Caelan grabbed Elena’s wrist forcefully, pulling her toward him. The movement was so abrupt that Elena nearly lost her balance.
She tumbled into Caelan’s chest, instantly transforming into a delicate, dependent figure.
I awkwardly lowered my arms, my heart clenching with pain.
Elena gazed up at Caelan with sweet adoration, her eyes filled with innocent surprise.
“Caely, you scared me! I thought someone was attacking…” She pouted playfully. “Where were you? You took so long parking the car. The baby and I were getting worried…”
Caelan’s POV
Hearing the word “baby,” my facial muscles twitched uncontrollably. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to maintain surface calm, then slowly turned to face Sable,
Sable watched this “loving” couple before her, something inside her completely shattering.
She bit her lower lip, then released it and looked directly into my eyes. “Caelan, could I speak with you privately?”
My pupils contracted slightly. I could sense this conversation would be different from all the others.
I glanced at Elena, my voice slightly strained. “Elena, could you…”
Elena nodded understandingly with a sweet smile. “Of course, I’ll wait for you both at the coffee shop over there. Don’t talk too long, okay?”
Sable watched Elena rise on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek before walking away.
We found a relatively quiet seating area in a corner of the hospital. Afternoon sunlight streamed through large windows, creating dappled patterns of light and shadow on the floor.
Silence stretched between us for several seconds, the air thick with unspoken tension.
Sable’s gaze fell on my wrist, where she noticed the watch she’d given me.
“You’re still wearing it,” she said softly.
I instinctively looked down at my wrist, my throat working. “I… forgot to take it off.”
“That’s okay,” Sable smiled faintly. “Just… remember to remove it in the future.”
“Caelan, I want to tell you that I’ve accepted it.” Her voice was measured. “I’ve accepted the fact that we broke up, accepted that you have a new life.”
“You know what? These past few days, I’ve been thinking, and maybe I finally understand something.” She met my eyes. “Love really can disappear, and hearts really can change. This isn’t anyone’s fault-it’s just life.”
“Someone told me I should forgive your betrayal, that it’s normal for men with money and power to cheat.”
She shook her head. “She also said women lose value as they age, and advised me to find someone suitable while I’m still young.”
A self-deprecating gleam entered her eyes. “I was furious then, felt like she was humiliating me. But now I think maybe some of what she said wasn’t completely wrong.”
She took a deep breath. “Not that women lose value, but that… we should all take responsibility for our own happiness instead of placing our hopes in others.”
“At first, I couldn’t accept that you’d changed your mind. I desperately searched for reasons, trying to understand why you’d fallen out of love, wondering if I wasn’t good enough.”
She smiled bitterly. “But now I realize that maybe the arranged engagement was a mistake from the beginning. I was too young, didn’t understand what real love meant.”
‘Elena is a wonderful girl-kind, genuine… she deserves to be treasured. And I should learn to let go. Not because of hate or anger, but because I finally understand that true love means wanting the other person to be happy, even if it’s not with you.”
Sable’s final blessing carried genuine goodwill in her voice. “I sincerely wish you happiness, Caelan. I hope you and Elena will be happy together, and I hope your child grows up healthy.”
Listening to every word Sable spoke, I felt like someone was carving my heart out with a knife, piece by piece.
I realized this wasn’t an ordinary conversation-this was Sable saying her final goodbye to me.
No! Don’t do this! I don’t want your blessing! I want you to hate me, curse me, anything but this calm departure!
I desperately reached out, wanting to grab her, wanting to tell her the truth.
But when the words reached my throat, I found I couldn’t say anything.
“Sable… I…” My voice was so hoarse I could barely speak.
“There’s no need to say anything, Caelan.” Sable shook her head gently, cutting me off. “Some words don’t need to be said anymore.”
She turned and walked away. I stood rooted in place, helplessly watching her retreating figure grow smaller.
Sunlight stretched her shadow long across the floor until it finally disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
I forced myself to take several deep breaths before leaving the hospital.
This is what you wanted, I reminded myself harshly. She’s finally giving up. She’ll be safe now.
But the knowledge felt like swallowing glass.
I pushed through the hospital’s revolving doors and crossed the street to the small caf? where Elena waited.
Elena sat by the window, looking perfectly at ease as she sipped her coffee.
I approached her table with the predatory stride of an apex predator. My hands were steady, but rage simmered beneath the surface.
Elena looked up as I reached her, and whatever she saw in my expression made her eyes widen slightly. Before she could speak, I grabbed her by the collar of her silk blouse and hauled her to her feet.
Her coffee cup clattered against the saucer, liquid sloshing dangerously close to the rim.
“Elena!” My voice came out in a dangerous growl that made nearby patrons glance over nervously. “You were trying to embrace Sable. I specifically told you to keep your wandering thoughts in check.”
She blinked up at me, completely unruffled by my aggressive handling. That infuriating smile played at the corners of her mouth.
“Oops. Busted.” She didn’t even attempt to struggle against my grip. “You know me too well, cousin.”
No struggle, no protest. She looked completely at ease despite my grip on her collar. “Why are you so worked up? It’s not like I was going to hurt her.”
I tightened my hold on the back of her neck. “You think I didn’t see that hungry look in your eyes when you stared at her?”
Elena sighed, the mischief draining from her expression. “Fine. I admit it. I couldn’t help myself when I saw Sable.”
Her eyes softened with what looked like genuine sincerity. “Caelan, when I look at Sable, I lose control. She’s too beautiful, too gentle. That pure, innocent quality makes her seem like an angel. Anyone would fall for her on sight.”
I could see the killing intent burning in my eyes reflected in hers. Elena immediately raised both hands in surrender.
“But don’t worry. I know exactly where I stand,” she continued quickly. “I know Sable is completely straight, and I know her heart belongs only to you. I swear this is just friendship. I would never cross any lines.”
My expression eased slightly. “Then why did you hug her? And what’s this pregnancy bullshit about?”
Elena’s smile turned somewhat helpless. “About that-can I ask you something first? Why did we really come to the hospital today?”
My face darkened. She’d hit too close to the truth.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. You didn’t have any business at the hospital,” Elena went on, her tone turning teasing. “You wanted to see Sable secretly, didn’t you? But you were too scared to come alone-afraid she might refuse to meet with you. So you dragged your girlfriend along as cover.”
She tilted her head with mock innocence. “You figured bringing your new woman for a medical check would give you the perfect excuse to be here. Then you could bump into her by ‘accident’ and have a reason to talk.”
I said nothing. She’d nailed my plan exactly.
Elena spread her hands. I played along with your little theater, even made up that pregnancy lie to make our excuse more believable. And now you’re questioning me?”
‘T…” I started to argue but realized I had no ground to stand on.
“As for hugging her, that was pure impulse. She looked so adorable I couldn’t resist, Elena shrugged. Plus I thought it would make our performance more convincing. If I showed zero interest in her, wouldn’t that seem strange?”
Elena studied my silent face, her voice growing more serious. “To be honest, Caelan, I thought you just wanted an excuse to see her once-to satisfy your longing. But now I think you want much more than that.”
I avoided her gaze, my voice hoarse. “I just wanted to make sure she’s okay.”
“Make sure?” Elena arched an eyebrow. “Or see if she still cares about you?”
Elena sat back down and took another sip of coffee. “You should thank me for that pregnancy story, dear cousin. I used it to test her.”
“Test what? I frowned.
“Test whether she still loves you.” Elena’s tone was matter-of-fact. “If she truly didn’t care anymore, hearing about your new girlfriend-even a pregnant one-should have left her calm. Maybe even relieved. But her reaction… I think you saw it clearly enough. You have your answer.”
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