Wyatt stared at Adelyn, trying to decipher her identity and background—but he simply couldn’t.

Although Adelyn was undeniably beautiful, beauty had never been something rare around Dylan.

In all the years he had worked by his side, Wyatt had seen countless stunning women throw themselves at his boss without hesitation. Yet Dylan had never so much as spared them a glance.

But this woman—

For her, Dylan had personally instructed him to arrange everything she might need.

And that alone was enough for Wyatt to understand—this woman was anything but ordinary.

Her place in Dylan’s life would not remain simple for long. Or perhaps... it was already no longer simple.

Given the way his boss treated her, it was only a matter of time before she became their boss lady—someone they would all have to respect without question.

So perhaps it was better to start now.

Putting on his most polite and professional smile, Wyatt seized the opportunity to leave a good impression.

"Yes, Madam," he said respectfully, "everything else has already been arranged. The remaining items will be delivered by tomorrow."

Adelyn frowned slightly. However, instead of responding to him, she turned to Dylan.

"Mr. Warren, this wasn’t necessary," she said. "Why did you have to go this far? I’m only here for a few days, and then—"

"Even a few days require essentials," Dylan cut in calmly, stopping her mid-sentence. "You won’t be comfortable without them."

"I could have managed easily," she replied, her words coming out a little too quickly—almost impulsively. "You just needed to lend me that hoodie for tonight, and none of this would’ve been necessary. I could’ve brought my things here tomorrow."

To her, that solution was simple—far simpler than going through the trouble of arranging all of this.

And logically, it made perfect sense.

She believed that if it was so clear to her, Dylan should have seen it the same way.

But—

"Didn’t I already say I can’t give you that hoodie?" he said.

Adelyn was left speechless.

Was he serious?

"Didn’t you give it to me once?" she asked, unable to hold back. "How would giving it again make any difference?"

Dylan looked at her.

For a brief moment, his silence made it seem as though he had no answer. But then he spoke.

"The last time was to repay your favor," he said evenly. "But that doesn’t mean it can continue repeating."

"Repeating?" she echoed, confused.

Dylan nodded lightly. "You offered it to me once. I returned the gesture once. That settles it."

He paused briefly before continuing, his tone steady and composed.

"The second time should be... different. And that ’different’—you wouldn’t have agreed to it."

"I wouldn’t have agreed?" she asked, completely lost.

He didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, his gaze lingered on her—deeper this time—as he took a slow step forward.

Adelyn instinctively held her ground, though her brows tightened in confusion.

Stopping just a few inches away from her, he nodded and spoke, his voice low and controlled—

"...if you were comfortable, I wouldn’t have minded sharing my clothes with you."

Her breath hitched.

"...but that would likely make you uncomfortable here," he added, his tone calm, almost matter-of-fact. "So this arrangement seemed like the best form of hospitality."

Adelyn’s pupils widened instantly.

She took a small step back, her cheeks flushing faintly.

Was he—

Was that... flirting?

But the way he said it—so calm, so composed—it didn’t even feel like one.

It almost made her question if she had misunderstood.

Dylan, however, noticed her reaction.

A faint flicker of amusement passed through his eyes, though his expression remained perfectly controlled.

"I tried to offer what I thought was appropriate," he said. "But if you feel I overstepped, I can have everything returned."

He paused, his gaze steady on her.

"And you’re free to take whatever you need from my closet instead."

He then simply turned and gestured to his secretary.

For a second, even Wyatt was lost. He tried to comprehend what had just unfolded—but failed again and again.

However, when he caught his boss’s gaze, he quickly acted on the instruction.

The next second, he stepped forward to take the bag from Adelyn.

But Adelyn pulled it away before he could even touch it.

"No!" she said almost immediately. "This is better."

She glanced towards Dylan and repeated, more firmly this time,

"Mr. Warren, thank you for being so considerate. Since you’ve already gone through the trouble of arranging all this for me, it’s only right that I accept it. After all, you are my boyfriend—your thoughts and effort are what matter the most."

Dylan raised a brow at her.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "If you aren’t comfortable with this arrangement, you don’t have to force yourself."

Adelyn pressed her lips together.

She heard him clearly.

And perhaps, for a brief moment, she did hesitate.

Then, shaking her head, she said, "No, I’m sure this arrangement is better."

Better than walking around in his clothes.

Just the thought of it was enough to make her feel strange butterflies stirring inside her stomach.

She couldn’t bring herself to imagine doing something that intimate with him—especially not under the pretext of the lies she had woven.

Dylan studied her for a second longer before finally nodding.

"Then that’s better," he said, his gaze lowering to the bag in her hand. "Use this for now. As for the rest—once they’re delivered tomorrow, Mabel will help you arrange them in your room."

Adelyn nodded, no longer arguing with him.

Because somewhere deep inside—

She knew continuing this conversation would only make things... more complicated. She would end up falling deeper into the pit she had dug for herself without even realizing it.

She turned and glanced towards the two others present. With a small, polite smile, she said, "Thank you for taking this trouble."

Wyatt immediately shook his head. "Following Sir’s orders is part of my job. It wasn’t trouble at all."

Of course.

Adelyn knew that.

But apart from being polite, she didn’t know what else to say—so she simply followed the script expected of her.

————————————————

That night—

After tucking Eira into bed and staying with her until she had completely fallen asleep, Adelyn finally returned to her room.

Yes, her room—because Dylan had arranged a separate one for her.

She had initially thought of staying with Eira. But after reconsidering how temporary this entire arrangement was, she chose otherwise—deeming it more appropriate.

But now, sitting alone in the quiet of the room, she couldn’t help but rethink everything again and again.

How easily things were escalating.

So smoothly... that it almost felt arranged.

Could it really not be coincidence—but something deliberately set in motion?

The thought surfaced, uninvited.

But just as quickly, she dismissed it.

Dylan’s refined demeanor, his composed presence—it didn’t fit into such a scheme.

If anything, she felt she was the one with more reason to deceive him—not the other way around.

"Adelyn, you got yourself into this mess, and you still dare to pin it on him," she muttered under her breath, chiding herself. "He has been nothing but good and polite to you—yet you’re here suspecting him. Are you even human?"

She shook her head, forcefully pushing the suspicion aside.

————————————————

Meanwhile—

In the study,

Dylan sat behind his desk, his posture relaxed yet commanding.

In front of him stood three youngsters in a straight line, hands clasped behind their backs.

Asher and Emmett stood on either side, while Eve stood in the middle.

None of them dared to look up.

None of them dared to meet his eyes.

As the silence stretched, the tension in the room grew thicker—almost suffocating.

Even breathing felt like a risk.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Dylan finally asked.

His voice cut through the silence—sharp, cold, and absolute.

Emmett swallowed.

"Did he find out?" he whispered, barely audible.

Eve, though equally nervous, forced herself to respond.

"Do you really think he wouldn’t?"

"But we were careful..." Emmett muttered, his voice trembling.

"Not enough to hide from the boss’s eyes."

"But—"

"Silence has never been the way you were taught to communicate."

Dylan’s voice came again—firmer this time.

And instantly, both Eve and Emmett shut their mouths.

They raised their heads slightly, just enough to meet his gaze.

Dark. Deep. Unfathomable.

Even the slightest ripple within them was impossible to detect.

"Speak," he said.

And this time—it sounded like their last chance.

"Boss, we—"

"We just—"

"We did something beyond your orders."

Both Eve and Emmett turned sharply to look at Asher, betrayal flashing across their faces.

That wasn’t the plan.

They had agreed to face it together.

Not for one of them to surrender alone.

Dylan’s gaze shifted to Asher.

"And what did you do?" he asked.

Asher paused.

His jaw tightened.

"We deliberately created a situation that would make that woman follow you."

"You would want to rephrase your words."

Dylan’s voice was low—but edged with something dangerous.

A warning that couldn’t be ignored.

Asher’s fingers curled into fists.

"We deliberately created a situation where Ma’am had no choice but to follow you."

Dylan held his gaze for a moment before shifting it to the other two.

"Were you alone in it?" he asked. "Or did you have accomplices?"

Before Eve and Emmett could respond—

Asher spoke again.

"It was me. Eve and Emmett only tagged along. They were trying to stop me."

Eve’s lips parted, ready to object.

But once again—

"I’ll go and accept the punishment," Asher said, cutting her off.

Dylan looked at him—long and meaningfully.

Then, without hesitation, he gave a small nod.

"Then go ahead and accept it," he said calmly.

"Not a lash less."