Lilian hesitated. “Uhmmm… Kourtney, she’s not in the best frame of mind right now-”
Before she could finish her sentence, one of Sebastian’s men gently pushed past her, widening the door to make way for him to enter.
“Where is she?” Sebastian inquired impatiently.
“In my room, resting. And she doesn’t want to see or talk to you right now!” Lilian said with a frown this time.
Despite being over the moon that the great Sebastian Woods was in her house, her best friend comes first before celeb and idol worship!
Meanwhile, Sebastian and his bodyguards ignored Lilian as they walked their way up the stairs to locate the bedroom.
“Hey! This is my house! You can’t just barge in here,” Lilian felt totally displeased but couldn’t do anything to stop them.
When Sebastian got to the door, he could picture Kourtney sitting calmly inside, her fiery spirit ignited with resentment, and him standing outside like an idiot.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he knocked firmly.
The sound echoed in the stillness, and a moment later, the door swung open to reveal Kourtney, looking as radiant as ever despite all that she had been through that day.
She wore a simple tank top and shorts, her brown hair tied upward in a messy bun. Her emerald eyes were ablaze with defiance, and she stood there, arms crossed, radiating a fierce energy that made him both anxious and intrigued.
“What do you want, Mr Woods?” she asked, her tone sharp.
She already knew he would come in no time once she saw his men clustered outside Lilian’s house. But she never thought he could be shameless enough to barge in, so rudely without any respect for her best friend.
Mr Woods?
Sebastian swallowed hard, suddenly feeling like a boy in front of his crush. “Kourtney, I-”
“Save it! I don’t want to hear it. I just want you to leave,” she cut in, stepping back to close the door forcefully on him.
Sebastian blocked the door with his foot, not giving her room to lock it. But due to the force she used, he felt a sharp pain in his foot, making him wince in annoyance.
“Gosh… I have no time for this, Woman. Let’s go home,” he said coldly, forgetting the reason he was there in the first place.
Kourtney blinked back tears at the harshness of his tone.
She was right, after all.
He came here to force her to do his will, as always, not caring about her own feelings or opinions.
“Please, don’t try to force me. I don’t want to go back with you. Go away, I beg you. I want you to leave me alone,” Kourtney started crying.
She was tired.
Really tired.
This time, Kourtney could only hope he respected her decision.
“You… You don’t get to just waltz in here after what you made me go through. I need space, Mr Woods!”
Sebastian rubbed a hand over his head, exhaling sharply as if trying to control himself.
He needed to!
He didn’t want to give the woman any more reason to distance herself from him.
She was back to calling him Mr Woods again and that somehow made his blood boil. It was as if they were back to square one all over again!
“Go away, I beg you. I want you to leave me alone,” Kourtney’s tears glistened under the dim light, and he felt a deep ache in his chest.
No matter what happens here…. He knew he wasn’t going to sleep tonight!
“Please…” she whispered. “Just go, Mr Woods. I don’t want to see you.”
At this point, Sebastian couldn’t bring himself to press further. The hurt in her gaze was a stark reminder of how he had failed her.
He was a man used to getting what he wanted, but Kourtney had been the only thing that had ever given him a hard time. And for the first time in a long time, he couldn’t help but back down from getting his wish.
This time, he wouldn’t be getting what he wanted.
Her words had hit him like a hammer, and he felt powerless.
He took a step back, the distance between them suddenly feeling far and hopeless.
“Fine…. But I’ll be back for you,” he said, the words tumbling out before he could think.
It was a promise, a warning, and a plea all rolled into one.
“Well, Goodbye,” Kourtney said the words sharply with hurt and anger, then closed the door with a bang, leaving Sebastian standing in the hallway, feeling more utterly alone than he had ever felt in his life.
He sighed and then turned to walk down the stairs, his heart heavy with regret. Lilian stood at the bottom, arms crossed, ready to confront him for badging in like he owned the place, but he brushed past her.
He needed to get back to the office, back to the chaos of his company, back to something that would distract him from the turmoil brewing inside.
As he drove, the city lights blurred into streaks of color, but nothing could drown out the image of Kourtney’s tear-streaked face.
The weight of his failure as her husband pressed down on him.
Suffocating!
Once back at Woods Corporation, he poured himself a drink-as usual, a strong whiskey that burned as it slid down his throat. He hoped the alcohol would numb the pain, but it only amplified it.
After downing another glass, he pulled out his phone, his fingers trembling as he dialed his cousin, Edwin. “Get over here,” he said in his usual bossy tone. “I need you.”
“Can’t you say please? Uh, big guy?” Edwin’s voice was laced with cheer and mockery.
“Just come,” Sebastian snapped, feeling a surge of irritation.
Twenty minutes later, Edwin arrived, his brow furrowed with worry as he took in Sebastian’s state. “Seb! You’re drinking again. What happened?”