The bedroom <b>was </b>empty, with no sign of anyone.
The bathroom door <b>was </b>shut. Adam stood at the doorway and called softly, “Celine, are you still in there?”
There was no response. No one answered him.
Adam raised his hand to knock, but the bathroom door opened on its own.
He paused and stepped inside. The
bathtub was empty, Celine <b>had </b>vanished. Where could she have gone?
Adamwalked back out. At that moment, the <b>maid </b>entered the room “Mr. Alvarez<b>, </b>Mrs. Alvarez has already left.”
she left? Just like that, she was gone?
Adam’s eyes fell on the untouched ice pack “she didn’t use the ice for her <b>face</b>?”
“No, Mrs Alvarez said she didn’t need it.”
A note was pinned under themp on the bedside table. Adam reached out with his long fingers and picked it up. The note contained just two words–Thank you. She left quietly, leaving only those two simple words behind.
Adam ced his hands on his hips and let out <b>a </b>humorlessugh, clearly exasperated.
The maid excused herself, leaving Adam alone in the spacious master bedroom. He leanedzily <b>against </b>the desk and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. cing on between his lips, be lit it with a flick of his lighter
His tall, broad shoulders slumped slightly as he exhaled <b>a </b>putt of smoke, allowing it to swirl and blur his sharp teatures. Adam rarely smoked, but his frustration. demanded the numbingfort of nicotine.
A short whileter, Leo appeared at the doorway. “Mr. Alvarez<b>, </b>Ms. Tate has retumed home. As for Mr. Zander”
Adam tapped <b>his </b>cigarette into <b>the </b>ashtray, his gaze falling on the faint bite mark on his arm left by Celine.
Frowning, be knitted his brows and said, “It Henry calls <b>again</b>, tell him just one thing
Carly stepped into the living room of Tate Manor, where Henry and Victoria immediately stood to greet her. “Ms. Tate, where is my son? Did Mr. Alvarez agree to
release him?”
Hayden and Lucy nced toward the <b>door</b>. “Carly, didn’t youe back with Elijah?”
They had assumed Carly would retum with Elijah. Seeing <b>no </b><b>sign </b>of him, they <b>stood </b>there, bewildered.
Carly nced at the four eager faces. Hermood was sour, and her tone <b>sharp</b>. “Mr. Zander, Mrs. Zander, I’m sorry, but Adam refused to release him.”
What? Henry, Victoria, Hayden, and Lucy froze in shock
Henry said, “What’s going on, Ms. Tate? Aren’t you supposed to be Mr. Alvarez’s favorite? His so–called sweetheart?”
Victoria’s face was filled with disappointment. “Henry, we clearly trusted the wrong person Favorite sweetheart? She <b>can’t </b>even sway Mr. Alvarez. What a fraud.” Hetty sureted<b>. </b>“Ms. Tate, you’ve wasted our time.”
With that, Henry and Victoria hated to leave.
Hayden and Lury tried to stop them.” Mr. Zander, Mrs. Zander, please wait. novelbin
Herry and Victoria stopped abruptly. “Take everything we brought with us,” Henry ordered
The ck–suited bodyguards immediately began removing the piles of luxury gifts stacked in the living room
“Mr. Zander! Mrs. Zander!” Hayden pandeked, practically jumping in <b>ce</b>.
<b>“</b><b>Carly</b>, what is going on here?” Lucy was equally incredulous. “Carly, you spoke to him yourself, and Adam still didn’t agree to release <b>him</b>?”
Their earlier <b>arrogance </b>tumed into unbearable humiliation. Carly dug her fingealls into her palms in resentment.
“Celine. The game between us had ufficially begun,” she thought.