Zamiel had arrived at the Sorrento estate just a few hours ago to check on Elisa. Her due date was close, and though her physical recovery seed stable, her case still baffled him. Months ago, she’d woken from a six-week vegetative state with just opened eyes, breathing steady, but her mory was blank. She had no recollection of the dynasty, of her ties to Zamiel, and most importantly, of Nix Dean.
Liam had promised to keep her calm, to ensure she didn’t wander or exert herself. But when Zamiel called and Liam couldn’t find her, panic seized him like a sudden storm. All the "what ifs" he tried to ignore roared to life: What if she collapsed? What if her mory snapped back in the worst way? What if Nix found her first?
His phone rang before the dread could consu him completely, soone called reporting that Elisa had been rushed to the hospital. Relief washed through him, followed by urgency. Without wasting a second, Zamiel grabbed his coat and barked at Sai, "We’re leaving now."
The hospital wasn’t far, barely a few miles but every red light felt like a curse. By the ti they arrived, Zamiel’s pulse was racing. He expected to find her asleep or under dical care, but what he didn’t expect... was that sight.
Through the half-open door of the ward, Nix Dean sat in a chair, one arm protectively wrapped around a newborn, his usually guarded expression softened into sothing hauntingly tender. The baby’s tiny hand was curled around his finger, and for a fleeting second, the hardened man looked almost... human.
Zamiel froze. He held up a hand to stop Sai, who was about to step forward. "Wait," he whispered, eyes narrowing. "Let see what kind of mood he’s in first."
Because with Nix, there were only two possibilities: either he left with his head still on his shoulders... or detached
Tom, standing near the doorway, shifted nervously spotting Zamiel
"Another bloody war is about to start, isn’t it?" Liam muttered making Zamiel hold back his breath
Nix’s cold gaze snapped toward him like a drawn blade. "Which war?"
Liam froze, gulping But before he could say a word
"Zamiel, what are you doing here?" Tom blurted, snapping Zamiel’s focus away from Nix.
Zamiel straightened his coat, forcing his voice steady as he stepped inside. "dical duty," he said smoothly, though his pulse was anything but calm. He gave Sai a small nod, motioning her to follow.
"Sai!" Elisa’s voice broke through the tension. She smiled weakly, waving her over from the bed.
Sai rushed to her side, but even as she did, the air in the room shifted thickening with sothing unspoken. Nix’s deanor, once soft with the child in his arms, darkened the mont Sai entered. His eyes flicked up cold, unreadable, and calculating. Everyone noticed it except Elisa, who remained blissfully unaware, her attention fixed on Sia and her baby.
Zamiel cleared his throat and forced a smile, trying to cut through the silent pressure Nix was radiating. "Nix," he began, his tone light but edged with caution, "what are you doing in Italy?"
Nix didn’t even look at him. He adjusted the baby’s blanket instead, his expression unreadable.
"When did I start reporting my whereabouts to you?" he said flatly. Then, raising one eyebrow, he added, "And I can ask you the sa thing, Doctor what are you doing here?"
The room held its breath hearing his question
Zamiel, forcing calm, walked over to Elisa’s bedside. "Do you feel any discomfort?" Zamiel asked softly, checking the monitor beside Elisa’s bed.
"No, just pain," she whispered, trying to adjust her position.
He nodded, scribbling a few notes on his clipboard before letting his eyes drift toward Nix. His tone grew sharper, deliberate. "She’s my patient," he said, watching Nix’s unreadable face for a flicker of emotion. None ca. "She’s Camillo Sorrento’s second daughter... your late wife’s sister. In other words, your sister-in-law."
The words hung thickly in the air. Nix’s gaze darkened sharp, qnd restrained but his body remained still, every movent calculated.
Zamiel smirked, hiding his own unease. "I was honestly nervous about introducing you two, given her striking resemblance to..." He trailed off, knowing the na was a wound better left untouched. "But it seems you’re okay."
A mont of silence passed before he added lightly, "Though, you shouldn’t hold a newborn for too long. She’s still prone to infections... and besides, soone might mistake you for the father."
At that, Nix’s jaw tightened. His fingers clenched around the baby’s soft blanket not enough to harm, but enough to betray the anger boiling beneath his calm surface. The faint sound of his knuckles cracking filled the air. His chest rose and fell with slow, controlled breaths, his eyes like cold steel locking on Zamiel’s smirk.
Elisa, oblivious to the tension, turned to Zamiel. "Doctor Zamiel, do you know him?"
"Yes," Zamiel replied, too smoothly. "He’s your brother-in-law." He smiled faintly.
"My brother-in-law?" Elisa blinked, surprised. "Isn’t he a body.."
"Sis, he’s not a bodyguard," Liam cut in quickly, glancing between Nix and Zamiel with visible discomfort. "He’s... a big businessman."
Her lips ford a small O of surprise. "Oh. Then thank you for saving either way. I.. "
Before she could finish, Nix’s voice sliced through the air like ice. "No one ever ntioned that Camillo had a son. Or that his daughter, the one who had bone marrow cancer was pregnant. And without a husband, at that."
Zamiel froze. The smirk drained from his face, replaced by a flicker of guilt. Around them, the room fell into a heavy, unnatural silence. Even the faint cooing of the baby seed to hush. Everyone could feel the weight in Nix’s tone, not curiosity, but accusation.
Sai shifted nervously where she stood and Lam’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. Tom, by the wall, looked ready to step in if things turned ugly.
Then Nix’s cold gaze slid toward Sai. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "You might want to start praying for your fiancé, Sai. Otherwise, you’ll be a widow before you even make it to the altar."
The room went deathly still. The threat wasn’t loud, but it didn’t have to be. His words carried the kind of quiet promise that made the air freeze.
"Okay, okay," Tom interjected quickly, raising his hands as if to physically push the tension back. "This room is for the mother and the child not for bloodshed or war."
"Yes, yes," Liam agreed, stepping forward hastily. "Sai, stay here and take care of Elisa and the baby. Everyone else, let’s go." He grabbed Zamiel’s arm and started ushering him toward the door.
Zamiel didn’t resist, but his eyes stayed locked on Nix, silently asuring his next move.
Nix, however, didn’t budge. He stayed seated, cradling the baby close to his chest. His arms were rigid, protective and almost possessive. His gaze softened only slightly as he looked down at the child, brushing a thumb over her tiny hand that had curled around his finger.
There was sothing fragile about that mont as if the world, for just a heartbeat, had reduced itself to him and the child. The warmth of her tiny body against his chest, the rise and fall of her breath... it stirred sothing foreign in him. A flicker of tenderness that he tried, and failed, to suppress.
"Mr. Dean..." Elisa’s voice was gentle, almost pleading.
But he didn’t respond. His expression was distant conflicted. It wasn’t anger anymore; it was sothing deeper, more dangerous. A mix of longing, confusion, and pain.
Liam hesitated at the door, watching as Nix’s fingers slowly loosened their hold, the baby letting out a soft whimper as if sensing his hesitation.
"Nix, can I have the baby?" Sai said, calling his attention.
But he only returned his gaze to the little one, whose tiny hand had curled back around his fingers.
"You can co and visit her whenever you want," Sai added softly, hoping he would let go though she knew deep down it was impossible for him to co and visit. Her uncle would never allow Nix near his house, not even ten feet close to Elisa or her baby.
Still, her words seed to have a small effect. Nix gently placed the little one back into the baby cot beside Elisa instead of handing her over to Sai.
"She’s still prone to infection," he murmured, his tone unexpectedly tender. "So you shouldn’t carry her yet."
A faint smile touched his face as he stared at the baby, a look Sai had never seen on him before. It made her chuckle quietly as she watched him leave the room.
But the mont Nix stepped outside, his expression changed like a snake shedding its skin. The warmth vanished, replaced by the cold, sharp deanor that defined him. His jaw tightened, eyes darkening with a quiet rage that seed to hum beneath his skin.
He stepped into the corridor to find Liam whispering sothing to Zamiel. Nix couldn’t care less about whatever they were discussing until he noticed Camillo storming toward them.
The next mont caught Nix off guard.
Camillo’s hand ca down hard across Liam’s face a sharp, echoing slap that drew gasps from nearby nurses.
"I warned you about taking her out of the house, didn’t I?" Camillo barked.
Nix, who was never fond of Camillo, leaned casually against the wall, arms folded, choosing to watch the scene unfold like a spectator at a play.
"You just want to do as you please," Camillo continued, voice booming. "Forgetting that I.. "
"You are just a father," Liam cut him off, voice rising, "not the lord over our lives!"
"Liam!"
"Don’t scream my na!" Liam snapped back, his anger startling everyone in the corridor. Nix’s lips curled into a small, knowing smile.
"I try my best to give you the respect you deserve as a father," Liam continued, stepping closer, "but you’ve decided to beco the enemy of your own children’s prosperity, haven’t you? This should be the last ti you lay your hands on or place any restrictions on her. Unless..." His tone dropped, cold and deliberate. "...unless you want that little gem you’re hiding from the world to be seen by everyone."
He scoffed and began walking away.
Camillo’s face blanched, his fury montarily replaced by shock. But before he could recover, Nix’s voice low and venomous froze him in place.
"What little gem are you hiding from the world, Mr. Sorrento?"
Camillo turned sharply, eting Nix’s gaze. Their eyes locked one full of defensive pride, the other laced with quiet, dangerous amusent. Camillo’s authority wavered under the weight of Nix’s calm intimidation.
"It’s none of your business," Camillo spat. "Stay out of my family issues."
Nix gave a faint, mocking smirk. "I have no business with your family affairs, father-in-law, but make sure that little gem of yours doesn’t cross paths with ."
He took a step closer, his voice dropping into a threat so quiet it made the air feel heavier.
"Because if it does... I won’t just ruin your peace, I’ll burn down your world, piece by piece."
Without another glance, he turned and walked away, his footsteps slow and deliberate, each one echoing like a silent warning that lingered long after he was gone.
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