Chosen as the Cursed Alpha's Seventh Bride

Chapter 275: Chapter 275 The Mentor

Emilia’s POV

Sebastian looked just as thrown as I felt. Even he couldn’t explain why Abigail was here.

"I never said she came with you." I kept my voice flat. "Why are you so tense? Guilty conscience?"

"I’m not tense. I just don’t want you jumping to conclusions."

"If the two of you had walked in together, sure, I’d have plenty to conclude. But you came separately. So what’s there to misunderstand?"

"Good. Great. No misunderstandings. That’s exactly how I like it."

Abigail Tanner settled into the front row, clutch in hand. When she passed Sebastian, there wasn’t a flicker of surprise on her face. She gave him a soft, gentle smile that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

I couldn’t smile if I tried. So I took it out on the nearest target. I dug my nails into Sebastian’s thigh and squeezed until his face twisted.

A moment later, my phone buzzed. Lily had sent me a text.

[Are you coming back to your seat?]

Right. I hadn’t come here to chat with Sebastian.

I leaned in and whispered, "I’m going back. If you so much as glance to your right, you’re dead."

"Why? You’re fine right here." His hand clamped around my arm, refusing to let go.

"I’m not here to play house. I have actual work to do. I’ll explain later."

"And the favor you mentioned?"

"Later. That too."

I shot Abigail one last pointed look, then peeled his fingers off and went back to join my team.

The gala began. The instant the host stepped out, the noisy hall fell dead silent. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the guest of honor.

I couldn’t help wondering, what exactly is Abigail to the host? Why is she sitting in the VIP row?

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the sixtieth birthday celebration of Genevieve. It has been ten years since her fiftieth. Over the last decade, Genevieve has made immeasurable contributions to business, to politics, and to education. Please, put your hands together and welcome her..."

Applause thundered through the hall. And there, in the middle of all that expectation, the star of the evening finally appeared.

She was an older woman in a white gown, and honestly she looked no different from anyone else. But I stared, and before I could stop myself, the words fell out of my mouth.

"That’s the rogue..."

The silent hall erupted into chaos. Every head swung toward me. Lily, beside me, went pale and pinched my arm hard, hissing under her breath, "Are you insane? Did you just call her a rogue?"

I froze, as if the whole room had emptied and left only me. I hadn’t even noticed how many eyes were now fixed on me, all of them clearly deciding I’d lost my mind.

Sebastian was staring too. If he weren’t seated so far away, I think he’d have gladly slapped some sense back into me. What on earth are you saying?

Eve stirred inside me, uneasy. "That woman. "

Genevieve broke the silence with a warm smile. "Good evening, everyone. I imagine most of you already know me. Still, manners demand an introduction. My name is Genevieve. Given the weight of my responsibilities, I’ll spare you the full résumé. Thank you all for taking the time to celebrate my sixtieth. Since time is money, I only bother throwing myself a party once a decade. I see plenty of familiar faces from ten years ago. Ten years from now, though, I may not recognize all of you. Not because I’ve gone senile, but because half of you will have run off with someone twenty years younger and gotten new faces to match."

The hall dissolved into easy laughter. Everyone was charmed by her wit. But inside, I was a mess of tangled feelings. I hadn’t mistaken her. This so-called VIP, Sebastian’s own mentor, was without a doubt the same woman who, that night on the beach, had wanted to end her life beside me.

Since I couldn’t make sense of it, I swallowed my curiosity for now. When the moment was right, I’d get my answers.

Genevieve launched into a rousing speech. I’ll admit, it was genuinely inspiring. Every line landed like a bowl of warm soup for the soul.

When she finished, the applause returned, louder than before. Only then did she announce, "For the next fifteen minutes, feel free to ask me anything. As long as it doesn’t touch my private life, I’ll answer."

People shot to their feet at once, one after another. The questions ranged everywhere, some wanting her take on business, others on education, others on the meaning of a life well lived.

Genevieve answered each one in thorough detail, leaving every questioner satisfied.

I wanted to stand up too, to ask whether she’d ever been a rogue.

But the second I imagined the whole room learning I’d once thought about ending my life, I shoved the curiosity down.

I didn’t mind people knowing my past. I minded Abigail knowing it.

Maybe that’s just the instinct of a woman guarding her pride in front of a rival.

When the Q&A ended, the host announced dinner in the adjoining hall.

I got to the dining room and scanned the crowd. No sign of Genevieve anywhere. So I drifted over to Sebastian, who was mid-conversation with another Alpha, and asked quietly, "Where’s your mentor?"

His face darkened. "What did you just call her?"

"I..." I honestly had no idea how to explain.

"We’ll deal with this when we get home."

"Fine."

I turned on my heel and walked off, seething. Once I figure all this out, I swore silently, I’d love to see who dares cross me then.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!