"So you agree to it?" Adelyn asked when she felt Eira pulling away slightly in her arms.

Eira looked at her and nodded with determination. "Eira will be a brave girl for Mama."

Adelyn smiled, her heart softening, and gently rubbed her hair. "Good."

On the side, Karl had been trying to hold himself back for quite a while. However, seeing the tension in the air easing, he could no longer restrain himself.

"So, sister-in-law," he finally spoke, "does that mean you won’t treat me the same as Eira?"

Adelyn immediately closed her eyes upon hearing that.

When she opened them again, she looked straight at him, clearly no longer in the mood to entertain his antics. "How old are you?"

Karl blinked, but quickly answered, "I’ll be twenty soon."

Adelyn pursed her lips slightly. "So you are aware that you’re turning twenty?"

He nodded seriously.

"Then act like it," she said bluntly. "You’re no longer a child. Stop behaving like one, or you’ll be taught the hard way."

Karl pouted, looking clearly dissatisfied.

Adelyn glanced at him once before continuing, "Now ... don’t just sit here. Check the time!"

Karl obeyed immediately, pulling back his sleeve to look at his watch. "Nine forty-seven," he replied.

"Exactly," Adelyn said. "You’re almost twenty, which means you should be in university. Go attend your classes. You can’t just sit here and skip them."

Karl opened his mouth as if to argue—

But the moment he saw Adelyn raise her brow slightly, he swallowed his words.

He simply nodded and stood up, ready to follow her instructions.

Just as he was about to turn and leave—

Adelyn stopped him. "And yes ..."

Karl turned back to look at her.

"Don’t fall back into your old habits," she continued firmly. "Be a good student at your university. Don’t make me find out you’ve gone astray again."

"Sister-in-law," Karl raised his fingers again in a solemn vow, "I won’t betray you. Trust me."

Adelyn didn’t believe him. Not even a little.

Still, she replied, "You better not. Or you’ll have no choice but to follow your brother’s arrangements."

Karl clearly understood the implication.

He nodded quickly and left without another word.

Once he was gone, Adelyn turned back toward the remaining two.

Eira was looking at her with pure affection —bright, trusting, and warm.

Dylan, on the other hand, watched her with a faint trace of amusement in his gaze, one that she caught immediately.

She scratched lightly at the corner of her brow before explaining, slightly awkward,

"Mr. Warren, I was just trying to make sure he remembers the consequences. You won’t blame me for threatening him, will you?"

After all, Karl was still his younger brother. Someone else stepping in and disciplining him might not always be acceptable.

However, Dylan simply looked at her and shook his head.

"You are his sister-in-law," he said evenly. "You have every right to do so."

Adelyn was momentarily speechless.

Every right?

Did she really?

Perhaps Dylan read the doubt in her expression.

He added calmly, "Not just over him. You also have authority over my other two brothers."

"The other two?" Adelyn repeated, confused.

Was he referring to Jasper Warren —the CEO of Fusion Entertainment —and Felix Warren —the founder of the Elite-Luxe fashion brand?

How could she possibly have authority over them?

Who was she in front of them?

"Although they are more sensible," Dylan continued in his steady tone, "if they offend you in any way, you may discipline them as you see fit."

Adelyn felt that was going a bit too far.

Karl was one thing —he practically invited punishment.

But the other two? That was entirely different.

"Mr. Warren, I don’t think that would be appropriate," she said carefully. "After all, they—"

"They are also your brothers-in-law," Dylan cut in smoothly. "As their elder sister-in-law, you don’t need to hesitate."

Adelyn looked at him, unsure of how to respond.

Yes ... sister-in-law.

That was the role she was playing.

But was it truly hers?

Would they really accept her that way?

"What??" Dylan asked, noticing her hesitation. "Do you doubt your authority? Or do you doubt mine??"

She immediately shook her head.

How could she dare doubt him?

"No, no—I don’t doubt it," she said quickly, giving a small, casual shrug. "You are their elder brother, which makes me their elder sister-in-law. So yes, technically, I do have that authority."

She paused briefly before adding,

"It’s just that they seem sensible —unlike Karl. I don’t think there would ever be a need for me to step in."

Dylan nodded in acknowledgement.

Adelyn smiled faintly, letting out a small sigh of relief ...

Just then—

A soft, unmistakable sound broke the moment.

She froze.

Embarrassment flickered across her face as she realized it was her stomach growling.

Her gaze immediately dropped, avoiding his eyes.

"Mr. Warren, I—"

"There’s nothing to be embarrassed about," Dylan said casually.

He stood up and extended his hand toward her.

"The breakfast is ready," he added. "Let’s go."

Adelyn lifted her gaze to meet his.

There was no judgment in his eyes —only calm reassurance.

And somehow, that made everything feel ... natural.

She placed her hand into his and stood up.

Beside her, Eira also stood, holding onto her other hand. Together, the three of them walked toward the dining area.

—————

Meanwhile—

At the same time, at Scott Villa—

Breakfast had been delayed.

No one in the house had much of an appetite, yet they all sat around the table as if bound by routine rather than hunger.

Liam and Bryer silently blamed themselves for everything that had unfolded.

Charlotte, however, was lost in her own thoughts —her mind repeatedly circling back to what Clara had said the previous night.

She couldn’t stop thinking about the kidnapping that had happened seven years ago.

Could it really have been Adelyn behind it?

She tried not to believe it, but the weight of everything that had happened made it difficult for her to think otherwise.

Every time she considered the possibility that they had wronged Adelyn ... she found herself unable to accept it.

And Adelyn’s indifference from yesterday only made everything worse.

Unable to hold it in any longer, she finally looked up at her son and spoke,

"Liam!"

Liam met her gaze, waiting for her to continue.

"I need you to look into something ..."