I contacted him and gave him

Lucian’s location.

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12:09 Fri, 22 Aug PM

Chapter 194

I thought I was being clever-using Caelan to eliminate the Lucian threat while positioning myself to comfort a heartbroken Sable.

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All this time, I thought I was playing chess while everyone else played checkers. Turns out I was the biggest fool on the board! I helped them clear their biggest obstacle! I did their dirty work for them!

Every risk I took, every compromise I made with Lucian… all of it served to pave their path to happiness!

The irony was suffocating. I remembered Sable’s glowing expression when she’d mentioned their upcoming marriage. The pure joy in her voice when she said she was happier than ever.

That happiness I’d never been able to give her. That warmth I’d never earned.

I thought about Sable’s amber eyes tonight-how they’d lit up talking about Caelan, carrying a tenderness she’d never shown me.

My fist connected with the steering wheel again. The horn’s angry blare echoed off empty buildings.

The light turned green, but I couldn’t make myself drive. I sat there in the intersection, engine idling, while my world rearranged itself around this new reality.

Back at my hotel suite, I stripped off my jacket and threw it across a chair. My tie followed, landing in a crumpled heap on the floor.

I poured three fingers of whiskey into a crystal tumbler and drained it in one burning swallow.

Maybe… maybe this is fate telling me to stop.

I stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the city lights below. Sable had never belonged to me. I’d always known that, deep down.

Look what I have now. The pack is thriving. We’re financially stable for the first time in years. I’m finally independent from Caelan’s shadow.

And there’s Camila. A woman who actually loves me, who’s supported me through everything without complaint.

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12:09 Fri, 22 Aug P M

From Substitute To Queen