My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 389

Chapter 389: Chapter 389 LEVERAGE

SERAPHINA’S POV

The trees thinned until the forest gave way to a narrow stretch of coastal grassland, where the earth sloped toward the distant sound of waves.

The scent of salt hung in the air, sharp and clean, carried inland by a steady breeze that tugged lightly at my hair as I stepped out from beneath the shadow of the pines.

Catherine was already there.

She stood near the center of the clearing, her posture relaxed—one hand resting loosely at her side, the other holding a slim phone.

From a distance, she might have been mistaken for a woman enjoying the cool evening air rather than the architect of the nightmare that had drawn us here.

Even as I approached, she watched with quiet amusement, her gaze sweeping over me in slow appraisal, as if observing a particularly interesting specimen.

Unlike me, she looked entirely at ease.

Every instinct inside me remained alert, every sense sharpened by the knowledge that danger surrounded this woman like an invisible force field.

Yet Catherine stood as if we had arranged nothing more than a casual meeting between acquaintances.

When I finally stopped a few paces away, she smiled.

“Seraphina,” she said warmly. “You’ve grown.”

Her voice carried the same cold sweetness I remembered.

I did not return the smile.

“Where is my mother?”

Catherine tutted. “No greeting? No polite conversation before business?”

“You’re holding my mother hostage,” I replied coldly. “We’re well past polite conversation.”

The smile on her lips did not fade.

“You’ve become very direct,” she observed. “I suppose power tends to strip away manners. A shame; you used to be such a sweet girl.”

“I didn’t come here to talk about my personality,” I said through gritted teeth.

For a moment, Catherine studied me, amusement in her eyes sharpening to something analytical.

“Yes,” she murmured. “I can see that.”

Her gaze drifted across the clearing, then returned to me. “You did come alone.”

Her words sounded casual, but I felt the subtle pressure behind them, as if she were testing for something hidden.

Corin’s concealment held steady.

I could not sense the others, but I knew they were there, silent among the trees.

“I told you I would,” I said.

Catherine nodded. “You look as though you’re expecting me to try something unpleasant.”

“I am.”

She laughed softly. “I appreciate honesty.”

My patience was already wearing thin.

“Where is my mother?” I repeated.

She waved away the question like it was a pesky fly. "Oh, she’s fine."

“I want proof.”

Catherine tapped the phone lightly against her palm as though considering my request.

For a long moment, she did nothing.

Then, with a small sigh that suggested mild disappointment, she lifted the phone and swiped the screen.

“If you insist.”

She turned the screen toward me.

The image flickered once before stabilizing.

My breath caught.

Margaret Lockwood appeared on the screen.

She sat in what looked like a small stone room, the lighting dim but clear enough for me to see the exhaustion etched across her face.

Her hair hung loose around her shoulders, and though she was upright, there was a weakness in the way she held herself that suggested she had been confined there for days.

“Mother!” I gasped.

Her head lifted, her gaze darting around the room. “Seraphina?”

The sound of her voice struck somewhere deep inside my chest.

“I’m here,” I said.

Although I didn’t know if she could see me, since the feed looked like it was from a CCTV camera.

My mother sighed, dropping her gaze. “You shouldn’t have gone to meet her.”

My heart tightened. “I didn’t have a choice.”

Her expression softened, a mix of relief and worry. “Are you safe?”

I choked out a laugh. “I’m the one who should be asking you that.”

She managed a small smile. “I’m fine, dear.”

Catherine’s voice drifted into the conversation.

“You see?” she said. “Perfectly fine.”

I ignored her.

“Are you hurt?” I asked my mother.

She hesitated for the briefest fraction of a second before she said, “No.”

But the pause told me everything.

Before I could ask another question, the screen went dark.

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