In a deep, mellow voice, Adam asked, "Mr. Peyton, will Miss Genius C attend the Pinnacle of Academic Symposium?"

The words "Miss Genius C" struck a sensitive chord in Carly's heart. Her ears perked up instantly. Was the mysterious, aloof genius going to make an appearance?

Samuel replied, "Mr. Alvarez, she has been in Mercity all along. Unfortunately, you've never met, despite being in the same city. But now she'll be attending the symposium, and you'll finally get to meet her. Mr. Alvarez, we'd appreciate it if you could spare some time to attend that day."

Adam nodded. "I'll be there," he said.

The call ended, leaving Carly in shock. "Adam, Miss Genius C has been in Mercity this whole time? Who is she?"

Mercity's social circles weren't that large, yet she'd never heard of this person. She couldn't ignore the presence of this so-called genius. Even Adam didn't know who she was; he'd never heard of her either. He raised his strikingly sharp eyebrows at the thought of her mysterious and aloof nature. To be honest, he was quite curious, too.

"We'll find out when the time comes," he said.

Celine had fallen seriously ill, spending seven days in a daze on her sickbed. Thankfully, on the eighth day, she finally recovered. Her illness faded like threads being pulled away, restoring her health.

Hailey and Robin threw their arms around her, exclaiming, "Celine, you scared us to death!"

Celine opened the window, letting the bright, warm sunlight spill over her fragile frame, bathing her in a golden glow. She took a deep breath of the fresh air and playfully blinked.

"Hailey, Robin, don't worry. I'm all fine now," she said.

She had healed on her own. The light in her eyes had returned. Though the process of breaking herself apart and piecing herself back together had been excruciating, she had come through it. She had accepted the painful truth that Adam no longer loved her or wanted her. Gritting her teeth, she had carved him out of her heart. She had no regrets. She had loved with all her heart; she had been like a moth drawn to a flame. Hailey and Robin beamed with delight.

"Celine, I knew you wouldn't lose yourself over a man," Hailey said. "Celine, you're single now! From now on, you can have your pick of all the handsome guys in the world. To hell with Adam Alvarez!"

Celine wrapped one arm around Hailey and the other around Robin. "That's right. It's all in the past now. To hell with Adam Alvarez!"

With that, the three of them burst into laughter.

Celine soon returned to her classes. Today's lecture was with James. As he spoke at the podium, she felt drowsy and rested her head on the desk, falling asleep again.

Seeing her napping during his lecture, James shook his head repeatedly, thinking, "Celine really didn't deserve Adam."

What James didn't know at the time was that his opinion was about to undergo a complete transformation.

He continued his lecture, teaching from an ancient medical text, the Sacred Herbal Codex. As he spoke, Celine suddenly woke up. Her clear, bright eyes fixed on him, she raised her hand and gestured for him to come over.

James froze. What was wrong with her?

He walked over. She looked at him and said, "You just made a mistake."

He stiffened. He was a revered figure in the medical field and known to some as a living legend. No one had ever dared to claim he was wrong—least of all Celine.

Confidently, he retorted, "Impossible."