Chosen as the Cursed Alpha's Seventh Bride

Emilia’s POV

The next morning, I stood outside Hanson Group with my resignation letter folded in my bag. My stomach churned with anxiety, but I’d made my decision. Scott’s feelings had crossed too many lines. This was the cleanest break.

"You sure about this?" Eve asked.

"No," I admitted. "But staying would be worse."

I made my way to Scott’s office, only to find it dark and empty. His other secretary looked up when I approached.

"Emilia," she said with a bright smile. "I’m afraid Mr. Hanson is out of town on business. He won’t be back for at least two weeks."

Two weeks? My resignation letter suddenly felt heavy in my bag. "Do you know when he’ll be available?"

"I’m not sure. Would you like to leave a message?"

"No, that’s... that’s fine. Thank you."

I walked away, unsure whether to feel relieved or frustrated. At least this gave me time to figure out what I’d say when I finally handed in my notice.

"Emilia!" Lily’s voice made me turn. She was hurrying down the hallway, her eyes bright with curiosity. "I heard you were looking for Scott. Everything okay?"

"Fine. Just needed to discuss something with him."

She fell into step beside me, lowering her voice. "Is this about the other night? I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have told him anything..."

"Let’s not talk about it here," I said quietly.

We made it back to my office, and I closed the door. Lily immediately spotted the envelope sticking out of my bag.

"Is that... are you resigning?" Her eyes went wide. "Oh my goddess, you are! You’re going back to be a rich wife, aren’t you?"

I sighed. "Do I look like the kind of woman who enjoys spa days and shopping for luxury brands on weekdays?"

Lily sat down heavily. "Well, you didn’t have that option before, did you? You’re the Luna of the Silver Moon Pack now. Or are you saying you’ve decided to be a full-time Luna? That’s a huge responsibility. But Emilia, please tell me this is about wanting to fulfill your Luna duties and not about running away from Scott."

"Why can’t it be both?" I asked dryly.

"Because running away never solves anything," Lily said seriously. "You’ve worked here for three years. You’ve built a career, made connections. Don’t throw that away just because one man can’t handle rejection."

"It’s not just about him," I protested. "Mila has been teaching me about pack management, Luna responsibilities. There’s so much I need to learn, and I can’t do that while working full-time here."

"Okay, fine. But answer me honestly." Lily leaned forward. "If Scott had never confessed his feelings, would you still be resigning right now?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it. She had a point.

"That’s what I thought," Lily said with a sad smile. "Look, I’m not saying you shouldn’t leave. Maybe it’s the right choice. I just want to make sure you’re leaving for the right reasons."

"Speaking of Scott," I said, changing the subject on purpose. "You told him everything, didn’t you?"

Lily had the grace to look guilty. "I’m sorry. He was so heartbroken, and I thought... I don’t know what I thought. That maybe if he understood what you’d been through, he’d realize why you chose Sebastian."

"And instead he showed up drunk outside my house, demanding answers."

"Oh goddess. I’m so sorry. Did Alpha Sebastian find out?"

"No, thank the moon. I handled it before things got worse." I rubbed my temples. "But this is exactly why I need to leave, Lily. This situation is impossible."

She was quiet for a moment. "For what it’s worth, I think Scott will come around eventually. He just needs time."

"I hope you’re right."

"So." Lily stood up, her expression brightening with forced cheer. "Since you’re abandoning me to be a fancy Luna, the least you can do is let me take you out for a proper goodbye dinner. My treat."

I laughed despite myself. "Are you sure? I have expensive taste."

"Oh, I’m fully aware." She grinned. "But it’s fine. I’ll just eat ramen for the next month to make up for it."

"In that case, I know exactly where we’re going."

An hour later, we were seated at one of Silverlake City’s most expensive French restaurants. Lily made exaggerated whimpering sounds every time I added another item to our order.

"Really?" she groaned. "Do you want me to sell a kidney?"

"You said your treat," I reminded her sweetly. "Besides, you owe me for the whole Scott situation. Consider this your penance."

"The most vicious thing in the world is a woman’s heart," Lily muttered dramatically. "What evil did I commit in a past life to deserve a friend like you?"

"Funny, I say the exact same thing when I’m with Sebastian."

"You two really are perfect for each other," Lily laughed. "Both equally cruel and impossible."

"I’ll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn’t meant as one."

Lily kept making pained noises about her credit card, but I could see she was enjoying herself.

"Alright," she said once the waiter left. "I need to use the restroom before all this expensive food arrives. Try not to order anything else while I’m gone."

"No promises," I called after her.

I pulled out my phone, smiling at a text from Sebastian asking how my day was going. I was typing out a response when I sensed someone approaching our table.

I looked up to find Linda Taylor standing there, her face twisted with shock and fury.

"You," she hissed. "You’re supposed to be in France!"

Of all the people to run into. Why did the universe hate me?

"Hello, Linda," I said coolly, setting down my phone. "Nice to see you too."

"Don’t play games with me! You promised you’d leave! You said you were going to France!"

"No," I corrected calmly. "I said I was leaving. I never specified for how long. It’s not my fault you made assumptions."

Linda’s face went bright red. "You... you lied to me!"

"I didn’t lie about anything." I took a sip of water, casual. "I went to France. I came back. End of story."

"This isn’t over," Linda hissed, leaning close enough that I could smell her cheap perfume. "You think you’re so clever, don’t you? Playing your little games, acting like you’ve won. But I’m warning you, Emilia. You’re going to regret this."

I met her gaze steadily, refusing to be intimidated. "Is that a threat?"

"It’s a promise. You just wait. I’ll make sure you pay for this." With that, Linda rushed out of the restaurant.