My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Chapter 98 BEST PARTY EVER

SERAPHINA’S POV

My first clue about Maya’s ‘welcome back present’ should have been the fancy garment box Lucian presented me with when we stopped at my house to drop off my luggage and freshen up.

Inside was a gorgeous soft cream dress that took my breath away. It was made of flowy chiffon that hugged my waist and swayed around me like water when I moved.

My second clue should have been when Lucian told me to pack an overnight bag.

And yet, I was still blown clean off my feet when I stepped into the lobby of the Hot Springs Hotel.

“SURPRISE!” the OTS members shouted in unison. A burst of laughter followed as confetti rained down, sticking in my hair and glittering against my dress.

I blinked rapidly, overwhelmed, until Maya came rushing toward me in a flowing teal gown that matched her bright spirit and practically glowed against her bronze skin.

“Sera!” She threw her arms around my neck, and a breathless laugh fell out of me as I hugged her tightly.

“I missed you so much,” I said, grinning so hard my jaw ached.

She pulled back, cupping my cheeks. “Of course you did! Quite frankly, I have no idea how you survived that long without me by your side.”

I laughed. “I could say the same about you.”

She rolled her eyes, pulling me behind her into the grand hall.

I looked around, my mouth dropping open slightly. “Maya, this is...”

The entire hall was bathed in soft golden light. Paper lanterns floated above, glowing like captured stars. A long table was set up with food, desserts stacked on polished trays, and bottles of champagne chilling in silver buckets.

Warm steam drifted from the open-air hot springs outside, perfumed with herbs and faint floral oils.

The place wasn’t extravagant in the cold, sterile way the previous galas and social gatherings I’d attended had been. This was warm, intimate, thoughtfully designed.

And it was all for me.

“Do you love it?” Maya asked breathlessly, grabbing both my hands.

Her eyes sparkled as though my reaction mattered more than anything else in the world.

“I had the entire thing arranged the moment Ethan told me you were coming back. The hot springs are open all night, we have the entire hotel to ourselves, and I got all your favorite foods and desserts.”

She hopped on her heels like she’d already gotten into the desserts and was having a sugar high. “Tell me you love it!”

I laughed shakily. “Maya... I don’t even have words. Of course I love it; It’s all so beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you,” she declared with exaggerated flair, stepping back to admire me.

I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. When I’d first put the dress on, I thought it was too much, too delicate for me.

But now, seeing how it glowed in the golden light, how it made me feel like I belonged in this warmth, I realized that, as always, Maya was right.

“I can’t believe you planned all this just for me,” I said softly. “I was gone a little over a week, Maya.”

“A week, a month, it doesn’t matter,” she said, cupping my cheeks again. “You deserve it. You spent so much of your life being cast aside and condemned, so now you have a lot of celebrating to do to make up for it.”

Something in my chest cracked open. I hugged her tight, burying my face in her shoulder. “Thank you,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.

“Well,”—she stroked my back lovingly—“I wish I could take all the credit, but it wasn’t my Amex that rented out the hotel for the night.”

I pulled back slightly, my brow arched.

Maya smirked and nodded behind me.

Lucian was still there, watching our interaction with a fond smile on his face. He looked almost too composed for the setting in his tailored dark suit, but somehow that only made him more endearing.

Of course he was in on it.

My smile wobbled, and I blinked back tears. “Thank you,” I repeated softly.

He slipped to my side, his hand taking mine in a quiet claim of presence. “Always, Sera.”

The tenderness in his eyes made my heart flutter, and it skipped a beat altogether when he drew me in closer.

My eyes widened, darting pointedly to the crowd of OTS members milling about—and Maya, who was in danger of splitting her face in half with her smile.

“Hey,” Lucian said softly, drawing me in even closer. “Don’t worry about them.”

“But...”

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