My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Chapter 54 FUCKING SHITSHOW

SERAPHINA’S POV

The tension in the kitchen had teeth.

Maya still had her arm looped through mine, her body warm and grounding. But every inch of me had gone cold as I stared at my brother, his shirt sleeves rolled to the elbows, oozing polished calm as he set down silverware like this was any normal night.

Like we weren’t estranged, and he wasn’t one of the chief orchestrators of my misery.

"Hey," he repeated.

I blinked. My throat felt suddenly too tight. "You...you live here now?"

Maya nudged me lightly. "I invited him for dinner. He wanted to see you. Talk."

I turned to her slowly and tried to keep the accusation out of my voice, but I couldn’t help feeling ambushed. "Why?"

Maya shifted, suddenly uncharacteristically nervous. "Because he has regrets, Sera. He wants to apologize to you, make things right.” She leaned in. “I don’t want my mate and my best friend at loggerheads.”

I pressed my lips tightly, looking away. It was hard not to feel like Maya had overstepped, but I guess if I squinted and turned my head to the side, I could see where she was coming from.

She only ever knew the extent of what I told her; she could never know how it truly felt to have your big brother, who was supposed to be a protector, stand with the rest of the world against you.

I inhaled through my nose and forced my limbs to move, to sit at the modest kitchen table from where I could watch Maya set to work on making dinner.

“Here,” Ethan said quietly, pushing a glass of red wine towards me. I accepted it without looking up at him.

“Sera?”

I stared at the dark red liquid. “Hmm?”

“I’m glad we’re doing this.”

I shrugged in reply. I couldn’t return his sentiment just yet. They should’ve been glad I didn’t immediately race for the door.

While they cooked, I watched Maya and Ethan from the corner of my eye. They’d only been mates for a short while, but they had a dynamic that was kind of sweet to watch.

They teased each other relentlessly, working seamlessly together. So while I still felt uncomfortable and there was an ache in my chest I couldn’t explain, I was at least happy for my friend that she’d found what I’d spent most of my life—especially the last ten years—missing.

When they were done, they laid out grilled salmon, sweet potatoes, and a tossed salad, and we settled to eat.

I waited for ten minutes to pass, for our plates to be filled and the first couple of forkfuls to be consumed before I spoke.

"You wanted to talk?" I said coolly, folding my napkin into a tighter and tighter square in my lap.

Ethan cleared his throat and nodded once. "I wanted to apologize."

I arched an eyebrow. “For what?”

He sighed heavily. “Everything. For shunning you all these years, treating you as less than. For being a bad brother.”

I stared, shocked at how...easy the apology had come.

There was no tremor in his voice. No guilt. Just calm, measured speech, like this was everyday conversation.

Like his ‘being a bad brother’ hadn’t been pivotal in ruining my life.

“Right,” I mumbled, turning back to my plate.

“Do you forgive me?”

I snorted into my glass of wine.

Maya shifted beside me. “Sera—”

"No, it’s okay," Ethan cut in. "She deserves to feel as wronged as she wants. I didn’t come here expecting forgiveness so quickly."

"Good," I muttered.

He studied me for a beat. Then, his next words cut through the remaining warmth in the room.

"Celeste tried to kill herself earlier today."

Maya went still beside me. My stomach bottomed out. That was why Kieran had run out like his ass was on fire.

Ethan continued, tone deliberately measured. "She drank bleach. Thankfully, she was already in the hospital and was quickly stabilized, but the doctors say her wolf is rapidly deteriorating. She’s in an extremely fragile state right now.”

I blinked, waiting for the right emotions to spread through me—shock, guilt, panic, grief, even. But all I could feel was a distant, surreal numbness. Like I was finding out news about someone I didn’t know.

Maya reached for my hand under the table, but I didn’t squeeze back.

"I’m not asking you to care about her," Ethan said. "But I am asking you to stop."

I turned my head slowly. "Stop what, exactly?"

"Stop going after Kieran."

I laughed. Bitter and low. "You think I went after him, that I’m going after him?"

“Celeste thinks he loves you, or at least that you two still have some kind of connection. It tears her apart, and she’s slowly unraveling every day.”

“That’s not my fault,” I said. “She should talk to Kieran about it. There’s nothing going on between us, and he should do a better job of assuring her.”

“But can you blame her?” Ethan said softly. “You and Kieran hurt her all those years ago and—”

“I seem to recall you being at the garden the night of the gala.” My voice was tight. “Are you not curious about the message she sent me? About the possibility that Celeste had something to do with my being in that hotel room that night?”

Ethan sighed. “Speculation aside—”

My fork clanged against my plate, and I felt Maya wince. “Speculation?” I said incredulously.

Ethan didn’t flinch. “I’m not asking for much, Sera. I know the rift between you two won’t be so easily sealed, just...stop feeding it. Don’t hurt her any more than she already is. Don’t be the reason she attempts to give up again.”

The silence in the kitchen felt like broken glass. I stared at Ethan for a long time, struggling to arrange my tumbling thoughts and emotions.

I stood.

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