[{"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-452":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},764338,1010,"Chapter 452 PERFECT MASK","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-452",452,"\u003Cp>SERAPHINA’S POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard every word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every voice in the room carried clearly, every shift in tone, every subtle change in posture and scent—nothing escaped me anymore. Not with what I had become. Not with the way my mind had learned to stretch, to listen, to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, I couldn’t focus on any of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...the northern border remains vulnerable if we don’t reinforce the—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“—we can allocate additional patrol units, but that will stretch—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“—Marcus’ movements suggest—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The discussion flowed around me, Alphas speaking in turn, some calm, some sharp, all of them engaged in the strategy that would decide what came next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should have been anchored in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should have been leading beside Kieran, weighing every word, reading every intention, shaping the direction of the room the way I had done just yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, all I could see was a dark, cramped closet, my little sister folding herself into it, her arms wrapped around her knees, her breathing uneven and shallow like she was being strangled from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My chest tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced my gaze forward, keeping my expression neutral and posture composed as Alpha Idris spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what they saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the storm inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’ll be fine,” Kieran murmured beside me, putting a hand over mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t realized my fingers had curled so tightly against the wood my nails were in danger of chipping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know,” I replied just as softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d calmed Celeste. Anchored her. Held her until the trembling had eased and the sharp edge of her fear had dulled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d used just enough of my power to coax her into sleep and put a minor, temporary block to keep her from dreaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now she wasn’t the only one with a terrible memory burned into her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The damn scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My gaze drifted again—across the long table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thomas Bane sat three seats from the end, posture straight yet relaxed, his expression composed in that placid, unassuming way that had likely earned him his reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gentle. Measured. Reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was speaking now, his voice calm and steady as he outlined a potential supply route that would minimize exposure to Marcus’ operations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His logic was sound. His tone was amiable. There was even a faint warmth to it—an ease that made people listen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That made people trust him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I didn’t know, if I hadn’t seen for myself, I would have believed him a saint, and not the monster who had condemned my sister to the hell that had broken her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My fingers tightened against the table again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel it—the pull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That familiar thread of power coiled just beneath the surface of my awareness, responding to the sharp spike of anger that flared every time my gaze landed on Thomas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be so easy to reach. To slip past his defenses the way I had with Celeste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To see. To know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My jaw clenched so hard it ached, the pressure traveling up into my temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I knew myself and my power well enough now to understand what would happen if I tried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t calm. I wasn’t in control of the part of me that would need to be steady, precise, careful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if I stepped into his mind like this, if I saw that moment from his perspective, I wouldn’t just observe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I would do terrible, irreversible damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And no matter what he had done, we needed answers, not a broken mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Luna Seraphina?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of my name pulled me back sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked, my focus snapping forward as I realized the room had gone quiet, and several expectant pairs of eyes were on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran’s hand brushed against mine again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are your thoughts?” Alpha Callister asked, a repetition, most likely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I held his gaze for a second, reaching into his mind to pull out the last thing he’d said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The route is viable,” I said, my voice steady. “But it relies too heavily on predictable movement. If their network is as adaptive as we believe, repetition becomes a liability.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few heads nodded, Thomas included.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Agreed,” he said easily. “Which is why I suggested—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tuned him out. Not entirely; just enough to keep from unraveling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meeting continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plans were refined. Assignments were made. Timelines were discussed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And through it all, I watched him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not openly. Not in a way that would draw attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But enough to catalog every shift in his expression, every subtle change in his posture, every interaction he had with the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a single crack in his perfect mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time the meeting adjourned, my head ached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not from the discussion—from restraint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the constant pressure of holding myself back from doing something I would regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room began to empty, Alphas rising, voices lowering into quieter conversations as they filtered out in small groups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thomas stood as well, exchanging a few final words with one of the others before turning toward the exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a brief moment, his gaze met mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no recognition. No flicker of guilt. No sign that he knew I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just calm, respectful acknowledgment, like we were nothing more than allies in the same room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He inclined his head. Then he left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until it left me in a harsh, shaky exhale, my shoulders sagging with sudden relief and fatigue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s good,” Kieran murmured, wrapping his arms around me in a steadying hug I desperately needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corin and Brett arrived not long after the meeting, and we didn’t waste time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The core group gathered in one of the smaller strategy rooms—doors closed, wards reinforced, privacy absolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kieran stood at the head of the table. I remained at his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, his expression already dark with anticipation. Maya sat near the corner, silent but alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alois stood slightly apart, his sharp gaze flicking between each of us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corin entered first. Brett followed close behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the door shut behind them, the tension spike in the room was palpable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on?” Brett asked, his gaze moving between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corin’s eyes met mine, and in one second, a wave of information flowed into my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conversation in the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trip into Brett’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The proof of his innocence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I released a small breath. I didn’t know how I would take it if Brett had had a hand in Celeste’s abduction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sit,” I said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brett hesitated for half a second before obeying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going to tell you something,” I continued, my voice steady. “Something unpalatable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brows drew together, but he nodded. “Okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I held his gaze. “Thomas kidnapped Celeste.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It expanded and settled over the room, a heavy, suffocating blanket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brett blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he let out a short, disbelieving breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not a guess,” Corin added, his tone even. “Sera saw it. In Celeste’s memory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brett’s eyes widened, disbelief warring with something sharper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not—” he started, then stopped, dragging a hand through his hair. “That doesn’t make any sense. Thomas wouldn’t—he’s not—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He did,” I said quietly. “He waited until she was alone. Just as you left the hotel, he took her. It was planned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brett’s jaw tightened, and his eyes dropped to the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a long moment, he didn’t speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he did, his voice was lower. Rougher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re sure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another silence, longer this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a slow exhale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He knew I had come to LA the day before,” he whispered as if talking to himself. “We were supposed to meet at the bar for a drink, but I got there early and saw Celeste being accosted by some males. After I saved her and she passed out, I sent him a message that I had to take care of her. After I left her at the hotel, I called him, but he told me he had something urgent to attend to and we couldn’t meet up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I imagine delivering Celeste to the traffickers was pretty urgent,” Maya bit out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t—” Brett shook his head as if he was trying to shake the information out of his ears. “I don’t understand why he would do that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Neither do we,” Kieran said. “We intend to find out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brett’s gaze dropped back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something different in it now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something harder. Resolution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you need from me?” he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped closer to the table, my fingers resting against its surface as I met his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He doesn’t know that we know,” I said. “That’s our advantage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We draw him out,” Kieran said, “find out his truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And then?” Brett asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He kidnapped my sister,” Ethan growled. “He will pay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept my gaze on Brett.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you do this?” I asked softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t an interception mission. This meant turning against someone he had trusted, someone he had called a friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brett held my gaze as he nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah,” he said, no hesitation or doubt to be found. “I can.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1560,"2026-06-03T02:27:49.405Z",1,"novelbin.me","07feca61f763bc29daa14d3796581512536ef778005bb899dc81c571abfc2b3e","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-453","my-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-chapter-451",488,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-sister-stole-my-mate-and-i-let-her-cover.jpg"]