CHAPTER 110: 110

Elisa let out a long, shaky breath the moment she stepped out of the office. The cool air of the hallway hit her face, but it did nothing to calm the heat still lingering on her cheeks. What was that? The memory of Nix’s closeness, his hand, his breath, the way his eyes had momentarily softened flashed through her mind, and she quickly slapped both cheeks lightly as if she could knock the moment out of her head.

But then she remembered where she was.

Several employees were still standing around the corridor, pretending to be busy yet unmistakably staring. Their curious eyes flicked from her face to the office door she had just stepped out of. Elisa straightened her blouse, pulled her shoulders back, and forced her expression into something neutral... respectable... and unshaken. With a stiff nod, she walked away from the door, refusing to let the embarrassment swallow her whole.

As she made her way down the hall, her thoughts began to spiral loud, rapid and uncontrollable.

Why did he do that?

Was he suspicious of her?

Was that closeness intentional or another one of his unpredictable power games?

And why... Why had his attitude toward her changed so suddenly overnight?

Her chest tightened as she tried to piece together possibilities, none of which made sense.

She reached the waiting room and paused when she spotted Nyxella. The little girl was running in circles around the secretary’s legs, giggling, shrieking, and playing some made-up game only toddlers understood. The secretary chased her half-heartedly, laughing under his breath, and clearly charmed.

A small soft, and involuntary smile tugged at Elisa’s lips as she watched her first fruit.No matter how chaotic her world felt, Nyxella remained the single, steady thing in it.

But the smile faded when she noticed a blotch of juice of course it was juice smudged across the front of Nyxella’s tiny shirt.

Elisa patted herself automatically... and froze. Her wipes and her bags were not with her

She had left everything inside the boardroom.

Suppressing a sigh, she turned back toward the hallway.

The moment she re-entered the main corridor, staff members straightened instantly too quickly. One bowed slightly, then another, and another. Some greeted her with stiff politeness, others with a kind of nervous respect that made her skin prickle. Elisa blinked, momentarily thrown off, but she forced herself to mimic their bows and return their greetings as naturally as she could manage.

What has gotten into everyone today?

She reached the boardroom door and lifted her hand to turn the handle

but stopped.

Nix’s voice spilled through the crack beneath the door, low but sharp, each word laced with a chilling intensity that made her breath catch. Whatever he was discussing inside... was not casual. It was not calm. And it definitely was not meant for her ears.

Her fingers froze on the handle as she hesitated, unsure whether to enter... or run.

She wasn’t sure what they were discussing, but from the weight in Nix’s tone and the unmistakable presence of Zamiel she could tell it was serious. Very serious.

Zamiel was rarely involved in the internal affairs of the dynasty. He preferred to circle the edges of power, not stand in the middle of its storms. His presence alone meant gravity. Meaning. Complications. Whatever was happening in that room wasn’t ordinary business.

Elisa swallowed hard, pressing her back lightly against the cold wall beside the door.

As long as it’s not about me...

The thought whispered through her mind like a fragile prayer.

Even Zamiel didn’t suspect her of faking her memory loss. Not him. Not the one man whose intuition was razor-sharp enough to slice through anyone’s façade. If he wasn’t questioning her... then maybe just maybe the conversation inside had nothing to do with the secret she feared most.

She exhaled shakily, her relief thin but present. Her hand dropped from the door handle..

Then Nix’s voice erupted, clearer this time.

"And you expect me to just leave my little one behind?"

Elisa’s breath vanished.

A cold wave of terror slammed into her chest so hard her knees nearly buckled. Her heart began to race painfully fast, frantic, and wild. Her palms dampened instantly, her throat closing up as her thoughts scattered in every direction.

"He’s talking about Nyxella.. it must be someone else" She tried to convince herself although fear gripped her so violently she pressed a trembling hand to her chest, as if she could physically hold herself together.

"I won’t stay away from her," Nix continued, voice rough with possessiveness and unmistakable emotion. "And I definitely won’t let her grow up in the Sorrento house. I’m taking Nyxella with me with or without that old man’s permission."

Elisa’s vision blurred and her stomach dropped in an instant.

Her worst fear.. the fear she had fought to bury every single day was suddenly alive, clawing its way into reality. Before she could stop herself, she turned and ran. Her heels clicked loudly against the marble floor, echoing her racing heartbeat.

She blinked hard, desperately trying to keep her tears from spilling, but they burned hotly beneath her lashes.

"No, no, no... he can’t take her... He can’t take my baby from me." She kept muttering to herself while wiping her tears.

When she reached the waiting room, she didn’t slow down.

The secretary barely had time to react before Elisa swept Nyxella into her arms lifting the little girl so quickly it startled everyone in the room. Nyxella let out a tiny squeak of confusion, clinging instinctively to her mother’s shoulders.

"Mrs.. ma’am.. ?" the secretary stuttered, completely lost.

But Elisa didn’t answer.

She held her daughter tightly against her chest and bolted for the exit, her breath breaking, her fear louder than reason and louder than everything else

She didn’t care who saw her.

She didn’t care who she confused.

She just ran.

Because in that moment, all she knew all she felt was the crushing terror of losing the one person she couldn’t live without

Elisa didn’t stop running.

Her breath came in sharp, uneven bursts, each inhale tighter than the last. The hallway blurred into streaks of white and silver as she clutched Nyxella against her chest, her arms trembling. Panic crawled up her spine like cold fingers, digging into her ribs, and squeezing her lungs until air felt thin and painful.

"He wants to take her... he wants to take her..." The words looped through her mind, louder, heavier, crushing her thoughts into chaos.

By the time she burst through the front doors of the building, her vision was already tunneling. The afternoon air hit her face in a cold wave, but it did nothing to clear her head. Her heartbeat thundered so violently it felt like her body was shaking with each pulse.

"H-Hush, baby... mommy’s here," she whispered to Nyxella, but even her voice trembled.

Her daughter blinked up at her, sensing the fear, her small fingers digging into Elisa’s blouse.

Elisa ran toward the street toward anything, anywhere, just far away. She didn’t look at the traffic lights. She didn’t look at the cars. She didn’t see anything except the shadow of Nix’s voice replaying in her chest.

Tires screeched.

Someone shouted.

A horn blared so loudly it split the air like a whip.

A black sedan swerved, only inches from her its headlights glaring directly into her widened, tear-filled eyes.

"Carmela!"

A powerful arm yanked her backwards with such force her feet left the ground for a moment. Nyxella let out a startled cry as Elisa stumbled, falling against a hard chest solid, warm, and shaking.

Nix.

His breath was ragged, furious and terrified at the same time. One hand clutched the back of her head, pulling her tightly into him, the other gripping her arm as if he feared she might vanish into traffic.

"What the hell were you thinking!?" he hissed, but the anger in his voice cracked thinly veiling panic. "Car.." he narrowed his eyes diverting his words ".. Elisa, look at me" he commanded but she couldn’t

Her body was frozen, and trembling uncontrollably.

Her fingers refused to unclench from Nyxella and her lungs drag-raced for air that wouldn’t come.

Then Zamile appeared beside them, his usually calm expression breaking into alarm when he saw the state she was in.

"Elisa," he murmured gently, "give her to me. Just for a moment." he stretched his hand wanting to hold Nyxella but she couldn’t respond, she only gasped, her chest tightening painfully. Her sight flickered again white, then black, and then back to road before her

"Elisa," Zamile repeated, softer, and firm but patient. "Let me hold her so you can breathe."

At the sound of his steady voice she somehow, but barely, loosened her hold. Zamile smoothly lifted Nyxella from her arms, settling the little girl against his shoulder. The moment Nyxella was gone, Elisa’s legs buckled.

Nix caught her instantly.

Without hesitation, he swept her off her feet one arm beneath her knees, the other bracing her back. Her head fell weakly against his chest, but the moment his arms wrapped around her, she started thrashing.

"N.. No.. let me go," she gasped, her fingers clawing at his shirt. "He’s going to take her away.. he’s going to take her.. "

"Elisa.. Elisa, stop." His voice cracked as he tried to adjust his grip without hurting her. She pushed at his chest, trembling violently.

"She’s my baby.. he’ll take her.. please.. don’t.. don’t let him.. "

The words tumbled out of her in broken sobs, each one more panicked than the last. Her breathing spiraled into fast, shallow gasps that shook through her entire body. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking through the collar of his suit.

"Elisa, look at me.. hey, look at Elisa!"

Nix angled her face up gently, his thumb brushing frantically at her wet cheeks.

"It’s a panic attack," he whispered, though the strain in his voice betrayed how terrified he was becoming. "You’re okay. I’ve got you. I’m right here."

But she didn’t hear him.

She kept shaking her head, fighting the air itself.

"He’s going to take her, he’s going to take her !"

Her voice cracked, high and breathless, her chest constricting so hard she couldn’t even inhale properly.

Traffic continued roaring behind them horns blaring, engines rumbling but everything sounded muffled under the pounding in her ears. Zamile stepped back protectively with Nyxella in his arms, his eyes widening at the severity of Elisa’s panic.

"Elisa," he tried softly, "Nyxella is safe. I’m holding her. She’s right here."

But Elisa only sobbed harder at the sound of her daughter’s name.

Her fingers clutched desperately at Nix’s suit jacket, gripping him as if he were the only solid thing in a collapsing world. Nix’s jaw tightened, fear flickering openly in his eyes.

"Breathe, please," he murmured, pulling her closer, trying to anchor her. "I’m not taking her from you. I swear it and no one is. Look at me.. I would never let anything happen to either of you."

But her breathing only grew faster and shallow, collapsing into painful gasps.

"Elisa," he said again, voice low and breaking, "you’re safe. I’m here. I’ve got you. Just breathe for me."

Still, she didn’t hear him.

Her panic was swallowing her whole.

And Nix held her tighter refusing to let her drown