Sonia and her extended family had already received their invitations to the Pinnacle of Academic Symposium. They were eager to see this genius girl for themselves, wondering what kind of person she was and what made her so extraordinary.

Carly, still clinging to Adam's arm, felt a surge of jealousy whenever the genius girl was mentioned. She had become the talk of Mercity, stealing all the attention, and everyone buzzed about her upcoming debut alongside Adam. Carly was determined to see the girl herself at the symposium in two days.

Meanwhile, Celine stood quietly, her bright eyes scanning the room. She observed the people with an amused, indifferent expression. The situation struck her as absurd, and a faint smile tugged at her lips. However, as quickly as it appeared, she felt a piercing gaze. Looking up, she met Adam's cold, sharp eyes. He had been watching her. Flustered, she looked away.

Lucy brought the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Celine," she said, "Mr. Wilde has made his feelings clear. You should go on a few dates with him in the next couple of days and get to know each other. If all goes well, we can finalize the wedding arrangements soon."

Celine turned to Lucy, her so-called mother, who seemed desperate to marry her off to Simon to clear the path for Carly. Looking at Simon, Celine said, "Mr. Wilde, I'm sorry, but there's no chance of anything happening between us. You don't need to waste your time."

Her words stunned everyone. Sonia was the first to react, her voice sharp with disapproval. "Celine, are you out of your mind? How dare you reject Mr. Wilde?"

Tracy chimed in, "Celine, Mr. Wilde is offering to take you to the symposium. Do you think you can get in on your own?"

Lucy chastised her, "Celine, Mr. Wilde doesn't mind that you have no degree or job, yet you still think you're too good for him?"

Even Carly thought Celine was ungrateful. Simon was a decent match—a college graduate with a teaching job. If not for Celine's good looks, someone like Simon wouldn't have looked at her twice.

As accusations filled the room, Celine sensed their genuine disdain. They truly believed she was lucky to have someone like Simon interested in her. A faint smile played on her lips as she responded, "Thank you all for your concern, butI already have a boyfriend!" Her declaration silenced the room.

"Celine, since when did you have a boyfriend?"

"Celine, who is your boyfriend?"

Carly, unable to remain still, and unsure of what Celine was doing, said mockingly, "Celine, I know you're aiming high. You don't want to marry a teacher. You want to marry someone rich, right?" Turning to Adam, she added with a sly smile, "Adam, you're surrounded by CEOs and wealthy businessmen. Why don't you introduce one of them to—"

Adam's gaze remained fixed on Celine. They hadn't been divorced long. Did she really have a new boyfriend already?

Celine met Carly's mocking gaze, then turned to Adam's distinguished face. She remembered his offer at the roadside inn to introduce her to someone rich. "There's no need to trouble Mr. Alvarez," she said. "My boyfriend is already very wealthy!"

"Wealthy?" Tracy was the first to laugh. "Celine, what kind of wealthy man would be interested in you? Don't tell me it's some old, ugly sugar daddy!"

Celine clasped her hands behind her back and fluttered her eyelashes playfully. "My boyfriend is not only rich, but he's also incredibly handsome. The kind who turns heads wherever he goes." Her gaze flicked to Adam before she continued, "He's even as impressive as Mr. Alvarez."

The way her eyes glimmered, as though she truly had someone extraordinary, darkened Adam's expression.

The Tate family erupted into laughter, none of them believing her. Sonia said, "Celine, stop bragging. Who would believe you have such a boyfriend?" Lucy added, "Celine, stop making a fool of yourself."