Chapter 742 A way of surprising Voren
Voren wore a crisp white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms, tailored beige trousers, brown loafers, a luxury watch, and dark sunglasses.
The whole look gave him a polished yet relaxed appearance, the kind of quiet confidence that made people turn their heads without him ever having to ask for attention.
He looked like he had stepped straight out of the pages of a high-end magazine, effortless and powerful all at once.
The outfit waiting on the bed for Seraphine was a champagne-colored silk maxi dress paired with delicate gold jewelry, oversized sunglasses, and a cream designer handbag. Everything about it whispered wealth instead of shouting it. Understated. Exquisite. Perfect for her.
Voren picked up the clothes and began dressing his wife himself because she was moving too slow, still heavy with the last traces of sleep. His hands were careful and sure as he helped her into every piece.
When he finished he stepped back and smiled at her, his eyes trailing over her with open, hungry appreciation that made her cheeks warm.
“Let’s go, baby. I didn’t want you missing a single thing. That’s why I didn’t just scoop your sexy sleeping body up and carry you out.”
He understood every reaction her body had to fatigue. He worked around them without missing a beat, anticipating her needs long before she ever had to say a word.
Voren guided her to the yacht’s boarding area with a steady hand at the small of her back. Waiting for them was a sleek luxury seaplane, its pristine white body gleaming bright under the morning sun.
Seraphine had never seen anything like it in her life. Her eyes went wide with pure wonder. The crew noticed, of course, but they kept their faces carefully neutral, professional down to the last detail.
“It’s a seaplane,” Voren whispered against her ear, his breath warm and intimate on her skin. “We spent three days in the underwater suite and a whole week out on the Mediterranean. We’re spending the last four days wherever I’m taking you next.”
Seraphine wanted to ask if they could stop in France so she could see Jasmine, or swing by New York to check on the companies. The words sat right on the tip of her tongue. But she swallowed them down. She refused to ruin even one second of Voren’s carefully built plans.
The man had worked too hard, poured too much of himself into making her happy. Every detail, every surprise, every quiet moment had been crafted with so much care it almost hurt to think about. She would not be the one to break that.
Seraphine enjoyed her first ride on a seaplane for nearly a full hour, watching the world shrink beneath them while the water glittered far below like scattered diamonds catching the light. They touched down at a secluded private island where their entire villa sat suspended over the most perfect turquoise water she had ever seen. It looked like paradise carved straight out of someone’s sweetest dream.
Their bedroom had glass floors that let them watch fish swimming lazily beneath their feet. The bathroom opened right onto a private garden thick with lush green and the heavy fragrance of tropical blooms.
Dinner was served on a wide platform set in the middle of the ocean, waves lapping soft against the pillars while the stars watched over them in complete silence.
The most magical part of all was the way the crew on this private island never once made themselves visible. For the entire four days it felt like they were the only two people left in the whole world.
Seraphine woke one morning to the sight of Voren’s sleeping form beside her and couldn’t stop the soft smile that curled across her lips. This was the first time she had woken before him. It was clear how exhausted he was.
He had been keeping watch over her for weeks without complaint, anticipating every need, denying himself real rest so she could have everything her heart wanted.
The two weeks were finally up. She felt certain they would be heading back to the pack soon, but she wanted to do something special for Voren in return. Something that came from her. So she slipped quietly through the back room and into the private garden to make a call, phone pressed tight to her ear, voice kept low.
Leon answered after what felt like forever, his voice rough with exhaustion. “Sera? Well damn, this is a pleasant surprise.”
“You sound wiped out.”
“I miss you, Sera. There’s this case with conjoined twins, both joined at the chest and sharing the same heart. I don’t want to lose either of them and it’s been keeping me up every night. I was scared to call you because of your husband, but since you reached out first I figured I should just tell you.” He paused, his tone softening. “But first, how are you? And why are you calling me out of the blue like this? You never do that.”
A little guilt twisted in Seraphine’s chest. Voren was the reason Leon never disturbed her, and she had never bothered checking in on him either. After hearing everything he was carrying, her original reason for calling suddenly felt small and almost silly.
“It’s nothing big. But I’ll think on the case with the conjoined twins. I promise.”
She was about to end the call when Leon spoke again, his voice gentling even more. “You can tell me anything, Sera. Mr. Ashkael stole you from me, but we’re still good friends. Hell, best friends if you’ll still have me.”
The familiar jovial tone was back, and the tension drained from Seraphine’s shoulders. “I just wanted to ask you something. What do you give a man who already has everything?”
Leon went quiet on the other end of the line. Then he let out a long, understanding sigh. “You’re talking about him, aren’t you? I can hear it. He treats you real good. Congrats, Sera. I’m happy for you.”
He knew that if Seraphine was planning something special for Voren, then the man had truly made her happy. And that knowledge alone made Leon happy too.
“You still haven’t answered my question,” Seraphine reminded him, a small smile tugging at her mouth.
Leon chuckled softly. “You already said it yourself. The guy lacks nothing. Someone like him doesn’t get moved by more luxury. Just look real close at the simple things that light him up. You know him better than anyone.”
An idea sparked bright and sudden in Seraphine’s mind. She gave Leon careful instructions and was about to transfer the money when she realized the only account she could reach was Voren’s. He would get an alert the second the transfer went through.
“Can you cover it for me and I’ll—”
“Of course. I’ll do anything for you,” Leon cut in before she could finish. Warmth spread through her chest at the easy way he said it.
“Alright. I’ll figure out a way for us to meet up so I can grab the stuff. And like I said, I’m still thinking on those twins.”
She hung up and headed back inside. Voren was on the phone, stretched out lazily across the bed in nothing but his boxers. His sculpted body was on full display, every hard line and defined muscle a quiet testament to the strength he carried so easily. The second he saw her he lowered the phone and smiled, soft and full of heat.
“Babe, I’ve got two more surprises lined up for you.”
Seraphine felt the spark of excitement rise even while her mind was still turning over how she was going to get to New York without Voren finding out.
But when they reached the first surprise, she almost laughed at herself. For a second she was convinced the man was reading her mind, or maybe he had some secret ability he still hadn’t told her about.