Chapter 574 – That’s not Sera
Corvine barely slept that night. Every time he closed his eyes the same loop started up again.
Liah’s unanswered calls, that thick silence on the other end of the line, her warning still ringing in his ears, and the uneasy feeling that something ugly was unfolding in France.
His mind wouldn’t quit. The sheets felt too cold against his skin, the quiet of the mansion too loud, and by the time the first gray light pushed through the curtains his chest was tight and his thoughts were still racing.
He got up early, pulled on clothes without much thought, and headed downstairs. The smell of coffee and frying bacon was already drifting from the kitchen.
He moved through the rooms, keeping an eye on the maids as they set out plates and poured juice, then went to check on the kids. Everything looked ordinary on the surface, but the restless energy under his skin wouldn’t settle.
Then his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Corvine stopped mid-step. The second he saw the name on the screen a warm rush spread through his chest and down into his stomach.
Liah.
The relief lasted only a heartbeat before nervousness crawled right in behind it and settled hard.
’Corvine, sorry for not letting you know. Someone’s trying to sabotage me, and I’m this close to calling off the runway show. I’m just wondering how Sera got to Paris without Alpha Voren, and she’s acting like she’s never even seen me before.’
Corvine’s eyes went wide, his pulse jumped. His fingers moved fast across the screen, the glass cool under his thumbs.
’That’s not Sera.’
The message showed delivered almost instantly, and he hit call without waiting. The line rang and rang until it dropped to voicemail. A few seconds later another text lit up the screen.
’I’ll call you later.’
Corvine stared at the words, disappointment landing heavy in his gut and tightening his jaw. There was no time to sit with it.
Voren and Seraphine needed to know right now. He turned and headed straight for them. "Voren, you were right. Liah just sent me this."
Voren looked stunned the moment he saw Corvine standing there looking like he hadn’t slept at all. He checked the time, face tightening as a low curse slipped out under his breath.
"Tell Jasmine to get the kids ready and pack a few things," Voren started, then stopped and shook his head upon remembering what Corvine told him about Jasmine. "No. I’ll do it."
He turned toward Jasmine’s room, but the door opened before he reached it. Jasmine stepped out with her head lowered, shoulders a little tight.
"Voren."
Corvine kept walking before their eyes could meet. The memory of the night before still sat too close to the surface, and neither of them looked ready to deal with it.
"Get the kids ready and pack some clothes," Voren told her, voice steady but edged. "We’re heading to Paris after an important meeting."
At the mention of Paris, Jasmine’s head lifted, and Athaliah’s name flashed through her mind right away.
"I called Coco this morning and she picked up. Said she’s in Paris for business and should be back tomorrow night."
Voren’s eyes darkened. The meeting on his schedule was the biggest thing he had, but maybe this worked in their favor. If Coco was already in the Paris, he could get everything he needed from her there and skip the original plan entirely.
"Alright. Hurry."
He went back to wake Seraphine, only to find her already up and moving through the room. Within the hour the whole house was in motion, bags zipped, kids dressed, engines warming outside.
When the gates of Voren’s mansion rolled open they all stopped short at the sight waiting for them.
Ravyn’s car sat exactly where they had left it the night before, dark and still in the morning light. The door swung open and Ravyn stepped out just as Bryan was about to climb into the SUV.
Corvine, Jasmine, Espe, Bryan, and Seraphine were supposed to take one car while Voren swung by the office first. The second Bryan spotted Ravyn his whole face lit up, eyes bright.
"Daddy Voren, can I go say hi to Daddy Ravyn?"
Seraphine’s expression tightened, mouth pressing into a thin line. She clearly didn’t like the idea, but Voren gave a short nod anyway. Bryan had always known Ravyn as his father and still had no idea about the connection to Raul.
"Sure, but make it quick."
Bryan took off running as fast as his little legs would carry him, sneakers slapping against the drive, and crashed straight into Ravyn. Ravyn scooped him up without missing a beat and pulled him into a tight hug, a real smile breaking across his face.
"Little man, how’s the new family treating you?"
Bryan laughed, bright and easy, arms wrapped around Ravyn’s neck. "Wonderful! My sister’s so pretty and super talented. She draws and she’s really smart."
Ravyn knew exactly who he meant. Voren’s daughter. The smile on his face softened, eyes warming. "I’m glad you’re doing okay."
"Dad, I gotta go now," Bryan said, still grinning as he squirmed to get down. "Uncle Corvine decorated my room. It’s so cool."
Ravyn’s smile held as Bryan turned and raced back toward Voren, but it didn’t last. His eyes went misty, the morning air cool against his face.
Looking at the boy dragged up everything Daisy had done, and one thought kept circling through him.
How was Seraphine able to love the son of the woman who’d wrecked so much of her life? The more it sat with him the warmer his chest felt toward her.
That kind of capacity to love after everything still didn’t fully make sense to him, and the feeling left a strange ache behind his ribs.
He watched the cars start to pull out of the driveway, engines low and steady. Then an idea hit hard.
Without a word of warning Ravyn threw himself down right in front of the SUV. Corvine slammed the brakes, the vehicle lurched to a stop just in time, tires biting into the gravel.
Voren’s car sat right behind them but Corvine stayed behind the wheel. This wasn’t his fight.
Voren stepped out, his patience already worn thin, and face set hard. "Ravyn, what the hell is this?"
Right then Voren regretted going easy on him the night before.