My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 87

Chapter 87: Chapter 87 I’VE LET GO

SERAPHINA’S POV

Daniel was warm in my arms when I tucked the covers around him later that night.

“Mom?” His voice was small, barely above a whisper. His lashes fluttered as though he were already half-asleep, but I knew my son—his mind never rested easily.

“Yes, love?” I smoothed his hair back, needing the steady rhythm of the motion more than he did.

“Are you okay?” His dark eyes blinked open, wide and searching.

The question hit deeper than I expected, pulling tight against the ache I’d carried all day.

I hesitated. My throat still felt raw from the water I’d swallowed, from the moment everything had gone black under the sea.

And behind my ribs, my heart kept replaying the terrifying seconds between sinking and waking—only to find myself nestled under Kieran, his mouth pressed to mine.

The memory burned like a brand. The way his breath had rushed into me, the way his hands had trembled as though he feared he might lose me.

I forced the it down, pushing it deep where Daniel couldn’t see it in my eyes.

“I’m fine,” I told him, the lie tasting like the salt of the ocean. “Just a little shaken, sweetheart.”

His mouth curved into a sleepy smile. “Good. ‘Cause I don’t like it when you scare me.”

I laughed softly, though the sound broke around the edges. “I’ll try not to make a habit of it.”

He reached out, catching my hand. His fingers were small but strong, his grip stubborn in that way he’d inherited from his father.

“You were with us all day,” he murmured, already drifting. “It was the best.”

My heart squeezed. He wasn’t wrong. Despite the near-tragedy, the rest of the day after lunch had been something rare, something beautiful.

I’d never been part of the Blackthorne family vacations before. They’d always gone without me—Kieran, Daniel, Leona, Christian, the perfect picture.

And me? I was the invisible mother, the shadow left behind, the woman whose absence no one seemed to notice.

But today had been different.

Daniel’s laughter had carried over the beach, ringing brighter than the gulls. He’d made sure we stayed away from the ocean, but he’d dragged me from the shade to show me seashells, we’d built sandcastles, chased crabs, and Kieran had even let us bury him up to his shoulders in the sand.

And despite the lingering tension between me and Kieran, Daniel’s joy had spread like wildfire, catching even Leona and Christian in its glow.

For the first time, I hadn’t felt like an outsider with my own family.

I bent and kissed Daniel’s forehead, lingering longer than I meant to. “Sleep well, my love.”

He sighed, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm as he finally gave in to slumber. I slipped my hand from his and stood, the soft creak of the mattress marking my retreat.

The villa was quiet as I padded into the hallway. A warm breeze pushed through the open windows, carrying the scent of sea brine.

I was still lost in thought—still reliving the strange, dizzying collision of relief and humiliation on that beach—when a voice startled me.

“Seraphina?”

I turned, my guard snapping up instinctively. Leona stood at the end of the hall, a shawl drawn loosely around her shoulders, her expression unreadable.

“Yes?” I asked cautiously.

She motioned toward the lounge, a quiet alcove with white wicker chairs and a low table set with untouched tea. “Do you have a moment? I’d like to...have a chat.”

Every instinct in me screamed ‘No!’ Previous conversations with Leona always ended with me questioning my self-worth and fighting back tears.

But politeness, or maybe exhaustion, made me nod. “All right.”

I followed her into the lounge, the air heavy with the scent of hibiscus and jasmine from the garden beyond. We sat opposite each other, the space between us feeling wider than the ocean outside.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then, Leona broke the silence, voice soft. “I wanted to ask how you’re doing. After this morning. That was frightening.”

I blinked. Genuine concern? From Leona?

“Well, it’s a general principle of mine not to die by drowning,” I said dryly. “But I’m managing.”

Her lips twitched, almost a smile. “You always do.”

I folded my hands in my lap, wary. “Was there something else?”

She looked at me for a long beat, then nodded slowly. “Yes. I wanted to tell you... Daniel is a remarkable boy. Bright, kind, grounded. You’ve done a wonderful job with him, Seraphina.”

The compliment landed like a stone thrown into still water, rippling outward until it unsettled everything in me.

My first instinct was suspicion. Because kindness from Leona—as rare as a blue moon—had always come with an edge.

My second was something I didn’t want to name, something dangerously close to longing.

How much easier would my life have been if just one of the maternal figures in my life had treated me with kindness, instead of contempt?

“Thank you,” I said stiffly. “But Daniel’s goodness is his own.”

Leona shook her head. “Don’t diminish what you’ve given him. It shows. The way he looks at you, the way he carries himself—he knows he is loved.”

I shifted uncomfortably, my hands twisting together. This was too strange, too disarming. I wanted to get up, to make an excuse about being tired.

But before I could rise, she pressed on.

“I’ve also heard,” she said carefully, “that you...may have someone new in your life.”

My jaw tightened. Of course. There it was—the true reason for this midnight conversation.

I wasn’t even surprised that she’d somehow acquired this information. Her sources were limitless—maybe Kieran himself even told her.

Though the idea of my ex-husband and ex-mother-in-law discussing my love life was more unsettling than this conversation.

Leona’s eyes searched mine. “If that’s true, then I’m glad. Truly. You deserve to be happy. You deserve support. Love. I hope this works out for you, Sera.”

I let out a breath, sharp and humorless. “Forgive me if I don’t leap to accept your good wishes.”

Her brows drew together. “Why?”

“Because,” I said flatly, “we both know what this is about. You’re afraid I’ll circle back to Kieran. You’re afraid my presence here means something it doesn’t. Let me spare you the anxiety: I’m not here to reclaim him. I’ve moved on. I have friends. I have someone who cares for me. My life now is so much better than it was as Kieran’s wife. I’m happy now. Content.”

Leona’s face tightened, but I didn’t stop. The words, once started, poured out like a tide I couldn’t hold back.

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