Sebastian's Obsession

Chapter 1

I annoyingly chuck the wine glass towards the door while frantically running my hands over my hair. Tears welled up in my eyes as the paper I was clutching crumbled under my fingers. I was reviewing the financial report of the business, and the results were really disappointing. It has been doing great in the past months, but now we have lost a big percentage of sales.

I had managed the business for the previous six years with the help of my aunt, but now that she has passed it on to me, I have failed it. Our jewelry business is on the brink of going bankrupt, and I'm at a loss on what to do.

"Miss Liondale, Mister Montenegro is waiting for you at the meeting board," my secretary stated when she noticed me cooling down.

I look at the report card again and note the surname of the person who wants to meet with me. My brows furrowed when I realized he owned the majority shares of the company, effectively making him the CEO.

When did this happen? Whose stock did he purchase in order to acquire such a significant stake in the company? Out of fury, I hurled the paper into the air. Someone seems to be working behind my back. I walked out of my office with clenched teeth heading towards the officials' board meeting room. While Cana, my secretary, trailed silently behind me.

"You're fifteen minutes late, Miss Liondale," the man said as soon as I walked into the room. I rolled my eyes in irritation, not wanting to be lectured.

"Shut up! You should be grateful that I came here out of courtesy."

I sat down in my chair before looking at the man. For a brief moment, I was taken aback by his seductive blue eyes, as if ladies would beg him to take them with just one glance. I cringed at the concept as my brows furrowed at my odd thoughts.

"What do you need?" I inquired, after clearing my throat.

"I presume you've already seen the report," he began.

"I'm now the CEO of this firm," he paused, a naughty smile appeared on his lips, "by now, you should know your position; I want you gone by tomorrow, so pack your belongings," he added straightforwardly without stuttering a word. My blood boils at how arrogant he now sounds. I felt like punching him in the face, but that would be so unprofessional. Winter Liondale punching Sebastian Montenegro may sound so cool, but if such an occurrence spreads out, I'll be at a great disadvantage.

"In case you forgot, I'm still the Chairman of the Board, and you need to get rid of me before you take the company," I said. I have all of the necessary paperwork and documents to show my ownership. Besides, he needed to get the Board of Directors' approval before he could finally get rid of me.

However, the f*****g Montenegro merely gave me a mocking laugh, making me even more irritated. How dare he treat this as a mere joke? Do I look like a fcking clown?

"I see," he said as he approached my side.

"Your aunt doesn't appear to have notified you that she sold this company to me and I acquired it. So, baby girl, I have the documents which indicate that I already own this company...and you should be aware of what I'm capable of. The Board of Directors' vote to remove you from your position wouldn't even be a hard thing to do," the jackass said, putting a folder in front of me while turning the pages until he came to the signing section and stopped.

"I even have your signature," he shrugged.

I intently stared at my signature to see if he had it duplicated, but no, it was really mine. But how? I do not remember signing it. Did Aunt really betray me? I immediately picked up my phone and dialed my Aunt's number but it was already unattended. I tried to call her again but she's still unreachable. Is this the reason why she hasn't shown up for the last two weeks?

"My Aunt sold this to you but I didn't. I didn't even receive a single penny from it and I didn't sign that. No, you can't do this." I shook my head, denying what was being stated in the documents. My parents put forth a lot of effort for L Jewelry to succeed, so I can't just throw it away. Since they left me, this is the only connection I've had with them. I'm not going to let it fall into the wrong hands. I'm going to fight for it.

"There are two things you can do to get the company back," Mr. Montenegro remarked before licking his luscious lips. I was distracted for a split second before recalling my current plight.

"What?" I inquired, puzzled. I fell into Aunt's trickery, and now I'm paying the price. I never expected a family member would betray me in this way. Aunt Natasha has been with me for the past six years, gently teaching me how to navigate the business world. But why did she bite me in the neck and make me a fool?

"Be my wife or be my slave, you choose," he said calmly, as if I didn't have a choice. Alas, no! I would never marry someone I didn't love. I hold forth my belief that marriage is a sacred rite and should not be treated as a mere joke. Besides, I can't be a slave either. I was accustomed to the comforts of luxury and couldn't imagine working for anybody else.

"I've made up my mind," I said, pursing my lips into a seductive grin as I stared at Montenegro.

I looked at his name on the document once more as I tried to suppress my anger. Sebastian Ephraim Montenegro. I whisper as my fingertips trail down on his name.

The world-renowned and ever ruthless billionaire in Canais was in front of me. I have already seen him in various newspapers and on the news. He's well-known for a reason: he dominates the business world, and even business tycoons fear him. But no, I won't give in just because he's more powerful than me.

"I'm sure you'll go with the first one. Right, Miss Liondale?" he inquired, a proud smile on his face. I shook my head, expressing my dissatisfaction with his statements.

"No, Mister Montenegro, you're mistaken," I said with a mocking smirk.

"So you want to be my slave?" he queried, his frigid look falling on my hazel eyes.

"No, I'm going to fight you in court," I stated. If he believed I was a simple target, he was mistaken. I would not give in that easily, especially not the company my parents built for years.

I don't care if this will cost me my whole savings, but I won't give up L Jewelry. Montenegro looked at me with displeasure and dissatisfaction with my choice.

"Are you sure you want to fight with me? I've given you plenty of options, and this company isn't doing well in the business world, so why fight for something that isn't worth fighting for?"

My palm landed on his face for an instant, and my loud slap echoed throughout the room. Who is he to demand what I should fight and what I should not? He speaks as if he knows everything when he doesn't. Foolish. I glared at him before turning my back to the door. I don't have time to talk nonsense with him anymore, nor do I have time to fight with him.

"What are you going to do now, Miss Liondale?" Cana asked after we reached my office. I took a deep breath and stared out the window of my office at the panorama. The city was bustling as usual, and the streets were packed with commuters. I stroke the cross pendant on my necklace, which mum gave me for my 12th birthday.

"I don't know Cana," I said, "but I am certain that I will fight Montenegro." I took the bottle of wine from the shelf and poured it into my glass. I looked at the door and saw the empty shards of shattered glass that had been strewn there earlier. I guess the janitor cleaned it a while ago.

"What if you just accept Mister Montenegro's marriage proposal?" she suggested, which I politely rejected.

I'm well aware of how volatile and perilous the world of the huge tycoon is. I'm happy in my own world, so why should I venture into the depths of hell when I'm already in heaven? I shouldn't have been concerned about this if Aunt hadn't sold the company.

I took a sip of my wine as I browsed through my phone. I looked for Aunt throughout all of her social media platforms, but she was nowhere to be found. I went to my savings app and discovered that I only had a hundred million dollars there. What will happen to me if I don't win the lawsuit against Montenegro? Ah! The more I think about it, the more my head hurts. This situation is really driving me crazy.

"Miss Liondale, what will happen to me if you lose the company?" Cana worriedly questioned as she poured wine into my glass. Cana, like me, is an orphan, and she is responsible for her younger siblings' needs, such as food and daily expenses, because two of her siblings are already in college.

"Cana, stop being so pessimistic," I murmured. Even though I know I have a 5% chance of beating Montenegro, I still wanted to wager. This is a do or die. I'm risking not only my savings but my employee's as well. Aunt, you better hide well because I'm going to hunt you down.