Chapter 276: I need your permission.
Jasper tried to understand his brother, but as always, Dylan’s face remained as unreadable as ever.
"Even though she doesn’t need my help, I won’t be the one to ignore her," Dylan said, his words carrying a quiet certainty that only reaffirmed what he had already made obvious.
Jasper understood immediately.
Nodding, he asked, "Then do you want me to have someone look into the situation she’s dealing with? Or perhaps check the lawyer she’s working with? If necessary, we can even arrange someone better."
Dylan heard every word but didn’t respond immediately.
With his usual elegance, he calmly picked up his fork and knife, cut another piece of his breakfast, and took a bite before finally speaking.
"Didn’t you hear what she said just now?"
Jasper paused.
Of course he had.
He simply thought they could arrange something even better for her.
Wouldn’t that be the wiser choice?
Dylan set down his cutlery and lifted his eyes to meet Jasper’s.
"If she said she has already handled it, then she has." His voice remained calm, yet every word carried undeniable weight. "Doubting her or her capabilities isn’t right."
After a brief pause, he added,
"Not for you. Or anyone."
His gaze then shifted meaningfully toward Felix. Although he never voiced what he had long since noticed ...
The message still was delivered to the intended recipient perfectly.
The way Felix quietly lowered his gaze was enough to show he understood every word.
Dylan didn’t say anything further.
Pushing his chair back, he stood up before glancing once more at Jasper. "If you have something to discuss, come with me."
With that, he turned and walked toward the living room.
Jasper silently followed behind him.
Felix, however, remained seated.
His attention shifted toward Little Eira, who was still quietly finishing her breakfast.
Once she swallowed her final bite, he asked, "Finished?"
The little girl looked up at him before nodding. "Mama asked me to finish it properly, so Eira did."
Felix glanced down at her plate before looking back at her. "You finished everything because Mama told you to?"
Eira paused before nodding again.
"Eira doesn’t like carrots ..." She pointed toward the now-empty plate. "... but Mama said they’re good for Eira’s eyes."
"So Eira eats them every day now."
Felix couldn’t help but smile.
Not because of what she had said ...
But because he knew exactly how picky the little girl had always been.
Carrots were one of the vegetables she disliked the most. Normally, she wouldn’t even touch them.
Yet today ...
She had eaten every single piece without leaving anything behind.
It was because of Adelyn.
Something quietly shifted within Felix.
Perhaps ...
It was his perception of her.
Or perhaps ...
A suspicion.
Meanwhile, outside —
Adelyn stood near the entrance, quietly waiting for her cab.
Not long afterwards, Karl came running after her, slightly out of breath.
"Sister-in-law ... wait ... wait for me. I still need to ask you something."
Under normal circumstances, Adelyn would have simply ignored him and left.
Unfortunately ...
Her cab hadn’t arrived yet.
She sighed.
"What kind of chaos are you stirring up in that useless head of yours this time?"
Karl froze.
"Chaos?" He blinked before pointing at himself. "Sister-in-law ... are you calling me chaotic now?"
Adelyn folded her arms and looked at him. "Was I being that obvious?"
His face instantly fell.
Just as Adelyn was beginning to feel a little satisfied ...
His expression suddenly brightened again. Then, he said,
"Even if I’m chaotic, it’s fine." He shrugged as though it didn’t matter at all. "Who hasn’t gone through a chaotic phase in life? I’m just having mine right now."
"I’ll eventually get through it and become better. The important thing is ..." He grinned brightly. "... my sister-in-law is here."
"As long as you’re with me, I won’t fall to rock bottom."
Really?
Adelyn stared at him.
His reasoning ...
His logic ...
—Left her completely speechless.
How had her sarcasm somehow turned into encouragement for him?
She genuinely couldn’t understand how his mind worked. Or was it her, who was simply losing it?
Suppressing the urge to sigh, she looked at him.
"What is it?" she asked. "Speak before my cab arrives. Otherwise, you might have to run after it later."
Karl looked as though he wanted to argue. But before he could say anything ...
Adelyn simply turned her phone around and showed him the app.
The tiny car icon was already approaching.
"Use every second ..." She looked at him meaningfully. "... every minute carefully."
Karl immediately understood.
Without wasting another second, he hurriedly got to the point.
"Actually, Sister-in-law ... I need your permission."
"Permission?" Adelyn repeated.
Karl nodded earnestly.
She frowned.
"Since when did I become your mother?"
She genuinely couldn’t understand why she seemed to be getting dragged deeper and deeper into this family.
Permission?
Did she even have the authority to give him any?
Karl immediately panicked.
Grabbing the edge of her sleeve, he hurriedly explained, "You may not be my mother ..."
"... but you’re definitely my sister-in-law. And my sister-in-law is the same as my mother. So please don’t abandon me."
"Otherwise ..."
He looked utterly pitiful.
"... I’ll have no one left to protect me."
It was Adelyn he was relying on.
Without his sister-in-law standing behind him ...
There were many things he simply wouldn’t dare to do even after planning it all.
Adelyn stared at him before quietly pulling her sleeve free.
"You’re already an adult," she said. "You don’t need my permission —or anyone else’s. Just do whatever you think is right."
Karl shook his head repeatedly.
"Sister-in-law, don’t say that. Haven’t I behaved well these past few days? How can you bear to abandon me when I haven’t even done anything wrong?"
Adelyn almost laughed.
He made it sound as though she were committing some terrible crime.
Still ...
After knowing him recently —
She had already come to understand that this was simply Karl’s personality. Being overly dramatic came as naturally to him as breathing.
He wasn’t going to change overnight.
Sighing inwardly, she shook her head.
Just then —
Her cab pulled up.
Realizing it was finally time to leave, she stepped toward it. But before she could take another step, Karl grabbed her sleeve again.
"Sister-in-law ..."
His expression suddenly became unusually serious, like a kid who was too pitiful.
"... are you abandoning me? Just tell me. Who upset you? Was it really me? Or ..."
He hesitated for a second before lowering his voice.
"... are you venting your anger because my brother did something to upset you?"
Adelyn almost rolled her eyes.
Taking a slow, deep breath, she finally made up her mind.
Turning back toward him, she asked, "You wanted my permission, didn’t you?"
Karl sniffled lightly before nodding.
She nodded back.
"Fine." She gave him a thumps up. "You have it. Go ahead."
Karl froze.
He blinked several times.
"Really?"
Adelyn forced herself to smile as brightly as she could. "If you don’t believe me ..." She pointed toward the waiting cab. "...then stay here and keep thinking about it. Because I have to leave."
Karl immediately shook his head.
"No ... no, Sister-in-law. I believe you."
"Good."
Adelyn hummed with satisfaction.
"Now that you have it ... I’ll leave first."
With that, she turned, got into the cab, and closed the door behind her.
Karl stood there watching as the car slowly pulled away.
Only after it had driven several meters did his brows suddenly knit together.
A look of confusion spread across his face.
"... Wait." He blinked. "Don’t you even want to ask what I needed your permission for, Sister-in-law?"
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