Chapter 78: A Pride-Piercing Betrayal
Woods Corporation. The CEO’s office exuded an aura of power and luxury, with sleek modern furniture and expansive windows offering a breathtaking view of the Melbourne city skyline.
Sebastian Woods sat leisurely in the mahogany desk, glancing through the daily business newspapers. He was lost in the world of numbers and reports, his mind focused on the latest financial news while his piercing gaze drifted lazily over the bold headlines, scanning the words with a sharp focus.
He barely registered the presence of anyone else in his office until a familiar “annoying” voice broke through his concentration.
“Hey! HEY! I’m still here, remember?”
The voice belonged to none other than Edwin Woods, Sebastian’s cousin and most trusted confidant, a man he tasked with his most delicate affairs. Matter of fact, Edwin was the one who always helped him to do his most dirty business – the most recent one being taking down the Allen family Corporation.
Among the entire Woods family, Edwin was probably the only one who Sebastian shared a stable relationship with. He could be seen as Sebastian’s closest friend and ally as they practically grew up together and were about the same age. They both shared a unique bond forged through years of trust and collaboration on various clandestine endeavors.
But while Sebastian was cold, ruthless, detached, and unfeeling in nature, Edwin was the polar opposite. He is funny, playful, friendly, and so full of life – probably the reason why they both seemed to get along even though his favorite hobby was annoying and bugging the hell out of Sebastian, the exact same thing he was doing now.
He was the yin to Sebastian’s yang, bringing a lighthearted charm, amusement, and vibrancy that often clashed with Sebastian’s stoic demeanor and otherwise serious world.
Their dynamic was a blend of camaraderie and exasperation, with Edwin always managing to push Sebastian’s buttons in the most infuriating yet endearing ways.
The target of his taunts, Sebastian, finally tore his gaze away from the newspaper, his expression aloof and his tone dripping with arrogance. “So?”
“F*ck! You’re such an ass!” Edwin shot back, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
He was always unfazed by Sebastian’s cold manners as he was already used to it and never minded one bit.
If the bloody-minded Sebastian could be rude and impolite to everyone including their Almighty Grandfather, then who was he….
Their Grandfather, Eliot Woods, was a force to be reckoned with, a patriarch whose mere presence commanded respect and fear in equal measure. His iron will and unwavering authority had shaped the Woods family into the powerhouse it is today, with Sebastian poised to inherit it all yet he could treat the man like dust.
Recalling Sebastian’s heated phone conversation with Grandpa Woods an hour ago, Edwin couldn’t help but sigh.
He was pretty sure the Old Man had angrily smashed his phone after Sebastian had hung up on him. It was a bad habit of his, and he could smash up to three phones daily. Others would consider that a waste but to the Woods’ family, it was nothing.
“So tell me, Seb. What’s gotten into you? Destroying the Allen Corporation, then restoring it back, and then angering Grandfather by gifting them the “San Bora” all under 24 hours? What was that about? I thought you never knew the meaning of mercy,” Edwin needled, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
That indeed had never happened before. His cousin never showed mercy. Not once! Not ever!
He had always been known for his ruthless and unforgiving nature in business and other endeavors.
Meanwhile, Sebastian’s jaw clenched slightly at the mention of his recent actions, a rare flicker of emotion crossing his eyes. “Mind your own business, Ed,” he replied sharply with a hint of irritation in his tone.
“Nahhh. I just really need to know. Why the sudden change of heart, Seb? Planning on going soft now that you’re a married man? Did your wife give you an enchanting antidote?” Edwin teased.
At the mention of his marriage, Sebastian’s thoughts momentarily drifted to Kourtney’s radiant smile and her emerald eyes that lit up his world like a supernova.
“Don’t talk about her like that!” he warned, his voice icy and cold.
Unbothered by Sebastian’s hard and boring response, Edwin hummed in silence and then kept scrolling through gossip forums on the internet.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
Suddenly, a particularly intriguing post caught his attention. His eyes widened and he let out a low whistle of disbelief.
“Wait, this looks like… sister-in-law,” he exclaimed, holding up his phone to show Sebastian.
Sebastian’s eyes darkened in an instant, a dangerous glint flashing in his gaze as he quickly took the cell phone from Edwin.
He swallowed hard while he kept looking at the pictures over and over again to make sure it was the same woman who had woken up beside him in bed that same morning.
And that gorgeous work outfit…. There was no doubt that this woman was Her!
“What the hell is this?” he growled.
He was struggling to contain the storm of emotions swirling within him as he looked at the damning photo of his wife in the arms of another man, their intimacy captured in a moment frozen in time.
Her betrayal was laid bare before his eyes and the mere thought of it made his blood boil with a fiery rage.
“Looks like my dear sister-in-law has some explaining to do, Seb. Trouble in paradise?” Edwin quipped, unable to resist pushing Sebastian’s buttons even at a delicate time like this.
“You dare…” Sebastian’s voice was low, a dangerous edge cutting through the air as he struggled to find the right words to articulate the betrayal and hurt coursing through his veins.
Edwin backed away with a mix of concern and amusement, knowing full well the tempest that raged whenever Sebastian was angered to a stupor.
‘Oh, oh… we’re cooked!’ he thought, scratching the back of his head.
Sebastian was already red with fury now and it looked like he would murder someone any moment from now.
“Go find out who he is!” He commanded Edwin, his voice laced with venom.
He needed to know more about this man who dared to touch what was His… The man who made Kourtney betray him in such a despicable way.
Edwin chuckled, a hint of mischief in his eyes as he replied, “No need. That’s her ex and currently her sister’s fiance, Brandon Smith!”
His words hit Sebastian like a sharp dagger to the heart, intensifying the flames of fury burning within him and his eyes grew even darker.
Brandon Smith, a mere “rat” in his eyes, unworthy of even being in the same room as his lowly servants, let alone, Him. The betrayal cut deep, piercing through his pride and igniting a wrath unlike anything he had ever experienced before. ********* Once again, the entire gossip world was abuzz with the scandalous news of the Allen family. Firstly, their corporation went down to shambles and then it was miraculously revived just that morning. And now, the two Allen daughters were caught in a mess over a Man!
This time, the drama seemed to have gone to a more personal level.
Someone had anonymously made a chaotic post online that revealed intimate pictures of Allen’s first young mistress entangled on a couch and getting all smoochy in a compromising position with her Ex, who happens to be marrying the second Allen young mistress in a few days.
Everything was so messy!
There was a lot of debate going on among the netizens who happened to be divided.
While the majority of them were throwing major shade at the first Allen’s young mistress, Kourtney, for being a slut who seduced her sister’s fiance, others were in her support, saying that the second Allen’s young mistress, Kathlyn, was getting her Karma for stealing her elder sister’s man in the first place.
The drama unfolded like a real-life soap opera, captivating the audience. It seemed to escalate online with each passing moment, drawing in more spectators eager for the next juicy revelation.
Meanwhile, Kourtney who was at the epicenter of the storm, the one who it affected the most, was still unaware of what was going on. She was busy, alone in a secluded conference room area at Skyline events, racking her brain off and planning the forthcoming Silverstone Gala.
After Brandon’s surprise visit, Kourtney went to the private area of the company to work as she didn’t want to see anyone, and neither did she want to hear the gossip about their encounter from her nosy colleagues.
She had put her phone on airplane mode, not wanting to be disturbed by anyone while she planned the details. After all, she had early discovered that she worked better in solitude.
But now… right now… she had no idea of the chaos happening online……