KEY TO HAPPINESS:(My mute devil)-Chapter 88

The entire Sorrento household was alive with celebration. Though the festive season had passed weeks ago, anyone who walked through their iron gates would swear they would believe they missed one of the celebration days that the Sorrento’s didn’t.

Laughter rippled through the marble halls. The maids moved like dancers in rhythm polishing, dusting, and polishing again as though every gleam on the silver trays and chandelier crystals reflected their joy. The reason for their cheer was no secret: the young madam, Elisa, had just given birth, and along with the news came a generous increase in salary and double bonuses.

"Careful with that vase, it’s from Florence!" one of the senior maids scolded gently, though even her stern tone couldn’t hide the grin on her face. "Oh, bless the heavens for this child," another maid murmured, kissing her fingers and pointing them toward the ceiling.

Moments later, the heavy oak doors of the Sorrento mansion opened to welcome Elisa and Sai. A pair of guards immediately bowed their heads as Sai entered first, her posture protective and alert. Behind her, Elisa followed pale from delivery, yet glowing in that mysterious, tired beauty that only new mothers carried.

A maid hurried toward them, almost tripping in her excitement.

"Madam Elisa! Oh, madam, welcome home!" she beamed, reaching to take the luggage from Sai’s hands. "You look so radiant, ma’am! And this little one.. oh, she’s just as pretty as her mother!"

Sai gave the maid a wry smile and handed her the lighter bags. "Thank you, Mina. The rest I’ll take upstairs."

Together, Sai helped Elisa to her room, speaking in hushed tones as if afraid to disturb the peace of the sleeping baby cradled in Elisa’s arms. Once inside, the scent of soft roses and warm linen filled the space. Sai carefully took the infant from Elisa and laid her gently in a white cradle draped with a soft, silver blanket.

The little one stirred and then smiled a small, fleeting curl of her lips that made both women’s hearts melt.

"Elisa," Sai whispered, admiring the baby, "what’s her name?"

A tender smile spread across Elisa’s face. She brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and gazed at her daughter with quiet awe.

"Nyxellaa."

Sai blinked. "Nyxellaa...? That’s unique," she said softly, tilting her head. "A beautiful name, but why that name?"

Before Elisa could answer, a voice cut through the calm, low and commanding

"Why that name indeed?"

Both women turned toward the door. Camillo Sorrento stood there, his expression stiff an old, unreadable mask over storming eyes. His suit was crisp as ever, but his presence darkened the cheerful room like a shadow spilling over light.

Elisa’s posture straightened immediately. "Sai," she said calmly, never breaking eye contact with her father, "can you please excuse us?"

Sai hesitated, her gaze darting between the two, but Elisa’s small smile was enough. She nodded, bowed slightly, and slipped out, closing the door softly behind her.

Camillo took a step forward, shutting the door completely this time. The quiet click echoed like a verdict.

"I asked why that name of all names?" His tone was calm, but there was steel underneath.

Elisa turned back to the cradle, fingers brushing her baby’s soft cheek. "Because," she said with a faint smile, "she’s just as unique as her father."

Her words struck like glass against stone. Camillo’s jaw tightened. "Didn’t you promise to forget him?" he said, the calm in his voice cracking.

"Of course I did," Elisa replied almost mockingly. "Everyone believes I have. Zamiel, the entire family, even Nix himself doesn’t suspect me of being his wife." She finally turned to face him fully, her eyes glinting with a dangerous calm. "But promises, Father... are meant to be broken, aren’t they?"

Camillo’s face was drained of color.

"What are you saying?"

"I’m saying," Elisa continued, stepping closer, "just as you broke your promise to protect my mother and me, I can break mine too. And when I do, I’ll send my little one back to her father’s side."

His nostrils flared. "She’s my granddaughter!"

Elisa’s voice sharpened. "She’s a Dean before she ever became your granddaughter!" She raised her voice, the weight of years of suppressed anger now spilling free. "Are you trying to build another family just so you can destroy it again? Haven’t you ruined enough already?" Her eyes glistened with tears, though her voice didn’t waver. "I’m hanging by a thread, Father. And if it breaks.. " she gave a brittle laugh, ".. I’ll send her back to her father and go jump off a cliff myself!"

"Elisa, stop it! Stop talking about dying" Camillo barked, his composure snapping. His hands curled into fists at his sides, the veins in his temples bulging. He looked as if every muscle in his body was straining to hold back something violent.

But Elisa only chuckled, the sound soft and broken. "Oh, now you care?" her voice cracked low, and bitter, but trembling under the weight of everything she had buried for years. "Do you even know how many thousand times I died under the care of the man you let me call father? How many times my heart stopped beating while reading those medical reports you fabricated?" Her chest rose and fell sharply. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "You could have told me the truth, Father. You could have just said it that you were my father, that my relationship with Nix could never work because of what I’d done. And yes," she gave a small, broken laugh, "I would have fought you, I would have shouted, maybe even hated you for a while. But I would have come with you eventually."

Her voice wavered, rising with every word. "Instead, you ruined my entire life just to protect one secret. One. And now, I can’t even do what I love the most without fear of being caught in the web of lies my darling father has spun."

She raised her right hand trembling, which was now scarred from old injury, her fingers slightly curled as if remembering something they once held. "I wanted to paint," she whispered. "God knows how much I wanted to. But I can’t. You know why? Because I damaged my right hand and now I have to use the left just to avoid suspicion that Carmela is still alive."

Her voice softened, the anger dissolving into grief. "When I saw him again, I wanted to hug him. To tell him I was here. He looked... lost. Like he was drowning in sorrow." She gave a bitter chuckle. "I wanted to pull him out of that dark well, even though I was the one who pushed him in. But I couldn’t. I had to keep pretending to be Elisa."

She turned toward the cradle and smiled weakly. "But this little one," she said, brushing her baby’s cheek, "this little one decided to do what her mother couldn’t she limped right into her father’s arms."

Her smile twisted into something sharper. "He’s already emotionally attached to her. Even without knowing who she really is. Now, imagine what happens when he finds out."

Camillo’s voice was quiet but dangerous. "Are you threatening me?"

Elisa tilted her head slightly, a dry smile tugging at her lips. "You take my words so lightly... as a threat?" Her smile vanished, leaving only a chilling calm. "You already destroyed the life of one of your children. I dare you to do the same to the other. Stop Liam from getting what he wants, and watch me unleash hell on the entire Sorrento family."

Camillo flinched at her words just a small twitch of his eyes, but she caught it.

"Do you hate me that much?" he asked, his voice cracking for the first time.

"Hate?" Elisa’s lips curled bitterly. "That’s an understatement for what I feel. If I could go back in time, to the day you gave me that ice cream, the day I smiled and thought you were just a kind stranger I’d refuse it. I’d refuse you."

Her tone hardened. "And you’re wrong about one thing, Father. Your decisions are never the best. Now, if you don’t mind..." she turned away, her voice tired, "I need to rest."

For a moment, the only sound was the soft cooing of the baby in the cradle. Camillo stood there, frozen between guilt and fury. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, veins standing out against his skin. Then, without another word, he turned sharply and left the room the quiet click of the door closing feeling like a final goodbye.

Elisa lay down on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her breath trembled, and at last, the tears she’d fought so hard to contain slipped silently down her cheeks.

When she was sure Camillo was gone, she sat up slowly and reached for her baby. "Nyxellaa..." she whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Mummy’s sorry for being selfish. It’s the least I can do after all since you’ve clearly chosen your dad as your favorite."

Her eyes glistened, and she smiled through her tears. "You decided to be born on the same day as him, and even took his eye color. Isn’t that favoritism?" she laughed softly, shaking her head. "But don’t worry, my love. I’ll take care of you like he would have maybe not a hundred percent, but I’ll give you eighty. And I promise, you won’t grow up knowing the kind of life I had..."

She blinked, her voice cracking just slightly. "...and maybe that’ll be enough."

Suddenly, the door burst open.

"Sister!"

Liam’s voice startled her so hard that she almost dropped the baby. She turned quickly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand and forcing a small smile.

"You were crying, weren’t you?" he asked, stepping closer, eyes scanning her face like a detective trying to read a confession she hadn’t written.

"Nope."

"Hmm you’re lying. Did father.." Liam started, but Elisa cut him off.

"Why didn’t you come back yesterday?" she asked quickly, shifting the topic. Liam let out a long, theatrical sigh.

"Sis, you know the story of Daniel in the lion’s den," he said, putting on a melodramatic voice. "I was in the lion’s den yesterday, but by the mercy of the Lord I survived."

Elisa snorted then laughed despite herself. "And now you need my help?"

"Always." He leaned forward, earnest. "Lend me your brain. If you were our father and you wanted to hide something, where would you hide it?"

Elisa paused, the question sending her mind skittering through memory lanes and the map of the Sorrento estate. She pictured Camillo moving through his rooms measured steps along marble floors, hands that never touched anything without thinking of the impression it would leave. She imagined the way he loved secrecy, how he preferred rules written in shadow rather than in the open.

If he wanted something hidden, it wouldn’t be crammed in an obvious vault, she thought. He didn’t keep things where people would dig in the dark; he kept them where people would see them and never suspect. A painting folded into plain view under his own pride displayed behind another frame, tucked in a study full of men’s trophies, or masked as an innocuous piece in a guest room. He would disguise the true value in plain sight, trusting the opacity of reputation to shield his secret.

"Given his personality," she said slowly, eyes distant as she pieced together the logic, "if I were him I wouldn’t hide what I’m afraid to lose in the shadows. That would make it too easy to find. I’d keep it in plain sight disguised in a public setting where everyone sees it and never understands what they’re looking at."

Liam’s face lit up; he started clapping as if she’d delivered a speech. "You collected all the brains and left me with none!"

Elisa smiled faintly. "Okay, but what exactly are you searching for?"

"A painting," he said. "And with what you just said, there’s no way he keeps it here. So where could it be?"

Before she could answer, Sai returned to the room carrying a tray. She set it on the bedside table and dropped a small tag beside Elisa’s pillow. "His private yacht," she said without preamble. "If Uncle were to hide something like a painting, he’d hide it there. No one would suspect."

"You mean the one he only opens for New Year’s Eve?" Liam raised an eyebrow. Sai nodded.