Out!
Clam
Theme 210
Chapter 219
Celine withdrew her gaze, shaking her head lightly. “Hailey, I’m fine.”
Without another word, she pulled out her phone and dialed Alvarez Residence.
Mary’s cheerful voice answered almost immediately. “Celine, you finally decided to call me! I’ve missed you so much!”
Celine’s eyes lingered on the faint outline of the luxury car disappearing into the distance. “Grandma, I don’t have any classes tonight. I can come to Alvarez Residence and have dinner with you”
“That’s wonderful! And it’s perfect timing. Adam will be back tonight too. I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Okay.”
After ending the call, Celine turned to Hailey. “Hailey, I need to go to Alvarez Residence.”
Hailey nodded. “Alright, go keep Mrs. Alvarez Senior company for dinner.”
But Celine’s expression remained calm as she added, “No, I’m going to find out who Nikki’s sugar daddy really is.”
What?
Hailey froze.
The extended Rolls–Royce glided smoothly down the road. Leo sat in the driver’s seat, while Nikki reclined in the back, her gaze
fixed on the man seated beside her.
Adam dressed impeccably in a black, custom–tailored suit. A neatly folded pocket square peeked from his jacket, and the residual authority of a high–stakes meeting seemed to cling to him.
The mutual glow of neon lights filtered through the tinted windows, casting soft reflections on his sharp features, making him appear as distant and unattainable as he had the first time Nikki laid eyes on him.
Adam held the document in his hands, flipping through it with a focused intensity, paying her no attention at all.
Nikki’s gaze softened, her eyes filled with a mix of admiration and longing. “Mr. Alvarez, I fell off the wire rig today, but I wasn’t
hurt. You didn’t have to
He didn’t bother to 1/ out of your way to come see me ”
dismissive
his handsome eyelids. “Did Celine go to the hospital to see you?” His tone was indifferent, almost
Nikki froze, caught off guard.
Adam shut the file with precision. His deep, cold eyes finally locked onto her face. “Don’t say anything reckless in front of Celine, Do you understand me?”
He looked down at her from his lofty position, his gaze a clear warning.
Nikki froze completely. She had thought that after her fall from the wire rig earlier today, he had come to see her out of concern.
But in just two sentences, he had made it painfully clear that every word he spoke revolved around Celine. And then, he had gone so far as to warn her, to ensure she didn’t say anything inappropriate in front of his wife.
The meaning behind his words hit her like a slap. He didn’t want celine to find out that he had “slept” with her.
A wave of humiliation crashed over her, and her misplaced affection burned hot in her chest. Nikki clenched her fists tightly.
How could she not resent Celine for this? After all, Celine had come from nothing, just like she had. Celine wasn’t born into anything more noble.
But while Nikki had spent her life tiptoeing around others, reading their moods, and living cautiously, Celine had always been calm, confident, and sharp–everything Nikki wasn’t.
Most importantly, Celine had married Adam, the man who seemed almost godlike, and became Mrs. Alvarez.
Why? If Celine could have him, why couldn’t she?
Nikki had been watching Adam, carefully observing everything that went on around him. That night, when Leo had gone looking
(Chapter 239
for someone “clean“, she saw her chance.
But when she arrived at Lux Garden, Celine had beaten her to it, claiming that night with Adam as her own.
It should have been her. It should have been Nikki who shared that night with Adam.
She envied Celine.
And she hated her even more.
And Adam’s cold, dismissive tone only deepened the hatred. But Nikki dared not let it show. Swallowing her pride, she forced herself to nod. “I understand, Mr. Alvarez.”
At that moment, a cheerful ringtone broke the silence. A call was coming in from Alvarez Residence.
Adam answered, and Mary’s joyful voice rang out from the other end. “Adam, hurry up and come home for dinner. Celine’s here.”
His sharp features shifted almost imperceptibly. “I’m heading back now.”
Ending the call, Adam glanced toward Leo and said, “Pull over.”
