Chapter 107 The Recording
Emilia’s POV
The moment I walked out of Hanson Group’s building, I spotted her. Linda Taylor, leaning against her ridiculous red sports car like she owned the damn sidewalk, waving at me with that insufferable smirk on her face.
Great. Just what I needed after a long day of dealing with actual important things.
I walked over, already annoyed. "What do you want, Linda?"
"Let’s talk."
"Fine. Talk." I crossed my arms.
"Not here." She glanced around. "This isn’t the right place to discuss... well, let’s just say certain foolish arrangements you’ve made."
"If you’re here to waste my time, I’m not interested."
I turned to leave, but her next words stopped me cold.
"If you don’t have time for me, maybe I should make time with my dear brother-in-law instead."
I stopped walking. Slowly, I turned back to face her, studying her triumphant expression.
[Finally got her attention... Sebastian will throw her out when he hears... that pathetic half-breed witch...]
"Fine," I said coolly. "Let’s go."
If this spoiled brat wanted to play games, I’d show her exactly who she was dealing with.
Linda drove us to the same cafe where we’d met before. The moment we sat down, she dropped all pretense of civility.
"Leave Sebastian."
I almost laughed. "Did you hit your head this morning? Why the hell would I do that?"
"Because if you don’t want him to know the real reason you married him, you’ll leave. Otherwise..." She smiled. "You’ll face consequences you can’t even imagine."
"Threats again?" I leaned back in my chair. "You really need to expand your repertoire, Linda. This is getting boring."
"Last time I didn’t have proof," she said, her eyes glittering with malice. "But this time? This time I have everything I need to expose your lies."
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "Then show me. I’m dying to see what you think you’ve got."
Linda pulled out a recording pen from her designer handbag. She pressed play, and Chuck’s voice filled the space between us.
But as his words spilled out—slurred, rambling, talking about Richie Lind, about arrangements, about using Sebastian—I didn’t just hear the recording.
I heard Linda’s thoughts, vicious.
[This is perfect... she’s finished... Sebastian will hate her... I’ll finally get what should have been mine...]
So this was her play. She’d gotten Chuck drunk and recorded his drunken confessions.
When the recording ended, Linda sat back. "What do you think? Will it be interesting when I share this with my beloved brother-in-law? And your precious parents-in-law who love you so much?"
"Despicable," I said flatly.
"Despicable?" She laughed. "I learned from the best. You made a fool of me and my father, cost us a fortune. I’m just returning the favor."
I stood up, grabbing my bag. "If you think one recording pen is enough to threaten me, you’re even dumber than I thought."
"You have one week," Linda called after me. "One week to leave Sebastian, or everyone hears the truth."
"Do whatever you want," I said over my shoulder, walking out with my head high.
But the moment I stepped outside into the late afternoon sun, the mask slipped. My hands were shaking, and I had to lean against the building wall to steady myself.
Damn it. Damn Chuck and his loose tongue. Damn Linda and her petty revenge. And damn me for getting into this mess in the first place.
When I arrived at my uncle and aunt’s small house on the edge of the pack territory, I found Chuck sitting at the kitchen table, looking guilty as hell. He jumped when he saw me.
"Emilia," he stammered. "What are you doing here?"
I set down the bag of supplements I’d brought for my aunt and met his eyes coldly. "Come outside. We need to talk."
[She knows... oh Goddess, she knows what I told Linda... I’m so sorry... I was drunk...]
We walked to the old locust tree in the yard, far enough from the house that my aunt wouldn’t hear. I turned to face him, arms crossed.
"You met with Linda," I said.
"She—she approached me," Chuck said weakly. "I didn’t mean to—"
"What exactly did you tell her?"
"I don’t remember everything. I was drunk—"
"Don’t lie to me! She has a recording, Chuck. A recording of you telling her that I married Sebastian to destroy the Taylor family. That I’m planning to divorce him and marry Leighton Lind. That I’m using Sebastian for revenge."
Chuck’s face went pale. [I ruined everything... she trusted me... what have I done...]
"Is that what you think?" I demanded. "Is that what you really believe? That I’m some scheming bitch who would use an innocent man for revenge?"
"No! Emilia, no, I—" He dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Linda told me you were being abused. That the Simons family treated you like garbage. She bought me drinks, kept saying she was worried about you, and I... I was angry. Angry at myself for not protecting you better. For not being strong enough to help you when your mother died. The alcohol loosened my tongue and I said things—stupid things—"
"Things that are now being used to destroy my marriage," I finished bitterly.
"I’m sorry," Chuck sobbed. "I’m so, so sorry. Please, Emilia, you have to believe me. I didn’t mean to hurt you."
I looked down at my uncle, this broken man who’d tried his best with what little he had, and felt my anger drain away. It wasn’t his fault. Linda had manipulated him.
"Get up," I said quietly. "Just... get up, Uncle Chuck."
He stood, wiping his eyes. "What are you going to do?"
"I don’t know yet," I admitted. "But whatever happens, it’s not your fault. Linda set this trap, and I walked right into it."
I left before he could say anything else. On the drive back to the pack house, my mind wouldn’t stop racing.
What was I going to do?
If Sebastian heard that recording, he’d think everything had been a lie. Our marriage. Our moments together. Everything.