Chapter 43 It’s in Your Blood
Emilia’s POV
"Who gave you permission to wear this necklace?"
Sebastian’s voice was cold.
I stood in his bedroom doorway, my hand reaching for the delicate chain around my neck.
"Isn’t this for me?"
He smirked like I’d just told the world’s most pathetic joke. "Your self-righteousness is really growing by the day. On what basis do you think this necklace is for you?"
"Just... based on my feelings."
"Don’t you know that your feelings are as worthless as you are as a person?"
"If it’s not for me," I said, "then who are you giving it to?"
"To whom I’m giving it is not your concern." His green eyes were ice. "It’s certainly not for you. Put it back where it came from."
I unclasped the necklace.
I walked to the trash can and paused. "Do you really want me to throw away this token of gratitude?"
He could’ve just said yes.
Instead, he strode forward, snatched the necklace from my hand, and headed straight for the window.
"Don’t think too highly of yourself." His voice dripped venom. "I would never show gratitude to someone who has no place in my heart."
He opened the window. And threw it out.
I watched the necklace arc through the air, glinting once in the sunlight before disappearing into the vast lawn below.
My throat tightened.
Sebastian slammed the door on his way out.
I stood there for a long moment, staring at the open window. The breeze carried in the scent of cut grass and late summer flowers.
Then I ran down the stairs.
The lawn stretched before me. Manicured, impossibly huge. The necklace could be anywhere.
I dropped to my knees and started searching for that necklace.
Despite his cruelty, his hatred, I knew that necklace was meant for me.
He’d invited me to dinner. Just the two of us. And I’d turned him down for Scott. I’d lied to him about it.
What if he’d planned to give it to me that night? And then I’d ruined it.
So he threw the necklace in the trash.
At least, that’s what I hoped.
I crawled forward, section by section, my eyes scanning every inch of green.
A flash of silver, nestled beneath a hedge. I lunged forward and grabbed it.
The necklace was intact. Not a single diamond missing. I clutched it to my chest and let out a shaky breath.
Back in my room, I locked it in the bottom drawer of my desk, beneath old notebooks and forgotten papers. Somewhere safe. Somewhere Sebastian would never look.
Dinner came and went without him.
I sat at the long table with Mila, Titus, and Tiffany, pushing food around my plate while they made polite conversation. No one asked where Sebastian was.
Businessmen had social gatherings. It was normal.
By ten o’clock, I was in bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep felt impossible.
Crash.
The sound came from next door. Sebastian’s room.
I bolted upright, my heart racing.
Another crash. Then a heavy thud.
I threw off the covers and ran to my door, yanking it open just in time to see Sebastian’s door ajar, a sliver of light spilling into the hallway.
He was on the floor.
"Sebastian!" I rushed in without thinking.
The smell hit me immediately. Sharp, overwhelming alcohol. He reeked of it.
He was trying to push himself up, movements clumsy. I grabbed his arm to help him, and he immediately shook me off.
"Don’t touch me."
"You’re drunk," I said, reaching for him again. "Let me help you to bed."
He staggered toward his bed and nearly went down again. I caught him by the elbow, and this time he shoved me away.
"Get out of my way. Stay away from me!"
Frustration flared in my chest. "I know you hate me, but as long as I’m still your wife, I should do my duty—"
"Your duty as a wife?" He whirled on me, eyes blazing. "Is it a wife’s duty to lie to her husband and go on a date with another man?"
"I’ve already explained to you." My voice rose. "It’s not what you think."
"Oh yes, you’ve explained." His laugh was bitter, mocking. "That man helped you, so you invited him to dinner out of gratitude."
"Yes! That’s exactly it!"
For half a second, I thought he understood.
But then his expression twisted.
"If you need help, you could have asked me. I have plenty of money and contacts. If you’d asked me for help, I would’ve been able to solve your problems. Why must you find other men?"
"You were on a business trip—"
"If I wasn’t on a business trip, would you have asked me?" He advanced on me, and I stepped back. "I figure you still would’ve gone to find other men!"
"I didn’t ask him!" My hands clenched. "He took the initiative to help me!"
"Are you trying to say that men find you attractive?" His smile was cruel. "Well, there’s some truth in that. You were the one I picked out the first time we met. It just shows how easily you twist men around your finger."
"Do you have to humiliate me like this just so you feel better?"
"That’s just what you think. I’m only speaking the truth." He swayed, catching himself on the bedpost. "Although I’ve divorced six times, you’re definitely the worst among my wives. At least they had some dignity. But you? You’re just like your mother—a cheap dancer who spread her legs for an Alpha and thought she’d won the lottery. No wonder you don’t know how to behave with men. It’s in your blood."
SLAP.
Sebastian’s head snapped to the side. His hand came up slowly, touching his reddening cheek. When he looked back at me, his eyes were wide with shock.
"How dare you hit me?"
"You can humiliate me however you want." My voice shook. "But I will never tolerate you humiliating my mother. Yes, my mother was a dancer. But she’s not the kind of person you’re talking about. She was kind, and loving, and she did what she had to do to survive in a pack that looked down on her every single day!"