COMMENT
Chapter 62
Adeline West
The moment I stepped back into my office, I exhaled a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. The weight of the press conference still sat heavy on my shoulders. My mind buzzed with what I had just done. Had I really announced that I was going to marry Sebastian Cooper?
I sank into the chair behind my desk, staring out the window. The press had undoubtedly latched onto every word I had said by now. There were probably already headlines speculating about the upcoming “wedding of the year between Adeline West, the CEO of Moonluxe, and Sebastian Cooper, the most eligible bachelor and Alpha of the pack. But I wasn’t thinking about any of that. Instead, my thoughts lingered on the statement itself.
Was it the right decision?
A smile tugged at my lips despite the chaos swirling in my mind.
Yes, it was.
I could sense my wolf, not very happy about my decision, but she didn’t say anything and was quiet. Marrying Sebastian was the right choice for both me and my children. He had been nothing but supportive and loving from the moment he stepped into our lives. He adored my kids, treating them like they were his own, and the warmth I felt whenever I saw them together assured me of one thing: Sebastian was the stability we all needed.
As my phone buzzed on the desk, I glanced down to see messages flooding in. The press conference had already hit the media waves, and I could see the messages from friends, business associates and even reporters asking for more details. But I ignored all of it, my hands tightening into fists as I fought to steady my breathing. Panic was creeping up on me, threatening to break through the calm façade I had tried to maintain during the press conference.
But before I could even begin to sort through them, the door to my office creaked open, and Sophia walked in.
She looked genuinely worried, her brows knit together as she approached my desk. “Adeline, are you okay?” Her voice was soft but laced with concern.
“Are you sure about everything you said at the press conference?”
I looked up at her and offered a small smile, though my heart was still pounding in my chest.
“Honestly, I don’t know.” I said, “Sebastian confessed that he loves me and wants to marry him,” I said, keeping my voice steady despite the whirlwind of thoughts running through my head.
Her eyes widened slightly, and she blinks. “Wait, what? When did this happen?”
“Recently,” I replied, trying to stay calm. “But I didn’t exactly say yes. Not to him directly, anyway.”
Sophia stared at me for a moment before the realization of what I’d just said sank in. Her mouth fell open. “Adeline… You announced to the media that you’re marrying him before you told him?”
I hadn’t thought of it that way, not until she voiced the words. A sudden knot twisted in my stomach. How could I have made such a big announcement without even giving Sebastian the courtesy of a conversation?
“I didn’t mean to,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair in frustration. “It just happened. The press was asking so many questions, and at that moment, I don’t know. It just came out.”
Sophia sat down in the chair across from me, looking at me with worry and confusion. “Adeline, are you sure you’re doing this for the right reasons? Announcing something so major without talking to him first… it’s not like you.”
Her words stung, not because they were harsh but because they were true. I stared at her, my throat tightening. “What if I’m
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doing this for the wrong reasons? What if I’m just trying to make things easier for my kids? What if I’m not in love with him the way I should be?”
“Do you love him, Adeline?” She asked, looking at me.
The question hit me like a punch to the gut. I opened my mouth to answer, but the words didn’t come. Instead, I found myself choking on the uncertainty, on the fear that had been gnawing at me for so long. Did I love Sebastian? Of course, I cared about him. But love? The kind of deep, soul–shaking love that I had once believed in? I didn’t know. Will I ever?
“I care about him so much, but is that enough?” I said. “I did tell him that I’m too broken for the kind of love he deserves, but… he… he still wanted to marry me.”
Sophia was quiet for a long moment before she spoke again, her voice gentle but firm. “You need to figure out what you really want, Adeline. Not just what’s right for everyone else. You
She was right, of course. I needed to talk to Sebastian, and I needed to be honest with him–and with myself.
“I need to talk to Sebastian. I need to explain everything. He deserves that.” I said,
Sophia nodded, her expression softening. “Yeah, you do. Alpha’s a great guy, and he’s been nothing but supportive. But this… this is something you need to handle carefully.”
I stood up and grabbed my phone, dialing Sebastian’s number. My heart raced as I listened to the line ring, but when his familiar voice came through, it instantly calmed me.
“Hey, Adeline,” he greeted, his voice warm and reassuring as always.
“Hey, can we meet?” I asked quickly, my voice betraying the nervousness I felt. “I need to talk to you.”
“Of course,” he replied without hesitation. “How about our usual spot? The Sunshine café in the pack.”
“That works. I’ll see you there.” I said.
As I hung up, I felt a wave of relief, but it was short–lived. As Sophia said, I need to handle everything carefully. I can’t let Sebastian hurt because of me. There was still so much I needed to figure out, and I wasn’t sure I had the answers.
But I owed it to him to try
**
I grabbed my coat, heading out of the office and toward the cafe where we usually hang out. The café was quieter than usual when I arrived, the soft murmur of voices blending with the gentle clatter of coffee cups. Sebastian was already seated at our usual table, his back to the window. He looked up when I walked in, and when our eyes met, he smiled–a smile that was so genuine, so full of warmth, it made my heart ache.
“Hey,” he said as he stood to greet me, leaning in to kiss my cheek. His touch was gentle, familiar, and comforting.
“Hey,” I replied, forcing a smile as I sat down across from him. For a few moments, neither of us spoke, the weight of the conversation we were about to have hanging heavily between us
“I ordered your favorite,” he said.
“Thanks,” I replied, but the knot in my stomach remained. The tension hadn’t eased, not yet. I needed to tell him everything -about the press conference, about my doubts and about what I truly wanted.
