Page 50 of The Substitute Fiancée

Those three minutes stretch. I refine the shadows, soften a line, strengthen the light.

When I’m finished, I set the charcoal down in its dish. My fingers are black with powder. My heart is pounding.

“You can come look if you want,” I say without looking at him.

Alexander stands, stretches, and steps closer. I feel the warmth of his presence beside me. I don’t dare lift my eyes to his face—but I know the moment his land on the drawing, because his breath catches.

And so does mine.

16. Family Drama

Alexander

As I step closer to Sam to look at her work, I’m not prepared for the blow it deals me. The sketch is incredibly powerful, bursting off the page like a relief sculpture, but what truly takes my breath away is the intensity of my own gaze that she has captured so perfectly. It looks as though I’m devouring the viewer with my eyes.

Except it isn’t a stranger I’m looking at like that.

It’s Sam.

My heart leaps in my chest. Is that really how I look at her—with that… that hunger in my eyes? That blend of vulnerability and desire?

“It’s beautiful,” I murmur softly, low enough that only she can hear.

She looks up at me, uncertain, her cheeks faintly flushed, her lips parted. My heart pounds harder. It’s only then that I realize Sam unsettles me.

But since when?

Suddenly, her phone rings, shattering the moment. She pulls it from her pocket and glances down at the screen. I see the word “Dad” appear, and I feel her entire body stiffen. For a second, she freezes, as if hesitating to answer.

Then she picks up and brings the phone to her ear. Without even looking at me, she reaches out her free hand. Her fingers close around mine, gripping tightly, as if drawing strength from the contact. That instinctive trust shakes me to my core.

“Good evening, Dad,” she replies in a calm voice she’s far from feeling.

I can feel the tension vibrating through every muscle in her body.

“How could you do something like that to your sister?” Arthur roars, loud enough that even Mara and Emelyne can hear him from behind the kitchen counter.

I see Emelyne exchange a worried look with Mara. They move closer, quietly, in solidarity.

Sam pulls the phone slightly away from her ear, grimacing at the volume.

“And what exactly did I do?” she asks, never losing her composure.

“You stole your sister’s boyfriend,” he snaps. “I didn’t raise you to be a bitch.”

The word cracks through the air like a slap. Sam absorbs the blow. I feel anger surge through me. I reach for the phone, ready to defend her, but she tightens her grip on my fingers and gives me a reassuring smile. She wants to fight her own battles.

As hard as it is not to intervene, I understand. So I stay right there, holding her hand in mine, offering silent support.

“Because I’m the bitch?” she asks softly, almost with a hint of amusement. “I’m not the one who cheated on her boyfriend, Dad. You must be confusing me with someone else.”

I’m speechless. That she dares to speak to her father like this stuns me. I’ve always known Sam had backbone, but this… damn. She’s incredible.

“Don’t you talk about your sister that way!” Arthur growls. “She made a small error in judgment—there’s no need to make such a big deal out of it.”

The silence that follows is icy. I see Sam’s jaw tighten.

“At least you’re very clear about where your moral compass lies,” she retorts, dripping with sarcasm.