My Stone-Hearted Billionaire Husband

　　"281001," Kourtney Allen typed in the password of her fiancé's luxury penthouse excitedly.

　　It was an automated door, and her birthdate was the code to unlock it.

　　Having returned two days earlier from a business trip, she couldn't wait to see the surprised look on Brandon's face when he saw her.

　　They would be getting married in three weeks!

　　She daydreamed about the joyous wedding and the loving words they would exchange at the altar.

　　However, her happy footsteps came to a standstill when she heard faint sounds from the bedroom. A sinking feeling instantly settled in the pit of her stomach.

　　It was the voice of a man and a woman in the heat of passion.

　　She pushed the door with a bang, revealing a scene that shattered her heart into a million pieces.

　　Tangled in the sheets on the king-size bed were Brandon and her younger sister, Kathlyn Allen. Shock thundered through Kourtney's entire being, rendering her frozen and paralyzed for a moment.

　　"Why?" she finally managed to croak. "Brandon, how could you?"

　　Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

　　Her no-good fiancé, Brandon Smith, sat up on the bed, his face displaying a mix of guilt and indifference after being caught in the act.

　　He had already been planning to break off the shitty engagement with Kourtney for a while now, but he was too chickenhearted to bring up the discussion.

　　Perhaps her finding out like this was for the better!

　　"Kourtney, you've been extremely unexciting lately. As dull as a corpse! I'm sick and tired of you. So, it's best if we break up."

　　His cruel words struck Kourtney like a dagger to her heart, and her eyes widened in complete disbelief. 

　　"How... How could you say that to me? After everything we've been through? You're the one who proposed to me. You promised me a future together, and I trusted you."

　　"I'm sorry, Kourtney. I should never have proposed to you in the first place. Kathlyn is the one I truly love, not you."

　　Kourtney's hand instinctively clutched at her chest as if trying to calm the physical ache and emotional torture she was experiencing. The betrayal felt even more painful for her as it came from someone she considered family.

　　Her very own flesh and blood...

　　"My... my own sister?" Her voice cracked.

　　Kathlyn shrugged.

　　She had been silently watching their exchange with keen interest while wearing a cruel, triumphant smirk.

　　"Oh, come on, Kourt, it's not my fault Brandon loves me. He finally realized just how boring you are. You were never good enough for him to begin with. I've always been the one he desired." Her voice dripped with satisfaction, delighting in the pain she had caused.

　　Kourtney's expression turned into rage and disgust now. It was not the first time Kathlyn had done something like this to her, so she wasn't in any way surprised.

　　Flashbacks of their high school years flooded her mind.

　　Was there ever a time when Kathlyn never tried to take what was hers?

　　To think the wedding invitation cards had already been sent out to friends and well-wishers.

　　Even her gorgeous wedding gown has already been custom-made and sent over by her favorite designer.

　　Her dream wedding dress, which she wouldn't be able to wear anymore.....

　　"You know, Sis, he was eager to taste what he was missing all these years. And let me tell you, he found it with me," Kathlyn grinned wickedly, taking pleasure in her sister's agony.

　　Kourtney swallowed.

　　She managed to ignore Kathlyn's wounding insults and turned her attention back to the man she had once thought was her soulmate.

　　But now, he was a total stranger!

　　"Brandon, you've shown me your true colors as a despicable person, and I'm calling off our wedding. Enjoy!"

　　Without sparing another glance at either of them, she turned away and shot the bedroom door behind her with a bang. Hot tears streamed down her face as she walked down the staircase.

　　Her legs felt weak, but she pushed forward, determined to get away from this nightmare.

　　"Mom... Dad?" Kourtney called out desperately the moment she entered their family mansion.

　　It was a miracle that she was able to drive back home safely amidst the excess tears blurring her vision.

　　She was breaking apart and needed her parents' love and support now more than ever. She couldn't wait to tell them what Kathlyn had done so they would realize just how evil she was. She hoped they would take her side and comfort her lovingly.

　　After what seemed like forever, her mother, Margaret Allen, emerged from the living room. Luke Allen, her father, followed closely behind, holding his favorite Forbes Magazine, his expression stern and grave.

　　"Kourtney? What's wrong, Sweetheart?" Margaret asked, her voice filled with worry.

　　"Mommy... Dad, I... I caught Brandon and Kathlyn. I caught them in bed together with my own eyes! They were having an affair behind my back..."

　　She expected shock, disbelief, or even outrage from her parents, but what she saw on their faces was something entirely different.

　　Margaret's expression displayed a complex mix of sadness and guilt, while Luke's stern gaze remained unwavering as if he just heard something normal. There was no shock or surprised look on their faces as she expected, only a knowing look that left Kourtney confused.

　　She soon realized the painful truth: 'They already knew!!!'

　　"You... You knew?"

　　Neither one of them replied, but the look on their faces gave the answer away. The revelation struck Kourtney like a bolt of lightning.

　　Numerous questions popped into her head while her entire body shook and trembled. How could they have known about the betrayal and not said anything?

　　Was it possible that her parents had been supporting Kathlyn, their favorite daughter, to go after her man all along?

　　The betrayal extended beyond Brandon and Kathlyn; it involved her parents too!

　　"How... How long have you two known?"

　　"Calm down, Honey! They started seeing each other about five months ago. We didn't want to believe it either but, we had to face the truth. We're so sorry, Kourtney," her mother, Margaret, replied casually.

　　Kourtney's eyes widened in shock as she screamed. "Five months?"

　　It was around the same time she and Brandon started making preparations for their dream wedding that was supposed to happen in three weeks. 

　　'No wonder he was always too busy to give me time and attention these days. I was such a fool,' Kourtney thought bitterly.

　　"Why... How could you keep something like that from me? From your own daughter?"

　　"We wanted to protect you, darling. We thought it would be better for you to find out when you were ready," Margaret explained softly.

　　 "Ready? How could I ever be ready for this?"

　　"Kourtney, we never condoned what Kathlyn and Brandon did, but there's something else you need to know. Kathlyn is pregnant for him too," her father finally broke his silence.

　　"Pre... Pregnant?" Kourtney's voice quivered in fright.

　　She felt as if the ground beneath her had crumbled.

　　"Wait... So you... You both support this? You're both taking Kathlyn's side?"

　　Margaret sighed. "Kourtney dear! As parents, we have to support Kathlyn and consider the well-being of the innocent life growing inside her."

　　 "........"

　　Kourtney felt like she just heard the funniest joke ever. And she finally lost her last thread of control.

　　"Are you fucking kidding me? Why would you take Kathlyn's side? She stole the man I loved!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, gnashing her teeth in fury.

　　"It's a complicated situation, and we believe it's best if you let them be. The already-planned wedding will go on. But Kathlyn will take your place at the altar."

　　"What??"

　　"Yes, she will be a better wife for Brandon than you, my dear. She would help us get the full support of the Smiths, something you've not been able to achieve despite dating him for three years," Her father, Luke's tone was laced with annoyance and disappointment as he spoke.

　　There wasn't a single ounce of sympathy for her.

　　Kourtney's mouth fell as she grasped the harsh reality of her father's words.

　　"So you... You sent her to seduce my fiancé because you feel she'd do a better job at fulfilling your selfish interest?"

　　Margaret leaned forward, trying to hug Kourtney in her arms as she sensed her daughter reaching her breaking point.

　　"Don't fucking touch me... You all disgust me." Kourtney angrily avoided her mother's touch, shoving her away and sending her stumbling straight to the ground.

　　Slap!

　　"You insolent girl! How dare you push your own mother?" Luke shouted.

　　She stood there holding her left cheek in pain. She was stunned and heartbroken, but her father's slap totally killed her already shattered spirit.

　　"No honey, stop hitting her. It isn't Kourtney's fault. We could have told her much earlier," Margaret said while standing up, holding her husband to calm down.

　　"Get out!!! We don't want to see you right now," Luke thundered furiously.

　　Kourtney's heart ached with resentment as she ran out of the huge villa.

　　The support she had desperately hoped for from her parents wasn't forthcoming.

　　She has always been like a wallpaper while Kathlyn was always loved by others, especially their parents, who took her side in everything.

　　But somehow, she was hopeful things would be different this time. Instead, she experienced the worst kind of rejection.

　　Did they believe that she deserved to suffer?

　　After staggering to the driveway, she got into her car again and started driving aimlessly around Melbourne. 

　　She was distracted and lost in her emotions when a car suddenly approached from the opposite direction, honking its horn loudly. Startled, she tried to veer out of the way, but it was too late.

　　"Ahhhhh!" Kourtney cried out as her entire body jerked forward with full force.

　　The two vehicles collided head-on, causing a jolting impact and screeching tires.

　　"Get down and check the damage, Martins." Sebastian Woods commanded his chauffeur while he straightened his slightly rumbled Armani suit.

　　His baritone voice was icy and cold, as usual.

　　"Yes, Boss," the short man in his early fifties who almost peed in his pants rushed out of the car in a panic.

　　Just now, he nearly met a fatal end, but his wicked boss didn't seem to care.

　　Sebastian's special assistant,  Jamie, also excused himself and followed the driver to inspect the damage caused by the accident. His two tall and sturdy bodyguards scurried out as well while Sebastian was left alone in the backseat. 

　　He was fuming at the moment, and no one wanted to face his wrath.

　　His extremely handsome face was like a 'masterpiece' even as it twisted with anger.

　　"I bought this car less than a week ago for six million dollars, and now this?" he snorted.

　　Yes! He was "The Sebastian Woods," the billionaire CEO of the renowned Woods Corporation. Not to mention, he was the eldest young master of The Woods family; the most powerful and influential clan in all of Melbourne.

　　He was the heir to a vast empire worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

　　However, losing money, no matter how 'little' was one of the things he hated the most.

　　He was already having a bad day, and just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, his car suddenly encountered a brake failure on his way back from work.

　　Sebastian's life flashed before his eyes as he braced himself for the impact that seemed inevitable, just like the one he experienced before.

　　Seven years ago, right before he took the business world by storm, he was in a car accident. He got severe trauma from it, an illness that made him 'less of a man.'

　　Just as it seemed that another catastrophic accident was looming, his skilled and experienced chauffeur managed to maneuver the failing car into a minor head-on collision with another vehicle on the one-way street.

　　Shaken but relieved to be alive, Sebastian looked at the road ahead with furrowed brows and bloodshot eyes. Just then, his deep blue eyes caught sight of something.

　　Not actually something, someone!

　　It was a person, a lady, and she was talking to his driver. His cold and sharp eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the woman.

　　He immediately assumed that she was the driver of the other vehicle involved in the collision. His initial intention was to stay put in the safety of his car and let his people handle the situation.

　　However, as he observed how her long brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, he felt an unfamiliar fluttering sensation in his chest.

　　His eyes darkened in an instant.

　　A curious pull, a strange sensation, urged him to step out of his vehicle and approach the scene. 

　　He strolled powerfully in long strides, both hands tucked in his pockets as he positioned himself behind the lady, maintaining a safe distance yet close enough to catch their conversation. She did not notice his arrival as she stood in front of the chauffeur with her back to him.

　　He cleared his throat abruptly and spoke up, directing his words at her.

　　"Excuse me, I own the car. This man is my driver, so what's the matter?"

　　When the woman turned to face him, his breath immediately caught in his throat. Her striking emerald green eyes met his deep blue set, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.