Chapter 15 Do You Dare to Bet?
Emilia’s POV
Tiffany leaned toward me, whispering. "My brother does not tolerate betrayal. I’ve already betrayed him for you. Once he gets angry, the consequences are terrible. You should handle this."
Then she bolted.
I watched in horror as Tiffany fled, leaving me alone to face her brother’s wrath.
Carefully, I turned around.
Sebastian stood in the doorway, still in his business suit, tie loosened marginally. His green eyes pierced me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.
He looked furious. Terrifying.
And somehow, despite everything, still devastatingly handsome.
I swallowed hard, mind racing for something to defuse this situation.
"Alpha Sebastian, I—"
"Stand up."
The command made my body obey before my brain could process it. I rose from the couch on shaking legs.
The atmosphere was eerie.
I stood there, frozen, watching Sebastian’s green eyes bore into me.
My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I was sure he could hear it.
"Alpha Sebastian, I—"
"Follow me to the room." He commanded.
I followed him upstairs and entered. He yanked off his suit and hurled it on the bed.
"Are you that interested in my private life?" His voice was ice.
I swallowed hard. Lying would be pointless. He’d already heard everything Tiffany said, and denying it would only make things worse.
"A little," I admitted, forcing myself to meet his gaze.
His eyebrow arched. "Why?" He took a step closer, and I fought the urge to back away. "Have you developed feelings for me already, Mrs. Simons?"
The mockery in his tone stung more than it should have.
"No!" The word burst out before I could stop it.
Sebastian’s lips twisted into something cold and cruel—not quite a smile. "Good. Because let me make something crystal clear."
He moved even closer, looming over me. "Being interested in me is like being interested in a demon. If you’re prepared to go through hell itself, then by all means, keep being curious."
"Curiosity doesn’t equal romantic interest," I shot back, straightening. "And you know what? No one can predict the future. For all you know, you might be the one who falls for me first."
Sebastian stared at me for one long moment. Then he barked out a laugh.
"Me? Fall for you? My God, you really are delusional. What are you, some kind of angel sent to redeem me?"
Heat flooded my face, but I refused to back down. "I’m not an angel. But demons don’t only fall for angels, Alpha Sebastian. Sometimes they fall for other demons."
I might look innocent on the outside, but inside? Inside, I was fighting tooth and nail just to survive in a world that had never wanted me. If that made me a demon, so be it.
Sebastian looked surprised by my words. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, my phone shrilled.
I glanced at the screen. Dorothy.
My stomach dropped.
"Excuse me," I muttered, slipping past him into my hidden room and slamming the door.
My hands shook as I answered. "Hello?"
"Emilia!" Dorothy cooed. "Why didn’t you come home today? Your father and I waited for you all day!"
The gleeful undertone was unmistakable. She was loving this.
She wants to watch me crawl back, broken and humiliated.
"The wedding was sudden," I said evenly, though my jaw clenched. "I had work. I couldn’t just abandon my responsibilities."
"Oh, of course, of course." Dorothy’s tone turned syrupy. "But surely you’ll visit us soon? We’re your family, after all. You wouldn’t just abandon us now that you’ve married into such an... important pack, would you?"
The emphasis on "important" made my blood boil. She was testing to see if I’d admit how miserable I was here.
She wanted ammunition. She wanted to parade my failure in front of everyone at The Frostridge Pack, to prove that even marriage to an Alpha couldn’t elevate someone as worthless as me.
Not happening.
"Of course I’ll visit," I said. "Sebastian and I will come by this weekend."
Silence on the other end.
"Both of you?" Dorothy’s voice sharpened.
"Yes. Both of us." I emphasized each word. "We’re married, after all. It’s only proper."
I ended the call before she could respond, my heart racing.
What the hell did I just do?
There was no way Sebastian would agree to this. He could barely stand to be in the same room as me, let alone play the devoted husband in front of my family.
But I wouldn’t give Dorothy the satisfaction of seeing me broken.
If I showed up alone, it would confirm everything they’d always believed about me. That I was worthless. Unlovable. Doomed to fail.
I stepped out of my room, pulse hammering.
Sebastian stood exactly where I’d left him, arms crossed, watching me with those piercing green eyes.
"Let’s make a bet," I said before I could lose my nerve.
His expression shifted from irritation to bewilderment. "A bet?"
"You don’t have feelings for women, right? You’re incapable of it."
"Correct."
"So you’d never fall for any woman. Ever."
"Where are you going with this?"
"Let’s bet on whether I can make you fall for me."
The words tumbled out.
Sebastian’s eyes widened slightly. Then he snorted.
"Are you planning to seduce me? Strip naked and throw yourself at me? Because I promise you, that won’t—"
"I’m not that desperate," I cut him off. "And I’m not talking about seduction. I’m talking about real feelings."
Sebastian crossed his arms. "You’re serious."
"Dead serious."
"And why," he said slowly, "are you so confident you’d win?"
I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. Because the truth was, I wasn’t confident. I was terrified.
"Every bet needs stakes," Sebastian continued, circling me. "If you lose..."
His lips twisted. "You leave. Immediately. No complaints, no arguments. You walk away from this marriage and never look back."
My throat tightened. That was exactly what he wanted. What he’d been trying to accomplish all along. He’d worn down six wives before me. I’d just be number seven.
But I’d already committed. There was no backing out now.
"Fine," I whispered.
"And if you win?" His eyes glittered with dark amusement. "What do you want, Luna Emilia?"
I lifted my chin. "If I win, you grant me one wish. Anything I ask, no conditions, no arguing your way out of it. And you don’t get to know what it is until I decide to use it."