Adam remained asleep, unable to respond. Just then, Celine's phone lit up; it was Nikki. She answered, and Nikki's anxious voice filled the line. "Celine, where are you? You need to come back to the dorm. Halley's in trouble!"

"What? Halley was in trouble?"

Celine ended the call, carefully easing out of Adam's arms. She picked up her clothes from the carpet, quickly slipping them on. Without a sound, she left.

Soon after, a faint click echoed as the villa gates opened. Someone slipped in quietly—Nikki. She stepped inside and saw Adam asleep on the couch. Scattered clothes on the floor clearly indicated what had happened the previous night: Adam and Celine had been together.

Nikki unbuttoned her shirt, letting it fall from her shoulders, and climbed onto the couch beside him. She gazed at his chiseled, handsome face with admiration. This was the closest she had ever been to the richest man in Mercity. Her heart raced; she could feel every beat. She reached out, her hand trembling, intending to lift the blanket and slip into his arms. However, Adam stirred and slowly opened his eyes.

Nikki quickly said, "Mr. Alvarez, you're awake?"

Adam sat up instantly, his sharp gaze piercing her. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"Mr. Alvarez, I'm Nikki. We've met before. I'm Celine's classmate," she replied.

Recognition flickered in his eyes. He remembered her as one of Celine's friends.

"Mr. Alvarez, last night, Leo called me. He asked me to come to Lux Garden to take care of you. So, last night, we" Her words trailed off as she lowered her head, feigning embarrassment.

Adam's temples throbbed. His memory of the previous night was hazy and fragmented. He recalled leaving the Tate Manor and going to the hospital to find Celine. She had refused him. Struggling to maintain his composure, he returned to Lux Garden. The rest was a blur. However, he remembered Celine had been there, their bodies entwined. Yet now, she was gone.

Had he really ended up with Celine's classmate instead?

His gaze fell on a crimson stain on the couch—undeniable evidence of a woman's first time. His expression darkened. His voice was cold and commanding. "Put your clothes on!"

In the study, Leo rushed in. "Mr. Alvarez," he said.

Still dressed in his clothes from the night before, Adam's expression was grim. "Did you go to the hospital last night to find Celine?"

"Yes. I showed her the security footage from the villa and told her you hurt your left hand because of her. I wanted her to go to Lux Garden, but she refused. She returned to the ward."

Leo had personally seen her enter the ward. However, unbeknownst to him, Celine left again afterward and went to Lux Garden.

Adam's lips curled into a faint, bitter smirk. A self-deprecating laugh escaped him. So, Celine hadn't come. Last night, it was Nikki, not Celine. From the moment he saw the blood stain, he knew it wasn't Celine. After all, Celine was no longer a virgin.