From Substitute To Queen. Chapter 151

Her gaze traveled from Scarlett's furious expression to Peter's uncomfortable stance, finally landing on Caelan and Elena.

The bag slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a soft thud.

Elena immediately reclaimed Caelan's arm. A brilliant smile spread across her face.

"Hello, you must be Sable." Her voice was sugar-sweet. "I'm Elena, Caelan's girlfriend. Sorry about the other day when Caelan was in the shower—that's why I answered his phone."

She extended one hand toward Sable, the gesture graceful and confident.

Sable stared at the offered hand. Her own felt weighted with lead, impossible to lift in response.

She managed to force her mouth into a rigid smile, but her hand remained frozen at her side.

Caelan's throat worked convulsively, as if something were lodged there. His fists clenched tight at his sides.

The sight of Sable's pain was like a knife twisting in his chest. He wanted to step forward, to explain everything, but his feet might as well have been nailed to the floor.

He forced his expression back to cold indifference.

Scarlett had seen enough of Sable's suffering. She charged forward and slapped Elena's extended hand down hard.

"Don't touch her!"

She positioned herself like a mother wolf protecting her cub, blocking Sable from view.

"Take your lovey-dovey act somewhere else!" Her finger jabbed toward the door. "You're not welcome here!"

She whirled on Caelan, disappointment burning in her eyes. "Do you have any shame left?"

Leon jumped up and grabbed Scarlett's arm gently. "Scarlett, calm down..."

He tried to guide her back to the sofa. "Come sit for a minute."

Elena's reaction to being slapped was not anger but amusement. She laughed lightly and smoothed her hair back into place.

Her hand traced up Caelan's chest as she tilted her face toward his. "Caely, your friends don't seem to welcome me."

She rose on her tiptoes, lips nearly brushing his jaw. "Should we go to my place instead?"

Her voice carried deliberately. "We could have some real alone time."

Tears welled in Sable's eyes as she looked directly into Caelan's face. "Caelan... you have your reasons, right?"

The tears finally spilled over. "Don't do this to me, Caelan. This is too painful..."

Her hand pressed against her chest as if her heart were being torn apart. Her voice cracked. "You once promised you'd never leave me. Have you forgotten?"

Watching Sable's tears, Caelan felt like someone was squeezing his heart in an iron fist.

Sable's despair was destroying every bit of his resolve and sanity.

Then his mouth curved into a smile devoid of any warmth. "Sable, we're both adults now."

His tone dripped with mockery. "You still believe those childish promises?"

The final blow. "Stop making these pointless scenes. Let's part with some dignity."

Sable's face drained of all color, becoming paper-white. Her body began to sway slightly.

Tears streamed down her cheeks like broken pearls.

Her lips trembled violently as she tried to speak but no sound emerged. Only a barely audible whimper escaped from deep in her throat.

Scarlett rushed to Sable's side and wrapped her in a fierce embrace. She maneuvered them so Sable's back was to Caelan and Elena, breaking their line of sight.

Looking up at the pair, Scarlett mouthed two words with perfect clarity: "Fuck off."

Caelan took Elena's hand and led her out of the cabin.

***

**Caelan's POV**

The moment the cabin door closed behind us, I dropped Elena's hand. The cool night air hit my face, but it did nothing to ease the tightness in my chest.

I strode toward my black sports car, spine rigid, every muscle in my body broadcasting a clear message: don't follow me, don't talk to me, don't even breathe in my direction.

The sound of Elena's hurried footsteps on gravel told me she was ignoring that message entirely.

"Oh my God, we should win Oscars for that performance!" Elena panted, jogging to catch up with my long strides. "I almost started believing my own act. Did you see how Scarlett's face went from confusion to pure homicidal rage in like three seconds?"

I kept walking, my jaw set like granite.

"But seriously, Sable looked so heartbroken..." Elena's voice softened slightly. "I actually felt guilty watching her try to hold back tears. Caelan, are you sure this is helping her? Because from where I stood, it looked like we were torturing that poor girl."

Still no response from me. Elena switched tactics, her voice brightening as she launched into what could only be described as a detailed analysis.

"Although I have to say, she really is gorgeous. Those amber eyes are absolutely mesmerizing—like liquid gold with little flecks of honey. And that face! God crafted a masterpiece there. No wonder you're so obsessed."

My footsteps didn't falter, but something tightened in my shoulders.

"Her body is incredible too. Curves in all the right places, that tiny waist I just want to wrap my hands around..." Elena's voice took on a dreamy quality. "And she has this gentle, vulnerable aura that makes you want to protect her. Or corrupt her. Maybe both."

"Actually, I think I might be falling in love with her myself. You know I'm a lesbian, and meeting someone this perfect..." Elena sighed dramatically. "Maybe I should just abandon this whole fake girlfriend charade and pursue her for real—"

I stopped walking.

Elena, not expecting the sudden halt, crashed directly into my back. She stumbled backward, hands flying to her nose.

"Ow! What the hell, Caelan? Are you trying to give me a concussion?"

I turned slowly, and the look in my eyes made Elena take an instinctive step back.

"Elena." My voice was deadly quiet. "Don't even think about it. Sable is mine."

Elena rubbed her nose, but her eyes gleamed with mischief. "Yours? I thought you were breaking up with her. Isn't that the whole point of this girlfriend act?"

I forced my expression back to stone.

*Elena is my cousin—Katherine's sister's daughter. Years ago, her mother had a massive falling out with the Blackwood family and severed all ties. The rift was so complete that most people have no idea about our blood connection. Which makes her the perfect accomplice for this deception.*

*I'd asked Elena to pose as my girlfriend for one reason: to force Sable to give up completely. To make her believe there was no hope of reconciliation. It was the only way to protect her from what was coming.*

*I'd told Elena everything about Lucian—his threats, his obsession with destroying everything I cared about, the danger he posed to anyone I loved. She understood the stakes. She knew that every moment Sable spent believing I still wanted her was another moment Lucian could use her against me.*

Elena's grin turned mischievous. "I'm genuinely worried I might fall head over heels for that beauty. Then I won't be able to convincingly hurt her anymore." She paused, studying my face. "Are you sure your plan won't backfire? Maybe you'll be the one who ends up destroyed."