[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her":3,"chapter-my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-444":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","My Sister Stole My Mate, And I Let Her",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},764568,1010,"Chapter 444 SIMPLE WARM COMFORT","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-444",444,"\u003Cp>SERAPHINA’S POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel sat a few feet away, half veiled in shadow, half revealed by the pale spill of moonlight. His shoulders were hunched, hands shoved awkwardly into the pockets of his pajama pants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of all the people I expected to find on the roof at nearly one in the morning, my ten-year-old son was very much not on that list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing up here?” I asked, my voice softer than the surprise that had sparked it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel winced, and I caught a flicker of embarrassment as his gaze slid away from mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, uh...” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I couldn’t sleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised a brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately grimaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay, that’s not true,” he admitted, glancing at me with anxious expectation, like he was bracing to be scolded. “I just...had to come up here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Had to?” I echoed, moving closer to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat next to him and mirrored his position, hugging my knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Care to elaborate?” I asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head, a lock of hair flopping over his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My other brow joined the first. “Daniel Blackthorne, since when do you keep things from your mother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He groaned softly, dragging a hand down his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was just a stupid bet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A bet,” I repeated slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With Ava,” he added with an aggrieved sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bit my lower lip, stifling the smile threatening to break free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I...see,” I said carefully. “And what was this bet about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He huffed. “It’s stupid. She’s stupid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pressed my teeth harder into my lip, waiting for him to go on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of sullen silence, Daniel exhaled, his shoulders sagging further as he gave in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She bet I couldn’t stay up on the roof all night cause I’m scared of the dark.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned. “But you’re not scared of the dark.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know!” He threw his hands up in exasperation. “But I have to prove it, or she’ll call me a coward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out an amused breath, shaking my head as I leaned back, legs stretched out before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So this,” I said, glancing around at the wide, quiet rooftop, “is your grand plan to defend your honor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shot me a look, narrowing his eyes. “You’re not taking this seriously.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I am,” I said, straight-faced despite my twitching lips. “Your reputation is clearly on the line. Critical situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, baby?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you making fun of me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just a little.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He groaned and flopped back onto the cool surface of the rooftop, one arm thrown over his face dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew I shouldn’t have come up here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, but then you would have missed this lovely bonding moment,” I teased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He peeked at me from under his arm, eyes narrowed, and lips pursed in a stubborn, unimpressed scowl. “Pass.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laughed, the sound slipping out more easily than I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tension in my chest loosened, softened by Daniel’s presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know,” I said after a moment, my voice soft, “you don’t actually have to prove anything to Ava—or anyone else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scoffed, dropping his arm to look at me. “That’s easy for you to say. You adore me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I snorted, ruffling his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true,” I agreed. “But so is what I said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his head and stared at the sky, quiet for a beat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s annoying,” he muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah? Tell me about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel let out a long-suffering sigh, as if he’d waited his whole life for this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s so stubborn,” he said, pushing himself up onto his elbows. “Like, you tell her one thing, and she’ll argue the exact opposite just because.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm,” I hummed, nodding thoughtfully. “That does sound exhausting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is,” he insisted. “And she never listens. Ever. Even when she’s wrong—which is a lot, by the way—she’ll just double down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Annoying,” I murmured, resting my chin on my knee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And she’s bossy,” he continued, riled up now. “Always telling people what to do. ‘Daniel, fix your stance.’ ‘Daniel, you’re leaning too far forward.’ ‘Daniel, that’s not how you hold a blade.’ Like I’m not the one who has spent months training.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, frustrating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I bit my lip any harder, I’d draw blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She acts like she knows everything,” he went on. “Which is so annoying because she knows literally nothing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And she’s always watching,\" he added, voice dropping. \"Always. You mess up once. She notices immediately.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?” I tilted my head. “Sounds like she pays a lot of attention to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She pays attention to everyone,” he said quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And she’s—” He stopped abruptly, frowning as if he’d run out of acceptable complaints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s just...” He gestured vaguely, clearly frustrated. “A lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A lot,” I echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stubborn. Bossy. Always watching. Pays close attention,” I listed off calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shot me a suspicious look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed. “Mom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked at him, eyes wide and innocent. “I didn’t say anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t look offended on my behalf.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laughed, shaking my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well,” I said, nudging his foot with mine, “for someone so annoying, you seem to think about her quite a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do not,” he said immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You just spent the last five minutes listing her personality traits in great detail.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s because she’s annoying,” he repeated stubbornly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He huffed, flopping back down again and glaring up at the sky as if it had wronged him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, I let him stew in his own thoughts before speaking again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So,” I said casually, “do you want me to do something about it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stilled. “What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shrugged, keeping my tone easy. “If Ava bothers you that much, I could have her reassigned to a different training group.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bolted upright. “No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyebrows shot up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel seemed to realize what he’d just done a second too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I mean—” He stumbled over his words, his expression shifting rapidly from defensive to flustered. “Not like that—I just—she’s not that bad, and it’s not—like, I don’t need—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His ears turned red, and I bit back a squeal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can handle it,” he said quickly, like he was trying to recover ground that had already been lost. “It’s just...training stuff. And Dad asked me to look after her; I don’t want to disappoint him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You could never disappoint me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel and I turned simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran stood near the entrance, one shoulder resting against the doorframe, arms crossed loosely over his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, thank God,” Daniel muttered under his breath, obviously grateful for the interruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pretended I didn’t hear him and smiled at Kieran. “Hi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed off the doorframe and walked over, his steps unhurried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was wondering where you disappeared to,” he said. “Gavin said he saw a shadow sneaking through the hallway. I assumed it wasn’t a particularly ambitious intruder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled. “I didn’t want to bother you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran’s gaze lingered on me for a moment, something soft and knowing passing through his eyes. “You could never bother me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The velvety tips of butterfly wings fluttered in my stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mind if I join you?” he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tilted my head toward the open space, and Daniel shifted, making room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran lowered himself next to our son with a quiet exhale, stretching his legs out in front of him and bracing one arm behind him for support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, the three of us simply...sat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night wrapped around us, cool and still, the sky stretching endlessly above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So,” Kieran said after a beat, glancing at Daniel again, “Ava, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She said I wasn’t brave,” he mumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you decided the best way to disprove that was to sit alone on a dark rooftop all night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran nodded slowly. “I see the logic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel blinked, clearly not expecting agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No,” Kieran snorted. “But I respect the commitment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laughed, unable to help it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel looked between us, a pout on his lips. “If I knew this is what you two getting back together was like, I wouldn’t have wished so hard for it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a surprised laugh. “Daniel!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rolled his eyes, a smile stretching the pout. “Kidding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shoulders had relaxed, the earlier defensiveness replaced with something lighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran’s gaze softened as he gently nudged Daniel’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know,” he said, “bravery isn’t really about proving something to someone else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel sighed. “I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nudged him too. “But you can’t let Ava win.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly!” he said, seizing onto that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran huffed a quiet laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And for the record,” he added, a faint hint of amusement in his voice, “anyone who’s seen you train knows you’re not lacking in that department.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of something—pride, relief, maybe both—crossed Daniel’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve been watching you,” Kieran added. “You’ve been doing very well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel’s eyes widened. “You have?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel straightened, chest lifting slightly, and his chin coming up with shy pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh. I thought you were too busy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have been busy,” Kieran admitted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached out then, resting a hand on the back of Daniel’s head, ruffling his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I’ll never be too busy for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached out and squeezed Daniel’s knee. “We’ll always be here for you, honey, no matter what. Never forget that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel gave me a soft smile, his hand resting over mine. “I won’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t protest. Didn’t even bother pretending to be more grown than he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not tired,” he murmured, resting his head against my shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not,” I said softly, stroking his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran snorted, a faint smile tugging at his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seriously,” Daniel mumbled. “I’m supposed to...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breathing evened out, and just like that, he was asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hold tightened, careful and protective as I shifted him more comfortably against me, one hand still brushing lightly through his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran shifted closer and reached out, his long arm wrapping around Daniel and me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wish we could stay in this moment forever,” he said softly, his voice low enough not to disturb Daniel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I leaned into him, the steady warmth of his presence grounding in a way that went deeper than words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Me too,” I murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for the first time in what felt like forever, everything—dreams, threats, uncertainty—fell quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Held at bay by the simple, warm comfort of my family.\u003C\u002Fp>",1732,"2026-06-03T02:27:49.405Z",1,"novelbin.me","151db6df3affafb023e28c697b4fe69b90d264853560a3f559ac9a00b9d13e10","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-445","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-443",488,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-cover.jpg"]