Earlier that morning, when the three brothers decided to come over for breakfast ... it hadn’t been something they had planned in advance.

It was merely a coincidence.

They had run into each other right at the entrance.

And since they were already there, it only felt natural to head in together.

Jasper had come with a purpose —he needed to report on the progress of their investment in Goldstem Productions’ movie.

Karl, on the other hand, had simply tagged along. His intention was twofold: to keep an eye on his second brother ... and, of course, to offer his ever-so-helpful advice on how to make a proper move toward his sister-in-law.

As for Felix ...

After being away on a business trip for so long, he simply missed Eira far too much.

However—

None of them had expected Adelyn to be there.

So, the moment they caught sight of her, all three of them halted at the doorway.

For a brief second, no one moved.

Walking in suddenly didn’t seem like the right decision anymore.

But at the same time—

Turning around and leaving without even greeting them felt equally inappropriate.

They were stuck in between.

Felix and Jasper exchanged a quick, subtle glance —silently trying to figure out what should they do next.

In the end, it was Jasper who took a small step forward.

"Big Brother ..." he called, his voice carrying a hint of obvious hesitation. "We came to have breakfast together. Do you mind... if we join in?"

He asked —and waited.

However, Dylan didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he calmly turned his attention back to the table. Picking up the jug of freshly prepared juice, he poured himself a full glass with unhurried ease.

"I’m not the one you should be asking," he said.

Then, without sparing them a glance, he pushed the glass toward Adelyn.

Adelyn stiffened.

Both at his words —and at the gesture.

Her eyes lifted to him instantly, confusion flickering within them.

Who else was he referring to?

He couldn’t possibly mean—

Her?

Was he really asking them to seek her permission?

But she was just a guest here... not someone with the authority to invite or refuse anyone.

Then why was he making it seem as though she were the rightful hostess of this house?

Jasper and Felix were equally puzzled.

At that moment, Karl pursed his lips before speaking up casually, as if the answer were obvious.

"Don’t make it so complicated when Big Brother’s meaning is pretty clear."

They both turned to look at him.

Karl rolled his eyes lightly, almost in exasperation. "Big Brother means we should be asking sister-in-law. After all, she’s the lady of the house."

He said it out loud—

Far louder than necessary.

So not only Jasper and Felix, but even Adelyn, seated at the table, heard it loud and clear.

And immediately—

She choked on her juice.

"Cough—!"

Lady of the house?

This kid clearly had no sense of boundaries when it came to situations like these.

She coughed harder —her face flushing red almost instantly.

Dylan’s brows furrowed the moment he saw her like that. Without hesitation, he stood up and walked over to her side.

Before Adelyn could even process what was happening, he was already standing behind her.

His hand came to rest gently on her back, moving in slow, steady strokes as he tried to ease her breathing.

"Easy," he said quietly, patting her lightly.

Adelyn stiffened.

Not just because of his touch—

But because of how close he suddenly was.

She turned her head slightly to look at him—

And paused.

There was concern in his eyes.

Real, unmistakable concern.

One she never expected him to feel for her.

For a brief moment, it caught her off guard ...

She couldn’t look away.

"Mama ..." Eira’s soft voice called out, pulling Adelyn out of her daze. "Are you okay??"

There was an evident worry in her tone —one that Adelyn couldn’t ignore.

When Adelyn turned to look at her, the little girl looked almost frightened.

"Mama is okay, baby," Adelyn said gently, reaching out to cup her cheek. " Because I drank the juice too quickly, I choked a little. But ... I’m fine now."

"Really?" Eira asked seriously, as if needing full confirmation.

Adelyn nodded patiently. "Of course. See? I’m not coughing anymore."

Only then did Eira finally relax.

Adelyn then turned to glance up at Dylan and gave him a soft nod. "Thank you, Mr Warren. But I’m fine now."

The concern on his face eased slightly, but his brows remained faintly furrowed.

"You don’t need to react so extremely over something so simple," he said.

Adelyn froze.

Something so simple?

Was he referring to the "lady of the house" comment?

How was that something simple?

The position of lady of the house was so crucial. How could he take it so lightly?

She was just a fake girlfriend —a temporary case.

Can he not make her feel so important?

She wasn’t important at all.

Still, she forced a small smile and nodded. "I’ll be careful."

Meanwhile, the entire scene that had just unfolded left both Jasper and Felix stunned.

They had seen Dylan be gentle before—

But only with Eira.

Never like this.

Never with anyone else.

For a moment, they even questioned whether they had imagined it.

"It’s not your imagination," Karl suddenly whispered softly right into their ears.

Both of them turned to look at him.

Karl nodded knowingly, as if he had long since grown accustomed to this.

"You saw it right," he said. "Big Brother treats Sister-in-law very differently from everyone else. And that’s only natural. After all ... she is our sister-in-law."

Felix stared at him, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "You’ve seen them like this before?"

Karl puffed up proudly. "Of course. Otherwise, how do you think I became so devoted to my sister-in-law? She deserves every bit of my devotion."

Before either Jasper or Felix could respond—

Dylan’s voice cut through again.

"If you don’t want to come in, you can leave," he said calmly. "Don’t just stand there."