Last night, she left without saying goodbye and didn’t even bthank /bhim in person. E

Did he see the note she had carefully ced on the bedside table?

“Celine, what are you zoning out for? Humy up and call Mr. Alvarez! This time, he really stood up for you!” Hailey urged.

Celine dialed the number. The melodious ringtone rang once before someone answered in an unhurried manner. He answered the call but said nothing, leaving the pth “end silent.

Cetim slender fingers gripped the phone tightly as her heart began to race. She hesitatedb, /bunsure of what to say.

Then, his deep, maic voice came through. “If you’re not going to talk, I’m hanging up.”

He was about to end the call. As always, domineering and decisive.

Mr. Alvarez, wait! Just now, Mr. Zander and Mrs. Zander came to the school to see me. You bcan /blet Elijah gor

now.” Celine quickly spoke up. “Okay,” he replied curtly

Her longshes fluttered. Gathering her courage, Celine said softly, “Mr. Alvarez, bthank /byou.”

She sincerely expressed her gratitude, hoping it might convey her feelings.

But all she got in retum was a mocking chuckle. “Celine, is ‘thank you‘ the only bway /byou know how to express your gratitudeb?/bb” /b

Celine clenched the phone tightly, feeling helpless under his sarcastic tone. She was at a loss for words.

At that moment, Hailey chudded beside her. “Celine, since Mr. Alvarez helped you this time, you should repay him properly. ” Hailey’s eyes sparded with innocence, utterly oblivious to any deeper implication. To herb, /b” “brepay /bhim”

bwas /bsimply a gesture of gratitude. The phrase “repay him” echoed in Celine’s ears, malding her cheeks burn. She bhad /bher own way of “repaying” bAdam/b.

That time with Larry, he had saved her, and she had “brepaid/b” him. This time, he had saved her again, and it seemed she would have to “repay” him once more. Celine didn’t want to dwell on why he had rejected Carly. bShe /bdidn’t want to overthink it or get carried away. She preferred to treat his help bas /bba /btransaction, where neither owed the other anything

Biting her rosy lower lip, Celine softly asked, “Mr. Alvarez, thank you for helping me. I want to repay you. Would you ept it?”

There was a pause on the other end of the lineb, /bfollowed by two short tones. He had already hung up, bleaving /bonly the sound of a busy tone in her ear.

Celine was speechless. She stood there, phone in hand, feeling utterly dumbfounded. She had just asked bAdam /bif he wanted her “repayment“, and he bhad /bhung up

onber.

Her delicate, wless face instantly turned crimson, ring with both embarrassment and indignation. He didn’t want it.

Fine. If he didn’t want it, so be it. There was no need to act so smug about it. This was utterly humiliating-

Her thoughts were interrupted by a suddenmotion as ba /bfigure emerged ahead. Tracy had arrived.

A group of students surrounded Tracy, their faces filled with admiration. “bTracy/b, please sign an autograph bfor /bme!TM

“Tray, we want to be bas /bamazing as you somedayb!/b”

Hailey leaned in and whispered, “Celine, since Elijah took you away yesterday, you probably missed what bhappened /bduring the lecture

“Dr. C was burnt. As the crowd grew restless, Tracy, Dr.Cs bassistant/b, stepped up to the podium and delivered the lecture instead. She did an excellent job, and bby /bthe end, the apuse was overwhelming. Tracy became an instant sensation

“That’s not all. I heard one of Tracy’s academic thres was selected by the Museum of bMedical /bSciences. It’s going to be officially disyed in their exhibit window tomorrow. That’s a leage bhonor/b. right now, Tracy’s riding the wave of tarne.”

Celine nced at Tracy. No wonder she seemed so radiant, her pride practically overflowing

In the absence of the lion, the fox seemed to have eagerly imed the throne.