Chosen as the Cursed Alpha's Seventh Bride

Emilia’s POV

My hands froze in the middle of the knot. I looked up at him, startled.

His green eyes watched me with an intensity that made my stomach twist.

"No... what do you mean?"

"Nothing specific." He tilted his head slightly, and I couldn’t read his expression at all. "I just remembered there were a few times you seemed like you wanted to say something. But I was busy with work and didn’t have time to listen. It suddenly came to mind this morning, so I thought I’d ask."

He paused, and the silence stretched between us until it felt about to snap. "Are you sure there’s nothing?"

My throat felt tight. His calm green eyes bore into mine, and for a moment I wondered if this was it. If he knew. If somehow he’d figured everything out.

"No," I said. "Nothing I can think of."

He smiled then, soft and gentle, and leaned down to kiss my forehead. The tenderness of it made guilt cut through my chest. "Alright then. I’ll see you tonight."

"Have a good day," I managed.

After Sebastian walked out the door, I sank onto the bed, going over what he’d just said. Something was about to happen. I could feel it.

I stood up abruptly, shoving the worry down. I had to get to work. Scott still hadn’t returned from his business trip, which meant I couldn’t submit my resignation letter yet. Another day of pretending everything was normal at Hanson Group.

The morning at the office passed in a blur. I made three mistakes in a single report, had to redo a presentation twice, and nearly sent an email to the wrong department.

When my shift finally ended, I practically ran out of the building.

I’d texted Lily during my lunch break with a simple message: "Emergency. Need to talk. Now."

We met at a small, upscale café on the east side of Silverlake City. The kind of place with private booths tucked into alcoves, where the music was soft enough to talk but loud enough that no one could eavesdrop. Lily was already waiting when I arrived, her expression worried.

"Okay, what’s the emergency?" she asked the moment I slid into the booth across from her. "Your text sounded like someone died."

"Worse," I said, flagging down a waiter. "I think Sebastian knows."

"Knows what?"

"Everything. About the revenge plan."

Lily’s eyes widened. "Wait, back up. What happened?"

I told her about this morning.

When I finished, Lily leaned back in her seat and let out a long breath. "Emilia, you’re spiraling. Maybe he was just being thoughtful. You know, actually caring about his mate’s feelings for once?"

"What if he wasn’t just being thoughtful?"

"You think he was testing you? Trying to see if you’d come clean on your own?" Lily shook her head. "That doesn’t sound like Sebastian. If he knew something, he’d confront you directly. The man’s not exactly subtle."

"But what if he is? What if this is his way of giving me a chance to explain before he explodes?"

"Then you’d know by now. Trust me, if Sebastian Simons discovered his wife had been using him for revenge, you wouldn’t be sitting here calmly drinking coffee. You’d be dealing with a very angry Alpha." Lily paused. "What brought this on anyway? Why do you suddenly think he knows?"

I bit my lip, hesitating. Then the words tumbled out. "Last night. When I was writing in my diary. He came into my room suddenly, and I panicked and shoved the diary back in the drawer. But I was in such a rush I... I forgot to lock it before I left."

Lily’s expression shifted from concerned to horrified. "Please tell me you’re joking."

"I wish I was."

"Emilia. Why the hell do you still have that thing? I told you months ago to burn it. That diary is a ticking time bomb!"

"I know, I know, but I needed somewhere to process everything. You know I’ve kept journals since I was a kid."

"Yeah, when you were documenting your terrible childhood, not plotting to manipulate an Alpha for revenge!" Lily’s voice rose slightly before she caught herself and lowered it again. "Do you have any idea how bad this could be if he read it?"

My hands were shaking again. "Do you think he did? Read it?"

Lily was quiet for a moment, her expression softening. "Emilia, listen to me. I know you feel guilty. I know this has been eating at you for weeks. But if you go to him now and confess everything on the off chance he might have seen something, you could destroy everything you’ve built with him."

"But what if he already knows? What if I’m just prolonging the inevitable?"

"Then at least wait until you’re sure," Lily argued. "Right now, you’re operating on paranoia and guilt. That’s not a good combination for making life-altering decisions."

Even as Lily tried to comfort me, my chest still ached with worry.

"No. I have to tell him. Whether he read it or not, I’m telling him tonight."

I bolted for the door. Lily rushed after me.

"You can’t tell him!"

"Let me go!" I shouted. "Nobody’s stopping me today. I’m falling apart. I have to confess everything and beg for his forgiveness!"

"Are you insane? If Sebastian finds out what you did, he’ll never forgive you. He’ll break. If you want to see him break, then go ahead and tell him."

I pushed forward, but Lily blocked me again. "I think you’ve really lost it. You’re completely forgetting about Ricky Lind. Even if Sebastian could forgive you for marrying him to get revenge for your mother, do you think he’d forgive you for arranging his engagement to Leighton Lind ten years ago?"

"What’s wrong with an engagement? We never got married."

"But have you cancelled it? Your engagement is still on the books. Do you really think Sebastian can accept a love with that kind of stain on it?"

"Whether he accepts it or not, I have to tell him today. I have to..."

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I burst into tears. Lily’s eyes were red too.

She pulled me into a hug. "I’m not scared that things will end between you and Sebastian and Scott will finally get his chance. You know I’m not that kind of person. I just feel awful for you. Winning Sebastian’s heart wasn’t easy. If you throw him away on impulse, how are you going to live with yourself?"

"Lily, I regret it so much. I really do. How could I have thought something so twisted? Why would I take advantage of a broken man? Am I really a bad person? I must be the worst woman in the world."

I couldn’t stop crying. I sank to my knees, clutching at my hair. A long time ago, I thought my life couldn’t get any worse. But now? Now it just felt like a joke.

It was so absurd, so pathetic, I didn’t see the point of going on.