Stella had a boyfriend before, but she was completely inexperienced when it came to intimate relationships. Her time with her ex-boyfriend had been nothing more than holding hands.

As she lay there, her thoughts spiraling, she heard a deep voice beside her.

“Goodnight.”

“Oh, goodnight!”

Stella let out a sigh of relief. It seemed he had no intention of taking things further, and that put her at ease.

Still, having a man in the bed next to her was unsettling. But she was so exhausted that she eventually drifted off to sleep.

Damian, on the other hand, was used to living alone. This was the first time he had shared a bed with a woman, and to make matters more complicated, he had witnessed such an enticing scene earlier. His body remained tense and restless until late into the night before he could finally fall asleep.

When Stella woke up the next morning, she noticed that the side of her body that had been next to Damian was sore and achy. Damian was feeling it too.

He suddenly regretted the whole situation. What was the point of all this? His time was so important, and yet he had wasted it here.

Stella made breakfast, and after they ate, they headed to the mall. Stella held onto Damian’s arm the entire time, although he didn’t need it. Through his sunglasses, he could see everything perfectly well.

“Is that you, Stella?” A familiar voice rang out.

Stella looked up and saw a face she recognized—her ex-boyfriend, Ethan Wilson. The same guy who hadn’t even bothered to break up with her properly, opting instead to send her a wedding invitation out of the blue.

Ethan was out shopping with his fiancée, the petite and delicate Heather Howard, who looked like a charming little enchantress.

Heather wasn’t just anyone—she was the heiress to Howard Auto Group, a business that had a very close relationship with B.C. Group.

To be honest, Stella had Heather to thank for getting a job at B.C. Group, something she only learned after she was hired. But it turned out that Heather’s real goal was to steal her boyfriend.

Ethan was clearly uncomfortable seeing Stella.

“Stella, is this your new boyfriend? Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Heather’s voice was sickly sweet.

Damian took one look at the couple and immediately sensed there was a story there. Judging by Ethan’s awkwardness and Stella’s strained expression, it was obvious they had been an item at some point.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Stella said, looking Ethan squarely in the eye.

“He’s not…”

“He’s my husband,” Stella responded defiantly.

Heather was visibly shocked, and Ethan was too stunned to speak.

“Oh my!” Heather playfully tapped Ethan with her small fist. “And you were a little upset back then! Look at Stella—she’s already married! She moved on way faster than you did!”

Heather gave Stella a once-over. “Stella, I had no idea you were so capable. I had never expected an art major like you who had been bad at academics would have a knack for catching a man..”

Stella was used to hearing things like this. To people like Heather, art majors were just people who couldn’t hack it academically, so they turned to art because they couldn’t get into a real college.

“Well, I’m not as good as you, Heather. I don’t go around stealing other people’s boyfriends.”

Damian watched the exchange like he was at the theater. It seemed this woman wasn’t as meek as she appeared.

Heather’s face darkened. She genuinely disliked Stella.

Back in college, Stella and Ethan had been a couple. Heather had chased after Ethan relentlessly but to no avail. In her mind, any man would choose her over Stella, but Ethan had stubbornly stuck with Stella.

Eventually, Heather got what she wanted—she won Ethan over. But the experience had left her feeling humiliated.

Heather turned her gaze to Damian. “Hey, handsome, why the sunglasses? There’s no sun in the mall. Who are you trying to impress?”

She looked Damian up and down. His casual outfit was from an ordinary brand, and he wasn’t wearing anything particularly expensive. He must be just another regular guy.

Little did she know, this look had been carefully chosen by Lily to help Damian maintain his cover in front of Stella.

“Heather, I’d appreciate it if you’d be more respectful to my husband,” Stella said, not intending to hide the fact that her husband was visually impaired. She was prepared for their ridicule.

Heather suddenly grew curious. Who could Stella have possibly married?

“Wait, is he blind?” Heather realized something, covering her mouth in surprise.

“My eyes have been irritated lately, so I’m wearing sunglasses,” Damian interjected before Stella could say anything.

“Really?” Heather sounded skeptical.

Damian, with practiced ease, reached out and tucked a strand of Stella’s hair behind her ear, as if to prove he wasn’t blind.

“Of course.”

Heather forced an awkward smile. “I’m sorry, your sunglasses just made that easy to assume. So, where do you work?”

“Work? It’s nothing special, just some business,” Damian replied nonchalantly.

“What kind of business? My family’s in business too. Maybe we could collaborate,” Heather said, her nosiness making Stella squirm.

“Automobile manufacturing.”

Heather was taken aback. Automobile manufacturing wasn’t just “some business.”

“Have you heard of Howard Auto Group?” she asked.

“I’ve heard of it,” Damian replied casually.

Heather laughed, covering her mouth again. Who in America hadn’t heard of Howard Auto Group? It was one of the best dealerships in the entire country, especially in the Northern region. They were known for their wide selection of new cars, excellent after-sales service, and one-stop shopping experience.

“So, which car brand do you represent?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

“King.”

As soon as Damian said the name, both Heather and Ethan froze. Even Stella was stunned.

King was a brand under B.C. Group.

Heather scrutinized Damian from head to toe. Her family’s dealership did business with King, but she had no idea who this man was.

“And what’s your name, if I may ask?” Heather inquired, trying to mask her unease.

“I’d rather not say,” Damian replied coolly.

Heather was left speechless. She had a feeling he was bluffing, but his demeanor and the way he spoke made her think twice about challenging him.

She had heard that Damian, the head of B.C. Group, had recently returned to the country to take over as CEO, with plans to expand King’s presence in both domestic and international markets. Every dealership was paying close attention to his moves.

If she accidentally offended someone important to Damian, it could spell trouble.

Heather suddenly put on a bright smile. “We’re getting married soon. Why don’t you join us for the wedding?”

Stella had no intention of attending Heather and Ethan’s wedding.

“No time,” Damian replied bluntly, offering no courtesy whatsoever. His time was far too valuable to waste on something as trivial as attending a dull wedding.