Micheal grinned on hearing her positive response. âIâm glad youâre so interested in hearing what I have to say.âKourtney was getting impatient now, âYeah, so what is it?âIn truth, she only wanted to get the conversation over with so he could leave her alone.The man smirked, reveling in the power he held over her. âTrust me. It's a perfect solution that we can both enjoy.âKourtney's instincts screamed at her to be cautious. The way Michael leaned in, his expression shifting to something more intense, made her stomach churn. She didnât want to hear whatever twisted proposal he had in mind, but a part of her was suddenly curious, almost desperate to know what could possibly come next.âWhat exactly do want?â she asked again, her voice tinged with a hint of annoyance as she silently wished he would suggest something that wouldnât make her hiss with contempt.âHmmm. So letâs be real here,â he started, his voice low and steady, almost hypnotic. âBastian is clearly not committed to you.
They both turned towards the voice. It was Edwin Woods.âWhatâs it to you? This is not of your business,â Micheal challenged.âIâll tell you what? Itâs every one of my business. Thatâs my awesome sister-in-law,â Edwin said stepping close enough to separate Kourtney from Micheal.âSheâs a grown woman. She can make her own decisions.ââRight. But stay away from her!ââYouâll never stop being Sebastianâs little sidekick, will you?ââBeing a sidekick feels much better than being the incompetent failure that you are,â Edwin scoffed.Kourtney watched as both men went head to head with scornful words flying around. She didnât ask for any of this drama. She only wanted to come here and cry, then probably inhale the fresh scent of blooming roses till she felt satisfied.What was this evening turning into?She could feel the tension crackling in the air between them, like a storm ready to break. It was hard to believe that these two men were cousins who grew up together, yet here they were, gla
Across town, Sebastian Woods sat in a sleek conference room, surrounded by his British investors. The mood was tense; the meeting had been called unexpectedly. They were supposed to arrive the next day morning, but their flight had changed, and now he had to face them early.It was annoying just sitting there for him. He hated urgent and unplanned business meetings like this, but he just couldnât keep these people waiting. He liked to treat his foreign investors well as they were important to the growth of his company. He had to be there no matter what.But, despite the urgent nature of the meeting, Sebastianâs mind was miles away.âPresident Woods?â one of the investors interrupted, waving a hand in front of him. âAre you with us?ââSorry, yes. Letâs continue,â he replied, shaking his head to clear the fog of distraction.He wanted to focus on work, but his mind kept wandering back to HER.It was funny how he kept glancing at his phone on the table, hoping for a beep, a call, or even
âFine. Then letâs talk about that person you married... it was just for formalities, wasnât it?â Scarlet probed, her eyes glinting with curiosity.At her words, Sebastian chuckled darkly. âYou think you know everything, donât you?â Scarlet's heart raced as she saw a flicker of something glinting in his eyes the moment when she mentioned that person. He was smiling now! He even laughed!âHeâHe canât possibly have feelings for her,â she thought frantically. âNo! Not after everything we had.âHer eyes narrowed as she assessed him, taking in the wedding band that glinted against his skin.It was as if something suddenly snapped inside her. Consumed by a wave of jealousy, she rushed at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pressing her body against his. She had moved so quickly before his bodyguards could move an inch to stop her. She took them all by surprise.âI need you, Bastian,â she said with desperation.Her breath was warm against his skin. She wanted to feel the heat of
Meanwhile, as Sebastian drove away, his mind raced.How could she just show up like that?He felt sick from the memories the woman stirred within him. The nights spent dreaming of what could have been, the love that had once filled his heart, now twisted into something dark and painful.God! She had turned him into a shadow of himself.Why had she returned?Was she here to stir up trouble?Sebastian was a clever man, quick to understand the intentions of others. She has to be here to cause trouble. Nothing more, nothing less.He gripped the steering wheel tightly as he navigated through the congested streets of Melbourne. The evening traffic crawled at a snail's pace, much worse than usual.Soon enough, he got to know there was a recent ghastly accident. A multi-car pileup around the scene had brought the main road to a standstill.Because of this, he was stuck in the traffic jam for hours with a throbbing headache pulsating at his temples.As Sebastian sat there, trapped in his sleek
Ever since he had heard about his First Loveâs arrival yesterday, Kourtney had barely seen or spent time with her husband. For the first time since she moved in with him, Sebastian had been absent in their bed when she got up.And even in her deep slumber, she knew she didnât feel his warm embrace or presence last night. She was more than certain he hadnât spent the night here.She could feel it in her bones!Just as she was about to lose herself in her spiraling thoughts, she opened the bedroom door and stepped out, only to be met by the sight of two of Sebastianâs bodyguards waiting just outside.âGood morning, Mrs. Woods,â one of them greeted with a polite nod.âUhmm⊠where is he?â The question slipped from her lips before she could stop it.âMr. Woods had something to do at the company, so he left first,â the other bodyguard replied, his expression unreadable.Kourtney felt her heart drop. âHe left me here again to go to the company?â she thought as anger bubbled inside her.She w
Grandpa Woodsâ commanding presence filled the room.âNot another word from any of you,â he scoffed, lifting his walking stick in the air. âYou minions should be ashamed of yourselves! Kourtney is family now, and I will not have you bullying my young granddaughter-in-law. You ought to be ashamed!âThe women fell silent, their expressions shifting from smug satisfaction to shock.Since when did Thomas Woods become such a softie?Since when did he become so protective of anyone, especially an outsider?It was as if the arrival of Kourtney to the Woods Estate had flipped a switch in him, and suddenly, he was like a mere shadow of his former self.They couldnât recognize the Old Man anymore.How did Kourtney manage to curry his favor in less than 3 days when they had known him for decades but couldn't?The way he fell enchanted with her in such a short time was still so hard to explain...No one saw it coming!Meanwhile, Kourtney's heart warmed at his defense, and she felt a small smile t
âShut up, Denise,â Grandma Florence finally snapped.The whole living room fell silent, all eyes turning to her.âMum, stop defending her!â Aunt Denise interjected, her tone accusatory. âSheâs the reason weâre in this mess! If she had just listenedâââEnough!â Grandma Florence barked again at her daughter. Her patience was wearing thin.Denise opened her mouth to argue again but was swiftly silenced by her motherâs voice booming through the room once more. âI said shut up. Kourtney is still family!âDenise was very pained.This wasnât the reaction she had been expecting from her mother after seeing the news.Why wasnât everyone in the family celebrating Kourtneyâs downfall like she was?âYouâyou canât be serious, Mum. Kourtney thought she had arrived with that sudden marriage and started treating us like nothing. This is the perfect opportunity to cut her off. Give her a taste of her own medicine!âFlorence shot her daughter a glare sharp enough to silence her. âThis is not the time f
Kourtney’s cheeks burned hot as realization dawned upon her. She knew him so well already. It wasn't hard to connect the dots.His words werea subtle reminder that what he really desired right now had nothing to do with dinner; it was her.This man!He was always in the mood.Oh, how he could twist her inside out with just one teasing phrase!“I—I’ll go take a shower!” she stammered.It was amusing how easily he could unbalance her. It didn’t take much for Sebastian to evoke these feelings in her. She didn’t even turn to look back as she hurried toward the stairs with a red face.Sebastian chuckled softly, watching with amusement as Kourtney ran up the stairs like a scared little kitten. She was always adorable when flustered,but it only fueled his craving.It made him want her even more!And right now, the more pressing concern for him was the growing hardness of his
âI know. Right? But I have learned that you need to defend yourself if you want to survive in this wicked world.ââYouâre lucky you have your husband to teach you,â Lilian said with a small smile. It was obvious Kourtney changed only after marrying Sebastian. She had to give the man his credit.âYes, I am. He always says that I have to stand up for myself. Thatâs what I did.ââI love the two of you! I'm glad you have him to teach you. Finally, youâre no longer the pushover Kourtney I used to know. And I canât believe heâs so generous giving you a card like that! Thatâs fuucking insane! Heâs so Daddddyyy.ââYes! Heâs the best,â Kourtney blushed, daydreaming about the man.âWhat should I cook for him when I get home?â She pondered to herself.Or perhaps she could give him a neck and shoulder massage!Or maybe.......Suddenly, the waiter brought their ice cream. Kourtney snapped out of her thoughts and got the vanilla while Lilian got the strawberry. They dug in and didnât speak for a w
Scarlet took a deep breath and straightened her spine, knowing she was losing this battle but unwilling to surrender gracefully.âI dare you to tell me who you are and where you got that card!âKourtney smiled, the victory sweet on her lips as she glanced around the store; everyone looked at her with so much surprise, admiration, and newfound respect, which gave her so much confidence.Turned out Sebastian knew what he was doing when he gave her this black card that day!It commanded so much authority.Today, she might have walked in as a humble shopper, but she would leave wearing a crown, and that was a win in her book.âI donât think I have to answer you. It is none of your business.â She turned her head, dismissing Scarlet with a wave of her hand.Scarletâs face boiled with rage. âYou have no idea who youâre dealing with.âRight now, she was trembling at the edge of sanity.Kourtney remained unyielding, snapping her fingers as she said mockingly. âOh, please. Are you that desperat
âShe is theââKourtney hastily placed a hand over Lilianâs big mouth, desperate to prevent the truth from emerging.âDonât, Lil,â she pleaded, her eyes wide.Scarlet watched their little display with irritation.Holding onto her self-importance, she said mockingly. âYeah! I thought as much! Sheâs a nobody. Take it off!âThe condescension dripped from her words.Kourtney felt annoyance ripple through her, but she remained composed. She was the Woods family's young mistress. She was not going to let this woman intimidate her.Deep down, she recognized Scarlet's magnificent beauty; it was undeniable.But beauty without grace?That was something Kourtney could hardly respect. She bit her lip, trying to contain herself, as her mind raced with thoughts of how she could salvage the situation without revealing her connection to Sebastian here like this.Feeling the tension rising, Kourtney decided it was time to play her hand. âSince she wants to make this into an auction, letâs see! I would
The other shoppers began to circle around them like vultures, curious about the unfolding drama. Whispers fluttered through the air like restless butterflies. Kourtney wasnât one to back down easily as well, especially not when she was already feeling so confident in her new dress. âWith all due respect, Maâam. Iâm already paying for this dress!â she said flatly, not wanting to take part in any BS.The manager, a well-dressed middle-aged lady with a no-nonsense attitude who appeared from behind the counter, nodded in support. âThat dress has already been chosen by this customer so I suggest you find something else that suits your unique taste.âJust like in typical fashion houses, there was only one of such dress available. It was custom-made for just one customer!There wasnât even a replica of it that could be given to another person. And by the way, she can't just waltz in here and demand for something that was already picked by another lady who intended to make the purchase.Who
As planned, the two friends headed out to a trendy district in Melbourne filled with the most classy high-end boutiques.âAre you ready for this?â Lilian asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement as they entered a mildly populated Dior department store.âMore than ever!â Kourtney replied, clutching the treasured black card that Sebastian had given her like a lifeline.It was the first time she would take the initiative to use the extravagant 300-million-dollar black card from her billionaire husband for shopping expenses.She remembered when he had given it to her after their first night together at Serenity Villa. She recalled how the man had behaved like such an insane amount of money was no big deal.He nonchalantly handed it over, claiming it was just a tool for her to use as she pleased. âGo on, spoil yourself,â he had said with a grin, totally unfazed by the fact that it was worth three hundred million fucking dollars.He was such a Big Casanova spender!âOkay, letâs find someth
Meanwhile, across town, Sebastian was sitting in another urgent board meeting at Woods Corporation to plan the launch of their new company branch in the UK. While everyone present was droning on about numbers and projections, his mind was elsewhere. Thatâs when his phone beeped, echoing a sound that cut through the tension and serious atmosphere in the boardroom. Sebastian hurriedly picked up his phone from the table to view the text. He hadn't expected a reply from Kourtney to come so fast.All eyes turned to him, surprised. The big boss himself was now smiling like a kid on Christmas morning.They all exchanged baffled looks. âSince when does he smile like that during these boring meetings?âTheir usually stoic and focused boss who had previously forbidden everyone, including himself, from using their phones during meetings, had his fingers dancing across the screen like an obsessed gamer who'd just received the latest gaming console.Since when did he text so much?These past fe
Kourtney's eyes dropped to the floor as she took in the criticism.There goes her confidence once more!She had spent hours agonizing over the color scheme, trying to find the perfect balance between elegance and drama. But now, it seemed like everyone had an opinion."I like the color scheme," Irina, her work Bestie, chimed in, her voice firm. "It's bold and eye-catching. Trust me, it'll make the event stand out."Kourtney smiled, grateful for Irina's support. She knew that she couldn't let the negativity get to her. Not now, when the event was just one day away.But her female colleagues just didn't know when to stop."Yeah, right! I bet she thinks she's so much better than us just because she got this project," one of them said, arousing a fresh wave of chattering.âShe better not mess this up! But it's already looking like she would. The stage is too damn high!â They kept complaining about every single thing."I heard the higher-ups are already getting cold feet about this event,"
Kourtney gasped.Her body quickly responded to the sight of him.Would she ever stop being stunned every time she sees it?The sheer size of him always took her breath away!âMmm, like what you see?â Sebastian teased, the corner of his mouth lifting in a wicked grin.Kourtney blushed, and he inched closer, the promise of what was to come looming over her like a storm.First, he captured her lips with his in a fierce, demanding kiss that left no room for argument. She immediately allowed herself to drown in the sweetness of his desire, in the raw passion that radiated off him.His lips found her neck, trailing kisses along her jawline, making her gasp at the sensations that raced through her.He pressed her against the polished surface of the desk, and with a flick of his wrist, Sebastian undid the buttons of her pajamas, pushing it open to reveal her lacy bra beneath. She shuddered as the cool air danced over her bare skin.His lust-filled gaze roamed over her body like he'd never see