Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

175 Chapter 175

175 Chapter 175

Seraphina’s POV 1

The question hung in the air like a guillotine blade.

*Are you still in love with Damien?*

My fork clattered onto my plate. Lasagna suddenly tasted like cardboard. Like ashes. Like every mistake I’d ever made.

“I-” My voice cracked. “That’s not-”

“Mom.” Caleb’s voice carried a warning. “Don’t.”

But Margaret wasn’t looking at him. She was looking at me with those kind, knowing eyes that saw right through every wall I’d built.

“Honey,” she said softly. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. But I think maybe you need to.”

My hands were shaking. I pressed them flat against the table, trying to stop the tremors. Trying to stop the flood of memories that

threatened to drown me.

*Damien’s voice. Adrian’s laugh. Lily’s tiny hand wrapped around my finger.*

“I can’t think about them,” I whispered. The words barely made it past my lips. “If I think about them, I’ll—”

Break. Fall apart. Run back and beg them to take me even though I’m not good enough. 1

I closed my eyes.

Three years of discipline. Three years of forcing myself not to wonder. Not to imagine. Not to *feel*.

But Margaret had cracked that door open, and everything came flooding through.

“Lily’s three now,” I said, my voice breaking. “Three years old. She was just a baby when I left. She probably doesn’t even remember me.”

The tears came hot and fast. I couldn’t stop them.

“And Adrian–Adrian’s eight. He’s probably lost teeth. Learned to read chapter books. Made new friends. Grown so tall I wouldn’t

recognize him.”

My chest felt like it was splitting open. All the pain I’d been holding back for three years, all the longing and guilt and desperate love, it

all came pouring out.

me. “Do they wake

seconds, pulling me into her arms. “No. No, babies, they could never hate

don’t know that.” I sobbed into her shoulder like a child. “I

to Margaret’s side, his hand landing on

quietly. “That takes more strength than you

wiping my face with my hands. My eyes were probably swollen and red. My nose was

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175 Chapter 175

so hard not to think about them,” I admitted. “Every day for three years, I woke up and told myself I couldn’t let myself wonder.. Couldn’t

“You’d break,” Margaret finished.

“Yeah.”

over the table. Not uncomfortable. Just

Robert pointed out. “You’ve built a life.

“I’m supposed to just show back up? ‘Hey kids, sorry I abandoned you

now!‘”

not what I’m

Damien so much it feels like I’m

“Then maybe-”

“No.

Margaret said

23

enough.” My voice was flat now. Dead. “I’m still human. Still weak. Still not good enough for an

only by the sound of my

Margaret cleared her throat, changing gears with obvious

that forced brightness people used when trying to move past heavy

you thought about

Here

“Mom,” Caleb warned again.

is a long time to

“Margaret, please-”

anyone. “The guys at the

Brutal. Most of them have more

“Coffee shops? Bookstores? Those places where normal

go

“Why not?”

right now,” I said

exchanged a look

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