“No,” Celine said firmly, pushing him away with all her strength.

In the struggle, her hand identally hit his left one.

“Cuch“” Adam groaned, a bpained /bsound escaping his lips.

wrong?”

Celine fr?tre, startled “What’s wivnight.

lifted his injured lett Hamad te

Adam looked at her. “Celine, my hand hurts” He lifte

Celine knew his hand had been seriously hurt, but she hadn’t brealized /bthe full extent, 2 pstitches had been required. Though the stitches had been removed, there was a deep scar on his palmi, grotesque anal worm–File

Only the two of them were in the hallway, dimly lit by the warm glow of overhead lights. They stood close enough to hear each other’s heartbeat. Adam repeated while looking at Celine “Celine, do you see it? My hand hurts.”

Celine was confused and exasperated. She couldn’t understand why he, a man who had always carried himself with unyielding strength, was suddenly so fixated on iming pain,

She tilted her delicatece up to meet his paze. “It’s ugly,” she bsaid /bbluntly, referring to the scar,

Adam’s lips twitched into a mix of disbelief and amusement. The next second, he lowered his head and kissed her.

Celine tried to push him away, but her efforts were futile. His strong, slender fingers tangled in her soft ck hair, cradling the back of her head. He was relentless, overpowering,

Celine felt like she couldn’t breathe, as if she was being beaten /balive. She hammered her fists against his chest, and only then did he release her. His face buried into her hair as he drew a deep breath. “Celine,” his voice was hoarse and gravelly. “I’ve been druggedb./b”

Celine tried to take a step b back but was blocked by the bwall/b, leaving her no space to bescape/b. “So?

“So, you’ve been with Nathan all this time. Don’t you think it’s time you spent some of it with dropping even lower. “Celine, I want you.”

“With that, he kissed the shell of her ear,

dr, his bvol /b

Celine froze. She had expected this. From the moment he appeared at her door in the middle of the night, she had known his intentions,

Why wasn’t he with Carly? Why had he left the Tate family’s house?

Memories of his words from the other night at Celestial Suite resurfaced, his cold and biting judgment cutting through her thoughts. He had called Carly pure and untouchable and had told her this was her ce.

Was he here to treat her like an outlet for his desiresb? /bShe hadn’t forgotten the humiliation he had put her through

She lifted her chin. Her clear, determined eyes met his. “I don’t want it.” Her voice was steady.

Adam’s towering figure froze in ce

Celine pushed him away and turned to leave, but bAdam /bgrabbed her wrist. “Celine, do you really not like me banymore/b?”

Celine turned her head. “That’s right. I don’t like you anymore.”

Adam’s hand loosened at her bwords/b, his fingers slipping away from her wrist. His lips curled into a mocking smile as he nodded. “Alright then,”

With that, he took out his phone and bdialed /ba number. “Leo, send me a clean one to Lux Gardeni

Celine watched

stunned silence as he hung up and walked away, his long strides bcarrying /bhim swiftly down the hallway. He lett, just like that.

For a long time, Celine stood there. Eventually, she turned and walked back to the VII bward/b.

Inside, Nathan was stillst asleep, undisturbed by the night’s events. Celine climbed bonto /bthe couch and closed her eyes,