Chapter 52: A Gut-Wrenching Twist
Sebastian glanced down at Kourtney, his expression softening slightly and his anger slowly subsiding. Her gentle touch to his back just now made him feel some kind of electricity, and he felt a sweet tug in his heartstrings.
He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I understand how you feel, my dear. But these people need to learn their lesson. They can’t treat you like this.”
Kourtney nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude. “Thank you for standing up for me. I don’t want to be here anymore. So can we just… go?”
Sebastian turned back to the crowd, his gaze sweeping over them with disdain and disappointment. As usual, he saw himself as the biggest personality among them, and everyone else was just beneath him.
“You heard my wife. We’re leaving. But before we go, I have one more thing to address.”
“I want to greet my father-in-law,” Sebastian declared, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Let him step forward and face me!”
Everyone shifted uncomfortably on their feet, unsure of what was about to happen next. Sebastian’s anger was real and it sent a wave of nervousness through the room. Once again, he looked really angry, as if he was about to eat someone alive.
Hearing that he was being summoned, Luke hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting around nervously before he reluctantly made his way towards the middle of the living room. His face was pale, and his hands trembled with fear, his head hanging low.
Sebastian’s piercing gaze bore into Luke, making him feel smaller with each passing second.
“So, you were around when they were locking up my wife?” Sebastian sneered at him, clearly unimpressed by his new father-in-law, his voice dripping with venom. “I’ve heard so many vile things about you, but I never thought they’d be true. You’ve done a fine job as a father, haven’t you?”
“……. You’re just a pathetic man who can’t even keep his own family whole. My wife deserves better than some weak and feeble-minded father like you.”
Luke’s face turned red with shame, and he looked down at the ground, unable to meet Sebastian’s intense gaze.
He felt a surge of anger for receiving such insulting words. He had never been insulted so harshly or belittled like this by anyone in his entire life. To think that members of the Smith family were also present this was sure to cause severe loss to his dignity.
Luke was a man with a high ego and pride, but he knew better than to try and stand up to Sebastian. He could only stand there, swearing under his breath. He dare not act all high and mighty in the presence of this fearful man.
The way Sebastian spoke and berated their entire family earlier already made him feel sick to his stomach. And now, the same thing was being done to him. In front of this many eyes and ears, he was being humiliated.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.
What even bothered Luke the most was that He had always been an ambitious man who dreamed of having a wealthy and powerful son-in-law like Sebastian Woods. However, he had settled for less with Brandon Smith, who couldn’t even hold a candle to Sebastian.
But now that it seemed like his distant dream had become a reality, he wasn’t so sure he wanted it anymore. Things weren’t looking good as their whole family had already given Sebastian a bad impression, from the onset.
And most of all, he had always known that Sebastian was an arrogant and conceited man but, he had never expected him to be so… domineering. Right now, he dare not speak or reply to this ruthless man!
Meanwhile, Sebastian turned back to Grandma Florence, a cold, hard look in his eyes.
“Grandma, I ask for your permission to take my wife to our home aboard.”
“Yes, yes, of course… Oof Of… Of… Course. Why not?” Grandma Florence couldn’t stop stuttering. “We give you our permission.”
Sebastian shrugged. “I’ll take my wife home now, but I will not forget this incident. This whole family owes my wife a proper apology for the mistreatment. I’ll deal with this some other time.”
Kourtney looked up at Sebastian’s handsome face with puppy love eyes, her heart filled with gratitude and admiration for the man who had defended her so fiercely. She couldn’t believe how fortunate she was to have found someone like Sebastian.
She finally had someone who had her back after so long. Being his wife surely wasn’t so bad at all. And now, she was really starting to feel the perks of being Mrs Woods. She was grateful for having him by her side. And it seems like she found comfort and support in her husband.
Sebastian sensed Kourtney’s gaze and pulled her closer, his embrace filled with warmth. He leaned down, his voice low and teasing. “Like what you see?”
Kourtney blushed, her cheeks turning a shade of pink. The man still found time to tease her, even with the tension in the room.
Seeing her flushed expression, Sebastian’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. “Good. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a married life to start.”
With that, he took Kourtney’s hand and led her towards the exit. His bodyguards trailed behind, carrying Kourtney’s already packed luggage, which they had retrieved from her bedroom.
As soon as they were gone, the whole of Allen’s mansion erupted in a state of chaos.
“What have we done?” Matilda whispered as she looked around nervously.
Kourtney’s mother, Margaret’s mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find the right words. Finally, she managed to speak. “Oh dear… Kourtney, have been telling the truth all along???” she exclaimed.
She had underestimated her daughter and doubted her claims like the others, and now she was faced with the shocking reality.
Kourtney’s Aunt Denise sat in stunned silence which was so unlike her. Her face was filled with mortification and shame.
“What are we gonna do? Sebastian Woods is a man who never let bygones be bygones. He’d surely try to get back at our family…” Matilda spoke up again, her voice trembling.
Margaret’s eyes widened in horror. “Do you think he’ll try to ruin us even now he’s married to Kourtney?”
“That man is unpredictable. We have to come up with something plausible, or else we’ll be in even more trouble,” Grandma Florence, who had remained still in one position, chimed in. She looked around groggily like a drunkard, weak and dazed!
Brandon and Kathlyn, in particular, seemed humbled the most by the turn of events. They hadn’t said a single word and stood like mannequins.
The luncheon that was supposed to be a celebration of their upcoming wedding turned into something of their biggest nightmare!
Kathlyn’s jaw remained dropped to the floor, her mind struggling to process the revelation. The idea that Kourtney had married the renowned billionaire CEO, someone she herself had admired and desired from afar, was beyond her wildest imagination.
“How… how did you manage to marry him?” Kathlyn muttered to herself, her voice betraying a mixture of awe and envy.
Kourtney never even went along to those fancy high-class parties she attended every other weekend with their parents. So where and how could she have met the Almighty Sebastian Woods?
Kathlyn’s mind raced with confusion and frustration. She couldn’t fathom how the sister, whom she had always seen as the inferior one, had managed to attract and marry a man like that. It seemed like the universe was playing a cruel joke on her, and the reality of her so-called sister’s success was becoming too much to bear.
The truth hit Kathlyn like a ton of bricks as she had spent so much of her life trying to outdo Kourtney and win competitions that didn’t even exist.
She had always believed that her worth was tied to her ability to win men over. But not only had Kourtney moved on from Brandon, but she had done so with a man who was far more successful and accomplished. It was a stark contrast to the narrative Kathlyn had created in her mind.
Kourtney’s sudden marriage to Sebastian Woods has completely shattered the illusions of her own superiority. She had believed that Brandon was her prize possession and that Kourtney could never find happiness again. Now, she realized how wrong she had been.
And now she was confronted with the reality that Kourtney might have surpassed her in every aspect of life.
Unable to bear the humiliation any longer, Kathlyn turned on her heel and stormed away to her bedroom. She was seething with jealousy, envy, and resentment.
As if to make her feel worse, no one seemed to notice her absence or gave a fuck about her leaving the gathering. They were all so consumed by their own thoughts and the heated discussions about Kourtney and Sebastian.
Kathlyn knew Kourtney would surely become the center of attention in their family now and everyone would never stop talking about her. The thought made her feel crazy with jealousy!
It was a gut-wrenching twist that she couldn’t have predicted even in her most audacious fantasies…