Seraphine's POV
The room was suffocating, thick with silence, and every eye was locked on me. I could feel the weight of their gazes, the tension pressing down on my chest, as the portrait in the elderly man's trembling hands seemed to burn into the air. Leonel’s expression was unreadable, but his eyes? His eyes betrayed his shock as he flicked between me and the image. It was as if the world he thought he knew was unraveling right before him.
He opened his mouth, but no words came. I could see the struggle in him—he was trying to comprehend what was happening, trying to piece together the puzzle of the woman standing before him and the princess staring back from the portrait.
Before he could say anything, the grand doors burst open with a force that made everyone jump. Royal guards, their armor gleaming beneath the chandelier light, strode in like they owned the place. And standing at the forefront, a tall, regal man. His dark eyes locked onto mine, and with a bow that made the crowd murmur in surprise, he addressed me.
“Princess,” he said, his voice deep and commanding, “I have come to escort you back to the palace.”
Gasps rippled through the room, and I could feel the shift, the collective breath being held in disbelief. Even Leonel, who usually carried himself with such composure, faltered. His fists clenched as he shot forward, the anger in his eyes unmistakable.
“What is this madness? Seraphine is nothing but an Omega! A princess? That’s bullshit!” His voice boomed, echoing through the room like a thunderclap. But his defiance was met with a swift response from the guards. One of them stepped forward, sword raised just inches from Leonel’s throat, the tip glowing with an unspoken threat.
The man who had addressed me stepped forward, his voice colder than ice. “I am Tide, the right-hand man to Prince Evander. I am here to ensure her safe return to the royal family. You will show respect.”
I could see the disbelief on Leonel’s face as he processed this new reality, but before he could recover, I spoke, my voice cutting through the tension.
“Wait,” I said, my words quiet, but there was power in them—enough to make everyone freeze in place.
I took a step forward, my eyes sweeping over the crowd, then landing on Leonel and Aurora. The mixture of disdain and amusement on my face must have been palpable as I locked eyes with the Alpha who had once been mine.
“I have one thing left unfinished,” I said, my voice steady, unwavering. “Before I go, I’ll say this: You seem surprised, don’t you, Alpha?” I turned to Leonel, my lips curling into a smirk. “The lowly omega you thought couldn’t understand, can speak this language.”
With a flick of my wrist, the words I had kept hidden for so long flowed effortlessly from my lips, an ancient tongue, full of power and history. The language of royalty.
Leonel’s face drained of color. His entire body tensed, and he stammered, his voice faltering. “Y-You...” He couldn’t find the words, couldn’t fathom what I was showing him.
I let my smirk deepen, savoring the shock on his face as I continued, my words filled with ancient power. “I know exactly what you were saying that night at dinner, Alpha. All your little lies and insults. Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”
The silence that followed was so intense that you could hear a pin drop. Leonel’s throat tightened, his mouth working, but no sound came. The realization that I knew everything sank in, and the room hung in the air like a thick fog of tension. Aurora’s eyes darted between the two of us, confusion painting her face.
I turned to address the entire room, my voice now echoing through the hall in the common language, clear and commanding. “And I know exactly what this party is for. Steelfang.” My voice rang out, cutting through the murmur of the crowd. “You pack of backstabbers thought I wouldn’t find out, didn’t you? Thought I was too weak to know what you’ve been planning behind my back?”
I swept my eyes over them, my gaze sharp and piercing, each one of them feeling the weight of my words. “You tolerated your Alpha's cheating because I’m ‘just an omega.’ You thought my background wasn’t worth anything compared to Aurora’s, didn’t you?” My voice dripped with sarcasm. “No. You’re just horrible people.”
I let my words sink in, watching their faces twist in discomfort, guilt, and shame. Then I spoke again, my tone mocking, yet biting. “You thought I wouldn’t figure it out, that I wouldn’t know about this damned engagement the moment you posted and celebrated it behind my back. I knew.”
The guests could no longer look me in the eye. Their guilt was palpable, thick in the air, choking them as they shifted uncomfortably in their seats. I turned my gaze back to Leonel, my eyes narrowing with disgust.
“Don’t worry, Alpha,” I said, my voice dripping with venom. “You have my blessing now. Proceed with your engagement party. I don’t fucking care anymore.”
I turned away from him, the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. But as I did, my eyes landed on Henrietta, the woman who had caused me so much pain. My lips curled into a cold smile as I raised a hand.
“Before I go,” I said, my voice low but icy, “I want to make sure my point is made clear.”
I gestured to the royal guards. “Restrain her.”
The guards moved quickly, their hands clamping around Henrietta’s arms, and she reacted with the fury of a woman cornered. Her eyes flared, her voice high-pitched with rage. “How dare you!” she screamed. “How dare you touch me! I am the Alpha’s mother!”
I stepped forward, my face now inches from hers, and I sneered. “Who’s the lowly one now?” I asked, my voice dripping with disdain.
Before she could respond, I slapped her across the face, the sound of the impact ringing through the hall. Henrietta gasped, her cheeks reddening as she stumbled back in shock.
“You deserve worse,” I spat. “But I won’t hit you again. Your old bones might break, and I wouldn’t want that. But I’m sure you’ve earned every bit of that slap.”
Henrietta’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Her eyes were filled with rage, but there was nothing she could do. I wasn’t finished.
With one swift motion, I slapped her again, harder this time. The sound of the second slap echoed through the hall, and Henrietta’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Stunned, the entire room fell silent. No one moved. No one spoke. They were all frozen, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.
Without a word, I turned on my heel, my head held high. I walked toward the exit, flanked by the royal guards, the whispers of the crowd now deafening in my ears. But I didn’t care. As the doors closed behind me, I stepped out of the Steelfang Packhouse, leaving the past—and the broken bonds—behind me.
My future was now tied to something greater. Something royal. And I was done with them.
