Celine immediately tensed up and asked, "What's wrong? What happened, Bella?"
Bella giggled. "I just miss you. When I go to bed without seeing you, I secretly cry."
Celine's lips curled into a smile. She hugged Bella tightly. "I miss you, too."
Grace looked at Celine. "Celine, you're here?"
Celine stood up and asked, "Mrs. Alvarez, are you okay?"
Grace shook her head. "I'm fine."
At that moment, Carly shouted, "Celine! How did you find this place? Don't tell me… you followed me?"
Celine's clear, sharp eyes landed on Carly's face. "Congratulations, Ms. Hampton. You guessed it. That's right, I followed you here. I knew that if I restricted your freedom, you'd find a way to sneak out. I've been lying in wait for a long time."
Carly clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Celine had outplayed her. She had lost.
Celine asked, "Ms. Hampton, do you have anything else to say?"
Carly hesitated. "I…"
Just then, Adam walked in. He looked at Carly and said coldly, "Carly, I never thought you'd be this deranged—kidnapping Bella and my mother. If you could commit kidnapping and attempted murder today, who knows what you'll do tomorrow?"
Carly's face turned pale. She quickly stepped forward and grabbed Adam's sleeve. "Adam, let me explain! I only wanted to kidnap Celine's daughter. I never meant to hurt your mother…"
Grace interrupted her coldly. "Carly, stop making excuses. Have you already forgotten how you were about to silence us for good? Because I haven't!"
Carly stammered, "I… Adam, I just love you too much! I don't want to lose you. That's why I had no other choice!"
Celine's voice was calm. "Ms. Hampton, if you were so afraid of your father finding out what you did, then why did you do it in the first place?"
She then turned to Nigel. "Mr. Hampton, the truth is out. Your daughter kidnapped my daughter, Bella, and Grace. Just moments ago, she even tried to silence them permanently. How do you plan to handle this?"
Carly immediately rushed forward and grabbed Nigel's arms. "Dad, I'm your daughter. You can't abandon me!"
Nigel raised his hand and struck Carly across the face.
Her head snapped to the side from the force of the slap. A burning pain spread across her cheek, leaving her mind completely blank.
A few seconds later, she slowly turned back, clutching her stinging cheek. She stared at Nigel in shock. "Dad… you actually hit me?"
Nigel's gaze was ice-cold as he looked at her. "Carly, don't you think you deserve it after everything you've done?"
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