“Mrs. Woods,” one of them said, his voice deep but respectful. “The young master asked us to keep you safe, and you should be resting.”
Kourtney bit her lip, feigning a look of distress. “Oh, please! I need to see a nurse right now. It’s very urgent, and it’s… ladies’ stuff,” she lied, the words rolling off her tongue with practiced ease.
The two bulky bodyguards exchanged glances, their expressions conflicted. For a moment, she held her breath, praying that her scheme would work. “Fine,” one of them finally said, stepping aside. “But we’ll accompany you.”
“No!” she exclaimed, forcing the panic into her voice. “I’m fine. I just need a moment. Like I said, it’s Ladies’ stuff. You can wait here, okay?”
The bodyguards hesitated, but eventually nodded, allowing her to slip through the door into the hospital corridor. Kourtney felt a surge of adrenaline as she walked briskly away from them, her heart racing with the thrill of her escape. Every step felt like a victory. She felt like a fugitive escaping from prison.
Soon, the exit was in sight, and she could almost taste her freedom.
Just as she was about to reach the door, she spotted a familiar figure walking inside-Sebastian’s friend, Dr Ryan.
Her stomach dropped.
Quickly. she ducked behind a nurse, praying he wouldn’t see her.
As he walked past her, she seized her chance and slipped through the exit doors, the crisp air hitting her like a wave of independence.
She was free!
Once outside, she hurried to the nearest taxi stand, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She approached one and practically dived inside… her pulse racing.
The driver looked at her expectantly. “Where to, Ma’am?”
“Lilian’s place,” Kourtney said with a steady voice, despite the chaos swirling inside her.
The driver blinked at her, confusion flickering across his face.
“Lilian’s place?” he asked, raising an eyebrow and scratching his beard.
“Uh, yeah! I mean…um, 23 Flinders Lane, please,” Kourtney quickly corrected herself.
“Sorry, I just… it’s been a long day.” She laughed lightly, trying to deflect the awkwardness. “Just drive, please.”
The driver nodded and pulled away from the curb.
Kourtney pressed her forehead against the cool glass, watching the hospital fade into the distance.
As they drove through the streets of Melbourne, she watched the buildings blur by, her thoughts racing.
Lilian would know what to do.
She always knew what to do!
She would help her navigate this torturous mess.
As they approached her best friend’s apartment, Kourtney felt a surge of relief. But the moment the taxi came to a stop, her heart dropped…..
*********
At the Smith Villa, the atmosphere was tense. Brandon was lounging on the terrace, a drink in hand, looking relaxed as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
His parents were inside, worried sick about the photos that had been trending all over the internet. They had always warned Brandon to stay clear of trouble or anything that would get their family name into the mud.
But now, he had unleashed such chaos.
“Brandon, you should really think about what you’re doing. Why still getting involved with that Kourtney girl,” his mother called out from inside. “You have no idea what kind of trouble you’re inviting. Your wedding to the other Allen young mistress is just a few days away. Goodness!”
“Relax, Mom. Besides, it’s not my fault those pictures were posted online,” Brandon said, a smirk on his face.
In fact, he loved the outcome. At this point, he no longer cared.
But just then, a sound broke through the night-a revving engine, followed by the screech of tires as different cars pulled up to the villa.
Brandon’s smirk faded slightly as he caught sight of the imposing figures stepping out of the vehicles.
“What the hell?” he muttered, setting his drink down.
Before he could say “Jack Robinson”, four men rushed up to him, their expressions cold-blooded and inhuman.
“Brandon Smith, Sebastian Woods wants to see you. Now!”
“What? You can’t just barge in here and-”
But before Brandon could finish his sentence, they grabbed him by the arms, dragging him toward the SUV.
“Hey! Get your hands off me!” he shouted, struggling against their grip. Panic surged through him as he realized they weren’t kidding.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” one of the men warned, tightening his grip as they tossed Brandon into the backseat like an unruly child.
Brandon’s parents and the rest of the Smith family looked on, dazed and speechless!
They stood frozen inside the villa, their mouths agape, as if the words had been knocked out of them.
Sebastian Woods?
The name alone sent shivers down their spines.
The man was not just any billionaire; he was a force of nature-dark, brooding, and utterly terrifying.
The Smiths have been trying to get on his good side for years without any progress.
How could they even start to go against him now?
Most of them had been present when Sebastian had come for Kourtney at the Allen villa the other day. They saw everything first-hand. She was HIS wife now, but the stupid Brandon still had the guts to make trouble.
Brandon’s father, Robert Smith, finally found his voice, but it was barely more than a whisper. “You… you can’t just take away my son like this. Brandon!”
But the words fell flat, like a rock tossed into a bottomless pit. The look of desperation on Robert’s face only deepened as he realized that standing up to a man like Sebastian Woods was like trying to stand in the path of a freight train.
“Do something!” Brandon’s mother, Bridget Smith, shrieked, her hands shaking as she clutched her pearls, but Robert was just as powerless as she was.
When Brandon realized his family couldn’t save him, he panicked even more.
“You’re making a mistake!” He shouted as they slammed the door shut. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”
But the men ignored his protests, climbing into the front seats and starting the engines. The vehicles roared back to life, and they sped off, leaving the Smith Villa behind.