“Adam, don’t you want to see it?”

“Fine. Come to my place tonight,” he agreed.

“Perfect.”

After dinner, Adam and Carly exited the restaurant together. As they stepped outside, they spotted Celine. She was standing nearby, chatting with Owen from Alpite Pharma. Adam’s steps faltered, surprised by the sight of Celine. He hadn’t expected to see her there, especially not with Owen. What was going on between them?

Equally stunned, Carly couldn’t help but comment, “Adam, why is Celine with Mr. McConnick from Alpite Plumma? Could it be she’s trying to seduce him now?”

Her pointed remark made Adam frown, his expression darkening. Aly scoffed. “I seem to recall Mr. McCormick is a married man. Isn’t Celine supposed to be dating Perry? So why is she…”

With that, they stepped forward. Celine turned, her gaze landing on Adam and Carly. She raised an eyebrow and greeted them, “Me Alvarez, Carly, what a surprise.”

“Rather not be seen by him. Aren’t you worried we might expose your little secretly sold…” her tone laced with disdain for Alpite Pharma. Noticing Carly’s disrespect, Owen immediately stepped in. “Ms. Carly, why are you bringing this up?”

“Mr. McCormick, why are you defending her?” Carly shot back. “Does your wife know you’re out dining with Celine?”

Before Owen could respond, Celine raised a hand, signaling him to step back. Owen took the hint and moved aside.

“Carly, you clearly have something to say. Why not just come out with it? Are you suggesting that I’m having an affair?”

Carly smirked. “Well, we all know Alpite Pharma is the largest listed medical company in the country—well-known, influential, and with an impeccable reputation. As its director, Mr. McCormick must face a lot of temptation. Celine, I can see why you’d try to use your charms to get his attention.”

Owen shot her a look of disbelief, as if she were the biggest fool he had ever come across.

“But Mr. McCormick is a married man,” Carly continued. “Celine, do you have no shame? Isn’t Mr. Marshall enough for you? Why do you keep seducing taken men?”

Celine quickly realized Carly had misunderstood the situation, though it didn’t surprise her. With a sly smile, she replied, “Carly, when someone’s rotten inside, they assume the whole world stinks.”

Before Carly could lash out further, Adam stepped in. “Enough!”

Carly turned to him with a pitiful expression. “Adam, you saw it yourself. Celine is completely shameless!”

Adam ignored her as his gaze remained locked on Celine. “So, you were having dinner with Mr. McCormick?”

Celine nodded. “That’s correct. Is there a problem with that? Since when is having dinner with him a crime?”

There was something about the way Celine and Owen stood together that made Adam feel uneasy, as if they were hiding something. “And what exactly were you two talking about?” he pressed.

Owen started to explain, “Mr. Alvarez, Ms. Celine and I—”

But Celine quickly cut him off. “Mr. Alvarez, I’m known as ‘Dr. C’ in the medical field, and Mr. McCormick is the director of Alpite Pharma. We were simply discussing medical topics.”

Owen then nodded in agreement. “That’s right. I’ve long respected Dr. C’s expertise, so I invited her to dinner to exchange insights.”

Turning to Carly, he added, “I’d advise you to stay calm, Ms. Carly. Your heart condition is worsening, and if Dr. C refuses to treat you, no one else can. If I were you, I’d do whatever it takes to stay on her good side.”

This news hit Carly like a lightning bolt, draining the color from her face. Celine watched her with a cold, detached gaze. The Tair family had brought this upon themselves; they were never deserving of her sympathy.

Meanwhile, Carly realized that Celine would never willingly help her. The only way to get to her was through Adam. She couldn’t afford to lose him—not now, and certainly not when she could use him to make Celine’s life a living nightmare.

A smug smile curled on Carly’s lips. “Adam, let’s not waste any more time here. We should go back.”

With that, she looped her arm through Adam’s and gloated, “Celine, here’s some good news. Tonight, I’ll be staying at Adam’s place.”