Eira stared at her father.

She didn’t understand what he meant. She tried to think it through, but when she couldn’t, she simply waited for him to explain.

Dylan didn’t rush.

But when he saw his daughter finally looking at him —quietly giving in —he spoke, "Your mama will choose you over me, but—" he paused, slowly rising from the chair, "someday, if another man grows close to her, she might not have the same choice again."

Eira’s brows furrowed into a deep frown.

She still didn’t understand what he meant.

Another man?

Why would her mama ever choose another man over her?

She tried to figure out if her father was tricking her again. But this time ... she could tell he was serious.

"Finish your glass of juice and then go check on your mother," Dylan said calmly before turning away and walking upstairs toward his study.

Meanwhile —Not far from the doorway—

Asher stood there, almost dumbfounded.

When Ford noticed his expression, he placed a hand on his shoulder, patting it lightly in quiet understanding.

"It’s fine. There’s nothing to be surprised about. Not much has changed," he said.

Asher turned to look at him.

Ford’s smile deepened slightly as he nodded, firmly reinforcing his words.

"What? We both know that when it comes to her, Boss doesn’t mind crossing the line of shamelessness. Making his own daughter an ally just to secure his place by her side—this is still the mildest of it."

Asher knew that much.

But he still couldn’t understand one thing—

"Why?" he asked, his brows drawn into a frown. "Why is Boss so obsessed with that woman? She isn’t the only woman in this world."

Ford’s expression changed.

It grew more serious.

He didn’t look at Asher. Instead, his gaze drifted into the distance —deep and far away —as though it carried the weight of something long understood.

"Because she was meant to be his obsession... since the very beginning."

The frown between Asher’s brows only deepened.

However, before he could ask anything further, Ford turned to look at him.

"She might not be the only woman in this world," he said, his gaze unwavering, yet no longer as light as before, "but to him... she is the only one that exists."

"So ... it has to be her. Not just once, but every time."

Asher hadn’t stayed beside Dylan as long as Ford had. And he might not be as aware of their boss as Ford was.

However—

He had understood the importance of Adelyn very well.

He could no longer remain stubborn and refuse to acknowledge it.

"Since she has returned," he said, his tone turning firm, "she’d better not repeat herself. Otherwise, nothing will be able to stop history from repeating —or worse."

Ford understood what he meant.

His gaze shifted toward the direction where Dylan had disappeared.

History might not repeat itself again.

—————

Eira, on the other hand, sat there, thinking about what her father had just said.

Just then—

The old housekeeper came to check on her.

Seeing that her glass of juice was still full and untouched, she asked softly,"Young Miss, is everything alright?"

Eira heard her and turned to look at her.

Thinking for a moment, she asked carefully, choosing her words,"Granny Mabel, will Mama not choose me in the future?"

The old housekeeper paused at that.

For a moment, she didn’t quite understand what the girl meant.

After all, understanding a child’s thoughts was never easy.

So, she couldn’t answer immediately.

Eira stared at her, waiting.

But when even after a while she received no response, her lips slowly pouted.

Seeing her expression dim, the old housekeeper quickly spoke,"Ms. Grace seems to like you a lot. She would always choose you."

She didn’t know Adelyn well. But seeing how deeply the little girl adored her, she said what felt safest —what would comfort her the most.

Eira heard her.

And although it comforted her a little, she still wasn’t fully satisfied.

So, she asked again, "Then ... will she still choose me over other people?"

The housekeeper hesitated once more.

Seeing the confusion on her face, Eira explained softly, "Dada said ... if someday she grows closer to another man, she might not choose Eira anymore."

Though she repeated her father’s words bravely, without breaking into tears, there was still a faint flicker of hurt in her eyes.

The old woman saw it —and her heart tightened.

She had watched this child grow up.

For four whole years, she had been the one taking care of her —years in which the girl had lived without a mother.

And she knew, better than anyone, what the child longed for the most.

Yet even with that longing, the girl had never once run to any random woman and called her "Mama."

So yesterday, when she saw her grow so attached to someone so suddenly, she had been surprised.

For a brief moment, she had even wondered if that woman might truly be her biological mother.

However—

she soon realized that wasn’t the case.

Although the woman cared for the child almost like a mother would, there was still a subtle restraint in her actions —an invisible line she seemed hesitant to cross.

"Granny Mabel," Eira called again softly, this time tugging gently at her sleeve, "why aren’t you saying anything?"

The old woman looked down at her small, delicate face.

She didn’t want to hurt her.

But in this house, Dylan had set one strict rule —no one was allowed to lie to the child.

So, she carefully chose her words, trying her best to soften the truth as much as she could.

"Young Miss, Ms. Grace clearly likes you very much. In the future, she will only grow closer to you. But—"

She paused, hesitating.

Eira didn’t interrupt.

She simply waited patiently.

"But the future is never certain, Young Miss. If someday Ms. Grace marries someone else, she would naturally grow closer to him. And then—"

"... she won’t choose me?" Eira asked, her voice serious.