My Stone-Hearted Billionaire Husband

After Sebastian left, Kourtney sneaked back to her office in a gloomy state. It was so difficult for her to witness her whole life being turned upside down in a flash. Being married to an arrogant and control freak like Sebastian Woods would surely drive her crazy in no time.

‘I’m going to lose my mind real soon,’ she thought bitterly.

The man was such a menace, and his ego was the height of Mount Everest.

“Kourt…Kourt. Hold up.” Kourtney turned around to see Liam approaching her.

Memories of their last encounter flooded her. As she recalled how Liam had practically confessed to having feelings for her, she started feeling a little uncomfortable.

“Oh… Hi, Liam… What’s up?” she tried to keep calm, but she could not deny the sheer awkwardness in the air.

Liam went straight to the point. “Why does it feel like you’ve been avoiding me? I haven’t seen you around all day.”

“Oh, me? It’s… it’s not like that, Liam. I mean… Why on earth would I avoid you? I’ve just been so busy all day, you know, making sure everything is being put in place for the upcoming Silverstone Gala. Things have been really hectic lately, and I’ve had to prioritize other things,” Kourtney replied sincerely.

In truth, she hadn’t purposely been avoiding him, although she was a bit uncomfortable.

Liam studied her face for a moment, seemingly searching for the truth in her words. He sighed and nodded, understanding evident in his eyes.

“I get it, Kourt. Life can be overwhelming sometimes,” he replied, his voice gentle. “But I want you to know that I’m here for you, no matter what. If you ever need someone to talk to or a shoulder to lean on, I’m just a phone call away.”

Kourtney’s heart warmed at Liam’s offer of support. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, and it reminded her that there were still good people in her life, people who cared about her well-being.

“Thank you, Liam,” she whispered, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“So hmm…,” Liam cleared his throat. “About what we were discussing the other day… you know… you didn’t give me a clear answer before leaving. I was hoping we could, I don’t know, maybe sit down and talk it out where we left off…”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Kourtney’s chest tightened. As Liam looked at her with hopeful eyes and a sweet smile, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

He was a very kind, charismatic, and handsome fellow. Kourtney also knew that the majority of females at Skyline Events were crushing on him. In another world, under different circumstances, she might have given him a chance, especially after her shitty engagement with Brandon Smith ended.

But with her sudden flash marriage to Sebastian Woods of all people, everything had become complicated and messy. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she also didn’t want to drag him into her chaotic life.

“Look Liam… I’m kinda in a very delicate and uh hmm…complicated situation right now with my love life and…” She paused, searching for the right words to convey her feelings without hurting him.

“I appreciate your feelings, Liam. I really do, and I value our friendship. But I have to be honest with you. It’s been a whirlwind of emotions and complications in my life. I can’t tell you much about it right now because, honestly, I’m still figuring things out. So, unfortunately, I can’t say Yes to you. I hope you understand.”

She watched as disappointment flickered across Liam’s face, his smile faltering for a moment before he quickly regained composure. He tried to mask his pain, but Kourtney could see the hurt in his eyes.

“I understand, Kourt,” he replied, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness. “It’s just… hard to hear. I won’t deny that it stings tho, ’cause I’ve always liked you, and I don’t think I can ever not like you.”

Kourtney smiled and then reached out to touch Liam’s arm in a gesture of comfort. “You’re an amazing person, Liam, and I don’t want to lose our friendship because of this.”

Liam gave her a crooked grin, still wanting to mask the pain and disappointment he was feeling at the moment.

His mind wandered back to the very first day he saw Kourtney, remembering how her radiant smile had captivated him from the moment their eyes met. Her laughter had echoed in his ears, and he knew then that he wanted her to become a part of his life. He fell in love with her, deeply and irrevocably, from that very first sight.

But fate had a way of playing tricks on him. As he got to know Kourtney better, he learned that she was already in a committed relationship. He had to push his feelings aside and settle for friendship, even though his heart yearned for more. He watched from the sidelines as she built a life with someone else, silently supporting her through her ups and downs.

And even now, when he thought he stood a chance at something more, he still couldn’t have her. Maybe, at least for now… but he’d wait, no matter how long it takes for her to reciprocate his feelings.

“Sure. I appreciate your honesty, Kourt,” he said, mustering a smile that barely reached his eyes.

********

Kourtney sat at the back of the White Chrysler 300c super stretch Limousine that reeked of royal luxury, peaking out the window every few minutes, counting the seconds until they arrived closer to the Allen family villa. True to Sebastian’s words, the Limo as well as his chauffeur and several bodyguards were right at the parking lot waiting to pick her up after work.

She literally snuck inside, hoping she wouldn’t be spotted by any of her colleagues. However, that was obviously an impossible feat as the parking lot was already up and bustling by the time she got out. And the presence of the Limo already drew the attention of everyone who were shell-shocked to see it sitting pretty in the company, hoping to see who it came to pick up.

“Wait…isn’t that Kourtney?” Apparently, one of her colleagues had indeed spotted her.

“Impossible! How is a Limo coming to pick her up from work? Did she discover a gold mine?” Debbie Howard asked in a menacing tone as usual.

“Well… I’m pretty sure that was Kourtney. She covered her face with some paperwork but I can tell that was her,” another female insisted, making Debbie scorn with spite.

“Well, she’s really doing everything for attention, isn’t she? To think she just got dumped by her Fiance yet doing everything to prove she isn’t affected,” Debbie said aloud, inviting the attention of others as they gathered to discuss Kourtney.

“And did you guys see the ring she wore today? Seriously it looked so expensive. Who the hell is sponsoring her new lifestyle?”

“It’s so unlike her to jump onto the bandwagon of ladies who involve themselves with rich sugar daddies just to live large. Who knows? Maybe that was the reason the Smith young master left her. She doesn’t deserve him. And I thought she was well-trained from a good family.”

“Well…well…well. It seems you’re all just starting to see her for what she really is. I mean how else did you think she was able to get the Silverstone project that easily,” Debbie continued to pour fuel into the fire.

This was her chance to turn the others against Kourtney, and she wasn’t going to slack.

Meanwhile, Kourtney remained troubled throughout the journey home. She knew she’d have a lot of explaining to do at her workplace the next day because someone would definitely have spotted her despite her efforts to conceal her face and identity before alighting into the Limo.

“Please tell the chauffeur to pack me somewhere before approaching my house,” Kourtney stressed nervously.

Her parents, Margaret and Luke Allen would probably be home right now and she wouldn’t know how to explain.

“I’m very sorry Mrs Woods, but Mr Woods insisted that we drive you straight into your home,” one of the bodyguards replied to her as politely as he could.

Kourtney bit her lips in panic. ‘He’s doing it on purpose.’

The man has probably guessed right about her failure to tell her family about their marriage. And to think they made a deal where she would have to move in with him in less than two days, yet she was still keeping them in the dark. Matter-of-factly, dragging things for too long seemed to be weighing her down even more.

Just then, they arrived at her family’s estate. The Limo was driven into the compound and packed just a few feet away from the pavement with a loud horn as if to purposely announce its presence.

Kourtney winced. “Oh… I’m screwed.”