Chapter 371: Chapter 371 - I’m not stupid enough to throw it away
Oriana smiled, a sharp, satisfied little grin that lit up her whole face. For the first time since she’d stepped into the cabin, she felt like she’d finally gotten under Seraphine’s skin, and damn did it feel good. Why stop now when she was winning?
"Sera, you’re upset because you know I’m telling the truth," she said, leaning in like she’d already won the argument.
"No," Seraphine shot back instantly, her voice calm on the surface but carrying a dangerous edge that hadn’t been there before.
She’d been holding back this whole time purely out of respect for Voren, because this woman was his mother. But that patience was wearing razor-thin.
She rose slowly from her chair, ignoring the dull ache still throbbing through her body, and locked eyes with Oriana.
"Out of respect for Voren, I’ve been choosing my words so carefully. But you need to leave. Right now." The smile on Oriana’s face vanished. "Because if you keep pushing me like this, I might just forget that you’re about to be my mother-in-law."
For the first time, Oriana looked genuinely thrown off balance. The words hit her harder than she’d expected. "Mother-in-law?" Her brows knitted together in confusion. "Wait. You’re not actually planning to leave him?"
Seraphine almost told her the truth right then, about Esperanza, about all the things Oriana had no clue about, but she stopped herself. This woman was too bitter, too determined to get what she wanted.
Handing her any real information would be like giving a loaded weapon to someone already aiming at your heart. So instead, Seraphine kept it simple.
"A spell made me forget him," she said, her voice softening just a touch with the memory. "But even before that spell broke, I fell in love with him all over again. So tell me, why the hell would I leave him now just because his narrow-minded mother wants me to?"
Oriana’s eyes widened in shock. "You really do have a sharp tongue." Her voice dropped colder than ice. "Remember who you’re speaking to."
Seraphine folded her arms across her chest, standing her ground. "Oh, I remember exactly who I’m talking to." The cabin fell into a heavy silence. "I already gave you a chance to walk out of here peacefully. If you choose to stay and keep going, whatever happens next is on you."
Oriana’s jaw tightened so hard Seraphine could see the muscle jump. Vladimir already warned her about Seraphine, that the woman was too clever, but Oriana thought she could break her.
"You’re my elder," Seraphine continued, her expression turning steely. "And because of that, I’ve shown you respect. But being older doesn’t give you the right to insult me or tear me down."
She shrugged, the movement full of defiance. "You don’t approve of my relationship with your son? That’s your problem, not mine. I don’t have any agreement with you, and I’m sure as hell not gonna stand here and let you rip me apart."
Memories from the academy flooded back, all those endless lessons, the crushing expectations, the stupid rules that told women their worth only came from being appraised by their Alpha. A bitter smile tugged at Seraphine’s lips.
"The academy loves to drill it into us that our value depends on being chosen, that we need a man’s approval to feel like we matter. I don’t buy that crap anymore."
Her eyes burned with pure confidence. "I can live a damn good life without a man. That’s the difference between us. I don’t need love to survive... but when my heart finds something real, I’m not stupid enough to throw it away."
The words hung thick in the air between them. "I love Voren," Seraphine said, simple, direct, and full of unshakable certainty. "If a powerful spell couldn’t keep us apart, then honestly..." She tilted her head, her gaze steady and challenging. "I think you’re way too weak to pull off what that spell couldn’t."
Oriana let out an offended scoff and shot to her feet so fast her perfect posture slipped for a second. Her irritation was boiling over, impossible to hide anymore.
"Fine. If that’s how you want to play this, then I’ll make sure Athaliah spends plenty of time with Voren." A nasty, victorious smile spread across her face. "Let’s see how long he keeps pretending to love you once he meets someone who’s actually worthy of him."
Seraphine stared at her for a beat, then burst out laughing. Real, genuine laughter that echoed through the cabin. Oriana’s face darkened with fury. "What’s so funny?"
"Oh, plenty of things," Seraphine said, shaking her head. "Like how you tossed Jasmine aside the second someone ’better’ came along."
The accusation landed like a slap, Oriana stiffened. "Luna Oriana, you don’t actually care about Voren’s happiness. You care about how it looks. You care about prestige and having the perfect Luna on his arm so you can parade her in front of your fancy friends and brag about what a successful mother you are."
Silence stretched between them, heavy and uncomfortable. Oriana’s eyes narrowed. "I see you’ve figured it out. Which is exactly why you should leave him," she added.
Seraphine crossed her arms tighter. "And if I don’t?"
The challenge echoed loud and clear. For a second, Oriana looked stunned. She obviously wasn’t used to people pushing back this hard. Her mouth opened to fire something back, but then a familiar voice cut through from outside.
"Baby, who are you talking to?"
Both women froze instantly. Oriana’s face went pale. Seraphine couldn’t stop the satisfied smile that crept across her lips.
The cabin door swung open, and Voren stepped inside, snow dusting his broad shoulders and dark hair. His eyes flicked between them, and the warmth in his expression vanished in an instant.
A dangerous, icy coldness settled over his face as his gaze landed squarely on his mother.
"Mom." The single word made the tension in the room skyrocket. His jaw clenched tight. "I really hope this isn’t what I think it is."
