Chapter 213: You shouldn’t chase after another man’s woman.
No matter how difficult things became, they could never remain the same forever.
Sooner or later ... she would find a way to walk out of it.
Believing that, Adelyn silently reassured herself. Only after her thoughts settled did she speak again, her tone returning to its usual calm.
"Mr. Warren, how was your day today?" she asked. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "And Eira ... is she already asleep?"
Dylan hummed in response. But this time, unlike before, a few words followed.
"She slept crying."
Adelyn froze.
Her brows drew together almost instantly.
"She cried?" she repeated, recalling how the little girl had called her earlier but hadn’t waited long enough to speak.
A faint unease stirred in her chest.
"Why did she cry? Did something happen?"
Children cried —it wasn’t unusual. It was natural, even expected. But for some reason, the thought of Eira crying ... it didn’t sit well with her.
It unsettled her.
"It’s fine," Dylan said, his tone steady as he tried to reassure her. "She’ll be fine when she wakes up tomorrow."
His calmness only deepened her frown.
Not liking that response, she didn’t hide it.
"Mr. Warren, you can’t always brush off her tears like that," she said, her voice carrying a quiet firmness. "She’s a child, yes —and children do cry often. But unlike most kids, our Eira is quite sensible. She cries easily but never without a reason."
She paused briefly, choosing her words more carefully ...
"If she did cry, you should look into ’why’. If you understand the reason, you can explain it to her properly. That way, she won’t feel the same way again next time."
She wasn’t an expert in raising children.
Far from it.
But she knew one thing for certain—
She couldn’t even bear to hear that Eira had cried.
"I did try explaining it to her," Dylan replied, his tone neither defensive nor offended.
Strangely, his calmness only made Adelyn feel bolder.
So bold, in fact, that she didn’t hesitate to question him further —even when it came to how he handled his own daughter.
"You explained it to her?" she asked again.
"You don’t believe me?" he chuckled lightly.
That only made her frown deepen.
"No, Mr. Warren," she said honestly. "It’s just that ... she isn’t that difficult. As long as you explain things to her properly, she always understands."
Realizing she was repeating herself, she stopped.
Then, more directly, she asked,
"Can you tell me why she actually cried? Maybe ... I can help you talk to her."
She knew she was stepping into something that wasn’t entirely her responsibility.
Yet, because it was Eira—
She didn’t mind taking it on.
There was a brief pause on the other end.
And just when Adelyn began to wonder if she had crossed a line—
Dylan spoke.
"She saw Karl at your place ... and you cooking for him."
Adelyn went still.
The earlier call flashed through her mind.
"She also wanted to have it."
Adelyn’s fingers tightened slightly around her phone.
"Is that why she cried?" she asked softly, a hint of guilt slipping into her voice.
Of course she would cry.
The girl called her Mama ... yet she had never once cooked for her.
For a child so sensitive, so easily affected by small things—
Her tears were not hard to understand.
Dylan hummed in response.
"I told her you would cook for her another day," he added. "But she didn’t believe me."
That was when Adelyn fully understood.
She had blamed Dylan too quickly.
When in reality—
She was just as responsible.
"Mr. Warren ... I’m sorry," she said sincerely. "I shouldn’t have questioned you like that. You clearly—"
"It’s fine," Dylan interrupted gently. "You have every right to."
Adelyn paused.
Every right?
Was it because Eira called her Mama?
She didn’t ask.
After a moment, she said instead,
"If she wants to eat something made by me, I can cook for her tomorrow."
Dylan, however, didn’t agree immediately.
"You don’t need to rush," he said. "Your schedule isn’t easy either."
"It’s fine," she replied, shaking her head instinctively before remembering he couldn’t see her. "Filming hasn’t started yet. I can manage. And ... it’s not that difficult."
Since she insisted, Dylan didn’t refuse further.
But then—
A thought suddenly crossed her mind.
"What if she doesn’t like my cooking?" Adelyn asked, a trace of uncertainty slipping into her tone. "I’m not very good in the kitchen."
"As long as you cook for her," Dylan replied smoothly, "she’ll like it."
That eased her slightly.
Still, she made a mental note—
She would look up recipes properly before cooking anything for Eira.
———————————
Meanwhile—
Downstairs—
Xavier had just come out and was about to leave when the security guard noticed him and approached.
"Dr. Colsen," the guard greeted politely before asking, somewhat hesitantly, "were you able to speak with Ms. Grace this time?"
Xavier glanced at him, his brows slightly furrowed.
But recalling how the guard had helped him earlier in contacting Adelyn, he gave a short nod.
"Thank you for your help," he said.
The guard smiled in response.
However, after a brief moment of hesitation, he spoke again,
"Ms. Grace is very beautiful ... and kind," he said carefully. "It’s not wrong for people to like her. But as men ... we should be mindful of whom we pursue."
Xavier’s frown deepened.
When he turned fully toward him, the guard didn’t retreat.
Instead, he continued plainly,
"You shouldn’t chase after another man’s woman. If you do ... where will your dignity go?"
With each word, Xavier’s expression grew darker. His fingers slowly curled into fists at his sides. "Another man’s woman?" he repeated, his voice low.
The guard nodded.
"Yes. She’s already married and has a daughter. You shouldn’t try to break a happy family like that."
And in that moment—
Xavier remembered.
The guy from earlier.
He had said something similar.
That Adelyn was married.
That she had a daughter.
A strange unease crept into Xavier’s chest, tightening slowly, suffocatingly.
Could it be true?
Was she ... really married?
The thought unsettled him in a way he couldn’t quite explain.
No—
He didn’t want to accept it.
Adelyn was his.
She had always been his.
How could she possibly choose someone else?
How could she ... marry another man?
