Last night, she left without saying goodbye and didn't even thank him in person. Did he see the note she had carefully placed on the bedside table?

"Celine, what are you zoning out for? Hurry up and call Mr. Alvarez! This time, he really stood up for you!" Hailey urged.

Celine dialed the number. The melodious ringtone rang once before someone answered in an unhurried manner. He answered but said nothing, leaving the phone silent.

Celine's slender fingers gripped the phone tightly as her heart raced. She hesitated, unsure what to say.

Then, his deep, magnetic voice came through. "If you're not going to talk, I'm hanging up."

He was about to end the call—domineering and decisive, as always.

"Mr. Alvarez, wait! Mr. and Mrs. Zander came to the school to see me. You can let Elijah go now," Celine quickly said. "Okay," he replied curtly.

Her long lashes fluttered. Gathering her courage, Celine said softly, "Mr. Alvarez, thank you." She sincerely expressed her gratitude, hoping it would convey her feelings.

But she only received a mocking chuckle. "Celine, is 'thank you' the only way you know how to express your gratitude?"

Celine clenched the phone, feeling helpless under his sarcastic tone. She was at a loss for words.

At that moment, Hailey chuckled beside her. "Celine, since Mr. Alvarez helped you, you should repay him properly." Hailey's eyes sparkled with innocence, utterly oblivious to any deeper implication. To her, "repay him" was simply a gesture of gratitude. The phrase echoed in Celine's ears, making her cheeks burn. She had her own way of "repaying" Adam.

That time with Larry, he had saved her, and she had "repaid" him. This time, he had saved her again, and it seemed she would have to "repay" him once more. Celine didn't want to dwell on why he had rejected Carly; she preferred to treat his help as a transaction, where neither owed the other anything.

Biting her rosy lower lip, Celine softly asked, "Mr. Alvarez, thank you for helping me. I want to repay you. Would you accept it?"

There was a pause, followed by two short tones. He had hung up, leaving only a busy signal.

Celine was speechless. She stood there, phone in hand, feeling utterly dumbfounded. She had just asked Adam if he wanted her "repayment," and he had hung up on her.

Her delicate face instantly turned crimson, flaring with embarrassment and indignation. He didn't want it. Fine. If he didn't want it, so be it. There was no need to act so smug. This was utterly humiliating.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a commotion as Tracy arrived. A group of students surrounded her, their faces filled with admiration. "Tracy, please sign an autograph for me!" "Tracy, we want to be as amazing as you someday!"

Hailey leaned in and whispered, "Celine, since Elijah took you away yesterday, you probably missed the lecture. Dr. C was burnt. As the crowd grew restless, Tracy, Dr. C's assistant, stepped up and delivered the lecture. She did an excellent job, and the applause was overwhelming. Tracy became an instant sensation. I heard one of Tracy's academic theses was selected by the Museum of Medical Sciences. It's going to be displayed tomorrow. That's a huge honor. Right now, Tracy's riding the wave of fame."

Celine glanced at Tracy. No wonder she seemed so radiant, her pride practically overflowing. In the absence of the lion, the fox seemed to have eagerly claimed the throne.