Love Across the Light Years -The Devil CEO Indulges My Lies.-Chapter 6: Already too late.

"You —" Liam stepped forward, but the next second, seeing the man point his gun at Clara’s head, he froze in his steps.

"Mom," Clara gasped.

And seeing her tremble again, Charlotte became visibly frantic. "Why are you doing this?" she demanded. "Didn’t you say you would let us take away the one we chose? How can you now go back on your word?"

"Haha!"

The man laughed, walking leisurely towards Adelyn’s side.

Everyone frowned, not understanding his amusement

"My bad," he said, pursing his lips as though genuinely regretful. "My bad for thinking that all you needed was the right reason to protect the daughter you have claimed to love all these years. But it seems —" He paused, then added brutally, "you never planned on choosing her."

Charlotte’s face drained of colour. She shook her head. "No, that’s not what I mean. I was —"

She couldn’t finish.

Not because she lacked words —but because all she had left were excuses.

"It’s fine," the man said, granting her an escape —not out of mercy, but because even he had grown tired of the facade.

He gestured to one of his men.

Soon, someone stepped forward and began untying Clara.

As the ropes fell off, the man spoke calmly, "You can take her and leave. Unlike you, I keep my word ... always."

The moment she was free, Clara surged forward and threw herself into Charlotte’s arms.

"Mom!"

"Sweetheart," Charlotte sobbed, hugging her tightly.

"I was so scared," Clara panted.

Charlotte rubbed her back soothingly. "It’s fine. We have got you. No one will hurt you anymore."

And then —she felt it.

A gaze.

Instinctively, she turned.

Adelyn’s eyes met hers —cold, distant.

Charlotte’s heart clenched violently. She turned back to the man, desperation overtaking her. "She is our daughter too. I don’t want to leave her behind. Please ... please let her go with us. We will give you anything you want."

Clara frowned at her mother’s words, but said nothing.

"You can’t," the man replied quietly, studying Charlotte. "You don’t even know what I actually want."

His words were nothing but a mystery ... that only confused Charlotte.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her brows drawing together.

The man didn’t answer immediately.

And just when they thought he might reveal something —anything —he proved them wrong.

"I mean, you already broke the only deal you were ever going to get," he said calmly. "Now take your precious daughter and leave. As for the one you abandoned —"

His gaze dropped to Adelyn.

"—you don’t need to care about her anymore."

"No," Charlotte shook her head violently. "Please. Don’t do anything to her."

He ignored her.

Instead, he turned to Liam and said, "You’d better be quick on your feet, Second Master Scott. Or I might take away the confidence with which you are still standing here."

His gaze flicked toward Clara.

The threat was unmistakable.

Clara clutched her mother tighter. "Mom," she whispered fearfully. "I am scared. Please take me away."

"But Adelyn —" Charlotte looked at her again, agony tearing through her chest.

"Mom," Liam said firmly, "let’s take Clara out first."

"But —"

"One at a time."

Charlotte hesitated —then nodded.

Liam then turned to Bryer and Xavier. "Let’s leave. We can’t provoke him."

Bryer understood immediately.

But Xavier didn’t move.

His eyes remained fixed on Adelyn.

Waiting.

Waiting for her to ask him.

But even now —after everything —she didn’t look at him.

Not once.

"Xavier," Liam called when he didn’t see him move.

Still, Xavier didn’t respond.

Clara reached out and gently held his arm, her touch soft. "Xavier," she called quietly.

He finally turned to her, his gaze softening when he saw the tears in her eyes.

"I am scared," she whispered, "Can you take me with you? Please."

Xavier frowned. When he turned and saw Adelyn still sitting there —unmoved, silent and unyielding —he clenched his jaw and nodded to Clara.

"Fine. Let’s go."

Liam exchanged a glance with him. "Don’t worry. Adelyn would be fine."

Though discomfort weighed on them all, Adelyn was inevitably pushed to the latter choice.

Xavier led Clara away first. After them, Charlotte, Liam, and Bryer turned to leave as well.

But —

Just as they turned towards the exit —

A sharp sound echoed.

Snap.

Everyone froze.

The masked man’s brows lifted —not in surprise, but in amusement. As though he had been waiting for this plot twist all along.

His men moved instantly, but one look from him made them halt. Each of them.

As though this was part of his set-up. And he wants no one to interrupt it.

Adelyn stood on her feet.

The rope lay loose at her feet, fibers torn. Her hands were free. The metallic band were undone as though it was never a difficult task.

There was no panic.

No haste.

Only calm in her eyes.

"Mom."

Charlotte spun around at the sound of her voice.

And so did Liam and Bryer else.

Adelyn took a slow backwards.

Then another.

Her gaze swept across them —all of them —before finally settling on Charlotte.

"That’s the last time I would ever call you that," she said steadily.

Charlotte’s breath hitched. "Adelyn —"

"Don’t worry," Adelyn interrupted them, cutting her off gently. "I don’t blame you."

She further took her steps back.

Her gaze shifted to Liam.

Then to Bryer.

"I don’t blame any of you. You chose one that you wanted to choose, and that’s fine."

Charlotte smiled —relieved. She knew Adelyn would understand.

"Linnie, we knew ... we knew you would understand us. You —"

Adelyn’s smile made her pause.

"I did understand you all," Adelyn said softly. "Not once, but every time. Every time you wanted me to understand, I did. But this is where it ends. I can’t keep this understanding anymore."

Liam frowned. "What do you mean, Linnie?"

The smile faded from her lips.

"Linnie, let’s talk this through," Bryer said uneasily, feeling that something about Adelyn wasn’t normal. "Liam has arranged everything. We aren’t leaving you here. We will take you."

"Are you sure?" Adelyn asked —not because she needed to know —but because she already knew.

However, Bryer didn’t understand what she meant. "Of course. You don’t believe us?" He turned to Liam and quickly said, "Liam, tell her. Explain—"

He stopped when he saw Liam avoiding his gaze.

"Liam?"

"You all came together," Adelyn said calmly. "If there had been any arrangements, it wouldn’t have been a secret."

Realization struck Bryer.

Charlotte turned sharply to Liam. "Liam, look at me," she said, making him turn to face her. "Did you make the arrangements or not?"

Liam’s jaw clenched. "Mom, I made the plan. I would have come to rescue her after taking Clara out of here. I wasn’t actually going to abandon her. How can you even think I would do something like that?"

He then turned to Adelyn. "Linnie, you know us. You have always believed in us. How could you think we would treat you unfairly?"

Adelyn looked at him for a long moment.

She didn’t deny his words.

Nor did she argue.

"As I said, I don’t blame anyone for anything," she replied. "I just want to end everything that ever existed between us."

Confusion ripped through them.

"This day forward," she continued, her voice resolute, "I don’t owe the Scott family anything." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

She paused to take a slow breath.

"Not obedience. Not understanding. Not forgiveness."

Her gaze returned to Charlotte.

"Not even a second chance."

Charlotte staggered back.

"Adelyn, please —"

"I never asked you to choose," Adelyn said quietly, unhurried. "Not before. Not now. But you still made your choice. So be it."

She stepped back until the edge met her heel.

"You chose Clara," she finished. "So, take her back. Protect her. Cherish her."

A pause.

"And forget you ever had me in your life. My life, my death —is no longer Scott’s concern."

And with that, she didn’t wait.

She let herself fall down the heights —her life and death undecided.

Charlotte screamed. "Linnie!"

Liam and Bryer rushed forward —but it was already too late.

Adelyn was gone.

The masked man vanished a second before Adelyn fell, as though he had never existed.

"Liam, Bryer," Charlotte screamed. "What are you still watching? Go, hurry! Save your sister. Save Adelyn!"

But the Scott brothers knew they couldn’t find her again.

In the depths of the sea —

Adelyn was gone.

Forever.