Hayden’s expression darkened. “What do you mean?”

b“/bHoneyb, /bdo you think I don’t know? Cerly isn’t your biological bdaughter/b!”

Hayden pressed his lips together, his silence heavy with tension.

b“/bbCarly /bes from a powerful family. If you reveal her true identity, all those obstacles will disappear. bShe’ll /bbe able to marry Mr. Alvarez without a hitch, “Lucy continued

bHayden /brose to his feet. “I don’t want to hear bthis /bagain. bY /b

You’d better keep it to yourself.”

With that, he turned and headed for the staircase.

Lucy wasn’t ready to let the matter go. “Honey, why won’t you reveal Carly’s true identity?” she pressed.

Hayden paused mid–stop, his figure still refined and gentlemanly but now cloaked in an air of solemnity. Finally, his voice came, “Because Carly’s mother doesn’t want her to return to the Capitol.”

That woman again!

Lucy’s eyes shed with malice. No wonder Celine, even after being abandoned in the countryside, had managed to grow into such a genius.

bWhat /bkind of terrifyingly powerful genes must she have?

But so what? All that brilliance, all that glory, it would belong to Carly in the end.

Even though Hayden had refused outright, Lucy could sense his resolve faltering. He loved Carly too much to turn a blind eye to her suffering

It was only ba /bmatter of time before her true identity came to light

Asly, twisted smile crept across Lucy’s face.

The next day, Adamsat in the president’s office when his phone buzzed. It was james calling after returning from a business trip.

“Adam, do you have time today? Come over for lunch,” James bsaid /bcasually.

He was inviting Adam to dine at the Lambert residence.

Adam had spent the night in his office, and it had been anything but restful. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed b“/bJames, I don’t have time today.”

“That’s a shame. I even invited Allie and Celine to join us for lunch,” James replied.

Celine? Going to the Lambert residence for lunch?

Adam’s mind instantly bchanged/b. “I’ll be there in a bit.”

Half an hourter, bAdam /barrived at the Lambert residence, but Celine and Hailey hadn’t arrived yet.

James adjusted his sses, the corners of his lips curling into a teasing smile. b“/bbAdam/b, didn’t you just say you didn’t have time? What made byou /bsuddenly rush over here?”

Adam ignored thement, his sharp eyes subtly scanning the room.

“Stop lookingb, /bCeline and Allie are still on their way. They haven’t arrived yet,” James said knowingly.

Adam pulled his gaze back and sank into the couch in the living room

“I’ve heard all about it. At this point, there’s probably bno /bone left at Yorhine University who doesn’t know that the so–called ‘Goddess of Sleep‘ is the genius girl.

“No bwonder /bshe used bto /bsleep through my lectures, and the moment she opened her eyes, I knew I must’ve said something wrong. bAdam/b, your Mrs. Alvarez really knows how to keep a low profile. She’s incredible.”

James, of course, was blissfully unaware that Adam and Celine were already divorced.

Adam said nothing

Sensing a bshift /bin btone/b, James basked/b, “By bthe /bway, how did Allie’s birthmark suddenly disappear? She said Celine bgave /bher bsome /bkind of bitter pill.

Adam’s sharp eyebrows knit together. b“/bI’m not entirely sure either, I asked Celine, and she said…”

James leaned in slightly. “What did she say?”

Aden’s mind fleshed back to Celine’s smug response. “Not telling you!”

Before Adam could say more, Linda’s cheerful voice rang out from the entryway. “Ms. Lambert, you’re back!”

Celine and Hailey had arrived.

Men instinctively nced toward the door.