Chapter 134: Revenge Alliance
"Exactly. Looks like you're finally catching on." His tone remained completely calm.
"Where is Blair now? Why can't I reach her? Her phone's been off!" The desperation leaked into my voice.
Lucian's laugh carried obvious contempt and malicious satisfaction. "Blair's been caught by Caelan and exiled."
He paused, then continued with a cold sneer. "But honestly, she was always a useless piece of shit. More trouble than she was worth. She got exactly what she deserved, and I don't feel an ounce of sympathy for what happened to her."
"That stupid bitch thought she was so clever, and she couldn't even handle a simple plan without fucking it up. Getting caught was inevitable. Weak people should know their place instead of trying to punch above their weight class."
Unease crawled up my spine. "Exiled? What do you mean..."
"It means she'll never appear in your field of vision again. You don't need to know the specifics." His impatience was clear.
"What the hell do you want from me?" Confusion made me aggressive.
"Since Blair, that worthless waste of space, is out of the picture, our little 'revenge alliance' is down to just the two useful people now." He deliberately stretched out his words.
"Revenge alliance? What are you talking about? And why should I help some stranger?"
"Darrell Hawthorne, let me ask you a few simple questions." His tone turned meaningful.
"Do you love Sable Crawford deeply?"
"That's none of your fucking business."
"Do you want to see Caelan Blackwood disappear from this world? Do you want to kill him with your own hands?"
I fell silent for a moment, then said quietly, "If I could, yes."
"Good. If both answers are yes, then we have a common enemy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, isn't that right?"
Something shifted in my voice, becoming serious and determined. "Wait. Before I consider any cooperation, I need to establish one condition."
"Let's hear it." Curiosity colored his response.
"I must ensure Sable's absolute safety. If any of your plans would harm her, even a single hair on her head, I'll refuse to cooperate. This is my bottom line, no negotiation."
Lucian was quiet for a moment, then chuckled. "Interesting. You really do love her deeply."
His tone became more serious. "Don't worry, Darrell. Our target has always been only one person—Caelan Blackwood. As for Sable Crawford, she has no value to me and isn't part of my plans."
"In fact, if Sable could return to you after Caelan's death, that would be a nice outcome for me. That way you won't be an obstacle anymore, and we both get what we want."
"Do you swear it?"
"I swear on my mother's name that Sable Crawford won't be harmed because of our actions."
"Since we've reached an understanding, let me share some of my thoughts with you."
"What's your plan?" Eagerness crept into my voice.
"Caelan Blackwood may be the Lycan King, but he's not invincible. Everyone has weaknesses, including him."
"For example, his protective obsession with Sable is his greatest weakness. If we could cleverly exploit that..." He deliberately left the sentence hanging.
Alarm shot through me. "You said you wouldn't hurt Sable!"
"Of course I won't actually harm her. I'm talking about 'using,' not 'harming.' Smart people can always find ways to achieve their goals without breaking their promises."
"Anyway, this world won't need Caelan Blackwood's existence much longer."
"You mean... kill him completely?" I said in a low voice.
"Do you have a better solution? As long as he's alive, you'll never win Sable's heart. As long as he's alive, you'll always be nothing but a fucking failure."
"By the way, Darrell. After tonight, don't try contacting anyone else for help. Now, only I can help you get what you want. Remember that."
Click.
The dial tone buzzed in my ear.
Soon, everything will be different.
I smiled.
Sable's POV
I stretched my arms above my head, feeling the satisfying crack of my spine after hours of hunching over patient files. The clock on my desk showed 5:47 PM. Almost time to leave.
A smile tugged at my lips. "Today is the dinner," I murmured to myself.
This wasn't just any dinner. Caelan had organized something special—a gathering of both our families at his private estate. The goal was clear: to heal the rift between our parents after that awful confrontation in the hospital room. When Katherine had lashed out at me for Caelan's injuries and Dad had defended me, it had left everyone on edge.
My fingers traced the edge of a medical chart absently. The past few days had been blissfully quiet. No more harassment from Darrell. Caelan's security team confirmed he'd packed up and left his apartment. Finally, some peace.
I'd even started leaving the house without bodyguards again, despite Caelan's explicit instructions. Having someone shadow my every move felt suffocating. The danger seemed to have passed—surely I could handle normal activities on my own now.
Caelan arrived to pick me up.
"Ready for tonight?"
I gathered my purse and walked toward him. "A little nervous, actually."
His arm slipped around my waist as we headed for the elevator. "Everything will work out. Trust me."
Victoria and Daisy waited at the entrance of Caelan's sprawling estate. The Georgian mansion looked even more impressive in the golden hour light, with its perfectly manicured gardens extending in every direction.
The moment our car pulled into the circular drive, Daisy broke away from Victoria and sprinted toward us with her arms wide.
"Sabelate!" She launched herself at me before I'd even fully stepped out of the car.
I caught her in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground. "My little princess! I missed you so much."
She buried her face in my shoulder. "I missed you more! You've been so busy with work and your boyfriend that you forgot about me!"
Her accusatory tone was offset by the grin she couldn't quite hide. I set her down and crouched to her eye level.
"That's impossible. You know you're the most important person in my life."
Caelan cleared his throat dramatically behind us. "Ahem."
Daisy spun around with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh yeah! You're here too!"
She pointed at Caelan with exaggerated seriousness. "I'm more important than you. Sable just said so."
Caelan's mouth dropped open in mock outrage. "But I'm her fiancé! That has to count for something."
"Nope!" Daisy crossed her arms. "Sisters come first. That's the rule."
"Since when is that a rule?"
"Since forever, obviously." Daisy looked at him like he was being particularly dense. "Don't you know anything?"
I laughed, watching them bicker like children. "Caelan, you're seriously going to argue with a ten-year-old?"