### Chapter 9 Celine entered the room, her presence felt like a sudden chill sweeping through the air. No one acknowledged her; in fact, their eyes gleamed with an eagerness to push her away. The absurdity of it made her stifle a laugh. She shot a cold, piercing glance at Loxy, Carly, and Hayden before wrenching her arm free from Adam's grasp. A faint smile flickered on her lips as she declared, "Fine, I’ll leave." They had pushed her to this point after all. Yet, as she turned on her heels to walk away, she paused. A lock of hair fell across her face, which she tucked behind her ear, her eyes fixed on Adam. The question hung in the air, heavy with intent. "Adam, do you know why I came to Haven Hospital today?" Adam’s gaze drifted over her porcelain skin, a softness to her features that illuminated the dim room like a beacon. But his expression remained unfazed, a mask of indifference that barely concealed his underlying irritation. "Celine, if you keep this up, it's going to get tiresome." With a playful flicker in her eye, Celine stepped closer, exuding a confident allure as she smiled seductively. "I came here to find you a good doctor." She produced a name card from her pocket, the crinkled yellow paper bearing the name of a renowned family physician specializing in fertility treatments. Adam glanced down at the card, its edges frayed, as if it had been carelessly tossed aside. Celine slipped the card into his suit pocket with a mischievous grin. "Carly has a problem, so surely you do, too. You both should get checked out." With that, she turned and walked away, her departure leaving Adam with a clenched fist at his side, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. Celine always had a knack for getting under his skin. Carly, her voice soft and pleading, interrupted Adam’s thoughts. "Forget it, Adam. Don’t waste your time with Celine. She’s not worth it." Dury nodded in agreement, redirecting the conversation with a hint of urgency. "Where's Dr. C? Why hasn’t the doctor shown up yet?" The mere mention of Dr. C sent a ripple of tension through the air, a reminder of Carly's desperate hope. Adam's eyes flicked down to his watch; time was slipping away, and still no sign of the doctor. Just then, the medical staff burst through the door. "Alvarez," one of them called out. Carly, Hayden, and Loxy perked up, their hopes rekindled. "Where's Dr. C?" Adam's heart raced as he turned toward the door, anticipation mounting—but instead of the doctor, he was met with the sight of an empty corridor. Celine had slipped away like smoke. "The doctor just left," the staff member announced, and the atmosphere shifted into one of dread. "I’m sorry, but Dr. C will not attend Ms. T’s case." Panic splayed across Carly’s face as her tightly composed features drained of color. "Why did Dr. C leave? She hasn’t even seen me yet!" Her voice trembled, and Hayden and Loxy hurried to console her, whispering soothing words, "Carly, don’t panic. We’ll find a way to get Dr. C to see you. Everything will be fine." Meanwhile, Adam's handsome visage transformed, hardened into something dangerously sharp as he glared at the empty doorway from which Celine had just vanished. As she stepped out of the hospital, Loxy's voice pierced through the quiet, calling Celine's name. She turned around slowly, surprised to see Loxy approaching, flanked by Lucy. "Celine, this is for you," Lucy said, extending a hand that held a check for twenty thousand dollars. "Celine, Adam doesn’t like you. Stop clinging to him. Let him be with your sister. Why can’t you just let Carly have him? Just finalize the divorce with Adam, take the money, and go back to the countryside." Celine couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. If only Lucy knew the truth—the DNA test she secretly conducted revealed that Carly was indeed Gary’s stepmother. The love Lucy claimed to have for Carly was overshadowed by her unwavering affection for Hayden, a love that warped her view of Celine. With clarity in her gaze, Celine locked eyes with Lucy and quipped, "Is the title of Mrs. Alvarez really worth so little to you? Or is that all I am in your eyes?" Lucy faltered, scrambling for a defense. "Celine, I’m doing this out of love for you. This place isn’t right for you." The words tasted foreign on Lucy's tongue, and bitterness flared in Celine’s chest. "You've already sent me to the countryside once. Now you want to do it again? You really are a wonderful mother!" Without another word, Celine turned and left, the weight of disappointment trailing behind her. Settled in the backseat of the car, Celine sat in silence, drawing a candy from her bag, delicately unwrapping it before popping it into her mouth. The elderly driver, catching her peaceful demeanor in the rearview mirror, was compelled to speak. "You really like candy, huh?" Looking up, the breeze ruffled her hair against her pale skin, and she managed a faint smile. "Yes, sometimes a little sweetness helps sweeten the bitterness in life." Meanwhile, Loxy remained motionless, her gaze fixed on the car as it pulled away. Just then, a figure approached her. “Mrs. Tate,” Loxy turned, surprised to see Samson Stone, the director of Haven Hospital. "Stone, hello. You have the best connections. Can you possibly ask Dr. C to treat my daughter, Carly?" Samson beamed back. "Tate, I happen to know Dr. C personally. I can arrange an introduction." Lucy's face lit with renewed hope. "Really? Thank you, Mr. Stone." But as Samson glanced toward the direction where Celine had disappeared, a sly smile crept onto his face. "Tate, is that your eldest daughter? I didn’t expect her to be so beautiful. She looked like an angel!" The delighted expression on Lucy's face quickly morphed into an icy mask, her eyes narrowing as she fought against an unsettling wave of jealousy.