My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 409

Chapter 409: Chapter 409 BETTER CONDITIONS

CATHERINE’S POV

Marcus’s pack had always favored strength over subtlety.

The Alpha residence reflected that philosophy, all dark wood, reinforced walls, and wide windows that did not soften the world beyond them, only framed it.

I stood near one of those windows now, my gaze resting not on the forest stretching endlessly into shadow, but on the faint reflection cast across the glass.

The darkness outside revealed nothing.

The glass, however, showed me everything I needed to see.

Myself, composed and still.

The low, amber glow of the overhead lights.

And Marcus Draven, lounging far too comfortably against the edge of the table behind me, as though the ground beneath his carefully constructed empire had not begun to shift.

“You’ve been quiet,” he said at last, his voice carrying that familiar edge of mockery that always grated against my patience. “That’s rarely a good sign.”

“Neither is incompetence,” I replied evenly without turning. “And yet here we are.” 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

A low chuckle followed.

“I see,” Marcus said, pushing himself off the table. “So we’re starting there tonight.”

"You had one job," I hissed.

"Hey, it’s not my fault Celeste wasn’t where she was supposed to be."

“You lost her.”

Marcus’s expression darkened. “She was moved.”

“Which means you lost her,” I repeated, my voice cutting.

A flicker of anger flashed in his eyes.

“Watch your tone.”

“Or what?” I snapped. “You’ll fail at something else?”

The room seemed to tighten around us.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Marcus let out a humorless laugh.

“This from the woman who couldn’t secure her primary target,” he shot back.

“Seraphina was never meant to be secured at that stage,” I said. “Celeste, however, was already contained.”

He didn’t answer.

“Unbelievable,” I muttered, turning away from him again before my irritation could escalate into something less controlled. “You had one fucking job.”

“There was interference,” he said sharply.

“There’s always interference,” I replied. “That’s the nature of opposition. The difference between success and failure is whether you account for it.”

“And you accounted for Seraphina?” he countered.

“Yes,” I said without hesitation.

I forced down the thought of that last blow from Seraphina and her hidden friend that caught me off guard.

I exhaled slowly, forcing the edge out of my tone before continuing.

“With Celeste out of reach, we’ve lost a leverage point,” I said. “Which leaves us with fewer options.”

Marcus’s expression shifted again, his frustration settling into something more calculated.

“Not necessarily,” he said.

I glanced at him.

“Oh?”

F“You still have Margaret.”

The name darkened the room like a shadow.

“Yes,” I said carefully. “I do.”

“Then use her,” he said bluntly. “Kill her. Complete the transfer. End the instability and move forward.”

For a moment, I simply stared at him.

Then I mimicked his humorless laugh.

“You really don’t understand what you’re suggesting, do you?”

Marcus’s eyes narrowed. “I understand enough.”

“No,” I said, my voice dropping. “You understand the outcome. Not the risk.”

I stepped closer to him, closing the distance just enough to ensure he understood the seriousness of what I was about to say.

“If I mishandle that process,” I continued, “Margaret doesn’t just die, she transfers into me."

He arched a brow.

“She could overwrite me,” I went on. “Or worse—exist alongside me. A second consciousness with equal claim to the power I’ve taken.”

Marcus’s jaw tightened.

“That’s a risk you’ll have to take eventually,” he said.

“Eventually,” I agreed. “Not prematurely.”

“And beyond that,” I added, stepping back slightly, “Margaret still has value.”

Marcus frowned. “As what?”

“As leverage,” I said simply.

His expression hardened. “We already tried that with Seraphina.”

“And we’ll try again,” I replied. “Under better conditions.”

"Better conditions." He scoffed.

"What?"

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