Love Across the Light Years -The Devil CEO Indulges My Lies.

Xavier couldn’t believe it.

Not because it sounded impossible —but because he couldn’t accept that Adelyn could be so cruel.

Not to the family she had always cherished.

However, when he saw Liam fall silent, he could no longer deny it.

"Was that the reason why she never tried to find us all these years?" he asked again.

Liam frowned. "She must have felt deeply betrayed. I’m at fault. I—"

"Now ... you realize you’re at fault?" Bryer cut in, his voice slurred as a mocking laugh slipped out. "What’s the use? We lost... Adelyn. She doesn’t want us any...more."

Liam closed his eyes, accepting every bit of the blame without resistance.

"You deserve every part of this guilt. It’s all because of you," Bryer tried to push himself up. However, his body was still heavily affected by alcohol.

He couldn’t even sit straight, let alone stand. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The moment he tried, he lost his balance and fell back onto the sofa.

Charlotte broke down, unable to hold herself together any longer.

Adelyn was her daughter —the one she had raised for more than fifteen years, loving her as her own.

Just the thought of being rejected by her ... was unbearable.

How could she possibly endure it?

"Liam, if Adelyn is upset, we need to find a way to comfort her. She’s my daughter, your sister —we can’t let her sever ties with us."

Clara heard Charlotte’s words, and her expression darkened slightly. Still, she didn’t show it openly.

She stood there, composed.

"Mom, we’ll find a way to bring Adelyn back. Don’t worry," she said gently, her tone soothing. "Even if that incident seven years ago became an escape for her ... hasn’t she escaped enough? It’s time for her to return."

Charlotte nodded immediately. "Yes ... she should return now. I can’t bear the thought of her staying away while all of us are here."

The urgency in her voice was unmistakable —desperate, almost pleading.

Clara didn’t miss it.

The more she watched her like this, the tighter her heart clenched.

So many years ... and still, she wasn’t enough.

Back then, mistaking Adelyn for her was understandable.

But now, with her standing right here ...

Why were they still clinging to Adelyn?

If Adelyn didn’t want to return, wasn’t that a good thing?

They could give all their love to her instead.

Why bring her back ... only to divide what should belong entirely to her?

"Clara?" Charlotte’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "What’s wrong? What are you thinking? You can’t be blaming me for —"

Before she could finish, Clara shook her head.

"No, Mom. I can’t blame you. I was just ... thinking about something."

"Thinking about what?" Charlotte asked, her brows knitting slightly.

Clara hesitated for a moment, then tried to brush it off. "No ... it’s nothing."

Charlotte might have let it go.

But then—

With an awkward laugh, Clara added, "It was just something absurd. I don’t even know why I thought that about Adelyn."

The moment Adelyn’s name was mentioned, Charlotte stilled.

She looked at Clara carefully and asked slowly, "What did you think about Adelyn?"

Clara met her gaze for a brief moment — just long enough for something unspoken to flicker in her eyes — before shaking her head again.

"Mom, really... it’s nothing. Just a random thought. It can’t be real. Don’t think about it."

With that, she pulled her hand away and stepped back, clearly trying to avoid the topic.

And the more she avoided it, the more Charlotte felt the need to hear it.

"Clara," Charlotte reached out and held her again. "What is it? Tell us."

"Mom ..." Clara’s gaze flickered briefly toward Liam and Xavier — uncertain, hesitant.

"Fine, I’ll say it. But don’t take it seriously. Like I said, it was just a random thought. It might mean nothing."

Charlotte, Liam, and Xavier remained silent.

Waiting.

"I was just thinking about what happened seven years ago ... Could it have been ... staged?"

Charlotte froze.

"Staged?" she repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

Even Liam and Xavier frowned deeply.

But Clara didn’t immediately explain.

She simply let the words sink in.

And as they did, Charlotte suddenly let out a small, disbelieving laugh.

"How could something like that be staged?"

She shook her head, clearly rejecting the idea.

Yet —deep within her eyes —a faint flicker of doubt appeared.

Subtle... but undeniable.

"Mom, I told you it was just an absurd thought. Don’t think too much about it," Clara said, gently rubbing her arm. "Of course, it couldn’t have been staged. If it were, how could we have been so terrified? I was literally shaking ... so scared that I would lose all of you any second."

Charlotte listened, and her mind drifted back to that day.

Clara ...

Shaking uncontrollably.

Crying hysterically.

Begging them to save her.

But—

Adelyn ...

She had been sitting there quietly.

Calm.

Unafraid.

Not a single tear in her eyes.

As if she already knew what would happen next.

Could that really be a coincidence?

Could that incident ... truly have been staged?

—————

Meanwhile—

On the other side —

Adelyn finally arrived at the location Nigel had sent her.

She didn’t have to search much.

The place stood out immediately —lively, crowded, filled with young people.

Most of them looked like university students.

From the outside, it didn’t seem unusual.

Adelyn couldn’t quite understand why Nigel had warned her about it.

However—

The moment she stepped inside, she understood.

Her eyes swept across the interior.

What appeared to be a simple restaurant from the outside ... was actually a spacious club within.

Tables were arranged not just for dining —but also for gambling.

"Miss, what are you here for?"

A polite voice addressed her.

Adelyn turned to see a man in his late thirties, looking at her with noticeable interest.

She remained calm under his gaze.

Meeting his eyes briefly, she replied, "For dinner. Do you have a clean table?"

The man immediately smiled. "Of course. Please, come with me. This way."

He gestured for her to follow and then, began leading her inside.

Adelyn walked after him without hesitation.

But then—

Suddenly—

Her gaze caught a familiar small figure.

And her steps halted.