"Don't touch me." Stella Dawson frowned and slapped Emily Dawson's hand away.

Olivia Hayes sensed the rising tension and quickly tried to defuse the situation. "Stella, we're all classmates here. Can't we just calm down and talk this through?"

"Talk about what? The fact that she's a fraud with zero shame?" Megan Lindley scoffed, rolling her eyes dramatically, her voice rising sharply.

"When she was still playing the Dawson heiress, she acted like she owned this dorm. Now that she's nothing, what's she still putting on airs for? It's disgusting!"

"People like her should just vanish. What goes around comes around!"

Her sharply painted nail was practically jabbing into Stella's face.

Stella's expression hardened, her smile vanishing completely. She despised anyone pointing at her like that.

"Get that disgusting finger out of my face," she said coolly. "Final warning."

Back in her competitive days, if anyone had dared do this, she wouldn't have hesitated to throw a punch.

But Megan clearly didn't get the hint. She kept waving that finger and actually poked Stella's forehead. "Who are you calling disgusting? You lowlife-I'm pointing at you. What are you going to do about it?"

Staring at Megan's smug face, Stella's eyes darkened. In one fluid motion, she seized Megan's hand.

Caught off balance, Megan stumbled forward. Stella let out a cold laugh and brutally bent Megan's finger backward-a sickening crack echoed in the room.

"Ahhh!" Megan screamed as if being tortured.

Stella released her grip. Megan collapsed to the floor, clutching her hand, writhing and sobbing in pain.

"My hand! It hurts so much!"

"Someone call a doctor! I need to go to the hospital!"

Tears streamed down Megan's pale, pain-contorted face.

Emily stood frozen, clutching her sleeves in panic, her eyes wide with shock. "Stella, how could you do this to your roommate? This is going too far! You need to apologize to her right now!"

Stella just shot her a mocking sidelong glance and smirked without uttering a word.

"You're too violent! You can't just break someone's finger like that-do you have any idea how much that hurts?" Emily continued, her voice trembling.

Samantha Tate quietly remained in her corner, silent, but discreetly recorded the entire scene with her phone.

Stella stood with her arms crossed, unmoved, her face cold. "What? You want to be next?"

Emily's words caught in her throat. Her face flushed, and she averted her eyes, thoroughly rattled.

She knew she couldn't win an argument with Stella. She was terrified of ending up like Megan.

Soon, the dorm supervisor and the campus nurse rushed in and took Megan to the infirmary.

Olivia and Emily went with them, while Stella and Samantha were summoned to the principal's office.

Frowning deeply, the principal pressed Samantha for details.

Stella slouched on the office couch, barely paying attention, focused on her phone.

"Well, this is unfortunate. Looks like I'm getting a disciplinary mark on my record."

The group chat exploded immediately.

"Wait, what? Stella, it's only the first day."

"What happened?"

"I hit someone," Stella Dawson typed back, perfectly calm.

A few seconds of silence passed before a reply came. "How bad is it? I mean, come on, rich kids at City U get into fights all the time..."

"I broke my roommate's finger. Probably a step above the usual scuffle."

More silence followed. Stella scratched her nose.

"Is it that serious? I can call the principal and ask him to go easy on you."

"It's fine. The demerit will get expunged eventually anyway. Maybe I can earn some goodwill points," Stella typed quickly. "Or you could send me one of those 'Model Student' commendation banners?"

"Stella Dawson!" the principal barked her name.

Startled, she fumbled and dropped her phone on her leg, then looked up nervously.

"How do you intend to explain your actions?"

"By getting a banner?" The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Seeing the principal's face twist in confusion and anger, she quickly composed herself.

"Wait, no, I mean..." she shook her head. "No explanation, really. Megan Lindley's fingers were just too fragile. I barely used any force..."

"Do you feel no remorse at all?"

"Not a shred. Should I?" she retorted, raising her brows. "She cursed me out first. Told me to drop dead. Said I deserved whatever bad luck came my way. Would it have been better if I'd just cursed back and wished she'd get hit by a truck?"

"So yeah, sorry I ran out of patience. Guess I have a low tolerance for that kind of garbage."

Her blunt, icy tone left the principal speechless-and clearly made him give up on extracting an apology.

In the end, Stella received a formal demerit, and the incident was publicized across the entire campus.

The official notice about the fight spread like wildfire.

City University had barely started the semester and already had a major incident. The principal was making an example of her.

A pure scare tactic.

From that day on, everyone on campus knew the name Stella Dawson.

The arts department had officially produced an infamous "violent maniac" who broke her roommate's finger. The gossip was relentless.

But Stella didn't lose a minute of sleep over it.

She'd been through far worse-this was nothing in comparison.

Heartless, vicious, even unhinged-she'd been called all those things before.

Being labeled a violent bully? Child's play.

Since her second year of specialized training under her mentor, her temper had grown progressively shorter.

She simply refused to be wronged.

Later that evening, after leaving the study hall and returning to the dorm, only Olivia Hayes bothered to acknowledge her.

"Hey... you're back, Stella," Olivia said, her tone noticeably cooler than before.

Stella gave a brief nod, her expression unreadable.

She never cared for social cliques. She never had many friends to begin with. Even when someone got close, the connection usually faded quickly.

Situations like Olivia's barely registered on her radar.

The dorm was eerily quiet. Just before lights out, her phone buzzed several times.

It was a call from Mr. Sterling.

Stella glanced down and answered, already moving toward the balcony for privacy.

But the ringtone clearly irritated Samantha, who was lying in bed and rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "Seriously? Do you ever consider the time before taking a call? Are you trying to wake the dead?"

Ever since Stella's status as the Dawson heiress was exposed as a fraud, Samantha's arrogance had reached new heights-she spoke to Stella as if she were a servant in her own household.

But honestly, Stella couldn't care less what Samantha was posturing about. She stepped onto the balcony and closed the door behind her.

"Grandpa Sterling, why are you calling so late?"

"You blocked my number, child. How could I possibly sleep soundly knowing that?"

"My previous phone had some issues... I haven't had the chance to send you the new number yet."

"Hmph. What about that girl shouting just now-was she giving you trouble?"

Mr. Sterling, a military man in his youth, didn't have the best temper-especially when it came to protecting those he considered family.

He hadn't missed Samantha's little outburst.

Stella chuckled softly. "It's nothing I can't handle. Please don't worry about it."

"You must tell me next time! It might be late, but I'm wide awake and ready to stand up for you. A brat with no manners like that... Tell me who her parents are, and I'll have a word with them."

A wave of warmth spread through Stella's chest.

Mr. Sterling always had her back.

"Grandpa, it's really fine. You have to have a little faith in me."

"You're too soft-hearted, that's your problem. People think they can walk all over you."

He grumbled on, and Stella listened quietly, playing the part of the dutiful granddaughter.

Still, a flicker of doubt crossed her mind-would he still see her as the victim if he knew about the school's punishment?

They chatted a while longer, mostly him asking about her day, what she'd eaten for dinner. eventually steering the conversation toward Alexander, which he broached indirectly. Before she could deflect, he quickly changed the subject and insisted she come to the home that weekend.

"You both must be there. Do this for me, alright?"

With that, he hung up.

Stella stared at her phone, her lips twitching into a helpless smile. She hadn't even gotten a chance to refuse.

Right on cue, another call came in.

This time it was Kevin, ready to brief her on the latest company updates.

...

At Sterling Group.

Alexander finally set down his documents. It was pitch black outside.

He wasn't going home-just planned to crash in the company's lounge for the night.

Recalling the day's events, he pulled out his phone and tried Stella's number again.

No surprise-still blocked.

With a sigh, he hung up and dialed Jack instead.

"Mr. Sterling," Jack answered, sounding short of breath and heavy with exhaustion.

He'd been pulling overtime with Alexander and now sounded on the verge of collapse.

"I need you to get me ten new phones. Each with a different number," Alexander said coldly. "Don't use yours-she's already blocked that one."

Jack was stunned into silence for a moment before asking, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Just go! Now!" he snapped, his patience clearly gone.

Alexander Sterling set his phone down and began redialing Stella Dawson's number.

The monotonous failed-call tone echoed repeatedly in his office.

Half an hour passed. No matter which phone he used, her number remained unreachable.

Jack Holden stood quietly to the side, watching the calm fury building on Alexander's face. Any lingering drowsiness vanished from his mind.

Had Miss Dawson finally driven the boss completely insane?

Another thirty minutes slipped by, still without success. Not a single ring from her end.

Alexander cracked his wrist, determination unwavering as he continued his attempts.

As his assistant, Jack felt compelled to intervene. "Mr. Sterling, perhaps you should rest for a while. I can take over the calls."

"Fine. Keep trying. Notify me immediately if you get through."

Alexander didn't waste words. He stood and walked straight into the adjacent break room.

Jack stood there, stunned. A moment later, he let out a defeated sigh.

The middle of the night, and the boss actually went to rest. Left me here on redial duty.

Not even a "thank you" or a polite refusal.

Muttering under his breath, Jack sat down and began the tedious task of spamming the redial button.

Meanwhile, Alexander sat in the break room, wide awake.

He wasn't known for his patience. Quite the opposite-he was notoriously stubborn, especially when something got under his skin.

Even if he told himself Stella wasn't worth the effort, the inability to reach her tonight was pushing him toward madness.

If another half hour passes with no answer, I'm going to City University myself.

He needed to know exactly what-or who-was so important that she'd ignore his calls all night.

Maybe he'd catch her red-handed with whatever man she deemed worthy of ditching him for.

Half an hour later.

Still no luck. Jack was nearly face-planting on the desk from exhaustion.

Then-BANG! A loud noise jolted him awake.

He jumped up, eyes wide. "Mr. Sterling?!"

"Get the car. We're going to City U." The man's mood was pitch black.

He tossed a set of car keys toward Jack, grabbed a random phone, and stormed out of the office.

Watching the boss leave without even his coat, Jack sighed in resignation and shuffled after him with the keys.

'Maybe it's finally time to update my resume?

Seriously. Being a CEO's assistant wasn't just exhausting-it felt downright hazardous to one's health.'

The drive from Sterling Corp to City University wasn't short.

But traffic was minimal at that hour. Jack sped the entire way, racing toward the university gates.

Just then, Stella finally picked up.

"Hello? Who is this?" Her voice was soft, laced with sleep.

There was a lazy, tired drawl to her words.

"Stella..." Alexander practically growled through gritted teeth.

But before he could even finish her name, she hung up.

He hit redial. This time, the phone was off.

Then her text came through: "Persistent old fool. Get lost."

Alexander let out a low, bitter laugh.

Clutching the phone tightly, he chuckled darkly, the sound dripping with sarcasm and pent-up rage.

Even someone as typically detached and aloof as him completely lost his composure, firing off a string of furious messages to Stella.

"Stella Dawson, the divorce papers aren't finalized. You are still Mrs. Sterling."

"Grandpa expects us at the estate this weekend. He wants to see you, so you will comport yourself appropriately. If you make this easy, perhaps I'll allow you and your entourage to walk away unscathed. Otherwise, forget about receiving the divorce certificate."

"If I don't have your confirmation by tomorrow, I will personally shred the divorce agreement."

He dropped the phone, his face thunderous.

Jack Holden sat quietly in the driver's seat, not daring to breathe too loudly as he watched Alexander's grim reflection in the rearview mirror.

Finally, Jack clenched his jaw and ventured carefully, "Mr. Sterling, Miss Dawson is likely in her dormitory now..."

"If we attempt to enter the campus dormitories at this hour... wouldn't that cause a significant disturbance?"

What if someone called the campus police? That would be an absolute disaster.

As if on cue, a university security guard began approaching their vehicle.

The guard narrowed his eyes at the two men sitting in the car. "What's your business here, loitering like this?"

"I'm going to need to see some identification."

He'd seen his share of suspicious characters lurking around campus at night-usually up to no good.

Jack shot a nervous glance at Alexander. "Uh... you see-"

Was the boss really about to be escorted away like a common creep?

"Back to the office," Alexander said coldly.

Jack released a relieved breath, quickly explaining their situation to the guard before stepping on the accelerator and speeding away without a backward glance.

On the return journey, Jack lowered his voice and asked, "Mr. Sterling, if Miss Dawson calls again inquiring about the divorce certificate."

He didn't dare cross Stella-the way she'd spoken last time sent chills down his spine. She seemed capable of anything.

Alexander frowned, tapping his phone screen. "You are relieved of that duty."

"If she calls again, instruct her to come and make her request to me directly at the office."

Jack nodded rapidly, though internally he was grumbling.

His boss had truly lost his grip. Couldn't he see Stella's indifference was genuine?

She obviously never had any real feelings for him to begin with.

-

The next day.

Alexander waited the entire day, but still no word from Stella.

The phone number he'd used last night wasn't his primary one, so he'd had Jack procure a similar SIM card.

Still nothing.

-

The professor on stage droned on, delivering a monotonous PowerPoint lecture potent enough to sedate anyone.

Lucas Campbell was slouched at his desk, halfway to dreamland, his mind conjuring a certain captivating figure.

That face... stunning even beneath a plain hoodie and a pulled-down cap. Those endlessly long legs.

Stella Dawson-utterly occupying his thoughts.

"Lucas Campbell," the professor called out, her lips curved in a polite smile, but her tone as icy as a deep freeze.

No one dared make a sound. One of Lucas's friends elbowed him sharply.

Lucas jerked awake, blinking blearily to find every student in the lecture hall staring at him.

"Stella Dawson..." he mumbled, still half in his dream.

The room descended into dead silence-followed by scattered snickers.

The professor's smile vanished. She pointed to the door. "Get out."

"I just said her name and dozed off a little, what's the issue?" Lucas grumbled as he slouched out.

One of his buddies struggled not to laugh. "Bro, you've got it bad for Stella Dawson, huh?"

"Absolutely," Lucas admitted without hesitation. "She's fire. Who wouldn't be into that?"

He ambled out of the room, hands linked behind his head, looking utterly unbothered.

Classes weren't really his forte anyway, especially today's lineup-Advanced Mathematics and Corporate Finance? Hard pass. He couldn't stand that stuff. The Campbell family owned numerous companies, but he had zero interest in the inheritance.

What he truly desired? To be a legendary mercenary, dominating all challengers.

Just like in the adventure novels he devoured.

Lucas loitered in the hallway outside the classroom, which afforded him a clear view of Stella sitting in a neighboring lecture.

She was in the back row, twirling a pen between her fingers, gaze distant.

She looked completely disengaged-clearly zoning out.

Right on cue, the professor called on her to answer a question.

Lucas leaned forward, anticipating her being reprimanded, but instead, she offered a response that made the teacher nod, even smile, and gesture for her to sit down.

What the hell? She was actually paying attention?

Lucas was stunned, still watching her blank expression that somehow concealed a sharp intellect.

Finally, after a half-hour that felt interminable, the class ended.

Students began streaming out, hurrying to their next lectures. Stella gathered her belongings and prepared to leave.

Lucas quickly pushed through the crowd. "Hey, Miss Dawson."

She looked up slowly, waiting for him to state his business.

"Fate keeps bringing us together. How about we exchange numbers?" He flashed his phone with a confident grin.

Her laugh was sharp and dismissive. "Don't flatter yourself. Not a chance." She stood up without a second thought, slinging her backpack over one shoulder.

She had another class to get to, no time for nonsense.

"That's rather rude," Lucas followed her, whining. "Refusing my request is one thing, but must you insult me too?"

While he was attempting to nag her into compliance, someone hidden in a corner urgently made a phone call.

He was one of Evan Sterling's lackeys, tasked with keeping an eye on Stella.

"We have a situation-Campbell is making a move!" he whispered into the phone.

Evan's expression darkened the moment he heard.

That punk actually dared to hit on his sister-in-law?

Lucas Campbell, your time is up.

He was just around the corner from the classroom and stormed over with a couple of his guys in tow, looking like an approaching tempest.

Bystanders froze, alarmed. Who had provoked the young master now?

Lucas was shameless, continuing his pursuit even after repeated rejections. He stood his ground, acting as if obtaining her number was his divine right for the day.

He'd been a spoiled brat since childhood-this was his first time being so thoroughly curved.

When Stella still refused to budge, Lucas made a grab for her phone.

She frowned, her eyes turning cold, ready to physically remove him.

But before she could act, a foot shot out from behind Lucas and landed squarely on his backside.

"You've got to be kidding me, Lucas Campbell. Back off, you clown!"

A sudden, sharp kick sent Lucas Campbell stumbling forward-he nearly crashed face-first into the floor.

"What the hell was that?!" Lucas froze in place, utterly stunned.

He barely managed to catch himself by grabbing the edge of a nearby desk.

The remaining students who hadn't yet dispersed slowed their exit, casually observing the unfolding drama.

Lucas's face flushed crimson-a mix of pure rage and searing embarrassment. He shot to his feet, whirled around, and glared daggers at Evan Sterling. "Have you lost your mind?! You actually kicked me? Are you insane?!"

Fuming, he raised his fist and lunged at Evan, aiming straight for his face.

"Who I'm interested in is none of your damn business! Since when do I need your permission to pursue a girl?!"

Stella Dawson relaxed her stance slightly, her brows furrowing in bewilderment at the two men about to brawl directly in front of her.

...

"Our Megan will not be treated this way!"

Principal's Office. Megan Lindley's parents were causing an uproar.

Her finger had been treated and reset-it wasn't fully severed and was expected to heal in time. But her family was deeply dissatisfied with the school's handling of the incident. Merely giving Stella a standard disciplinary mark was utterly unacceptable to them.

The principal pressed his fingers against his temples, the noise giving him a splitting headache.

He frowned and stated, "Megan did initiate the verbal harassment and crossed a line with her remarks. She is not without fault in this matter. I cannot place the entirety of the blame on Stella Dawson."

They hadn't publicized Megan's role in the official notice, but that didn't absolve her of responsibility.

"Oh, come on! They were just words! It's not like the girl actually dropped dead because of them!" Megan's father shouted. "My daughter is the one with a broken finger! She plays the violin, for heaven's sake! What are we supposed to do now?!"

"If her future is ruined, is the school prepared to take responsibility?"

The principal knew exactly what they were after-compensation. Under the relentless pressure and shouting, he eventually capitulated.

The school paid out a settlement but imposed no further punishment on Stella.

Megan's parents left, still huffing with dissatisfaction.

But before the principal could catch his breath, another bombshell dropped-Lucas and Evan had gotten into a serious physical altercation over Stella at the Fine Arts building.

The two were notorious troublemakers, and no one had dared to intervene. The fight escalated, resulting in both being sent to the hospital. The principal was so stressed he felt he was losing hair by the minute.

Meanwhile, Stella was calmly having lunch in the cafeteria.

She had just picked a spot with her tray and was about to sit down when she found herself surrounded-by more than a dozen of Megan's relatives.

Megan's mother violently slapped the tray off the table.

"You shameless little witch! How dare you sit here and eat as if nothing happened?! Why don't you just go die?!"

"You can still hold chopsticks, can you?!" Megan's father bellowed. "But thanks to you, Megan can't even hold a violin bow anymore! She's twenty years old, and you've ruined her! How vicious can you be?!"

The relatives joined in, hurling foul insults without hesitation.

Most of the students in the cafeteria had grown curious and gathered around to watch.

Some frowned at the vulgar language from Megan's family, and a few considered intervening.

But the rumor about Stella breaking Megan's finger was still fresh, and many assumed she must have provoked it somehow.

Samantha Tate had been quietly spreading narratives about Stella's volatile nature, and those stories were beginning to take root.

No one stepped forward to defend Stella Dawson anymore.

Standing at the back of the crowd, Samantha Tate wore a smug expression, lifting her chin slightly. "Let's turn up the heat. Give the Lindleys a hand. Stella truly has no shame."

The girls around her immediately stepped forward, weaving through the crowd until they reached the front and began whispering pointedly.

"Megan is honestly such a sweetheart. She was always looking out for Stella-even fetched water for her sometimes."

"Right? Everyone in the dorm said they got along fine. Stella is just something else."

"Bet you didn't know this-Megan has a crush on Lindor Mitchell. Guess who else does? Stella. And she's convinced Lindor likes her back. So she just snapped. Went full psycho on Megan."

"Wow, that's some tea."

Their whispers weren't loud, but they were perfectly audible within the gathering crowd.

Feeling increasingly justified and emboldened, Megan's parents seemed to believe public opinion was shifting in their favor.

Mrs. Lindley stood with her hands on her hips, pointing directly at Stella. "I heard you're just some wild child with no parents! No wonder you turned out like this!"

"You owe us! Medical bills, emotional damages, and a formal apology-we want it all!"

"Pay up, or we're calling the police!"

"Every last penny-you will compensate us!"

Sitting calmly in her seat, Stella lifted her gaze. Her pale face was cold and detached-almost numb, like a shadow. She didn't utter a word.

The stark contrast between her composure and the family's hysteria tugged at the heartstrings of some onlookers... but the girl simply yawned, looking profoundly bored.

"Are you seriously pointing at me?" she finally spoke, her voice sharp with impatience. "Trying to end up in the hospital bed next to your daughter? A little mother-daughter bonding over shared injuries?"

Mrs. Lindley froze, her face twitching. She opened her mouth to yell again, but the way Stella looked at her-so chillingly composed-sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. Her hand dropped without conscious thought.

She moved her lips slightly but ultimately said nothing.

Somehow, the entire scene fell into an abrupt silence. Not a word from the crowd. Just... dead quiet.

"What's going on here?"

A security guard's voice cut through the strange hush. Quickly, he escorted the Lindley family out of the cafeteria.

Someone must have reported the disturbance to the school authorities.

Honestly, Stella almost wished Mrs. Lindley had been kicked hard enough to join her daughter in the hospital. They could have kept each other company while Megan's finger healed.

The students were instructed to disperse. As they drifted away, Stella glanced down at her spilled lunch, sighed, then trudged off to get a new meal, choosing a quieter spot this time.

No one approached her again.

Pulling out her phone, she sent a quick message: "Kevin, dig up everything you can find on Megan Lindley."

She wasn't one to take hits lying down. What the Lindleys had pulled today? She would ensure they paid for it-dearly.

-

At the Hospital.

Megan's parents came to visit her. She was lounging in bed, scrolling through videos on her phone, her hand essentially fine.

"That principal must have a screw loose," Mrs. Lindley scowled. "Just a demerit? That's it? The settlement doesn't even begin to cover the emotional distress. We'll go back again. If Stella refuses to pay, we'll drag this out indefinitely!"

A knock at the door cut short her tirade.

"Is Megan Lindley here?"

Hearing her name, she slowly looked up.

Emily Dawson stood in the doorway, holding a fruit basket, peering inside with a delicate, concerned expression.

Megan Lindley's eyes widened as she suddenly recognized Emily-the young lady of the Dawson family. She scrambled up and rushed to open the door. "Emily! What brings you here? Please, come in, have a seat."

"Mom, this is Emily Dawson, from the Dawson family," she said excitedly, glancing back at her mother.

The Dawsons were one of the capital's elite families, and as their heiress, Emily was undoubtedly a valuable connection.

Mr. and Mrs. Lindley quickly stood up with respectful smiles, ushering Emily inside.

Emily sat down with a gentle smile, inquiring warmly about Megan's condition. But when the topic shifted to Stella Dawson, her expression darkened. "Trying to reason with someone like her is a waste of breath. The most effective way is to deal with her privately-give her a taste of her own medicine."

"But the school has already handled it," Megan said, bitterness seeping into her tone. "They won't punish her further."

Emily shook her head. "Ugh. I have a class this afternoon, I should get going."

She stood, placed the fruit basket on the table beside Megan, and discreetly slipped a few hundred-dollar bills underneath it.

After Emily left, Megan sat still for a long moment, then touched her face as if a thought had just crystallized. "She's right."

"That bitch Stella is just a parentless stray! What are we even afraid of? She broke my finger-I should've broken every single one of hers! And that face of hers..."

"Let's see if she has anything left to seduce Lindor with then."

She let out a cold, ugly laugh, jealousy practically radiating from her.

...

Sterling Corporation.

Alexander Sterling was in a foul mood all day.

He'd presided over five consecutive meetings. Every member of upper management looked ready to collapse, the atmosphere in the room heavy and strained.

A few individuals made minor mistakes and were torn apart by him in front of everyone. No one dared make a sound.

Only when he finally adjourned the meetings did the executives breathe a collective sigh of relief and flee the room.

Alexander remained in his seat, motionless.

He pulled out his phone and unlocked the screen to check his messages-nothing but spam. No message from the one person he was hoping to hear from. Nothing from Stella.

Jack Holden stood quietly behind him, unsure how to position himself. His expression said it all.

Is Mr. Sterling finally losing his grip?

BANG! Alexander violently hurled his phone into the trash can.

The loud crash made Jack flinch, his face tightening with tension.

As long as that wasn't my phone, we're good...

Just then, a soft ringtone chimed from Alexander's other pocket-his personal phone.

He retrieved it, glanced at the screen, and answered with a frown.

"Mom, I'm in the middle of a meeting."

Jack closed his eyes in silent agony. The same excuse. Every. Single. Time.

Couldn't Mr. Sterling come up with a new line?

"Your grandfather is unwell," Mrs. Sterling stated.

Alexander paused. "What happened? How did-"

"It's because of you and Stella. He misses you both terribly."

"I-"

"No excuses. For your grandfather's health, you are both coming home this weekend, no matter what!"

Mrs. Sterling hung up before he could utter another word.

His chest rose with a sharp, frustrated breath. Rage burned in his eyes.

Stella hadn't replied at all. And now his mother had delivered an ultimatum.

He clenched his jaw, the words a low, determined growl. "Stella Dawson, just you wait. If I have to resort to kidnapping, I will drag you back myself."