My Stone-Hearted Billionaire Husband

Sebastian’s voice turned cold and ruthless. “If you refuse to come to me, I’ll have no other choice but to purchase your workplace and then have you fired. Then you won’t have to worry about your precious job anymore. How about that for a twist?”

Kourtney’s eyes widened in shock, realizing the depth of his threat. The line went silent for an instant, the weight of his words hanging in the air.

“You… you won’t do that?”

“Watch me!” Sebastian sneered coldly before turning to his assistant, who stood by the side with a funny expression on his face.

“Jamie? How much does that ‘Skyline Events’ cost? I would gladly burn down the whole building afterward since I have no use for it.”

“You…” Kourtney was stunned into silence, grappling with the realization that he was willing to go to such extreme lengths to exert control over her. He was being such a heartless and unreasonable jerk yet again.

“Tick-tock. You have thirty minutes to get here! Thirty!!!” Sebastian snorted coldly before hanging up.

And the next thing Kourtney knew, she was strengthening her office suit in the lady’s bathroom, touching up her face, and preparing to meet her so-called husband. She knew damn well from the first encounter she had with him that man never makes jokes or empty threats.

She did not want to lose her job, especially now, after landing such a massive event planning project for the Silverstone Gala. Her dreams were finally shaping up, and she wasn’t about to let anyone jeopardize that. As she walked out of the bathroom, she bumped into someone heading inside.

Their collision was jolting, the force almost knocking Kourtney off her feet. Stumbling back, she barely supported herself by holding the walls.

Her gaze locked onto a female face with a sneer that formed on the lips and eyes glinting with hostility. Only then did she know it was an intentional attempt to bully her. Of course, she wasn’t surprised after learning who the person was.

“Well, well. Look who it is. I’ve been meaning to ask you, Kourtney. So tell me, which one of our company’s execs did you sleep with to be assigned the Silverstone project too easily?” Debbie Howard asked her with a menacing tone.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Kourtney looked straight at Debbie and replied, “I earned the Silverstone project through hard work and dedication, something that might be foreign to you.”

“Oh please, spare me the act. We all know how you operate. Always use your looks to get ahead. But trust me, it’s just a matter of time before you’ll be exposed for being a cheap slut.”

As the mocking words spilled from Debbie’s mouth, Kourtney fought to maintain her composure, reminding herself that stooping to Debbie’s level wouldn’t serve her well.

She knew Debbie’s hatred for her brewed from jealousy and insecurity. They both joined Skyline Events as interns at the same time two years ago. Yet she was the one who was more successful and well-respected among their colleagues, always being praised by the higher-ups.

Debbie was one of those who openly opposed her at the company, spreading rumors about her and making snide remarks during meetings. She even tried to take credit for Kourtney’s ideas a few times but failed.

Taking a deep breath, Kourtney replied with a forced smile, “Debbie, your imagination is truly something. But you know what they say about assuming, right? Unlike you, I rely on my skills and capabilities. You should try working hard sometimes.”

Debbie’s face reddened with anger. “You…”

“What?? Did I lie? I won’t engage in your petty games. And I suggest you focus on your own work and career rather than trying to bring others down with baseless accusations.”

Debbie’s eyes narrowed, and a cruel smile spread across her face. “Oh, I’m focusing on my career and making efforts, alright? And part of that involves exposing frauds like you.”

“Oh well, speaking of efforts, Kourtney,” Debbie continued, her voice louder now, drawing the attention of a few passing colleagues. “It’s a shame that even after all your efforts, your precious fiance dumped you for your little sister. But, of course, are we surprised? No! Because you deserve it for being such a bitch.”

Kourtney’s face flushed with anger and hurt as the weight of Debbie’s words hit her. Her eyes narrowed, and she swallowed a mouthful of saliva after being reminded of that one topic she was trying to forget. The humiliation of her breakup has been a painful experience, and Debbie’s cruel and belittling words were ripping open old wounds.

The news had been everywhere for the past few days because Brandon and Kathlyn had been shamelessly parading the whole city, and they’d also held an engagement party. It was inevitable that her co-workers would also find out.

Swallowing hard, Kourtney forced a bitter smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. One could see she was struggling not to break down at this point.

Debbie’s face contorted into a wicked smirk. After getting the reaction she wanted, she decided to press on. She took a step closer, her tone was dripping with condescension.

“You know, Kourtney, I can’t help but feel sorry for you. Aren’t you ashamed? The love of your life is soon to become your brother-in-law. I would hide in a rabbit hole forever if I were you.”

Kourtney’s nails dug into her palms. It was a desperate attempt to keep her temper in check as she felt the urge to slap Debbie. She glanced around, noticing the stares of her colleagues who had gathered, unintentionally forming an audience for this confrontation.

Taking a deep, Kourtney tried to steady herself despite the turmoil within her. She had to remind herself that having an altercation would lead to her suspension or even expulsion from the company something Debbie was probably hoping for.

As she was about to retort, Kourtney’s phone buzzed with the sound of a new text. Glancing at the screen, she saw three ‘ticking clock emoji,’ and quickly realized what it meant.

‘This man! He’s so petty.’

But somehow, his little text almost made her burst out laughing, forgetting Debbie’s hurtful words and taunts in a blink. With an almost superhuman effort, Kourtney managed to unclench her fists and take a step back.

“Debbie, you must be quite the psychic, assuming you know everything about my private life. But I’ve got places to be and actual work to do. I have no interest in your personal vendettas so kindly refrain from your attempts to provoke me. It’s not going to work.”

With that, Kourtney turned and started walking away. But Debbie wasn’t done yet.

“You think you’re so clever, don’t you? But everyone will see through your facade eventually. One day, I’ll expose you for being a cheap slut who uses her body to get all the big projects.”

Kourtney continued walking, refusing to let the words get to her, leaving Debbie seething behind her. She had worked hard to get to where she was, and she wasn’t about to let someone like that undermine her accomplishments.

As she headed back to the cafeteria, her heart raced with the realization that time was ticking. She needed to reach her husband’s location within the next 30 minutes, or her job would be on the line. She caught sight of Liam still sitting at their dinner table and ran up to him.

“Liam. I’m going out. So I need you to help me get permission from Miss Brianna. Tell her something really important came up.”

Liam looked up at her, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. “Kourt, where are you going all of a sudden? Is everything okay?”

“It’s a personal matter, Liam. I promise I’ll explain everything later, but right now, I need your help with Miss Brianna.”

Liam’s brow furrowed slightly, a hint of frustration crossing his features. He had been working up the courage to ask Kourtney to officially be his girlfriend. But now, it seemed like something had come up to disrupt the moment. He couldn’t deny the sting of disappointment he felt.

“Wait, Kourt. Earlier, I heard you saying the word ‘Husband’ on the call. I… I thought your wedding was canceled?”

Kourtney’s heart sank as Liam’s words hung in the air, and a lump formed in her throat. She felt sorry and didn’t know how she was supposed to explain to him that she ended up marrying someone else in a flash.

“Oh yeah. It was. But Uhmm… Look, Liam, I really gat to go now. I’ll explain everything later, I promise.” Kourtney said before walking away in hurried steps.

“Hmmm.” Liam sat glued to his seat for a while as he watched Kourtney’s back leaving the premises. There was a kind of darkness lurking in his eyes. One that he couldn’t quite shake off.

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease as he replayed Kourtney’s words in his mind. He had been under the impression that Kourtney’s engagement had been called off. It had given him a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, he could finally have her. But now, everything seemed uncertain.

He let out a frustrating sigh and leaned back in his chair, his fingers absently tapping on the table.

“Well?” Irina finally came back from her hiding place and asked Liam. “Were you able to tell her about your feelings?”

“I did. But… she suddenly had to leave without giving me a clear answer.”

“Oh… I see.” Irina replied with a touch of sympathy in her voice, her gaze shifting between Liam’s downcast expression and Kourtney’s retreating figure.

There was an intense look in her eyes, and a hint of something else flickered across her face.