She was already planning to leave me. Already had him picked out as my replacement.
‘Please.” The word cracked as it left my throat. “I’m begging you. Give me one last chance to talk with you.”
Sable studied my face for a long moment. I could see her weighing options behind those amber eyes.
“Caelan.” She turned to him. “Let me speak with him clearly. That way he’ll give up for good.”
Caelan’s jaw tightened with obvious reluctance. But after a few tense seconds, he gave a curt nod.
I’ll be right here.”
We walked to the the small garden beside the apartment building.
“Sable, I know how this looks.” I reached for her hands. She pulled back, but I caught her wrist anyway. “But I need you to understand something.”
She tried to tug free. ‘Darrell-*
“You’re doing this to punish me, aren’t you?” The words tumbled out in a desperate rush. “You found out about Camila and decided to make me pay.”
Her eyes widened with shock. “What?”
“It’s brilliant, actually.” I tightened my grip on her wrist. “Dating the most powerful man in the kingdom. Making me watch while you pretend to be happy with someone else.”
“Let go of me.”
“Your plan worked.’ I pulled her closer, excitement building in my chest. ‘I’m jealous. I’m going crazy thinking about you with him.”
Understanding dawned in her eyes. Not the relief I’d expected, but something that looked like pity.
‘Darrell. Her voice grew very quiet. “You think this is about you?’
‘Isn’t it?’ I searched her face desperately. “You’re trying to make me realize what I lost. Show me how it feels to be replaced.”
She stared at me for several heartbeats. Then she started laughing.
Sable’s POV
“You think this is about you?” I gasped between fits of laughter, pulling my wrist free from his grip. “You think I’m dating someone to make you jealous?”
Darrell’s face went through a series of expressions – confusion, hope, then dawning horror as he realized I wasn’t playing some elaborate game.
‘Darrell. I wiped tears from my eyes. “You really are as self-centered as I thought.”
‘But-
‘Did you ever consider that maybe I’m happy? That maybe I found someone who actually loves me?” My voice turned ice-cold. “Or is that concept too foreign for you to understand?*
His gray eyes searched my face desperately. “Sable, please-“
I shook my head and turned toward the apartment building. “This conversation is over.
That’s when he grabbed my arm again, spinning me back to face him.
“No!” Desperation made his voice crack. I’m not giving up. Not when I’ve come this far.”
Before I could react, he dropped to his knees on the concrete walkway.
I stared down at him in shock. “What are you doing?”
“Please.” Tears streamed down his face unchecked. ‘I’m begging you. Give me one more chance.”
His hands pressed together in prayer position, trembling visibly. “I know I messed up. I know I hurt you.”
‘Darrell, get up-*
“But I never stopped loving you!” The words tore from his throat like they were being ripped out with pliers. “You’re the most important person in my life. You always have been.
I felt nothing watching this pathetic display.
I shouldn’t have let you see me with Camila like that. His voice shattered completely.
“Get up, I hissed. “You’re making a scene.”
He either didn’t hear me or chose to ignore me. “We can start over. Fresh beginning. I promise I’ll be better.”
His hands reached toward mine. I jerked back, but he managed to catch my wrist again.
*I’ll do whatever it takes to prove I’ve changed.”
That’s when he reached into his jacket with his free hand.
My heart stopped as a small velvet box appeared from his inner pocket. He flipped it open.
A diamond ring sparkled under the garden’s security lights. At least two carats, set in white gold, surrounded by smaller stones that caught the light like captured stars.
“Sable.” His voice shook with desperate hope. “This is the ring I bought for you.”
My mouth fell open. Words refused to form.
“You always talked about getting married,” he continued, still on his knees like some twisted fairy tale. “So let’s do it. Right now.”
The ring trembled in his unsteady grip. “I can mark you tonight. Make you my Luna officially.”
Something cold and sharp twisted in my chest. He thinks this fixes everything. Like three years of lies can be erased with diamonds and desperation.
‘I’ll give you the wedding you always dreamed of,” he rushed on, eyes burning with manic intensity. “Whatever you want. However much it costs.”
‘Just say yes. Say you’ll be mine forever.”
The proposal I’d fantasized about for three years. The moment I’d imagined a thousand different ways.
But instead of joy, all I felt was disgust.
My hand flew through the air before I could stop it.
SMACK.
The sound of my palm connecting with his cheek echoed through the night like a gunshot.
Darrell’s head snapped to the side. The ring box tumbled from his grip, clattering across the concrete.
He pressed a hand to his reddening cheek, staring at me in shocked disbelief.
“I hit you, and that’s still being gentle, I said coldly.
“Sable-
*Are you out of your mind?” My voice rose with each word. ‘Do you think I’m some kind of toy? Something you can discard when you’re bored and pick up again when it’s convenient?”
“That’s not-
“You threw me away for her! Called me worthless. Told your friends I was temporary.”
*Sable, please-‘
“I know you always saw me as Camila’s replacement. The admission burned my throat like acid. “A discount version you settled for when you couldn’t have the real thing.”
Darrell’s face went white. “That’s not true.”
“You spent money on her while treating me like an unpaid housekeeper.” I was shaking now with rage. “But now you wave a ring at me and expect me to forget?”
I gestured at the scattered ring box with revulsion. “This makes me sick.”
I spun on my heel, heading for the building entrance. But Darrell’s hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my wrist like a steel trap.
“Wait!” He yanked me backward with enough force to make me stumble.
Before I could regain my balance, his arms clamped around me from behind, pinning my arms to my sides.
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