He knew she was fast, but hadn't expected her to be this fast. Adam had never faced a real opponent in gaming until Celine. She gave him a real run for his money, and their battle was too close to call—entirely unexpected for Adam.

Benjamin felt something was off. "Damn, Adam! Celine's actually holding her own. Hold steady! You have to hold steady! If you lose, my rank drops from Pro to Rookie!"

Just then, Leo entered. "Mr. Alvarez, you have a call from the Alvarez Residence."

Adam wondered what could have happened at home and was momentarily distracted. The game ended a second later. His well-defined fingers froze mid-movement. He had lost. Celine, taking advantage of his distraction, swung her hammer and knocked him out.

He had actually lost to Celine! He'd intended to teach her a lesson, perhaps even make her cry. Instead, Benjamin's wailing filled the room. He stared at his game account in disbelief. "Adam, you lost? Oh no, I've dropped to Rookie! Waaaah!"

It had taken him three years to reach Pro, but losing to Celine had dropped him to Rookie. Benjamin felt utterly defeated.

Adam said nothing, his mind lingering on the unexpected loss, which he found amusing. Pressing his tongue against his handsome right cheek, he chuckled softly. She had truly surprised him.

He shifted his piercing gaze toward Leo. "What's going on with Grandma?"

"Mr. Alvarez, the Alvarez Residence called. Mrs. Alvarez Senior's medicinal soup recipe, left for her by Mrs. Alvarez, is missing. She's asking you to request another copy from Mrs. Alvarez."

So Grandma was fine; it was Celine's recipe that was missing. Adam took out his phone, opened WhatsApp, and immediately video-called Celine.

Meanwhile, in the girls' hostel, although Celine had won, she knew her victory wasn't entirely fair. The "Benjamin" she'd faced had suddenly become unbelievably skilled, practically invincible. His extraordinary strength dumbfounded her. She hadn't been able to defeat him until a sudden lag on his end gave her an opening. She seized the opportunity, landing a hammer blow and taking him down. She knew she couldn't have beaten him based on skill alone.

"Since when did 'Benjamin' get so strong?" she wondered.

A video call notification popped up—Celine Tate-Alvarez's WhatsApp. It was Adam. Why was he video-calling her? She hesitated briefly before accepting.

The screen lit up, and there he was. Adam sat in a black leather office chair, wearing a white shirt; its expensive, custom-tailored fabric perfectly outlined his broad shoulders and well-built chest. He exuded an aura of mature elegance and untouchable, aristocratic coolness. He was Mercity's ultimate "ice king," the man no one could easily win over.

Celine looked at him. "Mr. Alvarez, is there something you need from me?"

Adam looked at her. Celine, fresh from a shower, had her long black hair loosely twisted into a bun, a few strands falling around her snow-white neck. She wore only a simple white camisole with thin straps, revealing smooth, fair skin.

Adam paused, caught off guard. He'd never seen her like this—fresh from a shower, in a bun and camisole. The pure, youthful vibe of a twenty-something college girl hit him squarely.

He finally spoke calmly. "The medicinal soup recipe you left for Grandma is missing."