Chapter 210: Loyal for life.
Karl had come to such a sudden halt that the moment he stopped, he couldn’t steady himself in time.
Losing his balance, he dropped straight to his knees.
The hard floor struck sharply beneath him, sending a sting through his legs.
But he didn’t mind it at all.
Lifting his head, he looked up at his brother, ready to report everything in one breath—
—when suddenly, he felt eyes on him.
Instinctively, he turned.
Only to find Ford and Asher standing there.
He blinked, slightly taken aback.
"You two are here as well?"
Asher’s brows tightened, but he gave a small nod. Ford, on the other hand, remained silent, standing straight with his hands clasped behind his back —calm and observant as always.
Karl would have asked more.
But then he remembered why he had rushed all the way here in the first place.
Immediately turning back to Dylan, he straightened his back slightly —even while still kneeling —and said, "Big Brother, I rushed all the way here. Just by that, shouldn’t you be able to tell how serious this matter is?"
Dylan looked at him.
But said nothing.
Karl paused.
Having known his brother all his life, he knew Dylan wasn’t someone who reacted strongly —but even then, he hadn’t expected ... this.
Nothing at all.
Not even the slightest flicker of curiosity.
At the very least ... shouldn’t he show something?
Why was there none?
Or—
Was it because he hadn’t been clear enough?
Thinking the fault might lie in his own words, Karl decided to make things clearer.
"Brother," he began again, more firmly this time, "sister-in-law is our treasure. We can’t let anyone steal her away —especially not her ex-fiancé."
His tone turned serious.
"What right does he have to appear in her life again when she already has you?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Ford’s head turned slightly toward Dylan, his gaze sharpening as though anticipating something.
Asher did the same.
Both of them were watching closely.
Waiting.
But—
Nothing happened.
The air remained calm.
Too calm.
So calm that it left both of them faintly unsettled.
They exchanged a quick glance, unable to make sense of it.
"You visited your sister-in-law’s place?" Dylan asked at last.
Karl nodded instinctively.
But the moment he did, realization struck him.
... He had almost just dug his own grave.
What if his brother asked why he went there?
He couldn’t possibly reveal the real reason.
Before Dylan could question further, Karl quickly spoke again, trying to cover himself.
"I ... I just thought I should report to her about my recent change in attitude," he said, his words slightly rushed. "So I went there. But ... but that’s not important right now."
He waved it off and leaned forward slightly.
"What’s important is that her ex-boyfriend went there too. He’s probably still there—" he lifted his wrist and glanced at his watch, "—at this hour."
His expression turned grave.
"And I can tell you, Big Brother, his intentions toward sister-in-law are definitely not simple."
A pause.
Then, he added more firmly—
"I saw it in his eyes. He still has feelings for her."
Ford and Asher both heard him clearly.
And their expressions turned complicated.
The Warren brothers might not have known—
But they did.
They knew exactly what this meant.
The last thing their boss could tolerate ... was the thought of someone coveting the only woman he had in his world.
The last time something like this had happened—
He had almost locked her away to keep her close to himself
And now that the same kind of threat had appeared again, a quiet dread settled between them.
If Dylan acted on his instinct again ...
If he made a move without restraint—
He might lose her all over again.
And this time—
It wouldn’t just be a mistake.
It would be a disaster.
A disaster that would ruin him completely.
Asher’s jaw tightened.
"Should I drag him away?" he asked in a low voice, barely above a whisper.
The tension in his tone made it clear —he wasn’t just asking.
He was restraining himself from already acting on it.
Ford didn’t speak, but his expression was just as serious.
"Big Brother, why are you still sitting?" Karl asked, completely unable to understand the situation. "Shouldn’t you already be on your way to sister-in-law’s place?"
In his mind, it was simple.
As long as Dylan appeared in front of that doctor—
Everything would be over.
No one could possibly stand against Dylan Warren.
No one.
Dylan, however, seemed lost in thought.
Just when Karl began to suspect that he wasn’t even listening—
Dylan finally spoke.
"Going there at this hour would only upset her," he said calmly.
Karl froze.
And so did Ford and Asher.
"I’ll visit her another time," Dylan continued, his tone steady. "When she’s willing to welcome me."
Karl blinked.
For a moment, he genuinely didn’t understand.
Welcome him?
As what?
A guest?
He almost scoffed.
That wasn’t what he had expected at all.
He had imagined something entirely different—
Something far more direct.
Something ... decisive.
"Big Brother, did you not hear what I just said?" Karl pressed, frowning. "Her ex-boyfriend is there —with every intention of winning her back. What if he—"
"If he could win her back," Dylan cut in calmly, "he wouldn’t be her ex."
Karl paused.
That—
Actually made sense.
If there had been a real possibility between them, they wouldn’t have broken up in the first place.
And since they had—
There was no reason for them to return to each other.
His sister-in-law didn’t seem like someone who gave second chances so easily.
She had barely given him one.
So why would that doctor be any different?
"Done?" Dylan asked.
Karl lifted his gaze to meet his brother’s.
"Big Brother ... how can you sound so sure about her?" he asked, genuinely puzzled. "It’s only been a few weeks since you’ve been with her."
His brows drew together slightly.
"You sound like you’ve known her for years."
Dylan paused.
And so did Ford and Asher.
For a brief second—
The room shifted.
But before Karl could question further—
A knock interrupted them.
"Fourth Young Master," Mabel’s voice came from outside, polite as always. "There’s a cab waiting for you downstairs."
Karl blinked.
He had completely forgotten about it.
"Oh—right."
He pushed himself up from the floor and dusted his knees lightly.
"I’ll go down."
Turning, he took a few steps toward the door.
But just before stepping out—
He stopped.
Hesitated.
Then turned back again.
"Big Brother ... I made a promise to sister-in-law today."
He waited.
As if expecting Dylan to ask what it was.
But when no response came—
His impatience got the better of him.
"I promised," he said, his tone firm now, "that she will be my only sister-in-law for the rest of my life."
He held Dylan’s gaze, making sure his meaning was clear.
"You’d better not betray her," he added, a rare seriousness settling over him, "or I won’t think twice before betraying you."
And with that, he sprinted off, not daring to look back again.
He just wanted to let his brother know. He hadn’t pledged his loyalty ever before. But now that he did, he wouldn’t even breach it.
He was going to stay loyal to his sister-in-law for life. He would allow any other woman to covet what belongs to his sister-in-law.
