KEY TO HAPPINESS:(My mute devil)-Chapter 86

The sound of glass shattering made Luna snap upright. She yanked off her headphones and peered toward the window, heart stuttering. For a moment all she saw was the city streetlamps haloed by the night, the faint hum of traffic but nothing obvious explained the noise. She paused, listened; the only sound was the wind skimming across the balcony. Convinced it was nothing, she eased back into her chair and returned to her laptop, the glow of the screen small and intimate against the dark room.

Then a faint, breathy hiss at the edge of her hearing stopped her again. This time she turned instinctively toward the balcony. Behind the gauzy curtain a shadow moved too deliberate to be just a trick of the light. Her pulse thudded in her ears.

She slid the drawer beside her desk open with a silent motion, fingers brushing the hard, familiar shape she’d kept there for late nights and unwelcome surprises. She lifted the pistol out, the metal cool and weighty in her hand. Every movement afterwards was careful, and deliberate. She parted the curtain an inch and stepped onto the balcony, and with every breath shallow senses sharpened.

The figure was close enough that she could make out the outline of a jacket and the angle of a shoulder. Luna pressed the gun to the back of his head, the heel of the barrel flat against skin and the instant he felt the cold, he snapped his hands upward in surrender.

"Who are you?" she demanded, voice low and steady despite the tremor in her fingers.

He turned slowly. For a beat the world narrowed to his familiar and impossible face. Her jaw dropped.

"Hey, babe." Liam’s smile was small and nervous, as if he’d been caught in the middle of something he hadn’t planned for.

The pistol slid from her hand and clattered to her side

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, fighting for control. "How did you even get in, for goodness’ sake?" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Liam ignored the questions. He ducked past her and, as if this were the most natural thing in the world, made himself comfortable on her bed, leaving the curtain fluttering and the Luna still standing at her spot

"You should be welcoming me instead of asking such questions," Liam said, flashing that boyish grin of his as he brushed imaginary dust off his jacket. "Do you know how many feet I had to climb just to get a glimpse of you? Honestly, Luna, if I fall off one of those balconies, at least let my ghost in without an interrogation." His eyes flicked to the pistol beside her "And why on earth do you even have a gun?"

"Because my brother gave me one," she replied flatly, folding her arms.

"Ohhh," he drawled with a teasing smirk, stepping closer, "my brother-in-law is quite the responsible man then, training his gorgeous little sister in self-defense? Tell me, does he offer private lessons too? I promise I learn fast." Luna’s expression didn’t even twitch. She grabbed his arm, dragged him away from the bed, and practically shoved him toward the balcony door. "Go back to wherever you just came from," she said coolly, not blinking once.

"But I just.. "

"You didn’t ask for my permission before sneaking in," she cut in sharply. "So I don’t need yours to send you back out."

There was no malice in her tone, but the firmness was enough to slice through his charm. She wasn’t being cold, just careful. She knew that if Nix or anyone else found Liam in her apartment at this hour, the problem wouldn’t just be why he was there... it would be how he got in. She had no intention of receiving another one of Camillo’s "warning packages," nor did she want Nix turning back into Nathan, the ruthless version of himself just to keep her safe. After Carmela’s tragedy, Luna had promised herself a quiet, simple life. But standing here with Liam grinning like trouble personified was anything but simple.

"I can’t go back home," he said suddenly, slipping from her grip and flopping down onto her bed again, arms folded behind his head like he owned the place.

Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Because," he said, flashing a smug little smile, "I’ve decided to be with you. I’m ready to be the house husband you clearly need."

Luna blinked. "What?"

A lazy smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "I remember overhearing you say you wanted to live a simple life. You know, dating someone uncomplicated someone like your brother, but a more simplified version of him. So," he spread his arms dramatically, "I’ve decided to be that man."

She let out a breathless scoff, rolling her eyes so hard it could’ve powered the lights. "Do you even know who my brother is?" she asked, one brow arched in disbelief.

Liam shook his head with faux innocence. "Nope. But I wouldn’t mind studying him... just to become him. Think of it as... immersive research for love."

Luna pinched the bridge of her nose. "God help me."

Liam grinned wider. "He might, but not before I do."

"You’re mad, now get.. "

The sharp creak of the door cut her short.

Luna froze, her pulse skipping a beat as her gaze darted toward the entrance. There, leaning lazily against the doorframe, was Nix. His tall frame filled the doorway effortlessly, his expression a picture of cold boredom. The faint light from the hallway spilled across his features, highlighting the unreadable stillness in his eyes which were dark, sharp, and calculating.

For a split second, silence hung heavy in the air. Even the night breeze that filtered in through the balcony curtains seemed to pause.

Liam’s breath hitched. He looked like a criminal caught red-handed stiff, wide-eyed, and utterly guilty. Luna’s fingers twitched by her side, her mind scrambling for words that refused to come.

"Brother," she finally managed, her tone awkwardly thin.

"Brother-in-law," Liam added almost immediately, voice trembling slightly, his lips twitching into a nervous grin that only made things worse.

Nix’s expression didn’t change. His gaze swept slowly from Luna to Liam and back again calm, cold, and utterly unreadable. The tension in the room thickened, pressing down on their lungs.

Liam cleared his throat and stood from the bed, trying to look casual but failing miserably. "I... I’ll take my leave now," he muttered, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. He turned toward the balcony, forcing out a shaky laugh as he prepared to climb down again, one leg already over the rail.

That’s when Nix’s voice sliced through the silence low, lazy, but dangerously sharp.

"Do you know I can have my guards shoot you right now and claim you were a thief?"

Liam froze mid-movement. His face drained of color as he quickly stepped back inside, holding his hands up in surrender. "Brother-in-law, actually... there’s no need for violence. I was just.. uh.. testing the security system. You know, for her safety."

Nix ignored the excuse entirely, straightening to his full height. His presence filled the room like a quiet storm. "Join us for dinner," he said flatly.

"What?" Luna’s voice shot out in disbelief, her eyes wide with irritation and confusion. But Nix didn’t even glance at her. He opened the door wider instead, his tone still calm but final.

"The butler will show you to the dining room," he said, his gaze fixed on Liam. "He’s waiting outside."

Liam hesitated for a heartbeat, then flashed Luna an apologetic smile half-guilty, half-relieved. "Dinner sounds great," he said quickly, scurrying out before she could react. The door clicked softly behind him, leaving the room heavy with silence once again.

The moment the latch settled, Luna spun toward Nix, her irritation bubbling to the surface.

"What was that for!" she snapped, glaring at him.

Nix’s eyes narrowed, his calm façade cracking just enough to reveal a flicker of anger beneath. He took a slow step toward her.

"You received a threat," he said, voice low but sharp, "not once but twice. And you didn’t tell me?" His gaze locked with hers, intense enough to make her chest tighten. "Have you already considered me dead, Luna?"

The words hit harder than she expected.

"Nix, don’t say that," she said softly, her voice trembling around the edges. "It’s just... I didn’t want to bother you."

He exhaled sharply through his nose a sound that carried frustration more than anger. "You are my responsibility, Luna," he said, his tone rising, his jaw tightening as he stepped closer. "You all are my responsibility and everything that happens to any of you bothers me."

She sighed, lowering her gaze. For a fleeting moment, she had forgotten how fiercely protective he could be. The way his anger wasn’t born from control, but from fear, the fear of losing someone else he cared about.

"I know, okay. But why did you let him stay for dinner?" Luna rolled her eyes.

"Because he can’t go home now." Nix’s voice was flat.

"And how do you know this?"

"Because I was with him a few hours ago. I met his family including his sister, who’s Carmela’s identical twin sister."

Luna’s breath hitched. The implication landed like a lead weight in her chest. Without a word, she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. She pressed her face to his chest, feeling the steady thud of his heartbeat beneath her cheek, a small, stubborn rhythm that said he was still there. Nix’s shoulders were tense at first, as if bracing against some invisible memory, then slowly, infinitesimally, he loosened. The brief contact seemed to soften something behind his eyes; for a moment he looked smaller, human in a way he rarely allowed himself to be seen.

"How do you feel?" she asked, looking up at him.

He gave a small, crooked smile the kind that didn’t reach his eyes but fit the moment anyway. "I’m fine. Now let’s not keep your lover waiting." His said in a teasing tone to have Luna smirked and stepped back. "You know it’s not going to work out between us, right?" she said as she moved toward the door.

Nix tilted his head, studying her. "With the zeal and fire I saw in his eyes? I doubt you’ll be able to escape."