Adelyn froze—and in that very second—

Dylan stepped into the room, carrying with him a chill that felt as though it had seeped straight out of Antarctica. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The temperature dropped instantly.

A sharp, biting cold spread through the air, wrapping around everyone like an invisible grip. Even the men sprawled across the floor —who had been groaning in pain just moments ago—fell eerily silent.

Adelyn didn’t know how to react.

The man before her exuded an overwhelming aura of icy composure—controlled, restrained ... and yet, beneath it all, she could clearly see it—

Fury.

It burned quietly in his eyes.

Not wild.

Not reckless.

But controlled to a terrifying degree.

As though he was holding it back ... just enough so it wouldn’t scorch everything in its path.

Was he ... restraining his anger for her?

Wait—

More than that—

Was he angry at her?

The realization struck her like a sudden jolt.

Of course, he would be.

Her gaze instinctively swept across the room, landing on the men scattered across the floor —groaning, broken, utterly defeated.

Looking at this mess —if not angry, what else he would be.

"Sister-in-law, you need to protect me."

Karl’s voice rang out beside her again, urgent and desperate.

Adelyn pressed her lips together, her expression tightening.

Protect him?

Protect his a*s.

If not for him, would she even be stuck in this situation?

Right now, protecting him was the least of her concerns—

She needed to protect herself first.

Because if she didn’t—

Every single lie she had built so carefully ... would begin to crumble.

And while there was a time she might not have minded that—

Now?

Now was definitely not that time.

"Sister-in-law, you must have a way," Karl pressed again, his voice filled with urgency, as though clinging to her as his last lifeline.

Adelyn’s brows furrowed deeper.

A way?

What way?

Although this man was her boyfriend, she barely knew anything about him.

The so-called "Devil" everyone feared—

How was she supposed to handle him?

How was she supposed to calm him?

The only thing she knew how to do around him was—

Lie.

Lie boldly.

Lie fearlessly.

Lie so convincingly that even she sometimes felt unsettled by how easily the words came to her.

And yet, every time she did—

There was always that lingering fear ...

What if this time, it fails?

What if this time, she gets caught?

"Sister-in-law—"

"Step aside."

Her voice cut through his words —sharp and decisive.

Karl blinked, stunned for a second, not moving.

Adelyn didn’t wait.

Annoyed, she reached out and shoved him aside without hesitation, forcing a clear path in front of her.

Her gaze lifted—

And met Dylan’s.

Cold.

Unyielding.

Dangerous.

And yet—

She held it firmly.

"Mr. Warren!"

Her voice rang out, filled with every ounce of emotion she could summon in that instant.

And then—

She ran toward him.

Karl froze.

And so did everyone else.

No one understood what was happening—

Until they saw it.

The woman —who had just reduced fifteen grown men into writhing heaps of pain —threw herself straight into the man’s arms.

Fragile.

Soft.

Almost trembling —as though if he didn’t catch her, she would shatter into pieces.

The contrast was so stark that it left the entire room stunned.

Especially the men on the floor.

Their minds reeled.

Was this ... really the same woman?

The same person who had just beaten them so thoroughly that they couldn’t even lift a finger?

Dylan, too, was momentarily surprised.

But unlike everyone else—

He reacted instantly —almost instinctively.

His arms came up, catching her securely as she collided into him.

"Careful," he said, his tone noticeably softer now.

Adelyn heard it up close and felt it immediately ... something inside her easing, just slightly.

But she didn’t let it show.

Her arms wrapped around him tightly, as though holding on for dear life.

"Mr. Warren ... you’re finally here," she said, her voice trembling just enough to sound real. "You don’t know how scared I was. I ... I almost thought I wouldn’t see you again."

If everyone had been shocked before—

Now they no longer knew how to react at all.

They had heard it clearly.

This woman ...

Who had just taken down all of them alone, leaving them completely incapacitated—

Was scared?

Was she even serious?

When had she been scared?

How had they not noticed it?

Not even after getting beaten into the ground?

"You were scared?" Dylan repeated, his voice low, edged with something unreadable.

Adelyn pulled away slightly, keeping herself still in his arms but away enough to look into his eyes, and nodded without hesitation.

"Of course I was," she said, putting on a weak, pitiful expression. "How can I not be scared? I’m just a girl. And these bad men almost harassed me —tricking me into playing a game they’re experts at. If I had lost ... they would have beaten me to death."

Her voice softened further.

"How could I not be scared? You don’t believe me?"

Dylan stared at her.

Adelyn swallowed as she felt his gaze studying her —sharp, probing.

She was lying.

Blatantly.

Was he able to see through it?

"Mr. Warren, look—" she added quickly, gesturing toward her legs. "Even my legs are still shaking. Do you think I’m lying? I was clearly bullied. Do you really not believe me?"

The men on the floor were completely shaken.

She was putting the entire blame on them.

Yes—they had tried something.

But looking at their current state—

Who would believe they had bullied her?

It was her—

She was the one who had destroyed them.

Both in the game...

And in the fight.

Their eyes silently pleaded for justice as they looked toward Dylan, hoping —just hoping —he would see through her words.

But then—

They heard him speak.

"I trust you."

Silence.

Utter silence.

Karl was speechless.

The men were speechless.

Pier was speechless.

Everyone—

Speechless.

Karl had been watching the entire time, his heart pounding, fully expecting his brother to see through everything.

After all—

No one knew better than him know how impossible it was to fool his brother.

And yet—

Just now ...

His brother had agreed.

So easily.

What had he been doing wrong all this time?

He had tried acting pitiful countless times—

And yet—

He had never once succeeded.

And just now ... sister-in-law’s act was clearly flawed. But she succeeded as if she were never meant to be defeated.

How exactly?

"You really trust me?" Adelyn asked, as if needing confirmation.

Dylan nodded.

She still looked unconvinced.

"What part of what I said did you believe?" she pressed with a small pout.

No part!

Everyone silently screamed in their hearts, on the verge of tears.

And yet—

Dylan only looked at her.

His gaze softened —doting in a way that made no sense to anyone present.

"That..." he said slowly, "...you were bullied in my absence."

Everyone was again rendered speechless ...