Adan sank back into bed teram

moment, his Adam’s apple rollingzily. He hadn’t realized before just how coquettish Celine could be.

When she used that soft, teasing tone with him, he could feel the muscles in his lean waist righten instinctively.

But he really had to get up

tuv, Adam pulled his arm free from her grasp and climbed out of bed. He headed into the bathroom and turned on the cold water to clear his head. A moment Dare Emerged refreshed, dressed sharply in a ck shirt and matching cktrousers.

e stepped into his office, he froze.

wady there. She turned to tace him, bet red lips carving into a smile “Adain, don’t tell me you just woke up.”

It was already 8:00 am, and Carly was here. She had never seen Adam sleep in sote.

Adam paused momentarily, dearly caught off guard by her early barrival/b:

post then, Leo rushed into the roomb. /b“Mr. Alvarez, I just stepped out to check with the Marketing Department. I didn’t realize Ms. Tate had already arrived. Leow full well that Adam and Celine had spent the night in the private lounge. Celine was probably still in there, asleep on the bed. And now Carly was here. This was bad

What if the two women ended up in a fight over Adam? Screaming, hair–pulling, bchaos/b?

Leo didn’t even dare nce at Adam’s face.

Carly, however, didn’t miss a beat. Her sharp instincts kicked in immediately as her eyes narrowed, “What’s going on? Am I not allowed to drop by unannounced?” Her gaze shifted toward Adam’s private lounge. “Adam, you don’t have a woman hidden in your lounge, do byou/b? Afraid I’ll find out?”

Before anyone could stop her, she started walking toward the door.

Adam’s tall, broad frame moved swiftly in block her path

“Adam, why won’t you let me in? I called you many timesst night, and you didn’t answer. And now, this morning, you’re waking upte. Did you sleep with someone else?” Carly snapped.

Adam frowned ever so slightly at her usations. His thin lips parted bas /bhe responded, his deep, maic voice calm and steady, betraying no emotion. “Carly, leave

He told her to leave? Why should she leave?

Carly wasn’t going anywhere until she found out exactly who the woman in the lounge was. Without hesitationb, /bshe shoved Adam aside with surprising force and reached for the lounge door

“This bis /bit. It’s over. We’re done for,” Lea thought, panicking silently,

Carly stormed into the loungeb, /bbut the moment she stepped inside, she froze

Adam followed her in, his sharp gaze immediately darting to the bed. The sheets were rumpled, but it was empty.

Celine was gone. The bed that had held her only minutes earlier was nowpletely vacant.

The lounge was empty. Not a soul bin /bsight.

Leo, standing just outside, was equally battled. “Where did Mrs. Alvarez go?” he wondered.

But with the immediate crisis seemingly averted, Leo bsprang /binto action, eager bto /bdiffuse the tension. His btone /bwas bsmooth /band professional “Ms. Tate, you’ve misunderstood Mr. Alvarez He workedtest night, and with an early meeting this morning.

bA /bkork at the door booke the moment. A department manager entered, holding a neatly bstacked /bpile ut documents. “Mr. Alvarez, these are the papers requiring.

byour /bsignature ”

Carly’s fiery doubts began to cool. Petups she had been overthinking things.

How could Adam possibly love someone else behind her back Her own insecurities, bet fear of losing him, had made her jump bto /bconclusions. E

A bpang /bof guilt swept over her as she turned her gaze to Adam Hertone suttened, tinged with regret. “Adams, I’m sorry. I’ll leave you to handle your work.” Without waiting for a reply, Caity tuned and left the rou

Ariam’s sharp eyes followed be retreating figure until she disappeared though the doorway. Then without a word, he stepped bfurther /binto the lounge.

No. That was impossibleb. /bShe couldn’t have simply walked out on brown without being seeis

Adam’s plescing gaze swept across the broom/b, scanning everyer with precision. And then his eyesnded on the wardrobe.

The doors were closed, perfectly still. But someiling about them felt off, it was as if someone might be hilding Inside.