Chapter 96

[ 1,130 words ]

Emilia’s POV

Sebastian was silent for a long time. Just when I thought he had fallen asleep, he finally spoke slowly. “I once knew a woman. When I was a kid, I was crazy about Superman.”

My heart skipped a beat. I didn’t even need to ask. I knew the woman had to be Abigail Tanner. Because Mrs. Simons had once said that Abigail was the only woman Sebastian had ever been willing to love and get close to.

“It’s not that Superman is so extraordinary. It’s just that every girl has a princess dream. Who the hero is doesn’t really matter. What matters is that they all show up at an age when girls are longing to be loved.”

Sebastian spoke. “So do you still have a crush on him?”

I rolled my eyes. “Superman’s fictional, Sebastian. Even if you could time-travel, you wouldn’t find him.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

I sighed. “No. I don’t. I grew out of princess dreams a long time ago.”

“When?”

“When I realized fairy tales don’t fix real life.”

He didn’t say anything. Just stared at the sky, his eyes unreadable.

I thought about all the fairy tales I used to read as a kid. Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty. The princess always got rescued by the handsome prince. But no one ever talked about what happened after the wedding. No one told you that sometimes the prince was an asshole with six ex-wives and a weird obsession with recording his wife’s drunken confessions.

“Life’s not a fairy tale,” I said quietly. “And no prince is coming to save anyone.”

Sebastian turned his head and looked at me, something strange flickering in his green eyes.

“Then who’s going to save you?”

I met his gaze. “Myself. Who else?”

We didn’t stay on the beach much longer after that. The wind picked up, and Sebastian decided he’d had enough of being a “romantic husband” for one night. We drove back to the mansion in comfortable silence, and I went straight to bed.

The next morning, Tiffany was already laughing in the living room like nothing had happened. She was sprawled on the sofa, eating grapes and scrolling through her phone, her dramatic breakdown from the night before completely forgotten.

“Emilia!” she called out when she saw me. “My brother’s birthday is the day after tomorrow.”

I paused. “Yes, I know.”

“So…” She trailed off expectantly.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Before she could say more, my phone buzzed. Richie’s name flashed on the screen. He said he had my ID card and wanted me to pick it up as soon as possible.

“I have to go,” I said, grabbing my bag. “We’ll talk later.”

“Hey, I’m not finished! Where are you going—”

I was already out the door.

I met Richie at a quiet café downtown. He was already seated by the window. He slid my ID card across the table the moment I sat down.

“How are things going here?” he asked, his eyes sharp.

I lowered my gaze. “I’m sorting it out.”

That was a lie. The truth was, I wasn’t sorting anything out. I was stalling. Because ever since that elevator ride, something had shifted inside me. I didn’t want to leave Sebastian. Not anymore. And now I had to figure out how to destroy the evidence Richie had on me before he could use it.

You think I don’t know what you’re doing? His thoughts slithered into my mind. She thinks she’s clever. But I see right through her.

“It’s just a divorce,” he said flatly. “Do you really need this much time to arrange it?”

“I have my reasons for everything I do. I thought you’d understand.”

“I used to.” He set his cup down with a soft clink. “But now? You’re hard to understand. I don’t understand.”

“Then don’t push me so hard. Just give me some time to figure things out.”

He let out a dry laugh. “I wonder if I’m giving you time to figure things out… or time to figure out how to deal with me.”

She’s scared. Good. She should be.

Unease crawled up my spine, but I forced myself to stay calm. “You worry too much. You’ve helped me so much. I’ve never thought about betraying you.”

“It’s best if that’s true.”

“I need to use the restroom.” I excused myself and walked to the bathroom, my hands trembling slightly. I splashed cold water on my face and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

Get it together, Emilia. You knew he was dangerous. You’ve just been pretending otherwise.

I took a deep breath, composed myself, and walked back to the table.

Richie pointed at my phone, which was lying face-up on the table. “There was a call. I answered it.”

My blood ran cold. “What?”

I grabbed my phone and checked the call log. My stomach dropped.

“What did you tell him?”

“Relax.” He took a casual sip of his coffee. “I just said he had the wrong number. Didn’t say anything I shouldn’t have.”

“How dare you answer my phone without my permission? Do you know that’s a violation of my privacy?”

“What’s the big deal? I answered a call while you were gone. That’s all.” He shrugged. “Or maybe the reason you’re angry isn’t that I answered… but who called?”

My jaw tightened. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m not trying to say anything. I’m just wondering why the Seventh Luna of the Alpha Sebastian is so upset about her husband calling.”

My eyes widened.

“Even if I was away, you shouldn’t have answered my phone,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. “And you told him he called the wrong number? How am I supposed to explain that now? Uncle Richie, you’ve let me down.”

He slammed his cup against the table. The sound cracked through the air.

“Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on,” he hissed. “Two days ago, you went up and down the elevator dozens of times at the New World Mall in Lakewood City… while hugging him. Do you dare to tell me you don’t have feelings for him?”

My heart stopped.

How did he know that?

Emilia. I see everything. I know everything. You can’t hide from me.

I stared at him, my skin crawling. For the first time, I realized how dangerous this man really was. He wasn’t just an annoying creditor. He was a shadow. And shadows don’t let go easily.

“You’ve been following me?”

“I’ve been protecting my investment.”

We argued for another fifteen minutes before I finally stood up, grabbed my bag, and walked out. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. Because if I did, I might break down right there in the middle of the café.

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