Chapter 326 Emotional damage

Jasmine had always danced to the tune of Voren’s mother. For as long as he could remember, she’d followed every instruction without question, defending the woman whenever necessary and standing by her side no matter how unreasonable things got.

Because of that loyalty, Voren often found it hard to be too harsh with her. After all, Jasmine had saved his mother’s life, and that was a debt he couldn’t easily forget.

Still, there were limits. The moment anything involved Seraphine, everything changed.

She was the only woman he’d ever truly loved, and he wasn’t about to let anyone create problems or distractions in their relationship. Not anymore. He’d already lost too much time, and he refused to lose any more.

That’s why he’d fully expected Jasmine to keep causing trouble. Instead, what he saw left him momentarily stunned.

His eyebrows rose as he watched her hauling several shopping bags and a big pile of new clothes toward her room with the help of a few maids.

For a second, he just stood there staring. Interesting. Had she finally gotten the message? Or was she planning something else? With Jasmine, it was always hard to tell.

Voren narrowed his eyes slightly. Whatever the reason, he’d be keeping a close eye on her, just in case.

The rich aroma of pancakes suddenly filled the kitchen, pulling everyone’s attention away from the hallway. Esperanza’s eyes lit up right away. “That smells so good,” she said, the pure excitement in her voice warming Seraphine’s heart.

A smile spread across Seraphine’s face as she carefully transferred the golden, fluffy pancakes onto a serving plate, setting them beside the freshly sliced fruit.

“I hope they taste as good as they look,” she said, placing everything on the kitchen island before glancing at the Esperanza. “Food’s ready.”

The words had barely left her mouth before Esperanza slipped right out of Corvine’s arms.

The little girl hurried over to the island, climbed onto a chair, and immediately started reaching for the food and eating without any fuss. No complaints, no distractions, no bargaining, and no need for anyone to convince her. She just ate.

Voren stared openly. “This is so unlike her.” Usually getting Esperanza to eat took a whole lot of patience, negotiations, and sometimes outright begging.

Today she was acting like a completely different kid.

Seraphine finally burst out laughing because the sight was just too adorable.

She pulled out a few more chairs and motioned for everyone to sit down. Soon the kitchen filled with the warm sounds of breakfast.

The toast Voren and Corvine had prepared sat alongside scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, coffee, and Seraphine’s pancakes. Everyone dug in.

After taking a bite, Seraphine’s eyes widened a little. She looked over at Voren in genuine surprise. “This is actually really good.” A smile tugged at her lips. “I’m honestly shocked this is your first-time cooking.”

The compliment instantly brightened his whole mood. Coming from Seraphine, those words meant more than he wanted to admit.

A proud grin spread across his face. “For you, I could learn how to make the most complicated dishes in the world,” he said, his gaze softening with complete sincerity and no teasing at all.

The warmth behind his words made Seraphine’s cheeks flush pink. Before she could respond, Voren reached for her coffee, adjusting it exactly the way she liked it before sliding it in front of her.

Then, without hesitation, he scooped up some scrambled eggs and held the fork toward her. The gesture felt so natural it caught her off guard, but she accepted the bite with a smile.

Across the table, Corvine let out a dramatic groan. “It’s hard being single during moments like this.” He shook his head while focusing on his plate. “I came here for breakfast, not emotional damage.”

Seraphine couldn’t hold back a smile. Meanwhile, Corvine kept eating, pretending not to notice the two lovebirds anymore.

Truthfully, he was still trying to process this version of Voren, the ruthless alpha he knew versus the man currently feeding his woman scrambled eggs felt like two completely different people.

Never in a million years would he have imagined seeing something like this.

Eventually he gave up and slid his plate across the table, moving to the seat beside Esperanza. “Come on, little troublemaker,” he said, pointing at her fruit. “Eat those too.”

Esperanza obediently grabbed a strawberry, and Corvine nodded in approval. Much better. Now Voren and Seraphine had plenty of room to keep acting like they were the only two people in the kitchen.

The moment Corvine moved away, Seraphine took advantage of the bit of privacy. She leaned slightly toward Voren, dropping her voice low enough that only he could hear. “V.”

His attention turned to her immediately. The serious look in her eyes made his smile fade. “Do you mind if I get a maternity test done on her?”

For a moment, silence settled between them as Seraphine watched his reaction carefully.

A few days ago, she probably would’ve kept those thoughts to herself, but things were different now. Voren loved her. He trusted her. And she no longer wanted to hide something this important from him.

Across from her, Voren froze. His mind took a second to process what she’d just said. Then realization hit him, and his expression changed instantly. “You think she’s yours?” he whispered. “And that Coco lied?”

The possibility struck him harder than he’d expected. He leaned back slightly, trying to sort through the rush of emotions crashing over him.

Part of him desperately wanted it to be true. The bond between Seraphine and Esperanza was undeniable, and the little girl naturally gravitated toward her. Even he had noticed it.

If Esperanza really was Seraphine’s daughter, a lot of things would suddenly make sense.

But there was another side to it, a part he hated. His jaw tightened. Because if Esperanza was Seraphine’s biological daughter, then she was also connected to Ravyn.

And that was the one part Voren couldn’t stomach.

As much as he preferred the idea of Seraphine being Esperanza’s mother over Coco, the thought of Ravyn having any claim to the little girl left a bitter taste in his mouth.