Three days.
Three days since Xavier had seen Nana in person, and it felt like three years.
He'd watched her through surveillance feeds—seen her paint with Rafayel in the garden, seen her smile at him, laugh at his jokes. Seen her look more relaxed than she'd been in weeks.
Because of *him.* Because of some purple-haired artist who'd appeared out of nowhere.
Xavier had read the full background check. Rafayel was legitimate—a famous artist, international exhibitions, clean record. No criminal ties. No hidden agenda.
Just a talented, charming man who made Nana smile.
Which somehow made it worse.
If Rafayel had been a threat, Xavier could have eliminated him. Simple. Clean. Problem solved.
But Rafayel wasn't a threat to Nana's safety.
He was a threat to Xavier.
Xavier had barely slept in three days. When he did sleep, he dreamed of Nana looking at Rafayel the way she looked at Xavier. Dreamed of losing her to someone normal, someone safe, someone whose hands weren't stained with blood.
Someone who deserved her.
The jealousy was a living thing in his chest, dark and possessive and *wrong.* He knew it was wrong. Knew Nana wasn't his property, wasn't his to keep.
But try telling that to the monster that whispered *mine mine mine* every time he saw her with someone else.
So when he heard her knock on his door—her specific pattern, three quick raps—his heart simultaneously soared and broke.
Because she'd come to him.
But for how much longer?
Xavier opened the door, and there she was. Yellow sundress, hair in a ponytail with that pink ribbon he'd tied, her smile bright as sunrise.
"Xaviee! I missed you!"
*I missed you too. So much it hurt. So much I almost did something unforgivable.*
But he didn't say that. Instead, he stepped back, his expression carefully neutral.
"Starlight."
Her smile faltered at his tone. "Are you okay? You seem... off."
"I'm fine." He moved toward the living room, putting distance between them. "Why are you here?"
It came out harsher than he intended. Nana flinched.
"I... I wanted to see you. It's been three days."
"Been busy with your new artist friend?"
The words were out before he could stop them, bitter and sharp.
Nana blinked. Then blinked again. "What?"
Xavier's jaw clenched. He couldn't look at her. Couldn't let her see the jealousy burning in his eyes. "Go home, Starlight. Go meet Rafayel. Paint with him. Whatever."
"Xavier—"
"I said go home."
There was silence. Then he heard her footsteps, but they weren't moving away. They were coming closer.
Small hands grabbed his arm, tugging insistently. "Look at me."
He didn't want to. Didn't want her to see the monster currently clawing at his composure.
"Xavier." Her voice was softer now. "Look at me."
He finally glanced down, and his breath caught.
She wasn't angry. She was... concerned. Hurt, maybe. But mostly just worried.
"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.
*Everything. I'm losing you. I can't breathe when you're with him. I want to eliminate him just for making you smile.*
Xavier sighed, his shoulders dropping. He pulled her into his arms—too tight, too desperate—and rested his chin on top of her head in his favorite position.
"Nothing's wrong," he lied.
"You're a terrible liar." But she hugged him back, her arms wrapping around his waist.
They stood like that for a moment, and Xavier tried to memorize it. The way she fit perfectly against him. The way she smelled like strawberries and paint. The way his world felt right when she was near.
He pulled back enough to cup her face, tilting her head up to look at him. His thumbs brushed her cheeks gently.
"Do you like him?" The question came out quieter than he intended. Vulnerable.
"Who?"
"Rafayel."
Nana's expression shifted to something almost amused. She swatted his arm playfully. "We just met! We talked about art. That's all."
"But you smiled at him."
"I smile at lots of people!"
"Not like that."
"Like what?"
"Like..." Xavier struggled with words. "Like you were happy. Really happy."
"I was happy. It was nice to talk to someone about art." She studied his face, and something in her expression softened. "But Xaviee, that doesn't mean—"
Her phone buzzed.
They both looked down at it. Xavier could see the screen from his position.
**Dad: Rafayel is here. He wants to take you to the gallery exhibition you talked about. Are you ready?*
Something cold settled in Xavier's chest. Of course. Of course Rafayel was there, waiting for her.
Xavier's jaw clenched, but he forced himself to let go of her face. Forced himself to step back.
"You should go," he said, his voice carefully neutral. "Don't keep him waiting."
"Xavier—"
"Go, Starlight."
Nana looked between him and her phone, clearly torn. She glanced up at him one more time, and something in her expression shifted. Determined. Decisive.
Before Xavier could process what was happening, Nana grabbed the front of his hoodie and tugged down.
He bent automatically—muscle memory from years of her pulling him down to her level.
And then her lips were on his.
Soft. Warm. Sweet.
*Kissing him.*
Nana was *kissing* him.
Xavier's brain short-circuited.
The world stopped. Time stopped. Everything stopped except the feeling of her lips pressed against his, tentative and gentle and absolutely devastating.
From somewhere in the apartment, he heard Jihoon choke on coffee. Heard a muffled "*Holy shit*" in Korean.
But Xavier couldn't move. Couldn't think. Couldn't breathe.
His first kiss.
Nana had just stolen his first kiss.
It lasted maybe three seconds—barely long enough to even count as a kiss—before Nana pulled back, her cheeks flushed pink, her eyes wide like she couldn't believe what she'd just done.
"I—" she started, then seemed to lose her words.
Xavier just stared at her, his fingers slowly reaching up to touch his lips. Still tingling. Still warm from her.
"That's..." Nana's voice was small. "That's my answer. About Rafayel. About anyone else."
She held his gaze for one more moment, her pink eyes fierce despite the blush, then turned and practically ran for the door.
"I have to go! I'll—I'll text you later!"
The door slammed.
Xavier stood frozen in the middle of his living room, hand still pressed to his lips, staring at the closed door.
Jihoon emerged from the kitchen, coffee mug in hand, expression absolutely dumbfounded.
"Did... did that just happen?"
Xavier didn't respond. Couldn't respond.
"Boss. Did Nana just—"
"Yes."
"She *kissed* you."
"Yes."
"Voluntarily."
"*Yes.*"
"Holy shit."
Xavier slowly sank onto the couch, his legs suddenly unable to hold him. His heart was pounding so hard it hurt. His lips still tingled. His brain was stuck in an endless loop of *she kissed me she kissed me she kissed me*.
"Boss?" Jihoon ventured carefully. "You okay?"
"She kissed me."
"Yeah, I got that."
"Starlight. Kissed. Me."
"Still with you."
Xavier looked up at Jihoon, and his expression must have been something because Jihoon actually laughed.
"You look like someone hit you with a truck."
"Feels like it."
"Good truck or bad truck?"
Xavier touched his lips again, and despite everything—despite the violence and blood and darkness—a small, genuine smile curved his mouth.
"Good truck."
"So the jealousy thing...?"
"She said that was her answer." Xavier's smile widened, sharper now. "About Rafayel. About anyone else."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning she chose me."
Jihoon set down his coffee mug. "Boss. You know this complicates everything, right? If you two actually... if she's not just your friend anymore..."
The smile faded. "I know."
"The Serpent Guild is still out there. Other organizations know about her. If they think she's not just a weakness but your actual—"
"I *know,*" Xavier repeated, harder this time. "But she kissed me, Jihoon. She *chose* me."
"Does she know what she's choosing?"
The question hung in the air.
No. Nana didn't know. She'd seen his scars, maybe suspected something was wrong, but she didn't *know.* Didn't know what he really was. What he did in the dark.
She'd kissed the mask, not the monster.
But she'd still kissed him.
Xavier stood, suddenly restless. "Get me updated reports on Rafayel. I want to know why Richard Anderson introduced them."
"You think Anderson is trying to separate you two?"
"He'd be smart to try." Xavier's expression went cold. "He was in the underground once. Retired, but he knows what it means. Knows what being with me would mean for Nana."
"So he's trying to give her a safer option."
"Yes."
"Are you going to let him?"
Xavier's eyes flashed ice blue, and for a moment, Jihoon saw the Shadow King in full force.
"No."
"Even though he's right? Even though Rafayel *is* safer for her?"
Xavier's hands curled into fists. The silver bracelet caught the light. "She's mine, Jihoon. She chose me. I'm not letting her go."
"Even if keeping her gets her killed?"
The question was brutal. Necessary.
Xavier's expression didn't change. "Then I'll kill everyone who tries. I'll burn down the entire underground if I have to. But I'm not giving her up."
Jihoon studied his boss—his friend, really, after all these years—and saw the truth written in every line of Xavier's face.
He was in love with her.
Completely. Irrevocably. Catastrophically in love.
And that made him more dangerous than he'd ever been.
Because a man with nothing to lose was terrifying.
But a man in love? A man who'd tasted happiness and would do anything to keep it?
That man was unstoppable.
"Understood, Boss." Jihoon pulled out his phone. "I'll get those reports. What about Miss Anderson's schedule today?"
"The gallery with Rafayel." Xavier's jaw tightened. "Full surveillance. I want eyes on her the entire time."
"Already arranged."
Xavier nodded, then headed toward his room. He needed to change, needed to think, needed to process what had just happened.
At the doorway, he paused. "Jihoon?"
"Yeah?"
"She kissed me."
A small smile. "I know, Boss."
"First time anyone ever has."
"I figured."
"It was..." Xavier struggled for words. "Perfect."
Jihoon's expression softened. "Good. You deserve some perfect, Xavier."
Xavier disappeared into his room, and Jihoon was left standing in the living room, coffee cooling in his mug.
He pulled out his encrypted phone and sent a message to the team:
*Boss is compromised. Miss Anderson kissed him. He's in deep. Adjust protocols accordingly. This is no longer just protection detail. This is everything.*
The responses came quickly:
*Understood.*
*About damn time.*
*She kissed him? Voluntarily? Holy shit.*
*Does this mean we get to kill Rafayel?*
Jihoon smiled despite himself: *No killing Rafayel unless he becomes an actual threat. Boss's orders.*
*Disappointing.*
Jihoon pocketed his phone and looked out the window toward the Anderson estate in the distance.
Nana had just changed everything.
She'd kissed the Shen devil's.
Chosen the monster.
And she didn't even know it.
But she would. Eventually, the truth would come out.
Jihoon just hoped she'd still look at Xavier the same way when it did.
.
.
.
.
.
At the Anderson estate, Nana sat in Rafayel's car, her heart still racing, her lips still tingling, her brain screaming *WHAT DID I JUST DO?!*
"You okay?" Rafayel asked, pulling out of the driveway. "You look flushed."
"I'm fine!" Her voice came out too high. "Just excited about the gallery!"
"Uh-huh." Rafayel's smile was knowing. "Does this have anything to do with the 'complicated best friend' you mentioned?"
Nana's blush deepened. "Maybe."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Absolutely not."
Rafayel laughed. "Fair enough. But for what it's worth, whoever he is, he's lucky."
Nana touched her lips, remembering the look on Xavier's face when she'd kissed him. Shocked. Stunned. Almost vulnerable.
*That's my answer,* she'd said.
And she'd meant it.
Whatever Xavier was hiding, whatever secrets he kept, whatever darkness lived behind those beautiful blue eyes...
She'd chosen him anyway.
She just hoped she wouldn't regret it.
.
.
.
.
.
To be continued.