Page 52 of The Substitute Fiancée

“I knew you’d make it,” I tell her, genuinely happy for her.

My heart swells with pride. Despite everything she’s going through, Sam keeps moving forward, keeps fighting for her dreams.

“I still can’t believe it,” she says, and for the first time that evening, her smile reaches her eyes. “It’s incredible! But which pieces should I show?”

“We’ll look at that this weekend,” Emelyne suggests. “We’ll sort through them together.”

“Sounds good,” Sam replies.

After dinner, I don’t linger. I have a long day tomorrow, and even though I’d like to stay to make sure Sam is okay, I can tell she needs space to process everything that happened.

She walks me to the door after I say goodbye to the Lacroix sisters.

“Good night, Sam,” I say, turning to her. “And remember—if you need anything, you call me, no matter the time.”

She smiles, but I can’t help worrying. What happened with Kristel, then with Arthur, was brutal. I’m afraid of the aftermath it might have on her.

We exchange a kiss on the cheek to say goodbye, but tonight I feel her presence with a new intensity. The brush of her cheek against mine, the softness of her skin, the warmth of her body so close… I pull away reluctantly. And as I head down the stairs, it feels like I’m leaving a part of myself behind.

Gilles is waiting downstairs and drives toward my penthouse when my phone rings. Andrew.

Just what I needed.

I answer with a sigh.

“I saw your announcement and the attacks against Sam,” he says without preamble. “How is she?”

“You know her,” I reply. “She’s holding a lot inside, but she’s not alone. The Lacroix sisters are with her.”

Then I tell him everything about Kristel’s visit and the phone call from their father.

“Between us,” I add, “I never thought your family would behave like that. I knew your father was disappointed that Sam didn’t choose a conventional career—not that he was unjust and downright cruel to her.”

A heavy silence follows my words.

“Kristel has hated Sam since the day she was born,” Andrew finally says in a dark voice. “She couldn’t stand the competition, the idea that she wouldn’t be the only one getting attention. My father, unwilling to upset her, always favored her at Sam’s expense.”

“And your mother?” I ask, even though I already think I know the answer.

“Mom? She’s a submissive woman. She does whatever our father tells her. She never once spoke up for Sam, never defended her. Why do you think I asked you to keep an eye on her when I left for Lyon for school?”

I understand what he isn’t saying. The guilt he carries for having left his little sister alone to face that toxic family.

“Sam had no one else,” I murmur.

“Exactly,” he confirms. “Even now, even with the Lacroix sisters, she needs you. Especially since you’re the one who pulled her into this mess. So don’t disappoint me. Watch over her.”

The threat is clear, but I can’t blame him. In his place, I’d react the same way.

I take a breath, then ask:

“Tell me, Andrew… is it true that Sam was in love with me three years ago?”

Silence follows my question. A silence so long I think he’s hung up. Then his answer comes, cautious:

“That’s a question you’ll have to ask her yourself.”

17. “Romantic” dinner