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

Catherine Campbell stood frozen in the doorway, her expression a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

She had been standing there for quite some time. Lindor Mitchell had called her, boasting that he was going to teach Stella Dawson a lesson and casually inviting her to watch.

Trying to maintain her composure, she hadn't agreed immediately, instead instructing Lindor to send her a video.

He had agreed, but after a long wait, no video had arrived.

Meanwhile, Stella squinted slightly, pulled out her phone, and without a word, sent a friend request to Gabriel Mitchell.

She hadn't planned on provoking Catherine, but that girl had despised her from their very first encounter-completely without reason.

And now she was dragging a fool like Lindor into harassing her? Seriously?

The Campbells and the Mitchells had an old betrothal agreement between their families. Catherine was the only daughter of the Campbell family.

The Mitchells weren't nearly as influential-it didn't matter how many sons they had. Gabriel was the only suitable candidate to marry Catherine.

Neither family had formally announced the engagement, but if they showed mutual interest, things could proceed smoothly.

Lindor knew the Campbells favored Gabriel, yet he still trailed after Catherine like a loyal puppy, treating her like royalty. Even Stella was somewhat impressed by his sheer persistence.

Gabriel walked past Catherine without so much as a glance. "Let's go."

The command was clearly directed at Stella, who smirked slightly and followed him out.

Catherine remained rooted to the spot, her face dark, refusing to chase after them.

She bit her lip, her eyes filled with bitter resentment.

She didn't even like Gabriel that much. If she had, they would have been engaged by now.

That outdated agreement only held weight if both parties were willing.

Seeing her distress, Lindor rushed over, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste.

"Catherine, why did you come alone?"

He offered a nervous, placating smile. "Don't be angry. My brother won't protect her forever. Next time, when we're alone, I'll-"

"Were you the one causing a disturbance earlier?"

A stern voice cut him off, and Lindor instinctively turned his head-only to find several police officers glaring at him.

What the hell? Who called the cops?

Reluctantly, he was taken away to give a statement at the station.

The thugs who had been stirring up trouble were also rounded up.

As the identified victim, Stella had to go to the station as well.

Watching her get into the police car, Catherine finally emerged and approached Gabriel.

"Do you even know what kind of person she is?" she sneered. "A country girl? And this is what catches your eye?"

"Perhaps I really need to reconsider whether this engagement is worthwhile."

"Gabriel, your taste is truly disappointing."

As the only daughter of the Campbells, Catherine had been pampered her entire life, so her prideful demeanor came as no surprise.

She was certain Gabriel wouldn't dare offend her family over some rural girl.

But Gabriel merely glanced at her calmly, then curled his lips into a dismissive smirk.

"The thing is, a marriage isn't decided by your family alone." His tone was lightly mocking. "Catherine, do you realize you're not even in her league?"

"What?" Catherine froze, fury quickly bubbling up beneath her shock. "Have you lost your mind?"

Gabriel, using Stella to insult her?

He simply shrugged as if it were nothing. "You're not on the same level. Not even close."

With that, he turned and walked away without the slightest hesitation, leaving only the faint smell of car exhaust behind.

Catherine's composure shattered on the spot. She stood motionless, utterly stunned.

She had been accustomed to compliments her whole life-people always told her she was intelligent and beautiful, and she was immensely popular at university too.

But this was the first time reality had slapped her so hard-and it was Gabriel Mitchell delivering the blow.

Stella Dawson!

This was all her fault! That detestable witch!

...

Outside the gates of City University, the Rolls-Royce attracted numerous curious glances.

Inside the car, Alexander Sterling sat quietly in the back seat, his expression unreadable.

Jack Holden had just returned from making inquiries and provided a quick update. "Sir, it's the weekend. Most students aren't on campus."

"I asked around, and Miss Dawson isn't here today."

Alexander leaned back, his long legs elegantly crossed, his face still a mask of stone.

"Also." Jack hesitated before adding, "She doesn't seem particularly well-liked here. I approached several students, but they either ignored me or outright refused to speak when they heard her name."

Alexander's lips curled into a mocking smirk, clearly picturing Stella's typically arrogant demeanor.

"A girl like her having friends? That would be the real surprise."

Honestly, given the way she spoke, it was no wonder nobody could stand her.

"So. should we wait and try again later?" Jack didn't sound very confident.

Alexander paused for a moment-he had received explicit instructions from the family that she was expected at the Sterling estate tonight. He thought arriving early might help, but she wasn't even at the university.

"Send people to locate her. I want her here within an hour," he said coldly.

Jack nodded with a resigned sigh and went to make calls to mobilize more people for the search.

Ever since Alexander and Stella had begun their divorce proceedings, the situation between them had only grown more tangled.

Still seated in the car, Alexander absently scrolled through his phone.

A few notifications from a group chat popped up. When he opened it, he saw it was their usual male social group.

Ethan Mitchell had posted a series of photos of a woman.

"Who is this? She's absolutely stunning."

"That's Stella Dawson-Alexander's ex. Don't tell me you didn't recognize her?" Ethan added a smug emoji.

Alexander froze, then quickly opened the photo album.

There were over a dozen pictures, all taken from discreet angles-clearly covert shots of Gabriel Mitchell and Stella together.

One photo made it look like Gabriel was handing her a business card, but from Ethan's camera angle, it appeared more like he was holding her hand.

They looked uncomfortably intimate, and that alone made Alexander scowl.

When had she started associating with Gabriel? Exchanging contact information, even touching hands?

Unbelievable.

That woman was always out there, flirting and causing trouble.

As expected, after Ethan dropped that bombshell, the group chat exploded.

"Damn, Alex, never thought I'd see the day!"

"Look at their hands! Bro, you need to step up your game!"

"Are you all blind? That's his ex-wife-key word being 'ex'?"

"Ohhh, so they're divorced?"

"Guess that means I've got a shot now, huh?"

His expression darkening by the second, Alexander didn't bother with a lengthy reply. He simply typed one word: Get lost.

The message sent. The chat fell silent for a solid few seconds-then erupted again.

"Dude, you're lurking and still won't explain anything about your ex?"

Ignoring them, Alexander switched to a private message with Ethan: "Where is she right now?"

Ethan replied immediately: "Why? She's your ex, remember?"

"So you're still hung up on her, huh?" Ethan Mitchell couldn't resist teasing.

Alexander Sterling let out a cold scoff. "Remarried."

The group chat went completely silent.

"Whatever," Ethan said, clearly giving up. "She had a confrontation with Lindor Mitchell at the City University mall."

"Gabriel Mitchell happened upon them. She's probably at the police station now."

"You'd better go smooth things over with your wife, before she runs off with Gabriel and leaves you for good."

Alexander rubbed his temples, sighed, and set down his phone. "To the station."

Ten minutes later, his car pulled up outside the police station.

Stella Dawson had just finished giving her statement. A few thugs sat nearby, battered and bruised.

Lindor Mitchell was muttering under his breath, clearly displeased with the entire situation.

One of the thugs, his face swollen, still had the audacity to lean closer to Stella with a sleazy grin. "Hey beautiful, you're actually really pretty. Wanna go out sometime? I'll take good care of you."

A nearby officer shot him a warning glare, about to tell him to shut up.

Just then, a loud thud echoed from the entrance. A foot shot out, striking the nearest thug and sending him sprawling onto his back with a pained groan.

Stella blinked, completely taken aback. Before she could process what was happening, a hand grabbed her and pulled her outside.

Inside, Jack Holden froze, left to deal with the aftermath.

"He slipped and fell, I assure you. We abide by the law here!" he said awkwardly.

One of the men sat clutching his backside, shooting venomous glares.

Yeah, right. Who would believe that?

"Mr. Sterling, we're still at a police station. Try to act like it," Stella said coolly, yanking her arm back.

Her wrist was now visibly red where Alexander had gripped her.

She narrowed her eyes, clearly irritated. He, however, was suddenly staring at her skin as if he'd forgotten their surroundings.

So pale. So delicate. The slightest pressure left a mark.

Stella rolled her eyes dramatically. That finally snapped him out of it, though only a flicker of embarrassment crossed his face. Why is he thinking about that now?

Stella turned on her heel and walked toward the exit. Alexander followed without hesitation.

"Hey," she looked back abruptly. "Dear ex-husband, could you stop stalking me?"

Her eyes sparkled with amusement, as if she were enjoying toying with him.

Her voice was light and teasing, floating like a feather and landing directly on his chest with a faint, unsettling tickle.

Ever since obtaining the divorce certificate, she had stopped caring about his opinions. It felt liberating.

Alexander's mind stuttered to a halt. His eyes clouded with something-confusion?

He took a step back, his gaze sweeping over her slowly, as if trying to solve a complex puzzle.

Then, suddenly, he reached out to grasp her chin.

As if he needed to verify she was real.

"Alexander Sterling!" she shrieked, stepping back. "What's wrong with you?!"

He stared, looking slightly dazed. "Are you really Stella Dawson?"

"I'm your damn mother," she retorted with a cold snort.

He said nothing, which actually caught her off guard-no shouting, no anger.

"Come with me back to the Sterling estate. Grandfather wants to see you," he stated plainly.

"We're divorced. You have no right to order me around."

"Oh?" Alexander let out a low laugh, stepped forward, and clamped a hand firmly on her shoulder.

His face was calm, but his gaze held a sharp, assessing edge, as if he were scrutinizing her.

"Stella Dawson..."