Benjamin remained silent, his gaze fixed on Carly with a hint of skepticism.

“Benjamin,” Carly said, “why are you looking at me like that? Are you doubting me? Do you suspect I wanted to… to harm you? We’re so close, and it saddens me to see how much you’ve changed. And why didn’t you return at the scheduled time? Did you not throw Celine into the water?” Carly was exceptionally clever. She skillfully played on emotions and proactively confronted Benjamin with her questions first. Benjamin had done nothing to Celine. He began to feel guilty and replied, “Carly, that’s not what I meant.”

“Benjamin, we need to stand together and not allow Celine to sow discord between us.”

Celine began packing her luggage, preparing for her flight back to Mercity. Once finished, she went outside to find her seniors. She spotted Carly in the corridor. Carly had been waiting for her. Celine approached without surprise.

Carly smiled. “I’m relieved you’re back safely. I was so worried about you.”

Celine smirked. “Carly, was this your doing?”

“I don’t understand what you mean, Celine. Everything needs proof, or I’ll sue you for defamation.” Carly was fearless and aimed to provoke Celine, knowing Celine could do nothing.

Celine remained calm. She winked playfully and remarked nonchalantly, “Carly, I should thank you. A friend in need is a friend indeed. I was truly in danger, and Mr. Alvarez rescued me. You may not realize it, but Benjamin and I were genuinely at risk in that village. If Mr. Alvarez hadn’t arrived, we might not have made it back.”

Celine’s words struck a nerve, causing Carly’s smile to vanish. She stared grimly at Celine.

Celine stepped forward confidently, smiling. “Oh, by the way, Carly, did Mr. Alvarez mention that we spent the night together?”

Carly was stunned. “You slept with Adam?”

Celine nodded. “Yes.”

Carly was visibly upset. “Carly,” Celine said, “why are you staring at me? You were the one who sent Mr. Alvarez to me.”

Carly’s chest heaved with rage. She clenched her fist, her voice laced with fury. “Celine, you are utterly shameless!”

“I learned to be shameless from you. When we face a shameless opponent, we can only outdo them and use their tactics against them.”

Carly seethed with frustration. Then, she saw a strikingly handsome and dignified figure approaching—Adam.

Celine turned to see Adam standing in the corridor, illuminated by the light. He had just returned from the shower, wearing a pristine white shirt that accentuated his tall, elegant stature. He had clearly been there, listening to their conversation. He walked over.

Carly asked, “Adam, Celine just told me you slept with her. Is that true?”

Although Carly hadn’t anticipated his arrival, she remained composed. Knowing she had done nothing wrong, she…

The final sentence is incomplete and grammatically incorrect. The passage needs further editing to make the ending coherent. There are also several instances where the original text contains unclear or illogical phrasing. More context would be needed to fully repair these ambiguities.