Chapter 3

Stella meant to reject the call, yet her fingers followed an old habit and tapped accept.

The moment the line connected, Dante's entitled voice filled her ear.

"Stella, do you realize you were wrong?" he said coldly. "I'm giving you a chance to make it up.

"Vivienne spent all day on the road to get our license and stood out in the cold forever. She needs rest. So tonight's business dinner? You'll take her place.

"If you behave, I can overlook all that petty attitude from earlier."

Stella let out a short, humorless laugh. He sounded like he was handing down chores to a maid.

He seemed to forget she'd waited outside the city hall from dawn till dusk, freezing the entire day.

There was a time when she'd sneeze once in the cold and he would rush over with his coat, hover anxiously, brew her honey water, fuss over her like she were made of glass.

But now he treated her as if she were a tool, convenient and disposable, her feelings irrelevant.

And the worst part? He'd also forgotten she had a severe alcohol allergy. She couldn't drink at all.

Back when he was building the company from scratch, every client dinner was crucial. She was supposed to attend, smile, grovel, beg for contracts.

But Dante would always decline on her behalf, or take every drink for her until he staggered home drunk, vomiting into the toilet while telling her not to worry, urging her to go to bed so she wouldn't hurt her health.

That man, the one who once loved her with his whole heart, was gone.

Stella came back to herself, voice steady, cold, unfamiliar even to her own ears. "Dante, I'm allergic to alcohol. I can't go.

"And besides, that dinner is Vivienne's responsibility. Not mine."

He went silent for a beat, as if shocked she dared refuse him. Then his temper exploded.

"I'm speaking nicely and you wanna argue? Seriously?" he snapped. "I pay your salary. That means you follow my instructions twenty-four seven. That's your job."

Stella's lips curved in a faint, almost peaceful smile. "Then I quit."

Before he could respond, she hung up and dialed a number she hadn't called in a long time.

"Mr. Montgomery," she said calmly, "I accept your offer."

The person on the other end of the line was from a renowned international design firm, one of the top companies in the world.

Stella had first met Liam a year ago, during a collaboration.

At the time, while reviewing a product they were about to launch, she noticed a structural flaw that could easily lead to failure and cause a major backlash.

When she brought it to Liam Montgomery's attention, he immediately launched an investigation, and they managed to adjust the production line just in time to avoid a loss of millions.

After that, Liam became one of the few people she trusted overseas.

When he learned she was being sidelined at Dante's company, he didn't hesitate to fly in multiple times, offering her a role as design director with stock options worth a hundred million.

But Dante, still haunted by childhood trauma, refused to leave the country, so Stella repeatedly turned down the offers, choosing instead to stay with him, even though it meant sacrificing her own future.

At the time, she believed love meant loyalty.

But now, she realized she had given up her youth, her health, and so much more for someone who never truly valued her.

It was time to start thinking about herself.

Liam's excited voice snapped her back to reality. "Really? No kidding?

"Of course. I'm all in. But I thought you were planning on settling down in your city? What made you change your mind?"

Stella gave a slight, awkward smile. "Not much. We broke up."

There was a brief silence on the other end, then Liam's voice softened. "I may not know all the details, but I know you. Losing you... well, that's his loss."

Before she could say anything else, a notification popped up on her phone: a transfer of 70 thousand.

"Here's some travel money to get you settled. I'll be waiting for you overseas whenever you're ready," Liam said.

Stella smiled, thanked him, and briefly discussed work before hanging up.

Just as she was about to accept the payment, Dante updated his social media.