Adam answered the call, and a rough male voice came through. "Mr. Alvarez, good evening."


    Adam held the phone, his face unreadable. "Who are you?"


    "Mr. Alvarez, my identity doesn''t matter. All you need to know is that the person you''re looking for is with me."


    Lucy''s eyes widened in rm. "He''s the one who took Carly! Mr. Alvarez, we have to save her!"


    Adam''s tone remained cold. "Carly is with you?"


    "That''s right. Here, I''ll let her talk to you."


    A momentter, Carly''s voice came through, panicked and desperate. "Adam, help me! Please! I''m so scared!"


    Adam''s lips pressed into a thin, icy line. "What do you want?"


    "Mr. Alvarez, I want money. Get one billion dors ready immediately."


    Adam let out a short, mockingugh. "You kidnapped someone and are now extorting me for one billion? That''s more than enough to lock you away for life. You''ll never see the outside world again."


    The man on the other end of the line wasn''t the least bit intimidated. "Mr. Alvarez, don''t try to scare me. I wasn''t raised to be afraid of threats. Is one billion dors too much for one person''s life? What if I make it two?"


    A sharp glint shed through Adam''s eyes. "Two people?"


    At that moment, Perry rushed over. "Mr. Alvarez, bad news. Celine is missing."


    Dr. C had been scheduled to make her appearance, but when Perry went upstairs to check, she was nowhere to be found.


    Celine had disappeared.


    Adam froze for a brief moment before gripping his phone even tighter. "Celine-is she with you too?"


    Somewhere in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, Celine''s eyes fluttered open.


    She quickly realized that her hands and feet were tied. In front of her stood a man with a scar across his face, nked by several men in ck.


    Celine immediately grasped the situation. She had been kidnapped.


    She let out a silent, bitterugh. What a dramatic turn of events. She had been


    moments away from revealing herself as Dr. C, only to end up here instead.


    A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. "Celine, you''re awake?"


    Celine turned her head and saw Carly.


    Carly was tied up as well, dumped beside her.


    Celine''s eyshes quivered slightly. "Carly, they took you too?"


    Carly struggled against her restraints, attempting to break free. "Let me go! Do you have any idea who I am? I''m Adam''s girlfriend! you so much asy a finger on me,


    ret


    Will make sure you regret it. This is his territory. You won''t make if out alive!"


    The scarred man chuckled, holding the phone in his hand. "So, you''re Mr.


    Alvarez''s girlfriend. And this one here is his ex-wife."


    He crouched beside Celine. "Celine, say something to Mr. Alvarez."


    Celine quickly scanned the surroundings before raising her voice. "Adam, we''re in


    a warehouse on the wet side of the city-"


    The scarred man hadn''t expected her to spill their location. His face twisted with rage, and he swung his hand hard across Celine''s face.


    With a loud smack, her head


    snapped to the side, her delicate features stinging from the blow. A


    bright red handprint quickly


    appeared on her cheek, swollen and ringly visible.


    Back on Adam''s end of the call, he had heard both Celine''s voice and the unmistakable sound of a p.


    His expression darkened instantly. His voice dropped to a dangerously low register. "Stop. If youy another hand on her, you won''t live to see the sunrise."


    The scarred man let out a loud, amusedugh. "Oh? Mr. Alvarez, you seemed quite protective of your ex-wife. One p, and you''re already this upset?


    Adam''s voice sounded razor-sharp as he said, "One billion dors. I''ll


    give you what you want. Send me the location, and I''ll bring the money. You give me the hostages.


    The scarred man grinned. "Now that''s the spirit, Mr. Alvarez. I knew you''d be reasonable. But there''s one condition. You need toe alone."