Page 9 of The Shadow King's Brother

The nurse pauses, tilting her head slightly as if trying to piece together her response. “It’s for Mrs. Fal— Mrs. De Luca,” she corrects herself, quickly. “It’s.. just food. We give that to every patient.”

I narrow my eyes, her hesitation not lost on me.

“Calm down, Elio. She’s just doing her job,” Nica says, her hand landing firmly on my arm, a slight roll of her eyes as she steps between me and the nurse.

“I need to know,” I reply, my gaze never leaving the baby bassinet. I lean in just a little closer, making sure the baby is still there.

“You don’t need to know,” Nica says, turning toward the nurse but keeping her eyes locked on me. “Excuse him. He’s just... overprotective.”

The nurse holds my gaze a second too long. There’s something there—curiosity, maybe something else. It’s subtle, but I catch it. She quickly steps back, as if realizing she’s been caught staring. Her retreat is almost frantic, like she’s trying to distance herself from me.

Nica’s eyes flicker to the nurse, then back to me. A faint smirk pulls at her lips.

“Everything okay there, nurse?” she asks, her voice light but carrying that edge of hers.

“Uhm, everything’s fine,” the nurse says, blushing and lowering her eyes.

Nica noticed. She saw that stare.

I don’t say anything, just glance at the nurse’s hurried exit.

“You saw that, too?” I mutter, trying to play it cool. But Nica catches it, like she always does.

“I see, flirting with the nurse after telling her off. Quite the move, Mr. De Luca,” Nica says, her smirk widening.

“Nica—I—I didn’t—” I stutter, caught off guard.

“Don’t worry, I’m not mad.Yet.”

I can’t help the grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. I love when she gets like this—protective. It’s cute.And also a little terrifying.

“Yeah—that was obvious,” I say, pretending it doesn’t faze me. “Guess she doesn’t know how to hide her... interest.” I wink at her.

Nica raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “You’re so full of it,” she says, grabbing my tie and pulling me down for a soft kiss. That mouth of hers? It makes my knees go weak.

I’m definitely in trouble. Maybe for the rest of my life.

* * *

We leavethe hospital after making sure my mother is feeling well. Thomas promised he’d call Steven for the night shift, and Gio showed up just as we were about to leave.

Gio’s presence calms me.

This Thomas-person, on the other hand? Not so much. Instead, I focus on the fact that Steven and Gio are here.They’re the constants.The ones I can count on, no questions asked.

I feel like I’ve just run a marathon, my legs sore, my head spinning. All I want is a moment to breathe, somewhere dark and quiet, to try to process all of this.

The hospital doors shut behind us, and I inhale the crisp air outside. It’s a relief as if the air is clearing my mind after being suffocated inside.Alive.I needed to feel that.

But all I can think about is her.

The tiny, fragile thing that came from all the chaos of last year. I want to hold her again. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, no matter what it costs me. I understand now that nothing’s the same.

Life’s changed. I’ve changed.

I look over at Nica. And for a moment I almost believe we can be happy.

Chapter3

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