Chapter 0034 – Seraphina’s POV
The scene before me felt surreal—my last hope for proving my innocence had been reduced to ash. My heart pounded as I stared at the soldier who had “accidentally” destroyed the evidence, his actions too perfectly timed to be a coincidence.
Then I caught it—a subtle nod toward Althea.
My blood boiled.
“You did that on purpose!” I accused, stepping forward, my fists clenched tight. My voice was shaking with fury. “What did Althea promise you? How much is she paying you to help her destroy me?”
The soldier immediately dropped to one knee, feigning remorse. “Miss Althea has nothing to do with this. It was my own mistake.”
His calm, practiced tone only fanned the flames of my anger.
Althea’s sickly sweet voice broke through the tension. “Oh, don’t be too hard on him, Seraphina. Everyone makes mistakes.” She turned to Damon with an innocent smile, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “A second test would have been a waste of time anyway.”
I turned to Damon, hoping against hope that he’d see through her manipulations.
“Damon,” I pleaded, my voice trembling but firm. “You know me. We’ve been married for four years. At the very least, you should know that I’m honest. I’ve never betrayed you.”
For a moment, his expression faltered, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. But Althea, ever the opportunist, seized the moment. She slid her hand into his and leaned against him, her voice soft and persuasive.
“My love,” she murmured, gazing up at him with feigned vulnerability, “would you rather believe a woman who stole Carnival City from you or the mother of your only child?”
His jaw tightened.
“But if I declare Seraphina guilty, she’ll be cast out of the pack and become a rogue,” he said hesitantly. “Isn’t that too cruel?”
Althea’s lips curled into a sly smile. “You’re too kind to her. Expulsion is merciful for an adulteress.”
She paused dramatically, then added with a calculated tone, “But if you can’t bear to exile her, you could lock her in the dungeon instead. Life imprisonment would spare her, and since she and her soldiers would still technically belong to Crimson Hollow Pack, you wouldn’t have to return the 30 million. Nor would her 2,000 soldiers leave.”
Her words settled over the room like a dark spell. Damon’s grip on the armrest of his chair tightened, his breathing heavy.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Get away from him, you evil bitch!” I shouted, my voice raw with emotion.
Althea raised an eyebrow, her smirk unshaken. “What are you talking about? Damon is my love. My place is by his side.”
“You’ve ruined him!” I cried out, my voice breaking. “He wasn’t like this before. You’ve twisted him into something unrecognizable with your lies and tricks! Damon, wake up! Stop letting her manipulate you!”
Althea clung tighter to his arm, her expression one of mock innocence. “Damon,” she said, her voice sweet and soothing, “she claims I control you. But that’s absurd, isn’t it? You’re a great, decisive Alpha. No one in the world could control you. She’s clearly underestimating your strength.”
Damon’s expression hardened. He straightened in his chair, his gaze icy as it settled on me.
“I’m ready to make my decision,” he announced coldly.
My knees felt weak, and tears welled in my eyes. I shook my head slowly, disbelief washing over me.
“Don’t do this, Damon,” I whispered.
“You betrayed me, Seraphina,” he said, his voice echoing in the chamber with a finality that broke my heart. “Even if you didn’t cheat on me with Alpha Caden, you backstabbed me with Carnival City. Betrayal must be punished. I hereby sentence you to life imprisonment.”
I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth as despair overwhelmed me.
But before Damon could finish, the courtroom doors burst open with a loud crash.
“What the fuck! Who let you in here?” Damon shouted, his voice filled with fury.
Isolde stormed into the room, her eyes blazing as she marched to my side. She pointed a finger at Damon and growled, “Seraphina is our leader. No one can throw her in jail!”
“You northern savages have lost your minds!” Althea shrieked. “Damon hasn’t freed you yet—you’re still part of Crimson Hollow Pack! How dare you speak to your Alpha like that?”
Nora stepped forward, placing herself protectively in front of me. Her glare was as sharp as a blade. “Drop your voice, bitch,” she hissed. “I could snap your delicate little neck with one hand.”
Althea paled and turned to Damon, her eyes wide with a pleading look.
“Guards, arrest them all!” Damon bellowed. “If they want to rot in a cell with their leader, so be it!”
Before the guards could move, a cold, commanding voice cut through the chaos like a knife.
“Not so fast, Alpha Damon.”
The room fell silent as Caden entered, flanked by towering Obsidian Crest Packsoldiers. Their presence was overwhelming, their sheer size and power dwarfing Damon’s guards.
Relief washed over me as I met Caden’s piercing gaze.
Damon’s face twisted in anger. “Alpha Caden, you seem to have an unhealthy interest in my pack’s affairs.”
“This isn’t just about your pack,” Caden said coolly. “This concerns both my reputation and Seraphina’s. I have every reason to be here.”
He signaled, and one of his soldiers dragged a man forward, tossing him to the floor.
“Jimmy?!” Althea exclaimed, her face paling.
“Who is this?” Damon demanded, his brow furrowing.
Althea’s voice trembled as she quickly said, “He’s Lucian’s pharmacist. What’s going on? Is Seraphina targeting my people now?”
Isolde stepped forward, a box in her hand. She held it high, her voice booming. “Cut the crap, you bitch! We found out this man has been giving Lucian some strange medicines for weeks!”
Althea’s face drained of color, her hands trembling.
“What is that?” Damon asked sharply, his gaze fixed on the box.
“It’s Lucian’s allergy medication!” Althea stammered. “There’s nothing strange about it…”
But Nora’s voice rang out, strong and clear. “No, it’s not! This is an antidote!”
Gasps echoed through the room.
Althea’s breath hitched, her face drenched in sweat.
Caden stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. “If you didn’t poison anyone, why did your son need an antidote?”
All eyes turned to Althea as she stammered, her carefully constructed lies beginning to unravel.
