Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

20 Chapter 20

Seraphina’s POV 1

I woke the next morning feeling like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my skull. The pounding in my head was so intense that even the soft morning light filtering through my bedroom curtains felt like stabbing needles behind my eyes.

“Oh God,” I groaned softly, pressing the heels of my palms against my temples.

When I tried to sit up, the world tilted dangerously to the left, and I had to grip the edge of my mattress to keep from tumbling off completely. Every small movement sent fresh waves of nausea rolling through my stomach.

My clothes had been changed sometime during the night instead of the ruined emerald dress, I was wearing my softest cotton pajamas.

“Mommy!” Adrian’s voice made me wince, but his little arms wrapping around my neck. “You’re awake! I was worried about you!”

Ophelia stood at the foot of my bed, her arms crossed. She looked like she’d been awake all night, her dark hair escaping from

yesterday’s ponytail and her clothes wrinkled from sleeping on the couch.

“Hey, sweetheart,” I managed to croak, pulling Adrian closer and breathing in his familiar scent of strawberry shampoo and something purely him. “I’m so sorry I was late last night. Mommy had some unexpected, work things to handle.”

“It’s okay,” Adrian said solemnly, his small hands patting my cheeks with the gentle care of someone far older than his four years. “I was

good for Aunt Ophelia. We had mac and cheese for dinner, and I brushed my teeth all by myself.”

“That’s my good boy,” I said, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Did anything exciting happen while I was gone?”

Adrian’s expression grew thoughtful, and he glanced toward Ophelia before looking back at me. “A strange man brought you home last night. He was really, really tall, like a giant! But don’t worry, Mommy, I protected you. I stood right between you and him so he couldn’t

hurt you.”

Memories of the previous evening came flooding back in vivid, mortifying detail. The dinner party. Valerie’s public humiliation. Michael’s

attempted assault. And then… Damien. Oh God, Damien.

Heat flooded my cheeks as I remembered the intensity of our encounter in his car.

assured Adrian, though my voice came out slightly strained. “He

get home safely.”

of the tension in my

chocolate chips?”

Why don’t you go get dressed for school while I talk

footsteps disappeared

settling onto the edge of my bed with the determined expression of someone prepared to extract every detail.

Who was

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“Ophelia, I don’t

you’re blushing like a teenager who just got caught making out behind the bleachers. She leaned forward, her voice gentling slightly. “Sera, I was terrified. When you didn’t answer your phone, when midnight came and went with no word… I thought something terrible had

worry in her voice made guilt twist in my stomach. “I’m sorry. I

apology. Just tell me what

pauses to hide my burning cheeks

was staring at me with wide eyes

you… you slept with your boss. Your Alpha boss. On your second day

respond, Adrian’s voice drifted from the kitchen. “Mommy!

to school and get to work before I

else.”

Ophelia warned as I climbed out of bed on unsteady

hour later, I stood outside Nightshadow Industries trying to gather the courage to go

of nerves as I rode the elevator to the executive floor. Would

when I stepped off the elevator, something unexpected happened. Instead of the hostile stares and

was

as usual. People nodded politely as they passed, offered their standard

focus as

I found a steaming cup of coffee waiting for me, along with a small plate of pastries. A note in Claire’s elegant handwriting was tucked beneath the saucer: *Rough nights require soft mornings. Take care of yourself

my throat

computer screen, reviewing emails and preparing for the day ahead. But every few minutes, my eyes would drift toward Damien’s office door,

a business magazine. His navy suit was perfectly tailored, his dark hair styled with casual precision, and his

Knight,” he said, his voice carrying its usual