Love Across the Light Years -The Devil CEO Indulges My Lies.-Chapter 76: Tiny, plump orange.

Adelyn had a habit —a quiet one.

One she had never spoken of —nor allowed anyone close enough to notice.

On days when exhaustion weighed too heavily on her bones ... or when her body felt out of rhythm, dragged down by a dull, persistent ache —she avoided her usual clothes.

On such days, she preferred comfort over appearance.

Loose silhouettes.

Soft fabrics.

Clothes that didn’t cling.

Men’s hoodies and trousers.

Simple. Unrestrictive. Safe.

This was something no one had ever known.

No one had ever had the chance to.

So then —

How did he?

Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the folded clothes in her hands. Her gaze remained fixed on Dylan —sharp and searching.

"You haven’t answered me yet?" she said again, her voice quieter than before but far more pointed. "How are you so sure that I have clothes that would fit you, Mr. Warren?"

There was a pause.

A brief one.

But heavy enough to stretch the air between them.

Dylan didn’t answer immediately. He simply looked at her —calm, steady, as if the question had been expected all along.

As perceptive as ever —he thought internally, his lips tugging into a subtle smirk at that thought.

But at the front, it never showed.

After a beat of a moment, he finally said,

"Weren’t you wearing one earlier?"

Adelyn stilled.

Her expression flickered with confusion at first, but then —slowly —realization dawned.

She had been wearing one earlier.

The hoodie.

How had she forgotten?

A faint heat crept up her neck.

She had been overthinking.

Or worse —suspecting him without a reason.

Why would Dylan Warren have any ulterior motives towards her?

"What’s wrong?" Dylan asked, his tone carrying a trace of feigned ignorance.

Adelyn swallowed her thoughts before they could reach her lips. When she looked at him again, a hint of guilt lingered in her eyes.

For a fleeting moment, she considered apologizing.

Then decided against it.

"Mr. Warren," she said, lifting her hand to scratch lightly at her brow, "how can you wear my clothes? Didn’t you just say you’re allergic to others’ clothes?"

"As long as it’s yours, my allergy won’t flare," he replied easily.

So easily ... that it rendered Adelyn speechless.

Did that even make sense?

It was arguable —but she couldn’t bring herself to argue.

After a brief pause, she nodded. "I didn’t know exceptions existed. Anyway ..." She took a small breath. "I’ll get you another set. Please give me a moment."

With that, she turned and walked back to the room.

Soon, she returned with another hoodie and a pair of trousers.

"Mr. Warren, here," she said, extending them toward him. "You can use that bathroom to change." She gestured toward the one in the corner of the living room.

Dylan took the clothes and gave a slight nod. Without another word, he walked toward the bathroom.

As the door closed behind him, Adelyn let out a quiet breath of relief, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment.

"Thank goodness ..." she murmured. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

A soft tug on her arm pulled her back.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she looked down to see the little girl staring up at her, as if wronged.

"Aunt Ade-lyn, can Eira also wear something else to sleep?"

Adelyn blinked, momentarily confused. Her gaze dropped to the girl’s dress, studying it carefully.

"Are you uncomfortable in that?"

Eira thought for a moment before nodding. "Just a little."

She cannot lie big to her Mama. So, a little would be fine.

"But I don’t have anything that would fit you."

She could manage something for the Devil —her oversized clothes might work well enough for him.

But for this little cub?

Eira’s eyes dimmed as she looked down, her small fingers still clutching Adelyn’s hand.

Dad was going to wear Mama’s clothes.

He would smell like her.

Why didn’t she get the same?

She wanted to smell like Mama too.

Though Adelyn couldn’t see her face clearly, she could feel the child’s quiet disappointment —and it unsettled her.

She crouched down to her level, gently lifting her chin.

Eira looked up at her.

There were no tears —but the sadness was there, unmistakable.

"If you want, you can wear one of my hoodies, too," Adelyn said softly. "It might not fit you perfectly ... but I can try to adjust it for you." She paused looking at her before asking, "Would you like try that?"

Eira’s eyes lit up almost instantly. She nodded eagerly.

Adelyn smiled.

Holding out her hand, she said, "Let’s go, then."

Eira didn’t hesitate for a second in taking her hand. Holding it, she followed her into the room.

——

By the time they were done, Adelyn took a step back to look at her.

Wrapped in her orange hoodie, Little Eira looked like a tiny, plump orange.

Just as expected, it hung too loose on her small frame —but with a belt secured around her waist, it managed to sit properly.

"Is it too tight?" Adelyn asked, slipping a finger under the belt to check.

Eira shook her head.

"You’re going to sleep in this, so if it feels uncomfortable, you have to tell me, alright?"

"Eira is comfortable."

Adelyn studied her carefully. Only after confirming it did she nod.

But still, Adelyn didn’t feel quite at ease.

Thinking, she said again. "Later, when we go to bed, we’ll take the belt off."

Eira nodded again.

Adelyn smiled faintly. She hadn’t realized children could be this obedient.

If she had known, she might not have tried so hard to avoid them before.

"Dada might be done too," Eira said, clearly eager to show him.

Adelyn’s gaze shifted toward the door. She had heard the bathroom door open earlier.

"Probably," she said. "Let’s go check."

She lifted Eira off the bed and set her down before walking out together.

But when they stepped into the living room —

Dylan wasn’t there.

Adelyn’s eyes scanned the space, a slight frown forming between her brows.

"Where did he go?" she murmured.

Just then —

Eira tugged at her arm again.

When Adelyn looked down, she saw the girl pointing towards the far end of the room of the room.

"Dada."

Adelyn followed her gaze —and stilled.

He ...