He turned back to me, his voice breaking. He told me the only way to make Lucian believe you two had really broken up was it Lucian thought he no longer loved you. Only then would Lucian stop trying to hurt you.”
I gasped. “You’re saying…?
Yes. The breakup was fake. It was his agonizing decision to protect you.”
My hands began to tremble uncontrollably. “No… that’s impossible… He said he didn’t love me anymore…”
Rodrigo’s voice cracked. “Those were lies he had to tell. He’d rather have you hate him than see you get hurt.”
He resumed his pacing, running his hands through his hair. “And the person who hit you two with that car…”
“Who was it?” My voice was barely a whisper. “Wasn’t it one of Lucian’s people?”
Rodrigo stopped dead, turning to face me. “The driver was Marcus Blackwood.”
All the color drained from my face. “What?! Marcus? Caelan’s father?”
“He tried to kill both of you to curry favor with Lucian.”
“Did Caelan know?” My voice shook.
Rodrigo nodded painfully. “He knew. But he made me promise to keep it secret from you.”
“Why?!” I shot to my feet, my voice nearly a shout.
“Because he was afraid if you knew, you’d be even more terrified. And you’d refuse to go along with the breakup.”
My mind reeled as the pieces fell into place. Caelan had endured so much alone-his father trying to murder him, then lying about not loving me to protect me, and now his father’s suicide. He’d carried all of that pain by himself, never letting me see how much he was suffering.
Rodrigo’s voice grew quiet. “After seeing you hurt, I turned all my anger on him. I forced him to break up with you.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “Dad…”
“I thought since his family wanted to hurt you, he should leave you alone. But I was wrong. So terribly wrong.”
Rodrigo walked over and knelt in front of my chair, taking my hands in his. “Sweetheart, I destroyed your happiness. I let my fear and anger force a man who truly loves you to walk away.”
“I thought I was protecting you, but I was actually hurting both of you.”
He squeezed my hands. “I saw the desperation in his eyes, but I still insisted he leave you.”
“That night, he broke down crying and said to me: ‘I’d rather die than leave her, but if this is the only way to protect her…”
‘I understand now-I wasn’t just forcing him to give up love, I was forcing him to give up his reason for living.”
His voice trembled, “Sable, your father made an unforgivable mistake. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”
“I know I have no right to ask for forgiveness, but-
Tears streaming down my face, I interrupted him. Dad, you were trying to protect me too.”
“No, that wasn’t protection. That was my selfishness and shortsightedness. Rodrigo shook his head in anguish.
I gently stroked his hair. “Dad, I forgive you. We both made mistakes. I misunderstood Caelan too.”
Rodrigo pointed to the empty lunch containers on my desk. “Do you know who really made those meals?”
I wiped my tears. “Mary… she’s been so kind to me…”
Rodrigo shook his head. “No, sweetheart. It was Caelan.”
My eyes widened in shock. “What?”
“He made them himself because he knew after the breakup you wouldn’t eat properly when you were upset. He even told Mary to lie and say she made them.”
Suddenly, today’s lunch made sense-the soup and that crying face made of vegetables. He’d known I’d been caught in yesterday’s rain and was feeling miserable.
I broke down completely, sobbing uncontrollably. “He… why would he do that?”
“Because he loves you more than his own life.”
Through my tears, I choked out: “What about Elena? She’s pregnant…”
Rodrigo shook his head firmly. “I don’t believe it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I know Caelan. That man is loyal to the point of being foolish when it comes to love.”
Rodrigo’s voice grew gentle but certain. “Think about it-if he really had feelings for someone else, why would he cook for you every day? Why would he still wear the watch you gave him? Edward told me about that. The man never takes it off except to shower or sleep. Does that sound like someone who’s moved on?”
I stared at him, speechless.
Rodrigo’s tone turned tender. “Sweetheart, his relationship with Elena is most likely the final step in his plan to make you give up completely.”
I cried even harder. “That idiot! That stubborn fool!”
Rodrigo pulled me into his arms, gently patting my back as I sobbed against his shoulder.
I pushed back from him, voice breaking. “He shouldered all of this alone, and I spent this whole time hating him…”
Rodrigo sat beside me, his hand on my shoulder. “Sweetheart, now that the threat is over, maybe it’s time to go talk to him.”
–
M&
O
I remained silent. Then he stood. “Well, my job here is done. Now it’s your turn, baby girl.”
I watched him walk toward the door. At the threshold, he paused and looked back.
“Don’t wait too long, Sable.”
The door clicked shut behind him.
*
I leaned back in my office chair, tilting my head toward the ceiling. The fluorescent lights hummed softly overhead. My mind felt like a storm-relief, anger, love, and confusion swirling together until I couldn’t tell one emotion from another.
Caelan, you stubborn fool.
I reached for my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I found his name. My finger hovered over the call button.
What am I going to say? “Hey, I know you’ve been lying to me, but want to grab coffee?”
I tapped the screen before I could lose my nerve.
It rang once. Twice.
“Edward, I am Sable.” My voice came out colder than Antarctica. “Tell me where Caelan is. Now.”
Silence stretched across the line. I could practically hear him scrambling.
“S…Sable? How did you… why are you-“
“I don’t have time for your stammering.” My tone sharpened to a blade. “Where is he? Right now. Immediately.”
“He… he’s at 152 Cherry Street, penthouse level, unit P1…”
“Why is he there?”
Edward hesitated. “Since you two… broke up… His Majesty hasn’t returned to Blackwood Manor. He bought that place. It’s in the building right next to your complex…”
Next door. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it might crack them.
He’s been watching my windows. Living close enough to see my lights turn on and off every night, but unable to come to me.
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