Chapter

No one welcomed her. Everyone seemed eager to shoo her away. Celine found this almost laughable. Her cold, clear gaze swept across Loxy, Carly, and Hayden before she jerked her arm free from Adam’s grasp. She flashed a faint smile and said, “Fine, I’ll…” She left, but just as quickly, turned back. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and looked at Adam. “Adam, do you know why I came to Haven Hospital today?”

Adam’s eyes lingered on her delicate, pale face, her skin so soft it looked almost ethereal. Her beauty seemed to shine even brighter in the dim light. He remained expressionless, clearly uninterested. His voice was low. “Celine, if you keep this up, it’s going to get tiresome.”

Celine stepped forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she smiled seductively. “I came here to find you a good doctor.” She pulled out a name card and handed it to him.

Adam looked down at the yellowed, worn card. It looked like something that might have been slipped under a door. It was the name card of a famous family doctor specializing in fertility treatments, with his contact number also written on it. Adam’s eyes twitched.

Celine slipped the card into his suit pocket. “Carly has a problem; surely you do too. You all should get checked out.” With that, she turned and walked away.

Adam’s hand, hanging loosely at his side, clenched into a fist. Celine always seemed to know how to irritate him.

Carly spoke up, her voice soft and cautious. “Adam, forget it. Don’t waste your time with Celine. She’s not worth…”

Hayden nodded in agreement. “Exactly. Where’s Dr. C? Why hasn’t the doctor shown up yet?”

The mention of Dr. C made everyone tense. She was Carly’s only hope. Adam glanced down at his watch. The scheduled time had passed, and there was no sign of Dr. C.

Just then, medical staff entered the room. “Mr. Alvarez,” they said.

Carly, Hayden, and Loxy’s eyes lit up. “Is Dr. C here?”

The medical staff looked at Adam. “Mr. Alvarez, Dr. C has arrived.”

Adam looked toward the door, expecting to see someone, but he saw a slender figure slipping away—Celine. She disappeared around the corner. Adam frowned. “This…Dr. C…”

The medical staff responded, “Dr. C came, but then she left.”

“What?” Carly, Hayden, and Loxy’s faces turned pale. “Why did Dr. C leave? She hasn’t even seen Carly yet!”

The medical staff apologized. “I’m sorry, but Dr. C will not see Ms. Tate.”

Carly’s tight, beautiful face drained of color. She was trying to figure out why Dr. C wouldn’t treat her. The excitement they had felt moments before was abruptly extinguished, leaving everyone stunned.

Carly broke down. “Why won’t Dr. C see me? Why?”

Hayden and Loxy quickly rushed to comfort her, speaking softly. “Carly, don’t be upset. We’ll find a way to bring Dr. C back. You’ll be fine.”

Adam’s handsome features suddenly hardened into something sharp and dangerous. He stared at the empty doorway, his jaw tight.

Celine left the hospital, and as she stepped outside, someone called her name. “Celine!”

She stopped and slowly turned around to see Loxy. Loxy had followed her outside. She came up to her and handed her something. “Celine, this is for you.”

Celine glanced down. It was a check for twenty thousand dollars.

Loxy said, “Celine, Adam doesn’t like you. Stop hanging around him. Let him be with your sister. Why can’t you just let Carly have him? Just get the divorce finalized with Adam; take the money, and go back to the countryside.”

Celine found it utterly ironic. If it weren’t for the DNA test she secretly had done on Loxy and Carly, she would have thought Carly was her real daughter. Loxy was indeed Carly’s stepmother. And yes, she only ever loved Carly. She never loved Celine, who was her biological daughter. Celine knew that Loxy was infatuated with Hayden, and because of that, she loved everything related to him.

Celine looked at Loxy with her clear, bright eyes and asked, “Is the position of Mrs. Alvarez really worth only this much to you? Or is that all I’m worth in your eyes?”

Loxy, flustered, quickly defended herself. “Celine, I’m doing this for your own good, as your mother. This place isn’t right for you.”

The words were foreign on her tongue, and a bitter smile crossed Celine’s face. “You’ve already sent me to the countryside once. Now you want to send me back again? You’re such a wonderful mother!”

Without saying another word, Celine turned and left, hailing a cab.

Celine sat quietly in the backseat of the car. She pulled a candy from her bag, unwrapped it carefully, and popped it into her mouth. The elderly driver, peering through the rearview mirror, couldn’t help but notice her. She was wearing a simple dress, appearing composed and calm—there was a quiet strength about her. She had very pale skin, and her body looked delicate, as if she could break easily.

With a smile, the driver spoke. “You really like candy, huh?”

Celine looked up, the breeze from the window brushing her hair softly against her face. She smiled faintly. “Yes, sometimes a little sweetness helps sweeten the bitterness in life.”

Loxy stood frozen as she watched the car pull away. Just then, someone approached her. “Mrs. Tate.”

Loxy turned, surprised to see Samson Stone, the director of Haven Hospital. She quickly walked up to him. “Mr. Stone, hello. You have the best connections. Is there any way you can ask Dr. C to treat my daughter, Carly?”

Samson smiled. “Mrs. Tate, I happen to know Dr. C personally. I can introduce you to her.”

Loxy’s face lit up. “Really? Thank you, Mr. Stone.”

Samson looked in the direction where Celine had disappeared, a sly smile creeping onto his face. “Mrs. Tate, is that your eldest daughter? I didn’t expect her to be so beautiful. She looked like an angel!”

Loxy’s smile faltered, and her face grew cold and expressionless.