Adam’s heart skipped a beat. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could form the words, his palm felt empty—Celine had already pulled away. She was swept up by a crowd of admirers, all young, successful elites. Among them was Randall Potter, a fellow Harvard University graduate and rising tech star—the young CEO of a publicly listed company. His gaze lingered on Celine’s breathtakingly beautiful face, and a playful smile appeared. “Celine,” he said, “what’s your relationship status? Are you seeing anyone?”
Adam’s attention sharpened, his eyes fixed on her. Celine raised her delicate, arched eyebrows. Calmly, she replied, “Single. Available.”
Those two words seemed to light a sparkle in Randall’s eyes. Wasting no time, he pulled out his phone. “Celine, since we’re fellow alumni, let’s exchange WhatsApp numbers.”
Celine nodded slightly. “Sure, Randall.”
The two exchanged contact information effortlessly.
Adam stood off to the side, watching. His thoughts drifted to a different time, a time when Celine had rejected his friend request. She hadn't wanted to add him. But here she was, adding someone else. Her voice even softened when she addressed Randall by his first name—a contrast to how she always addressed Adam: “Mr. Alvarez.”
A hollow ache spread through Adam’s chest, a gnawing sense of loss.
“Celine!”
Sonia, Carly, Tracy, and Lucy had arrived but couldn't get close. Celine was in the VIP section, access restricted. The staff quickly stepped forward, holding up their hands. “Sorry, ladies, but you can’t go any further.”
Sonia, visibly emotional, looked up at Celine and exclaimed, “I’m here to see Celine! I’m Celine’s grandmother!” She had never imagined that Celine, the young woman she had always considered the disgrace of the Tates, would one day be a prodigy. She couldn’t wait to see her.
Hearing the commotion, Celine turned. A staff member approached respectfully. “Ms. Tate, they’re here to see you. This woman claims to be your grandmother.”
Sonia forced an awkward smile. “Linny, it’s me, Grandma!”
Linny? It was the first time Sonia had called her that. Celine laughed incredulously. “Grandma? If I remember correctly, didn’t we sever ties about an hour ago?”
Sonia froze, the color draining from her face. Celine’s gaze shifted past Sonia to Hazel and Tracy, the mother-daughter pair behind her. Hazel looked deeply uncomfortable; Tracy, normally so proud and self-assured, stood like a lifeless shell, her confidence shattered. Behind them, Lucy and Carly lingered silently, their expressions dark and bitter, their eyes glinting with barely concealed jealousy and resentment.
Hazel tried to smooth things over with a nervous smile. “Celine, Grandma was just upset earlier. We’re family, after all.”
Celine remained calm and composed. She blinked slowly and fixed her gaze directly on Sonia. “So what you’re saying is, you all want to be family again?”
Sonia’s face lit up with eager hope. “Linny, we’ve always been family—”
“But,” Celine interrupted sharply, “this time, I don’t want to be family with you.”
Sonia stiffened, the blow sinking in. Celine’s unwavering gaze swept over the group. These were the people who had deeply and irreparably hurt her. The scars they’d left were etched so painfully that only glacial indifference remained.
“You abandoned me when I was little. Other kids had grandmothers, mothers, families… but I always felt like an orphan. You said it yourself; we’ve already severed ties. And now, it’s my turn to cut you off.”
Without another glance, Celine turned to the staff member. “I don’t know these people. Please remove them.”
The staff member nodded. “Ladies, I’m going to have to ask you to leave at once.”
“Linny, you can’t do this to us…”