Love Across the Light Years -The Devil CEO Indulges My Lies.-Chapter 26: Survival isn’t my goal.

Corrin had expected her words to be anything but that. It caught him off guard. His hand remained extended in the air —unattended.

Amelia blinked. It took her a moment to process Adelyn’s words. She stepped forward slightly, as if to check whether she had heard correctly ... or if she was simply imagining it.

But when she saw Adelyn staring at Corrin with eyes that reflected her words exactly, she knew it was no illusion. She had said it for real.

Satisfaction bloomed instantly in her chest. She moved to Freya’s side and nudged her with her elbow. "Freya, was it satisfying only to my ears ... or do you feel the same?"

Freya shot her a glare, and Amelia quickly zipped her lips shut.

Freya then turned her gaze to Adelyn, studying her cleary —as if trying to read the true intention behind her words.

Earlier, when she asked Adelyn to reconsider signing the contract, she had expected her to back down. Not because she wanted her to, but because she knew better than anyone how difficult it would be to make a name in the industry without a banner backing her.

She had truly believed Adelyn would choose someone who could make things easier for her, or at least promise it to her.

But now ... suddenly ... it felt like backing away had never been in Adelyn’s mind at all.

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked, his brows drawing tight.

Adelyn looked him and slowly pushed the chair back, rising to her feet. Turning toward him, she met his gaze calmly.

"Do you really not understand the first time? Or would you like me to repeat it?"

"You —" Corrin started, but before he could continue, Adelyn turned to freya and gave her answer.

"Sister Freya," she said, "I have reconsidered. I am still willing to sign this agreement with you."

Freya stared at her.

Before she could respond, Corrin snapped, "You can’t joke about something so crucial?"

Adelyn gave him a flat look.

He scoffed, "Heh! Do you know what you are even signing?" His jaw tightened as he turend toward Freya. "Did she promise you something false? If she did, she is defrauding you. There is nothing she could actually give you. She isn’t capable ... not anymore."

"Corrin Thatcher, watch your words," Amelia snapped, almost charging at him. If murder hadn’t been a felony, she would have gladly walked forward and stabbed him to death.

Freya held her back with a silent shake of her head —a command Amelia has promised to always obey.

Corrin’s smirk deepened at Amelia’s reaction. It confirmed what he had suspected —that Freya had hidden truth to secure Adelyn’s signature.

If that was so, wasn’t he saving her?

Of course, he has always loved saving people from getting trapped. Especially the people aroumd Freya.

Confidence surged through him. With casual ease, he stepped forward and pulled the contract papers towards himself on the desk.

"This contract is misleading," he declared, looking at freya with triumph before turning to Adelyn. "If I were you I would seriously think a thousand times before signing my name of it."

"None of its promises will be fulfilled. She lied to you because what you are signing is not an official agreement with ZX Medi, but a personal management contract with —"

"Sister Freya."

Before he could finish, Adelyn helped him finish it. Calmly.

Corrin froze. It took him a moment to understand, but when he did, his brows twisted in a frown.

"You knew?"

Adelyn nodded. "I thought official agreements were meant to be read before decided," she replied naturally, then added with a mild, harmless smile. "No doubt Amelia said all you carry is the legacy of theft. A lack of awareness like yours makes stealing much easier."

"You —" Corrin bristled, but when his eyes met hers, something in her gaze made him hesitate.

He forced himself to change both his tone and words.

"You are making a wrong decision. Even if you have read the contract, you haven’t understood what kind of carrer death you are signing up for."

He stepped aside and pointed at Freya.

"She may have once been a star manager, creating and grooming top talents. But now ..." He gave a mocking scoff. "Now she is nothing. Long discarded —as you can clearly see."

His eyes swept around the room meaningfully.

"Both her artistes and the company have lost faith in her."

Amelia clenched her fists, but he didn’t heed her presence at all. His focus remained entirely on Adelyn. He wanted her to see Freya’s reality ... and change her decision.

Change her decision and choose him.

Just like everyone else had.

And he knew that wasn’t a tough nut to crack.

Pointing to himself, he boasted, "They now only believe in me. Corrin Thatcher. The current star manager of ZX Media."

"Star Manager?" Adelyn repeated, her brows lifting in amusement that almost resembled admiration. "Really?"

Corrin smirked, adjusting his cufflinks smoothly. "Of course. Look up ZX Media online. And you’ll see my achievements everywhere. The artistes under me are all shining, dominating the industry."

He leaned forward slightly.

"So, choose wisely. I know the company rejected signing you. But for you ... I, Corrin Thatcher, am willing to speak for you. They may reconsider."

"And if they don’t?" Adelyn asked, sounding almost as if she were genuinely reconsidering.

That alone felt like a victory to him.

He shrugged confidently. "Even if they don’t, then too, you wouldn’t lose. I will sign the same personal management contract with you. I will ne your manager. And my reputation alone will ensure your survival in this industry."

"And what if I say I don’t want to just survive?" Adelyn asked quietly.

Corrin frowned, not understanding. "What do you mean? Why won’t you want to survive in the industry. After all, you want —"

"Survival is not my goal. I want to rule. Rule and become the superstar," she continued smoothly —not politely, but challengingly. "Can you promise me that?"

For first time Corrin felt unsettled. Not because he lacked confidence to promise —but because something in her presence felt overwhelmingly oppressive.

Like she was silently asking him if he dares.

"I ... I can’t promise that. But we can discuss it later."

"No need," Adelyn replied immediately. "We don’t need discussion. I won’t choose someone who can’t promise what I need explicitly from them."

She turned to Freya.

"I have decided to sign with Sister Freya. And that decision stands."

"You —How could you?" Corrin frowned.

Adelyn remained calm. "What I can and cannot do is not something I need to explain to you, Mr. Thatcher. And yes —"

She turned her head back to him.

"I researched ZX Media beforehand. But interestingly ... your name didn’t appear anywhere. Sister Freya’s name, however, was everywhere."

She didn’t lie.

Freya might be fallen. But she was still seen as one of the core pillars behind ZX Media’s success.

"Those aren’t her merits," Corrin snapped, losing all calm he had. "Look carefully and see —all those sites are full of her scandals. The scandal where one of star artiste was physically assaulted ... and later killed."

Killed!

Adelyn paused —visibly taken aback.