adam reached out and i
I opened the wardrobe door, and there she was
Celine was curled up in the comer of the wardrobe, her small body buddied tightly, her long, silky black hair cascading around be
When the door wring open, her sleepy, dee–like eyes still hary from post waking up–napped up to meet his, startled, like a frightened fawn caught in the
ut moment, she looked so pititul, se vulnerable. She was like a sectet mistress someone might keep hidden away, forced in flee the bed and hide in a closet ven the wite barċevin munnowncod.
Adam frowned “Why are you hiding in the wardrobe?
celine blinked, bet thoughts still scattered from sleep. She had woken suddenly
she had been sleeping on his bed in the lounge
of Carly’s voter outside. As her surroundings registered, she realized
She couldn’t even remember how she got there. The last thing she remembered was dozing off at the desk.
That when Carly stemmed in, clearly on the warpathi, celine had panicked and instinctively hidden in the wardrobe.
Lisoking sp at Adam now, she asked, “1s Carly gone?
Celime tilted her head slightly, a faint, playful smile curving her lips. “When I saw Carly coming in, I hid on my own. Mr. Alvarez, wasn’t I good this time?” Adam’s expression didn’t change, but his thoughts flickered darkly. “Good? When it matters, you’re never good,” he thought to himself.
Without a word, Celine began climbing out of the wardrobe. But she had been crouched in the confined space for so long that her legs had gone completely numb The minment she stepped out, her lasers buckled, and she wobbled forward, about to collapse onto the carpet.
Adam’s hand shot out with lightning speed, his long, strong fingers closing around her slender am. He steadied her effortlessly before she could hit the ground, Celine bent one knee slightly, wincing as she tried to shake the pins and needles out of her leg. “Thank you, Mr. Alvarez,” she murmured.
Adam’s gaze stayed on her. She reached up, brushing a lock of hair behind her show–white ear, the delicate curve of her profile catching the light.
His lips pressed into a thin line before he finally spoke, his voice low and measured. “Next time something like this happens, if the man hasn’t told you to hide. there’s no need for you to hide. Got it?”
Celine’s long lashes fluttered slightly at his words.
Did he think she wanted to hide? She was the real wife? Carly was the mistress here, not her.
And yet, crouching in that wardrobe, feeling pathetic and ridiculous, had left her shaken.
“I was afraid Carly would hit me,” she muttered
Adam let out a low, sarcastic laugh. “You think you can’t beat her?”
The memory of Celine pining Elijah to the ground and beating him senseless was still vivid in his mind. The idea that she couldn’t handle Carly? That was hard to
Celine caused her gaze to meet las: “I can beat Carly, but I’m afraid you’ll take her side.”
Adam Trope, her words catching hish off guard.
She was afraid of Carly. She was afraid of lim siding with Carly.
Crline’s atrady paze stayed on his handsome face. After a beat of silence, she asked seriously, “I one day carly and I really got into a fight, who would you help? Adarn looked at her but didn’t say a word.
His silence was as good as an awer – he would side with Cady
Carly, bús favorite, the oor he’d given so much power and confidence that she could walk around like she owned the place.
Gelite dowdy but family pulled her an from lus grasp.
iin his haul, Adam let his ann fall to his side
Celine fruword diglatly, bei voice laced with confusion. “Me Alvarez, why was I sleeping in your lounge?»
Adani’a raporssion temained lard. “You tell asleep at the desk last night. When you woke up, your wandered into my lounge and shamelessly made yourseli
date gasped softly, her eyes widening in shock was that something she had done ?
, last night did I sleep alone? on did I. derp with you?”
Her gaze, brimaning within
damanswered igaradious, betrayed hier groupe struggle to recall how stud clog to his resk and suggled into his arms. Adam, totiring her apparent atujaria, decided it was best to let it go. Alteralj, last night had been isothing more than an accident.
A mocking smark cursed his thin lips. “Celine, what exactly ste you bepling for? Did you think I’d sleep with you? I slept on the couch.”
Celine lulent
