After Dumping the CEO, I Went Back to Being the Billionaire

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!"