Chapter 0029
Seraphina’s POV
“Me? Cheating? That’s absolute nonsense!” I snapped, my voice slicing through the chaos in the room.
I turned my glare on Althea, my fury boiling over. “And how dare you barge into my room uninvited! I haven’t even confronted you about using Lucian to try to kill me with that scented candle!”
Althea clutched her chest theatrically, stepping back as if I had struck her. Her face twisted in mock horror.
“What are you talking about?” she gasped, her voice trembling with feigned innocence. “What scented candle? What murder? You’re standing here perfectly well, aren’t you? Maybe you’ve developed some sort of persecution complex.”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” I hissed, my teeth clenched. “You had Lucian bring that toxic candle into my room, hoping to kill me in my sleep. What kind of mother uses her own child to carry out something so vile?”
Damon’s roar cut through the tension.
“Enough! I’m sick of your baseless accusations!” His face was a storm of anger and disdain. “You claim Althea tried to kill you, just like you claimed she killed your child and buried you alive! Do you even hear yourself? It’s ridiculous!” His voice dropped to a menacing growl. “But what’s undeniable is that we caught you half-naked with Alpha Caden in bed!”
“They were definitely cheating!” Lucian chimed in, his voice sharp and accusing. “I saw him come in! I ran to tell Mom right away. I can testify!”
Althea bent down to pat Lucian’s head, her expression full of faux pride. “Good boy,” she praised him. “You did the right thing.”
I stared at them—at Althea’s smug smile, at Lucian’s accusing eyes—and the truth hit me like a crashing wave.
If Caden hadn’t shown up by sheer chance tonight, I would most likely be dead, suffocated by the poisonous fumes of that cursed candle. Althea’s plan had failed because of Caden, and now she was trying to salvage her plot by turning this into an accusation of infidelity.
The rage inside me burned hotter than ever.
“There’s nothing between Alpha Caden and me!” I shouted, my voice shaking with fury. “You’re accusing us of cheating? Where’s your proof?”
Althea pointed dramatically at my disheveled clothes, her voice dripping with scorn. “The proof is right in front of everyone. Look at yourself—half your chest is hanging out! What else could it be but evidence of an affair?”
Caden’s icy voice cut through the room like a blade.
“I was giving Seraphina CPR,” he said, his tone calm yet lethal. “She wasn’t breathing. I undid her clothes to help her. Is that a problem?”
Althea visibly shrank under his intense gaze. She stumbled back, then grabbed Lucian and pushed him forward as a shield.
“Lucian,” she prompted urgently, “you said earlier that Alpha Caden and Seraphina were kissing. Is that true?”
Lucian straightened up, his young voice loud and sure. “Of course, it’s true! He was kissing her and calling her name again and again, like he couldn’t get enough of her. It was disgusting!”
My heart shattered.
Lucian… This was the child I had loved unconditionally, the child I was willing to give everything for. And now, he had betrayed me in the most brutal way imaginable.
Tears stung my eyes, but before I could break, Caden’s steady hand rested on my shoulder, grounding me.
“I’ve already explained,” he said, his voice cold and measured. “It wasn’t kissing—it was CPR. When I entered through the window, Seraphina was unconscious. If I hadn’t acted, she would’ve died.”
Althea wasn’t ready to give up. She sneered and retorted, “Then why did you come in through the window? And why were you in her room so late at night? If you ask me—”
Caden stood abruptly, a low growl rumbling deep in his chest.
The room seemed to shrink as his Alpha aura swept over everyone like a suffocating storm. His emerald-green eyes glinted, now glowing with a feral gold, and sharp wolf fangs emerged as he snarled.
“Careful,” he warned, his voice dripping with menace. “Watch who you’re accusing.”
Althea stumbled backward, her face pale as a sheet. She fell to the floor, clutching Damon’s leg in desperation.
“Damon, my love!” she wailed, her voice trembling with fake tears. “What did I do wrong? I only wanted to expose Seraphina’s true nature. Should I have stayed silent?”
Damon’s jaw tightened as he pulled her to her feet. He glared at Caden, his voice seething with venom.
“Seraphina is my woman. If you dare touch her again, you’ll pay for it.”
“Your woman?!” I snapped, stepping forward, my voice sharp with defiance. “Everyone knows we’re getting a divorce! There’s nothing between us anymore!”
Damon’s arrogant smirk returned. “The divorce isn’t finalized yet. Technically, you’re still my wife, and you must remain faithful to me.”
The hypocrisy in his words ignited a fresh wave of anger in me.
“And what about you, Damon?” I shouted, my voice shaking with fury. “Your infidelity is a fact. Did you ever pay the price for that? No! You paraded your mistress around and took everything that was mine. Why should I be punished when you weren’t?”
A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
“Which Alpha doesn’t have a few mistresses? That’s just how the world works!” he barked. “And I don’t see other women complaining!”
I opened my mouth to respond, but one of the elders cleared his throat, his tone annoyingly patronizing.
“Unfortunately, Luna Seraphina,” he began, “until the divorce is finalized, you and Alpha Damon are still legally married. Any allegations of infidelity must be thoroughly investigated. If proven true, it could affect the property settlement.”
My chest tightened. They weren’t just trying to humiliate me—they were looking for an excuse to strip me of the 30 million I had rightfully claimed.
“How many times do I have to say it?” I cried. “Althea had Lucian bring a toxic scented candle into my room! Alpha Caden only came because he saved my life!”
Lucian’s sudden wailing cut through my words.
“I’m only eight!” he sobbed, his small frame shaking. “And you’re accusing me of murder? I hate you! You’re an evil woman!”
Althea held him close, her tears flowing as she played the perfect victim.
“Luna Seraphina,” she sniffled, her voice breaking, “I know you hate us because Damon loves me, but how could you falsely accuse an innocent child? It’s cruel.”
Caden’s cold voice silenced her fake sobs.
“Take the scented candle to the lab,” he ordered. “Let the results prove who’s lying.”
The elders exchanged uncertain glances before one finally nodded. “That seems fair. But until we have the results, Luna Seraphina, you’ll need to remain in your room.”
“If the candle isn’t poisonous,” Damon growled, “you’ll be proven guilty of seduction. And I’ll make sure you’re locked in a dark room for the rest of your life.”
I met his glare with unwavering defiance. “Let’s wait for the results.”
________________________________________
The next day felt like an eternity.
I should have been celebrating the Carnival City contract with my staff, but instead, I was confined to my room, falsely accused by the very people who tried to kill me.
By afternoon, a soft knock sounded on my door.
“Seraphina,” Trent called from behind the door, his voice low. “The guards won’t let me in, but Alpha Caden asked me to bring you the test results.”
I rushed to the door, my heart pounding. “The candle—it’s definitely poisonous, right?”
A pause.
“No… The test results indicate the opposite.”
My mind went blank.
What?
