My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 288

Chapter 288: Chapter 288 FREAKING SERENDIPITOUS

SERAPHINA’S POV

I was six years old.

Perched high on my father’s shoulders, my legs swung wild and free, laughter bubbling out of me as each of his steps sent the world dancing beneath us.

“Careful,” Mother called, holding up an ice cream cone.

Father laughed. “She’s not made of glass.”

I leaned down, taking a large bite of the ice cream she held up to me, sticky sweetness smearing my lips and chin.

“This is the best day ever!” I declared.

They both laughed.

The air smelled like sugar and sunshine and something bright I didn’t have words for yet.

The amusement park belonged to us alone, every ride alive with promise. I ran until my legs burned, laughter unraveling into something wild and breathless.

On the carousel, Father held me steady while Mother clapped from below.

“That’s my girl,” he said proudly. “The Lockwood pride.”

Back home, my father cradled me in his arms as I fought to keep my heavy lids open, head tucked beneath his chin.

My mother watched from the doorway of my room, her eyes shining.

“I can’t believe we have to do this,” she whispered, voice trembling.

Father murmured, barely audible, as he laid me in bed, “Even if she never becomes the Lockwood pride—as long as she grows up safely, I have no regrets.”

The dream cradled me, holding me weightless in that golden moment, wrapped in love.

Unaware of the storm waiting just beyond tomorrow.

***

Gentle golden light pressed against my eyelids, coaxing me awake with a soft, patient touch.

For a moment, I thought I was still dreaming.

Then I heard breathing.

Small. Uneven. Close.

“Mom?” The word cracked.

My eyes flew open.

Daniel was perched on the edge of the bed, both hands clenched tight in the blanket near my waist, knuckles pale.

His eyes were red-rimmed, his curls sticking up at odd angles like he’d run his hands through them one too many times.

“I’m here,” I rasped, my voice rough like I’d been screaming for hours. “I’m here, baby.”

His shoulders slumped, tension draining away as he folded into me, forehead pressed tight against my shoulder.

“You scared me,” he whispered, the muffled words trembling. “You wouldn’t wake up.”

Guilt speared straight through my chest.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured, lifting a hand with effort and threading my fingers into his hair. My arm felt heavy, like it had been dipped in lead, but the contact grounded me. “I’m so sorry, my love.”

“I was so scared,” he repeated.

“I know, baby.” My throat tightened. “But I’m here; I’m fine.”

Slowly, the rest of my room came into focus, and I became aware of one other person.

Maya sat in the chair near the window, one leg tucked beneath her, coiled and tense like a snake ready to spring.

Her eyes were sharp and bright with unshed worry, fixed on me with the intensity of someone who’d been holding herself together by force of will.

“Oh, good,” she said, the lightness in her tone obviously forced. “You’re awake. Fantastic timing. I was about five seconds away from cracking your skull open to figure out what the problem was.”

“Maya,” I croaked.

As if her restraint snapped, she was on her feet in an instant, crossing the room in two quick strides.

She crouched beside the bed, one hand braced on the mattress, the other hovering like she wasn’t quite sure where she was allowed to touch.

“You do not get to scare us like that,” she said, voice carefully controlled. “You’re back for less than twenty-four hours, and you decide to reenact a tragic fainting scene?”

I huffed weakly. “I’ve always been dramatic.”

Her mouth twitched, but her eyes softened. “Yeah. But you’re usually conscious for it.”

“Touché. I—”

That was when I noticed the glow.

It wasn’t coming from the lamps or the fluorescent bulbs or the window.

It floated above my chest, pearlescent and soft, shimmering with each breath I drew.

I blinked, wondering if I was somehow still dreaming.

Two butterflies were suspended in the air like living fragments of moonlight.

Their wings glowed translucent, laced with silvery-blue veins that pulsed softly, as if echoing something inside me.

They were breathtaking.

And completely out of place in my bedroom.

“What on earth?”

Daniel lifted his head, following my gaze. “They showed up after you fainted,” he explained.

Maya snorted softly. “By ‘showed up,’ he means they were delivered. Like flowers. Except significantly more magical.”

“Delivered?” I echoed.

She nodded. “I came as fast as I could after I called and Daniel answered in a panic. Ran several red lights—I fully expect a court summons in the coming weeks. Anyway, when I got to the door, someone was already there.”

“Who?” I asked.

She shrugged. “A messenger, and a cagey one at that.”

My brow furrowed.

“All I know,” she continued, “is that they handed me a crystal enclosure, said it was ‘for Seraphina,’ and vanished before I could ask a single useful question. Which is frankly rude.”

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