Celine arched an elegant brow, her thoughts drifting to a message on her phone. It was from Perry: “Celine, I’ll be arriving in Mercity in two days.” Perry was coming to town; she hadn’t been lying.

“I’ve got something to do. I’ll excuse myself,” Celine said, turning on her heel and walking away.

The room emptied as soon as she left. “That Celine is such a compulsive liar! Making up a rich, handsome boyfriend just to save her pride?” one person scoffed.

Another added, “She should look in the mirror. Rich men aren’t fools. Why would anyone like her?”

Carly, clinging to Adam’s arm, sneered, “Adam, it looks like divorcing Celine really hit her hard. Now she’s dreaming of finding someone as rich as you.” Adam’s deep eyes remained fixed on the doorway where Carly had disappeared; his expression was unreadable.

Celine left Tate Manor and decided to head back to the dormitory. She stood at the side of the road, trying to hail a cab. The area was quiet, and cabs were scarce. She waited for what felt like ages without luck.

Then, a honk broke the silence. Celine turned to see a sleek Rolls-Royce Phantom pull up beside her, its polished exterior gleaming under the streetlights. It was Adam’s car.

The luxurious vehicle rolled to a stop, and the driver’s window slid down, revealing Adam’s refined, aristocratic features. His dark eyes locked onto hers. “Hailing a cab?” he asked.

“Yes, Mr. Alvarez,” Celine replied.

“This isn’t a good spot to catch one. Get in. I’ll give you a ride,” Adam offered.

He wanted to give her a ride?

Celine hesitated. She didn’t particularly want to get in his car, but it was late, and who knew when she would manage to flag down a cab? After weighing her options, she decided to swallow her pride. “Thank you, Mr. Alvarez.”

She moved to the rear of the car and reached for the backseat door handle when, with a soft beep, the central locking engaged. The doors clicked shut. Startled, Celine froze and looked at Adam.

Inside the car, Adam rested one hand lazily on the steering wheel. His gaze met hers with a playful glint in his eyes. “Where’s that rich, handsome boyfriend of yours? Why isn’t he driving over to pick you up?”

Celine was too stunned to speak. It dawned on her then: he had no intention of letting her in the car. He was toying with her!

A smirk tugged at the corners of Adam’s lips. His gaze locked on Celine before he said, with a good look, “Bragging about yourself like that and claiming you’ve got an incredible boyfriend. What a liar. You’re really something.”

He called her a liar.

Celine’s cheeks burned with embarrassment and anger. Her small fists clenched tightly at her sides. “How dare you…!”

Before she could finish, Adam stepped on the gas. The powerful car roared to life, speeding off with sleek, confident grace.

Celine stood there, fuming. That man! He was insufferable, completely and utterly despicable!

Through the rearview mirror, Adam caught a glimpse of her. She was stomping her feet in frustration, practically shaking with fury. His lips curled into a faint smile, and a low chuckle escaped him.

“Adam, just you wait!” Celine muttered under her breath.