Chapter 139

Adam reached out, and I opened the wardrobe door. There she was—Celine, curled up in the corner of the wardrobe, her small body huddled tightly. Her long, silky black hair cascaded around her. When the door swung open, her sleepy, doe-like eyes, still heavy from a post-nap slumber, shot up to meet his, startled like a frightened fawn caught in the moment. In that instant, she looked so pitiful, so vulnerable.

She resembled a secret mistress someone might keep hidden away, forced to flee the bed and hide in a closet, even from the wife barely mentioned.

Adam frowned. "Why are you hiding in the wardrobe?"

Celine blinked, her thoughts still scattered from sleep. She had woken suddenly, having been sleeping on his bed in the lounge of Carly's apartment. As her surroundings registered, she realized she couldn’t even remember how she got there. The last thing she recalled was dozing off at the desk. That was when Carly stormed in, clearly on the warpath. Celine had panicked and instinctively hidden in the wardrobe.

Looking up at Adam now, she asked, "Is Carly gone?" Celine 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 remained unchanged, 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. However, she had been crouched in the confined space for so long that her legs had gone completely numb. The moment she stepped out, her legs 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 arm. 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 remained fixed on her. She reached up, brushing a lock of hair behind her snow-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?"

Follow new episodes on the CrushnovelS.Com

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 pinning 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 fathom. Celine's gaze met his as she replied, "I can beat Carly, but I'm afraid you’ll take her side."

Adam blinked, her words catching him off guard. She was afraid of Carly. She was afraid of him siding with Carly. Celine's steady gaze stayed on his handsome face. After a beat of silence, she asked seriously, "If one day Carly and I really got into a fight, who would you help?"

Adam looked at her but didn’t say a word. His silence was as good as an answer; he would side with Carly, his favorite, the one he had given so much power and confidence that she could walk around like she owned the place.

Gritting his teeth, Adam let his arm fall to his side. Celine frowned slightly, her voice laced with confusion. "Mr. Alvarez, why was I sleeping in your lounge?"

Adam's expression remained hard. "You fell asleep at the desk last night. When you woke up, you wandered into my lounge and shamelessly made yourself comfortable."

Celine gasped softly, her eyes widening in shock. Was that something she had done? "Last night did I sleep alone? Or did I...," her gaze brightened with an embarrassing realization, struggling to recall how she had climbed onto his desk and snuggled into his arms.

Seeing her apparent distress, Adam decided it was best to let it go. After all, last night had been nothing more than an accident. A mocking smirk curled his thin lips. "Celine, what exactly were you hoping for? Did you think I’d sleep with you? I slept on the couch."

Celine pouted.