Adam panted breathlessly, his weight pressing down entirely on Celine. "Dammit!" His body seemed to remember her. He hadn’t even touched Carly. Most men would crave a romantic relationship or passion at his age, but he’d always been indifferent to such things. It never felt like anything he was missing… until he met Celine. Especially that stormy night when she helped him. That night, she let him taste something he’d never experienced before. Each time he came into contact with her, that feeling resurfaced, stirring him in ways he couldn’t control.

He loosened his grip on her neck, and Celine sucked in big gulps of fresh air. She pressed her hands against his strong, chiseled chest, trying to shove him off. “Adam, let go of me!”

Adam’s sharp eyes glinted, catching a faint, errant tinge of red. Bracing his hands against the floor-to-ceiling window behind her, he lowered his intense gaze onto her. “Still gonna say you didn’t drink bubble tea?” He could already taste the sweet flavor lingering in her mouth.

Celine instantly clapped a hand over her lips. “Bubble teas use artificial sweeteners. They’re bad for you.”

“Nowadays, bubble teas are handmade. It’s not as cheap or unhealthy as you think. Drinking one tonight won’t ruin Grandma’s health,” she cut him off.

Her lips still held that sweetness, with the faintest trace of creamy milk. He wasn’t sure if it was because the bubble tea had been artisanal or if she just naturally tasted that sweet. There was something about her—an energy so vibrant and youthful that Carly, with all her carefully crafted elegance, simply couldn’t match. Adam said nothing more. His gaze swept downward, lingering on her lips—shiny and soft from the kiss—and then back up to meet her eyes. What was that look?

She’d only kissed him out of desperation, a fleeting attempt to escape his grasp. It hadn’t meant anything. But now… was he thinking about kissing her again? The way he looked at her—God, it was so captivating. His magnetic charm was simply part of him, effortless and inescapable.

He suddenly crouched down, slipping out from under his arm and quickly retreating a few steps, putting as much distance as she could between them. The moment she backed away, the ambiguous atmosphere between them dissolved like smoke. Adam straightened up, regaining his composure effortlessly.

“Mr. Alvarez, you’ve lectured me enough. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to campus now,” Celine said.

His reply was swift. “I haven’t given you permission to leave.”

Before she could respond, a knock at the door broke the silence. Leo entered, balancing a stack of papers in his hands. “Mr. Alvarez, here are the five test packets you asked for.”

Without hesitation, Adam took the stack and unceremoniously tossed it into Celine’s arms. “From now on, you’re going to take your studies seriously. You’re finishing all five of these tonight.”

The weight of the pages landed against her chest, and she caught them awkwardly, staring at him in utter disbelief. Was he serious? Was he out of his mind? Did he even realize who she was? By tomorrow, she was going to make him a joke, a story everyone would laugh at over lunch. But right now, she had no way of fighting back.

Without further option, Celine grudgingly sat down. The scratch of her pen filled the silence as she began working. Adam, on the other hand, had already dismissed her from his thoughts. He returned to his sleek black leather office chair and began reviewing documents. As time passed during the evening, the city skyline gleamed under the blanket of night.

When Adam finally glanced up, his gaze settled on Celine—and froze. She had slumped over the desk, sound asleep. She’d fallen asleep again? Adam walked over to her, and when he looked down at the test packets scattered in front of her, he froze.