Chapter 65: “Take Down The Allen Corporation”
Kourtney’s eyes widened in a mixture of guilt and shame as she tried to turn away, hiding the evidence of her pain.
“It’s… it’s nothing, just a little accident,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Sebastian’s heart clenched at her obvious distress, a surge of protectiveness and worry flooding through him. To think he was rushing home to see the pretty face of his wife, not knowing it had already been messed up and bruised.
The raw agony etched on her features hit him like a punch to the gut. Even her swollen eyes meant she had been crying for long, and the sight pierced through his heart like a knife, seeing his vibrant wife reduced to a shell of herself.
Her cheeks were inflamed and discolored – a stark contrast to her usual radiance.
“Who did it?” he rasped.
“Uh??
“I said, who did it?”
“Uhmmm…. It’s no one. No one did it, okay? I… I said it was an accident!” Kourtney stammered a lie through her teeth.
She had assumed the man would be back home late and probably wouldn’t see her face till the next morning, when the swell could have been less noticeable, but how wrong she was.
“Kourtney, please tell me what happened. Let me help you,” Sebastian urged, his tone gentle yet firm. This time, he held her face to look up at him.
Tears welled up in Kourtney’s eyes as she finally met his gaze, the weight of her suffering evident in her every feature. “I… I can’t,” she choked out, her voice breaking.
Sebastian felt a rush of frustration at her reluctance to confide in him, but he held his tongue, knowing that pushing her now would only drive her further away.
His jaw clenched in anger as he turned on his heel and stormed out of their bedroom.
As the door slammed shut behind him, Kourtney’s hand reached out involuntarily, her voice catching in her throat, wanting to call him back, to stop him from leaving, but the words refused to form.
She opened her mouth to speak again and again, but the words seemed to stick in her throat.
Yes, she was hurt, but she felt even more miserable about not being able to open up to her husband about the abuse from her father, leaving her feeling even more isolated and alone.
She felt a deep ache in her chest, a sense of sadness washing over her as she realized how she wasn’t even able to trust the man she married wholeheartedly with her bitter secrets.
Meanwhile, in his study room, Sebastian poured himself a generous amount of whisky, the amber liquid burning a trail down his throat, attempting to numb the turmoil raging inside him.
The image of Kourtney’s bruised face kept haunting him like a ghost and, at the same time, making fun of him like a clown!
With a shaky hand, he reached for his phone and dialed the number of one of his most trusted subordinates, the one in charge of the team he had assigned to keep an eye on Kourtney without her knowledge.
“Get over here, now,” he barked into the phone before hanging up abruptly.
Minutes later, the door to his study swung open, and his subordinate entered, a laptop in hand. Without a word, the subordinate placed it in front of him, the screen displaying footage from the restaurant where Luke had raised his hand against Kourtney.
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tight with fury as he watched the scene unfold. The rage that simmered within him threatened to boil over, his fists clenching involuntarily.
His grip on the glass of whiskey tightened until it shattered in his hand, slivers of glass cutting into his palm, but he barely flinched.
“Boss, you’re bleeding,” his subordinate exclaimed.
Sebastian glanced down at his hand. The shards of the broken glass were digging into his skin, blood welling up from the cuts.
The subordinate rushed forward with a first aid kit, but Sebastian waved him off, his gaze steely as he pushed himself up from his chair.
“Get me an ice pack,” he ordered, his voice low and dangerous.
When Sebastian reentered the room, his expression was unreadable, and Kourtney braced herself for his anger, but instead, he knelt in front of her, his hands gentle as he reached for her face.
“Let me help you, Kourtney. Please,” he implored, his eyes searching hers for a glimmer of trust.
Kourtney felt her resolve crumble at the sincerity in her husband’s voice and the concern in his eyes. She turned her tear-stained face towards him, giving him full access.
Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that the usually stubborn woman easily complied with him this time.
He quickly started applying the soothing ice pack to her swollen cheek. His touch was tender, his movements careful, and his focus solely on her well-being.
Kourtney couldn’t help but feel a rush of conflicting emotions. Her gaze met Sebastian’s, and in that instant, she saw something in him that she had never witnessed before.
She never thought the man she married abruptly could be this sweet, caring, and affectionate. It was as if a mask had been lifted, revealing the man beneath the stone-hearted billionaire facade.
And then, the heavy smell of blood filled her nostrils.
“You… you’re bleeding!!!” Kourtney exclaimed, noticing the fresh blood on his hand.
She reached for it, silently offering to help him with his injured hand.
Sebastian simply smiled, his eyes never leaving hers, dismissing her worry with a wave of his hand. “It’s nothing. This will heal quickly.”
“But…”
“Let’s focus on getting yours treated first,” Sebastian spoke softly, but there was an underlying stroke of command in his gaze.
Kourtney had no choice but to allow him to do his thing. She has always hated the smell of blood and couldn’t stand it, but this time, she didn’t feel so affected or nauseous. As the cold sensation seeped into her skin, she could only feel relaxed under his gentle touch.
But after he finished tending to her, Kourtney noticed the lingering pain in Sebastian’s eyes. She couldn’t bear to see him in pain, especially not when he had been so caring towards her.
Without a second thought, she reached for the first aid kit on the table, and then, she began to clean and bandage his wound. Thankfully, Sebastian did not stop her this time.
Instead, he looked at her in surprise, gratitude shining in his eyes. “You don’t have to do this,”
“I want to,” she replied softly, her focus solely on his hand as she worked to dress it.
Sebastian had allowed Kourtney to tend to his wounds – something that was so unlike him because he never let anyone see his pain, let alone, touch it.
Well… that was a FIRST!
As they sat across each other, taking care of each other’s wounds, a silent understanding passed between them, bridging the gap, a bond forming in their shared vulnerability.
Later, as the servants brought dinner, Sebastian made sure to feed Kourtney despite her shyness, his actions tender and loving. It brought back memories of the time they spent at the hospital, where Kourtney had fed him reluctantly. But this time, he fed her instead with eagerness and enthusiasm.
Kourtney, on the other hand, couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt for not confiding in him about who had hurt her, especially when he looked at her with such a mix of concern and anger.
After the meal, Sebastian made sure Kourtney took a relaxing bath, the warm water soothing her aching muscles. When she emerged, he was there, ready to tuck her into bed. His touch was firm yet gentle, but his expression was still clouded with anger.
His cold eyes looked sharper and darker than she’d known. More than ever, she wanted to speak up but couldn’t seem to form the right words. Right now, he looked so unapproachable even when he was taking care of her.
Finally, as he pulled the covers up to her chin, Kourtney hesitated before speaking. “Hubby,” she cooed innocently.
Sebastian’s eyes softened, his anger momentarily replaced by a sweet tugging in his heartstrings as she called him that name he so loved to hear.
“What is it?” he replied, hopeful of what she was about to say.
“I…. I”
“What?”
“I…. just wanted to say thank you,” she muttered softly.
Sebastian hummed as he tried to hide his disappointment.
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m your husband,” he replied, his voice laced with emotion.
If only she would just… trust him more……
After ensuring she was comfortable enough, Sebastian left the room, his steps heavy with unresolved fury.
Back in his study, unable to contain his anger anymore, he reached for his phone and dialed a familiar number.
It was his cousin, Edwin Woods, a man he trusted with his most delicate matters. Matter of fact, Edwin was always the one who helped him to do his most dirty business.
“Take down Allen Corporation,” he instructed, then ended the call without caring if the other person on the line heard his command, or not.Têxt © NôvelDrama.Org.
His tone was cold and unforgiving!
Sebastian had always known that the act of forgiveness was a waste of time. He had been such a fool to pardon the Allens after the previous mistreatment episode on the day he picked up Kourtney. And now, her father even dared to hit her in public.
He wasn’t the type to give others “second chances.” But he had gone against his principles, and this time, they proved him to be more than right about being an unforgiving and intolerant man.
At this point, he couldn’t even be bothered if those miscreants were his in-laws. He had let them off the hook before, but it turned out to be a mistake.
They deserved whatever was coming!