Chapter 8

After finishing lunch, the two of them walked out of the Carlson family's villa. With unusual looks from her grandfather and Dean, Stella got into the car with Ethan and closed the door—only then did she relax. Just as they left the villa area, Stella was about to speak up, but she turned her head to find that the man had already adjusted his seat, loosened his cufflinks, and was reclining in a tired manner. The sunlight streamed through the car curtain, casting a sculpted and handsome silhouette on his straight nose. He seemed to have relaxed completely, with his eyes closed and breathing steady, as if he were asleep. She suddenly remembered the fatigue in his eyes earlier, and how he had appeared spirited at the villa, realizing he had been putting on a front. Of course, busy with the wedding all day, she was exhausted even after a night's sleep. This man had rushed back to work at the company last night, and even his strong body couldn't hold up. So Stella swallowed her words, thinking about the long journey back to the apartment and decided to rest as well. Little did she know, when she woke up, everything around her seemed unfamiliar. With a slight hint of confusion still in her expression, she furrowed her brow and asked, "Where are we?" "The parking lot of the Horizon Group Building," Ethan replied. The driver was no longer there, and Ethan sat quietly beside her, then opened the door and got out of the car when he saw her wake up. Stella rubbed her eyes and followed suit, walking a few meters behind him. She asked, "Why are we at Horizon Group?" Ethan turned his head, took a few moments to appreciate her rare sleepy and confused appearance, then lazily smirked and asked back, "Don't you have something to ask? Let's go." Then he left her with his back view. Stella immediately remembered what he had said at the mansion and stopped speaking. She followed him, taking the exclusive elevator to the top floor CEO's office. Horizon Group was formerly known as Eastside Real Estate, founded by Dylan. Five years ago, Eastside went bankrupt, Dylan went to prison, and Ethan suddenly went from being a carefree and arrogant young master to a broke student struggling to pay tuition. Back then, Stella had recently left the city when she learned about the Powers family's troubles from others. Her feelings were indescribably complex, considering he was somewhat her 'student'. Throughout her senior year of high school, Ethan had been exploiting her for tutoring. Her experience in the orphanage always made her feel that education was important. After returning to the Carlson family, Stella had been sponsoring the education of orphanage children. She didn't want Ethan to drop out of the School of the Radiant Arts Institute, so she secretly arranged for someone to help him with tuition. But Ethan figured out it was her, not only returning the money but also sending some unpleasant words along with it. Naturally, Stella was upset that Ethan couldn't appreciate her help and was still acting like a spoiled brat. Fortunately, Ethan didn't act stubbornly enough to drop out of school. He took a year off and eventually graduated by the time she decided to return to his hometown. By then, he had already climbed back to the top and hadn't let her see any signs of distress. Over the years, aside from its initial real estate business, Horizon Group had expanded its investments both domestically and internationally, covering finance and technology, and had slowly begun integrating into the industrial sector as well. Ethan was decisive in his actions, with a hint of penny-pinching, to the point where not many people wanted to cross him. There were no other employees on the entire top floor. In addition to the office area and lounge, there was even a pool table, a multimedia room, and an indoor golf area. It was more like a dauntingly large apartment than an office. After taking a look around, Stella couldn't help but sigh at the decadence of capitalism, realizing that Ethan truly never allowed himself to be wronged. Ethan lounged behind his spacious desk. As he poured himself some water, he kindly poured her a glass too. At the same time, he casually spoke up, "Tell me, what do you want to ask?" Stella pursed her lips and met his gaze. "Why cooperate with the Carlson family?" "What do you think?" he responded nonchalantly, tapping the table with his long fingers, his tone cold. Seeing his somewhat casual attitude, Stella couldn't help but furrow her brow. "How would I know?" "Not even a guess?" he chuckled lightly, his tone mocking. After a moment, his intriguing gaze met hers as he continued, "Stella, you should have some patience. Maybe I have deep feelings for you, so I don't quite like Dean?" His eyes were deep as he spoke, but his voice carried a lazy tone. Leaning back slightly, he lazily toyed with his fingertips next to the water glass, his demeanor carefree and unrestrained. "Mr. Powers seems to have plenty of patience now, even bothering to joke with me," Stella couldn't help but laugh softly, but she didn't take it to heart. Instead, she changed the subject. "So, let me rephrase the question. What do you need me to do?" Ethan's gaze was probing as it lingered on her face for a moment. He raised an eyebrow slightly before retracting his gaze, finally assuming a negotiating posture. "The North City project was given to Horizon Group, but outsiders don't know it's because the Carlson family lacks funds and couldn't tackle this fat piece of meat independently. You don't want the project you worked hard for to benefit Dean, so you chose to cooperate with me, but—" he paused for second and then continued, "if Dean is determined to hold onto you, you might not have an easy time within the Carlson family either." His voice was calm and steady as he laid out the situation she faced. Then, he paused again and raised an eyebrow at her. "Stella, although Dean holds the power, you wouldn't want to hand over the Carlson family on a silver platter, would you?" His gaze was piercing, as if he could see right through her. Stella sighed and countered, "So?" "Take a look at this agreement first. If you find any issues with the terms, you can have a lawyer come over." Ethan calmly retrieved a document from the safe and pushed it toward her. Seeing him finally reveal his purpose, Stella took the document and opened it. It was a special marriage agreement. After silently reading a few lines, she furrowed her eyebrows and looked up at him. "Do we still need to get a marriage license?" The other parts of the contract seemed normal enough, such as the requirement for both parties to conceal the existence of the agreement during the marriage, and not to intentionally engage in behavior that could affect stock price fluctuations. But it was only the requirement to obtain a marriage license that Stella found difficult to accept. She hadn't considered that this brief marriage would also require them to officially get married. Even with Aaron, they hadn't officially gotten married yet due to Claire's strict demands regarding prenuptial agreements. Seeing her reaction, Ethan raised an eyebrow and spoke matter-of-factly, "Now that many people know I've become your husband, this condition can effectively protect my legal rights." "What legal rights?" she asked. Come on, they were having a sham marriage. As long as they settled their assets before marriage, what other legal rights could there be? Ethan stared at her, his gaze intriguing. "For example, if one day you cheat on me, I can receive substantial financial compensation from you." Stella choked back a response and said in a low voice, "You can rest assured. It won't happen." Even though it was a sham marriage, she had initiated this, and Ethan had already helped her conceal it from her grandfather. She wouldn't do anything to embarrass Ethan. Ethan chuckled lightly at her words, his expression seeming somewhat incredulous. "Words are cheap; actions speak louder than words." Being openly doubted by him, Stella almost laughed out of frustration. Finally unable to hold back, she retorted, "Aren't you afraid of cheating first and then losing half of your assets in the divorce settlement?" Ethan wasn't angered by her remark; he just remained indifferent and silently looked at her, as if implying: With genes as outstanding as mine, what kind of woman would be worthy of making me cheat? Stella sighed and rubbed her forehead, finally skipping the argument about getting a marriage license and continuing, "So, what does this clause about living together mean?" "Of course, it means literally," Ethan said casually as he adjusted his clothes. "You suddenly proposed to me, and last night, I promised the board members that this marriage wouldn't affect the company's stock price. So, throughout the marriage, you have an obligation to play the role of a loving wife with me." And loving spouses don't live apart. His implication sounded quite reasonable. Stella was logically convinced by his words, but emotionally, she felt somewhat uncomfortable. Pausing for a moment, she looked up at him. "Since you knew that the board members of Horizon Group opposed it, you could have refused at that time. I don't just have..." The phrase "only you as an option" was left unspoken. She wasn't as shameless as Ethan; he had already cooperated with her in everything, and now saying these things made her seem like she was burning bridges. "Wow, not just me? I didn't know you had other options?" Ethan's eyes gleamed with a touch of suspicion, as if he had stumbled upon evidence, and he chuckled skeptically, "In that case, do you still dare claim you won't cheat?" Well, then he had even more reason to ensure his 'legal rights' through legal means. Stella was momentarily speechless, pondering. Apart from getting a marriage license and living together, this contract didn't have overly unreasonable demands. The divorce date after one year was clearly stipulated, and she even secured the cooperation on the North City project. Thinking about how Ethan had helped her conceal the truth from her grandfather, she ultimately compromised, letting out a long breath and saying, "Fine, I'll sign." The pen was right there, and in no time, the blank spaces of both agreements were signed by both parties. Ethan glanced at the agreements, handed one to Stella, then stood up, took his coat from the hanger, and said casually, "Let's go." Stella looked puzzled and asked, "Go where?" Ethan smiled and replied succinctly, "Marriage license office, to get the marriage license." Stella was speechless. So, when he reminded himself to bring his ID downstairs in the morning, it was for this? She thought she had wronged him back at the mansion. He, on the other hand, had planned to leverage her subsequent guilt for compromise on the agreement since he made that call early in the morning! When they returned to the apartment, it was already seven o'clock. Stella, dragging the fatigue from waiting in line at the marriage license office, entered her password with mixed feelings and opened the door. After changing her shoes, she habitually started walking inside. But after a few steps, she suddenly stopped and realized that the living room light was on. The familiar figure was standing by the French window. As the figure turned around slowly, the typically gentle eyes seemed to be tinged with solemnity, and the once clear and bright voice now sounded icy. "Stella, perhaps you should explain why Ethan brought you home?"