From Substitute To Queen novel Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Sable’s POV

Caelan had insisted on bringing me to the auction house today to select engagement jewelry. He’d explained that the finest pieces could only be found at exclusive auctions like this one, not in ordinary jewelry stores.

The building rose before us like a monument to wealth, its marble columns gleaming under the afternoon sun. His fingers intertwined with mine as we approached the entrance.

“Sorry, I need to take this call.” He squeezed my hand apologetically as his phone buzzed. “You go ahead and look around. Mark anything you like.”

He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, his lips warm against my skin. “I’ll be right behind you.”

I stepped through the heavy glass doors into the main hall. Crystal chandeliers cast rainbow prisms across walls lined with priceless artifacts. Oil paintings in gilded frames watched over sculpture pedestals and glass display cases filled with jewelry that could buy small countries.

*Sable? What are you doing here?”

My spine stiffened at the familiar voice dripping with disdain. I turned slowly to find Darrell and Camila approaching arm-in-arm, both dressed like they’d coordinated their outfits for a magazine shoot.

Just perfect. These two again.

Darrell wore a deep navy suit with a tie that matched the pale blue of Camila’s silk dress perfectly. She clung to his arm like she was afraid he might escape, her body pressed so close they moved as one unit.

I straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin slightly. “Isn’t it obvious? My voice carried cool dismissal.

Camila’s lips curled into a sneer. “Someone like you at an auction? Are you here to beg for scraps or just to embarrass yourself?”

Her grip tightened possessively on Darrell’s bicep. He shot her a sharp look. Camila caught his expression and immediately sealed her mouth shut.

Warm hands slipped around my waist from behind. I felt Caelan’s solid presence before I saw him, his familiar scent wrapping around me like a security blanket. His fingers found mine, lacing together with practiced ease.

Without hesitation, he turned me in his arms and kissed me. Heat bloomed across my cheeks as I melted against him.

I caught sight of their faces over Caelan’s shoulder – eyes wide with disbelief, jaws hanging open like they’d witnessed something impossible.

“Your… Your Majesty…” Darrell’s voice came out as a strangled whisper.

Camila nearly toppled over in her rush to curtsy, her silk dress pooling around her knees. “Your Majesty!”

Caelan ignored them. His attention remained focused entirely on me.

“Ready to go in?’ he asked. “The auction starts soon.”

Darrell’s POV

My hands clenched into fists as I watched them disappear into the auction hall. Rage burned hot and acidic in my chest, making it hard to breathe.

‘She’s just one of his mistresses,” I muttered, trying to convince myself. “He’s got dozens. She’s nothing special.

But even as I said it, I knew I was lying. The way he’d looked at her, kissed her in public without caring who saw… That wasn’t how you treated a casual fling

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Chapter 72

My feet started moving before I’d consciously decided to follow them. Camila’s heels clicked frantically on the marble as she hurried to keep up.

“Darrell, wait!” She grabbed my sleeve, breathing hard. Slow down!”

I spun around, barely registering her flushed face and slightly disheveled appearance.

Camila pressed a manicured hand to her chest, trying to catch her breath. “Remember why we’re here! You need to focus on buying something for Rodrigo’s daughter. Don’t let her distract you.”

The reminder hit like cold water. Right. The engagement gift for my potential partner’s daughter. This auction was supposed to be about securing that

alliance.

“Of course I remember. I straightened my tie with sharp movements.

“Good.” Camila smoothed her hair back into place. “I’ll help you pick out the perfect piece. Something that shows you’re serious about the partnership.

I deliberately chose seats several rows behind Caelan and Sable, watching their every interaction.

Caelan would lean close to whisper something in her ear, his breath making her shiver. She’d tilt her head to rest against his shoulder like a contented cat. When the auctioneer described a particular piece, Caelan would study her face, reading her reactions like he was memorizing them.

She used to do that with me. Rest her head on my shoulder. Look at me like I was her whole world.

My hand moved unconsciously to cover my chest where a sharp ache had taken up permanent residence. Each breath felt labored, like my lungs had forgotten how to function properly.

Camila’s arm wound around mine in a possessive embrace. She pressed her lips to my cheek in what was supposed to be an affectionate gesture. The touch felt wrong, suffocating. I turned my head away from her kiss, jaw clenched tight.

“And now we have a truly exceptional piece,” the auctioneer’s voice boomed through the auction hall. “An eighteen-carat pink diamond necklace, crafted in Milan.”

My attention snapped back to the stage. The necklace lay displayed on black velvet like sleeping beauty waiting for a prince. Pink diamonds caught the spotlights, throwing scattered rose light across the room. Each stone was cut to perfection, arranged in delicate layers that would rest against a woman’s throat like flower petals.

My grip tightened around the bidding paddle. This was exactly what I’d been looking for.

“Opening bid is one million dollars,” the auctioneer announced. “Increments of five hundred thousand minimum.”

I raised my paddle without hesitation. “One point five million!”

A few seconds of silence. Then I heard a familiar voice from the front rows.

“Two million. Caelan’s tone was casual, like he was ordering coffee.

My teeth ground together. Two point five million!”

“Three million.” He didn’t even bother looking back at me.

He’s doing this on purpose. Every time I bid, he counters. He doesn’t even want the damn necklace – he just wants to humiliate me.

Blue veins bulged along my temples as fury pounded through my skull. My knuckles went white around the paddle handle.

Fine. We’ll see who breaks first.

I shot to my feet. “Four million!”

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