The bedroom bwas /bempty, with no sign of anyone.

The bathroom door bwas /bshut. 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 bhad /bvanished. Where could she have gone?

Adamwalked back out. At that moment, the bmaid /bentered the room “Mr. Alvarezb, /bMrs. 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 bface/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 ba /bhumorlessugh, clearly exasperated.

The maid excused herself, leaving Adam alone in the spacious master bedroom. He leanedzily bagainst /bthe 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 ba /bputt 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. Alvarezb, /bMs. Tate has retumed home. As for Mr. Zander”

Adam tapped bhis /bcigarette into bthe /bashtray, his gaze falling on the faint bite mark on his arm left by Celine.

Frowning, be knitted his brows and said, “It Henry calls bagain/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 bdoor/b. “Carly, didn’t youe back with Elijah?”

They had assumed Carly would retum with Elijah. Seeing bno /bbsign /bof him, they bstood /bthere, bewildered.

Carly nced at the four eager faces. Hermood was sour, and her tone bsharp/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 bcan’t /beven sway Mr. Alvarez. What a fraud.” Hetty suretedb. /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.

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 bce/b.

b“/bbCarly/b, what is going on here?” Lucy was equally incredulous. “Carly, you spoke to him yourself, and Adam still didn’t agree to release bhim/b?”

Their earlier barrogance /btumed into unbearable humiliation. Carly dug her fingealls into her palms in resentment.

“Celine. The game between us had ufficially begun,” she thought.