My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 279

Chapter 279: Chapter 279 THE UNDERCURRENT

LUCIAN’S POV

The LST internal platform rarely surprised me.

Most posts followed predictable rhythms: after-action reports polished to within an inch of their lives, congratulatory blurbs that said everything and nothing, the occasional clipped announcement—noise, curated and controlled.

So when Selene’s post detonated across my feed, it wasn’t the fact that it went viral that caught my attention.

It was who was in it.

I was mid-brief when the alert chimed—three short pulses, priority-coded. I dismissed the staff with a flick of my hand and glanced down at the tablet instead.

The thumbnail loaded.

Sand. Sun. Motion.

And Seraphina.

I stilled.

She was unmistakable, even in a fleeting glimpse, her posture loose in a way I’d never seen before, laughter tumbling out between quick breaths, so entirely at ease in her own skin it was difficult to look away.

I expanded the video.

Laughter spilled from the speakers. Children shouting. The rhythmic thud of a ball hitting sand. The sea roaring steadily in the background.

The video framed her in motion: agile, unguarded, hair swept back, skin glowing with exertion and life.

She was positively incandescent.

And she looked stronger.

Not just physically. The difference was subtler than that—an ease in the way she occupied space, a confidence that didn’t posture or perform.

It sat in her shoulders, her timing, the way she trusted her body to catch itself when she stumbled.

A small, private satisfaction unfurled in my chest.

Good.

Alois had been right.

Letting her go—truly, without restrictions or watchful leashes—had been the correct decision.

Painful. Risk-laden. Uncomfortable in every way that mattered.

But correct.

Then a man stepped into frame.

I paused the video. Rewound.

Watched again, slower this time.

The way he anticipated her movement. The way he adjusted position without a word. The way his hand caught her at the waist when she slipped—not possessive, not dominating, but...natural.

Too natural.

His touch didn’t seem romantic or possessive, but there was a resonance, a kind of trust between them I didn’t know what to do with.

I leaned back in my chair, steepling my fingers.

I didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Seabreeze had been on my radar the moment I learned it was Seraphina’s final stop. I’d dispatched quiet feelers—nothing aggressive, nothing that would draw notice. Just enough to build a profile.

And what came back was...thin.

Uncomfortably so.

Despite Selene’s high-profile presence in LST, despite her open invitation to curious parties, Seabreeze remained oddly opaque.

Records were clean but shallow. Historical conflicts neatly resolved. Power structures stable to the point of boredom.

Most of them reoriented around the same question: Was Sera settling in Seabreeze?

The suggestion grated—not because I believed it possible, but because I refused to let the narrative exist at all.

I had no intention of letting that speculation take root, plausible or not.

I typed a comment, knowing my admin account would push it to the top of every feed that mattered.

’Good to see our LST Champion thriving, even off-duty. OTS looks good on her, wherever she goes.’

Neutral. Affirming. Redirective.

Within seconds, the likes and comments rolled in. The conversation reoriented just enough—Seraphina framed not as Seabreeze’s guest, but as OTS’ ambassador.

As someone passing through, not settling.

Then I sent her a private message.

’The sea breeze suits you. But I hope you don’t forget that Christmas is fast approaching—and we’re already preparing for your homecoming.’

I sent the message and leaned back, letting the hum of the room settle around me.

The video continued to play on a loop in the corner of my screen—Seraphina laughing, alive, lighter than I’d ever seen her. And always, beside that man.

I would allow it.

For now.

But I would not ignore the undercurrent.

Because threats didn’t always announce themselves as threats.

Sometimes, they smiled. Sometimes, they caught you before you fell. Sometimes, they waited quietly beneath the surface, content to be overlooked.

And those were always the ones worth looking out for.