Chapter 2

"Fifty million dollars..." Eric bit off the words, his gaze sharp and cold. "Stella, are you really worth that?" During their time together as mates, every time this woman softened her stance toward him, it always had something to do with money, as if their marriage was just a transaction—money for sex. It was disgusting. Suddenly, he remembered the first month after they became mates. He had been so full of joy, treating Stella with nothing but love and care, as if he would pluck the moon from the sky for her if he could. But what had she given him in return...? Betrayal. At first, he didn’t believe it, until he saw it with his own eyes. He had no choice but to accept it: this woman had no feelings for him. Stella's movements were stiff, but she managed to force a smile. "It’s just an investment. That fifty million dollars, a few years from now, won’t just be fifty million anymore." Her words were so business-like. What was the difference between her and a woman selling her body for an investment? A bitter sense of mockery rose in Eric. His gaze grew colder, and his fingers tightened around Gu Ruoxia’s delicate chin, his tone as sharp as his grip. "Stella, you're really starting to disgust me more and more." He finished speaking, releasing the woman’s soft chin, rolling off the couch, and standing above her, looking down with icy disdain. "Just looking at you now makes me sick. And you want me to pay to sleep with you? Stella, where does your confidence even come from?" Each word was as sharp as a knife, cutting deep. Stella felt as if she had fallen into an icy sea, her whole body trembling. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the man before her, cold and cruel. But Eric merely turned away, indifferent and proud, walking out without so much as a glance back. A few seconds later, the sound of a door slamming shut echoed downstairs. Eric was gone. Stella lay motionless on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling. After a long while, she blinked her dry eyes, raised a hand to cover her pale face, hiding the pain she was feeling. So, this was how much he hated her now... Just the sight of her made him sick... At the thought, Stella curled up, pressing her hand against the aching pain in her chest, biting her lip as she lay alone in the vast villa, swallowing the bitterness and humiliation of their broken relationship. Stella spent the night on the couch. When she woke up the next morning, her body ached all over, and her face looked deathly pale. She had to layer on thick makeup just to cover it up. She had forgotten breakfast and went straight to the office. As soon as she sat down, piles of documents and contracts were handed to her, and she became so overwhelmed that she didn’t even notice her blood sugar dropping. On the way to a meeting, she fainted, scaring her assistant Beverly half to death. Beverly rushed Stella to the hospital for an IV. After all the chaos, Stella’s complexion worsened, and even the thick makeup couldn't hide her exhaustion. Beverly had been with Stella for three years and was very close to her. Seeing her condition, she couldn’t help but suggest, "Stella, you should take a few days off. You've been working nonstop, and you didn’t even rest last weekend..." Not just last weekend. Ever since Stella became mates, she hadn’t taken a single weekend off. It was as though she was trying to fill every moment of her time with work, completely ignoring the fact that she was now mated. Stella shook her head and simply said, "I'm fine here. You should go back and tell President Anthony that I'll make up for the work I missed today tomorrow." Beverly sighed, reluctantly following Stella’s instructions, and quickly left the room. Once she was gone, Stella finally allowed herself to rest her head, her exhaustion written all over her face. However, she didn’t even manage to get half an hour of peace before her phone rang, its shrill tone cutting through the silence. Summoning the last of her strength, Stella answered the call and saw that it was her father, Carlson. "Dad," she answered, "I'm currently at..." Before she could finish saying "the hospital," Carlson interrupted, his voice sharp. "Did you secure the fifty million dollar investment?" Stella glanced at the IV in her arm, a chill spreading through her chest. Every conversation with her father always revolved around money or power, as if she were just a tool for him to use—never his daughter. No affection. Just manipulation. Stella stared at the IV tube and suddenly felt an urge to test her father’s reaction. After a brief hesitation, she said, "Dad, I might not be able to help you with the investments anymore. Eric wants to sever our bond." "Sever the bond?" Carlson's voice rose sharply, turning hostile. "Why would Eric suddenly want to sever the bond with you? Stella, what did you do to upset him? Hurry up and apologize! You can't just break the bond!" Stella’s fingers tightened around the phone, the coldness inside her deepening. "It’s too late. We’ve already severed the bond," she lied, playing her part to the end. Carlson went silent for a few seconds before his fury erupted. "You idiot! You’re useless! I went through hell just to get you to marry Eric! And now you want to end it like this? How could I have such a worthless daughter!" His words were venomous, dripping with bitterness as if she were his enemy, not his child. "Get back here right now! Just wait until I deal with you!" With that, Carlson slammed the phone down. Stella stood frozen, staring at the phone in her hand, lost in thought. She had known that after her father remarried and had a son, his affection for her would fade. But she never imagined he had never truly cared about her at all. "Deal with me?" Stella bitterly smiled, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill from her reddened eyes. She ripped the IV tube out and grabbed her handbag, heading home. Meanwhile, at the Chu family villa... Carlson tossed his phone aside and immediately ordered his servants to fetch a cane. He was going to beat that good-for-nothing daughter of his senseless! His stepmother, Thorne, quickly approached him, asking, "What happened? Why are you going to hit Stella? We still need her to secure the investment!" Carlson, his face flushed with rage, snarled, "That useless girl severed the bond with Eric on her own!" "What?" Thorne gasped, shocked. "Doesn’t that mean we’ve lost our support?" Carlson scoffed. "Today, I’m going to beat some sense into her! After all these years of raising her, she’s worth nothing!" Thorne grabbed Carlson’s arm, her eyes gleaming with a spark of insight. "She might not be entirely useless. Do you remember Banker William?" Carlson paused, recalling the middle-aged, bald, chubby man who had once expressed interest in marrying Stella before she met Eric. Back then, they had declined his offer, preferring to target Eric’s connections for better opportunities. "Now that Stella has severed the bond, this might be an opportunity. We could..." Thorne whispered something in Carlson’s ear, her voice low and suggestive. Carlson’s fury instantly subsided, replaced by a smile of approval. "You’re right, my clever wife. I’ll have someone make the arrangements!"