My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 444

Chapter 444: Chapter 444 SIMPLE WARM COMFORT

SERAPHINA’S POV

Daniel sat a few feet away, half veiled in shadow, half revealed by the pale spill of moonlight. His shoulders were hunched, hands shoved awkwardly into the pockets of his pajama pants.

Of all the people I expected to find on the roof at nearly one in the morning, my ten-year-old son was very much not on that list.

“What are you doing up here?” I asked, my voice softer than the surprise that had sparked it.

Daniel winced, and I caught a flicker of embarrassment as his gaze slid away from mine.

“I, uh...” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I couldn’t sleep.”

I raised a brow.

He immediately grimaced.

“Okay, that’s not true,” he admitted, glancing at me with anxious expectation, like he was bracing to be scolded. “I just...had to come up here.”

“Had to?” I echoed, moving closer to him.

I sat next to him and mirrored his position, hugging my knees.

“Care to elaborate?” I asked.

He shook his head, a lock of hair flopping over his eyes.

My other brow joined the first. “Daniel Blackthorne, since when do you keep things from your mother?”

He groaned softly, dragging a hand down his face.

“It was just a stupid bet.”

“A bet,” I repeated slowly.

“With Ava,” he added with an aggrieved sigh.

I bit my lower lip, stifling the smile threatening to break free.

“I...see,” I said carefully. “And what was this bet about?”

He huffed. “It’s stupid. She’s stupid.”

I pressed my teeth harder into my lip, waiting for him to go on.

After a moment of sullen silence, Daniel exhaled, his shoulders sagging further as he gave in.

“She bet I couldn’t stay up on the roof all night cause I’m scared of the dark.”

I frowned. “But you’re not scared of the dark.”

“I know!” He threw his hands up in exasperation. “But I have to prove it, or she’ll call me a coward.”

I let out an amused breath, shaking my head as I leaned back, legs stretched out before me.

“So this,” I said, glancing around at the wide, quiet rooftop, “is your grand plan to defend your honor?”

He shot me a look, narrowing his eyes. “You’re not taking this seriously.”

“Oh, I am,” I said, straight-faced despite my twitching lips. “Your reputation is clearly on the line. Critical situation.”

“Mom.”

“Yes, baby?”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“Just a little.”

He groaned and flopped back onto the cool surface of the rooftop, one arm thrown over his face dramatically.

“I knew I shouldn’t have come up here.”

“Ah, but then you would have missed this lovely bonding moment,” I teased.

He peeked at me from under his arm, eyes narrowed, and lips pursed in a stubborn, unimpressed scowl. “Pass.”

I laughed, the sound slipping out more easily than I expected.

The tension in my chest loosened, softened by Daniel’s presence.

“You know,” I said after a moment, my voice soft, “you don’t actually have to prove anything to Ava—or anyone else.”

He scoffed, dropping his arm to look at me. “That’s easy for you to say. You adore me.”

I snorted, ruffling his hair.

“That’s true,” I agreed. “But so is what I said.”

He turned his head and stared at the sky, quiet for a beat.

“She’s annoying,” he muttered.

“Yeah? Tell me about it.”

Daniel let out a long-suffering sigh, as if he’d waited his whole life for this moment.

“She’s so stubborn,” he said, pushing himself up onto his elbows. “Like, you tell her one thing, and she’ll argue the exact opposite just because.”

“Mm,” I hummed, nodding thoughtfully. “That does sound exhausting.”

“It is,” he insisted. “And she never listens. Ever. Even when she’s wrong—which is a lot, by the way—she’ll just double down.”

“Annoying,” I murmured, resting my chin on my knee.

“And she’s bossy,” he continued, riled up now. “Always telling people what to do. ‘Daniel, fix your stance.’ ‘Daniel, you’re leaning too far forward.’ ‘Daniel, that’s not how you hold a blade.’ Like I’m not the one who has spent months training.”

“Ugh, frustrating.”

If I bit my lip any harder, I’d draw blood.

“She acts like she knows everything,” he went on. “Which is so annoying because she knows literally nothing!”

“Of course not.”

"And she’s always watching," he added, voice dropping. "Always. You mess up once. She notices immediately."

“Oh?” I tilted my head. “Sounds like she pays a lot of attention to you.”

“She pays attention to everyone,” he said quickly.

“Hmm.”

“And she’s—” He stopped abruptly, frowning as if he’d run out of acceptable complaints.

“She’s just...” He gestured vaguely, clearly frustrated. “A lot.”

“A lot,” I echoed.

“Yeah.”

“Stubborn. Bossy. Always watching. Pays close attention,” I listed off calmly.

He shot me a suspicious look.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

His eyes narrowed. “Mom?”

I blinked at him, eyes wide and innocent. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You don’t look offended on my behalf.”

I laughed, shaking my head.

“Well,” I said, nudging his foot with mine, “for someone so annoying, you seem to think about her quite a bit.”

“I do not,” he said immediately.

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