At another table, Jasmine sat quietly watching the whole celebration unfold around her.

Music drifted softly through the evening air while laughter echoed across the yacht, and guests kept smiling, dancing, and soaking up the final joyful moments of the wedding.

For a little while she had actually managed to push aside everything heavy weighing on her heart. Seeing Voren dance with Esperanza had filled her with this genuine, warm happiness.

The little girl looked so incredibly joyful wrapped up in her father’s arms, and for that brief moment Jasmine found herself smiling right along with everyone else.

But that happiness never lasted long. The closer the wedding drew to its end, the heavier her chest felt, like something was slowly pressing down on her.

The smile gradually faded from her face as a tight knot formed deep in her stomach. She knew exactly what was coming. Soon all the secrets would spill out into the open, and there would be nowhere left to hide.

Beside her, Corvine kept clapping along as Voren spun Esperanza around the dance floor. His full attention stayed locked on that touching scene while the little girl giggled happily in his arms.

Jasmine stared at him for several long seconds before she finally gathered up enough courage to speak. She nudged his arm gently. "Corvine..."

He glanced over at her. Jasmine swallowed hard, her throat tight. "Is it expensive to rent an apartment around here?" Her fingers twisted together nervously under the table. "And if I lose my job, could you maybe help me find another one?"

Corvine’s brows drew together right away. His attention drifted completely from the dance floor and settled on her. The questions caught him totally off guard, especially right now.

Only moments earlier he had been thinking about those DNA results still hidden away in his possession, the ones he had not shown to anyone yet.

Somehow, even without knowing the full truth, Seraphine had already started building a real relationship with her biological father. It almost felt like fate was quietly guiding everything forward on its own.

"Why would you ask something like that?" he asked quietly.

Jasmine forced a smile, but it looked fragile and ready to crack. "The wedding is almost over." Her voice grew softer. "Which means you’re probably going to tell everyone the truth about Olivia soon."

Her gaze dropped down to the table. "I helped keep that secret. Maybe not exactly the same way Olivia did, but I still knew things." She let out a shaky breath. "So I’m guilty too."

For several long seconds Corvine stayed silent. Looking at her now, he could not deny that she was genuinely scared. Part of him wanted to reassure her right then and there, to tell her everything would somehow be okay.

But another part of him could not stop thinking about everything Voren and Seraphine had gone through. Imagine waking up one day and learning your mother had actually died years ago.

Imagine finding out the woman who raised you had hidden such a massive truth from you. And worse still, nobody even knew whether the late Luna had received the kind of burial she truly deserved.

The whole situation was incredibly complicated, far more than Jasmine probably realized.

Corvine slowly reached over and patted her shoulder. "Don’t beat yourself up before anything has even happened." His voice softened with quiet reassurance. "Have a little faith."

Jasmine nodded, though the anxiety churning inside her did not ease up at all. How could it? She knew the storm was coming, and the only real question was how much damage it would leave behind when it finally hit.

Before either of them could keep talking, a familiar figure approached their table. It was Voren, with Esperanza resting comfortably in his arms.

Even after hours of celebrating, the little girl still looked wide awake and full of energy. The moment they reached the table, Voren carefully set her back down in her chair.

Esperanza immediately reached for a cupcake, completely unbothered by whatever serious conversation the adults were about to dive into.

Voren glanced toward Corvine, his expression turning noticeably more serious. "Let’s talk."

Corvine understood instantly. Whatever conversation was coming next was not meant for everyone else to hear. He rose from his chair. "Sure."

As both men walked away together, Jasmine’s anxiety doubled in an instant. Her eyes automatically followed them across the deck. That heavy sinking feeling returned full force in her stomach.

She knew exactly what they were going to discuss. The truth, that massive secret everyone had spent years protecting so carefully.

Her gaze drifted across the deck until it landed on Seraphine. The sight made her chest tighten painfully. If only she could talk to her first. If only she could explain everything before someone else did.

Maybe then Seraphine would understand. Maybe she could even help calm Voren down when the truth finally exploded out.

Because if there was one thing Jasmine knew for certain, it was that Voren Ashkael loved his wife with a fierce, protective intensity. Anyone who hurt Seraphine automatically found themselves standing on very dangerous ground.

Meanwhile, on the dance floor, the father-and-daughter dance had taken a painful, unexpected turn. Seraphine’s question seemed to hit Einstein like a physical blow.

The color drained from his face in an instant. He stopped moving completely, and even the hand holding hers loosened slightly. Fear flashed openly in his eyes. For a long moment he simply stared at her, then slowly shook his head.

"I love you like my own daughter," he said, emotion thickening his voice. "But I’m not your biological father."

Seraphine smiled, or at least she tried to. The smile never reached her eyes. Instead it carried deep sadness, sharp disappointment, and a stubborn determination all at once.

"I already know Chuck isn’t my father." Her gaze stayed fixed on him. "Did you know someone used a spell to erase my memories?"

Einstein’s eyes widened so much that Seraphine immediately recognized his shock as completely genuine. "What?" The word escaped him instantly. "No way."

His expression filled with total disbelief. "Something like that happened?" He shook his head repeatedly. "I had absolutely no idea."

Seraphine studied him carefully. Every reaction felt real. Every emotion looked completely sincere, and she believed him. If he knew anything about it, he was not hiding it.

Still, that only created another painful question, one she desperately needed answered. "Then why are you pretending not to be my father?" The sadness in her voice grew harder to hide as her eyes glistened. "Especially when I already know the truth."

Pain immediately filled Einstein’s eyes. The look alone made Seraphine’s chest tighten.

He glanced around the deck as though searching for some kind of escape like before or maybe just the right words to say.

Unfortunately, neither one appeared this time. When he finally looked back at her, regret was written all over his face. "I honestly don’t know how you figured it out."

A weak smile appeared on his face for a second before fading away just as fast. "But your mother... Your mother is the person who should answer those questions."

Seraphine followed his gaze. Across the deck sat the three middle-aged women. Each of them looked unusually tense, almost as if they were waiting for something unavoidable to finally happen.

Realization settled over her right away. The answers were there with them.

Without wasting another second, Seraphine turned and started walking toward Jasmine.

If she was going to uncover the full truth, she needed to make sure Esperanza stayed out of the middle of it first. Nessa seemed like the safest choice since she was not directly involved in any of the family drama. Seraphine quickened her pace.

But before she could reach Jasmine, someone else got there first. Vladimir. His expression was hard, and his patience had clearly run out.

Stopping right in front of Jasmine, he folded his arms across his chest. His stern voice cut through the remaining celebration around them. "Jasmine."

The single word made her freeze completely. "The wedding is almost over." His eyes locked onto hers. There was no avoiding the conversation anymore, no more excuses, and no more delays. His jaw tightened. "Will you start talking?"