The Wrong Brother

Eighteen—Nova

I had been lounging on the penthouse balcony, Zeus sprawled at my feet, the city sprawling beneath us like a glittering, indifferent ocean. The summer air was warm, but not stifling, carrying the faint scent of jasmine from the potted plants Adrian kept meticulously around the terrace. I had just been trying to enjoy a quiet moment, scrolling through my phone, when a sound made my pulse spike.

A knock. Sharp, deliberate, impossible to ignore.

I frowned, glancing down at the penthouse entrance. “Who…?” I muttered, my voice uncertain.

Zeus growled low in his throat, ears perked, tail stiffening. My stomach knotted. Something about the timing didn’t sit right.

When I opened the door, my chest froze.

“Bruno.”

The word barely left my mouth before he stepped in, grinning that infuriating, cocky grin. Hands shoved casually in the pockets of his designer jeans, hair perfectly styled, charm radiating like a neon sign. And yet… my body reacted before my brain could catch up—tense, alert, adrenaline sparking through me.

“Nova,” he said smoothly, stepping closer. “Long time no see.”

“Not long enough,” I muttered under my breath, keeping my distance.

He chuckled, that infuriating, warm sound I had once loved and now loathed.

“You’re… different,” he said, glancing at me from head to toe, and I felt my cheeks heat despite myself. “Stronger. Cooler. Smarter.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Flattery won’t work, Bruno.”

“Oh, I’m not flattering,” he said, tilting his head. “I’m reminding you of what you’re missing.”

I laughed dryly, the sound bitter. “What I’m missing is common sense and taste. And maybe a warning from Zaria.”

His expression darkened slightly, but he recovered quickly, stepping even closer, enough to make me shift back. “You’re still angry,” he said softly. “But I know deep down, you want me. I can feel it.”

I wanted to snap, to yell, to push him out the door—but my body betrayed me, every nerve alive. His proximity stirred something I hadn’t expected, fear, frustration… and a dangerous spark of desire.

“I don’t want you, Bruno,” I said firmly, trying to hold eye contact. “Not anymore.”

He shrugged, grinning faintly, like he hadn’t heard me. “We’ll see about that. You always came back before.”

“Not this time,” I said, my voice hardening. “I’m not that girl anymore.”

He paused, studying me with that infuriating intensity. “And who is she now?”

Before I could respond, a deep, steady voice cut through the room.

“Bruno.”

I turned, heart leaping. Adrian stood at the edge of the balcony doorway, arms crossed, eyes dark and unyielding. His presence alone made the room feel smaller, tighter, as if every ounce of space belonged to him.

Zeus barked sharply at Bruno, a warning, and Bruno flinched slightly, though he quickly masked it.

“Adrian…” Bruno said, voice forced, casual, but his confidence had taken a subtle hit.

“Leave,” Adrian said simply, tone low and calm, but the power behind it made Bruno’s usual arrogance falter.

I watched, mesmerized, as Adrian’s protectiveness radiated in waves—firm, controlled, and entirely his. Bruno’s charm was faltering under the weight of it, and for the first time in weeks, I felt safe. Truly safe.

“I… just wanted to talk to Nova,” Bruno began, glancing at me, his smirk wavering.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” I said firmly, stepping back closer to Adrian. “You’re not welcome here.”

Bruno’s jaw tightened, and his eyes flicked from Adrian to me, annoyance and bruised pride evident.

“You’re not… she’s not yours,” he spat, voice rising. “You don’t own her.”

Adrian’s gaze didn’t falter. “She’s not yours. And if you value your dignity, you’ll leave before I make you. And yes, I’m tired of having to remind of all these.”

I felt my chest tighten, pulse racing—not with fear, but with… something else. Something powerful that resonated through the heat of his gaze, the set of his jaw, the quiet intensity in his tone. Sparks of attraction mingled with gratitude, and I realized, almost reluctantly, how deeply Adrian’s presence affected me.

Bruno’s lips pressed into a thin line, then he sneered. “You think you can scare me? You’re just a man.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly. “And you’re about to learn exactly why that doesn’t matter.”

I wanted to reach out, to reassure Adrian, to tell him he didn’t have to prove anything—but his confidence, his calm dominance, was intoxicating. I felt a thrill run through me, the slow-burn tension building with every second.

Bruno’s smirk wavered.

“Fine,” he said finally, his voice low and dangerous. “But this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

I clenched my fists, heart pounding. “It’s over for you,” I said, voice firmer than I felt.

Bruno gave me one last look, full of bravado and wounded pride, then stormed toward the door. But as he reached it, he paused, voice low but clear enough to make my skin crawl.

“This isn’t the last time, Nova,” he said, then disappeared into the hallway.

I exhaled shakily, turning toward Adrian. He watched the door close, jaw tight, Atlas growling softly at the retreating figure. His eyes shifted to me, expression unreadable, but the intensity was clear.

“You okay?” he asked, voice low, controlled, but with a softness I hadn’t expected.

“I… I think so,” I said, leaning into him slightly. “Thanks… for that.”

He shook his head slightly, fingers brushing mine. “I won’t let him anyone mess with you. Not ever. Do you understand?”

I nodded, heart hammering. “I understand.”

His gaze softened just enough that I dared to look up at him. Sparks surged, heat spreading through me, and for a brief second, the tension between us shifted from protective to intimate.

“I…” I began, then stopped. The words weren’t ready to come out, but the connection was undeniable.

Adrian’s hand brushed my cheek gently, thumb tracing the curve of my jaw.

“It’s okay,” he murmured, voice low, velvet. “You don’t have to say anything. Not now.”

I closed my eyes briefly, savoring the intimacy, the protection, the heat.

“I… I don’t want him anywhere near me,” I whispered.

“You won’t see him again,” Adrian said, firm, but with that softness that made my knees go weak. “Not while I can stop him.”

Zeus nudged my hand, and I laughed softly, tension easing slightly.

“Even Zeus agrees,” I said, glancing down at him.

Adrian smirked faintly. “Good boy.”

I leaned slightly closer, daring a small glance up at Adrian, heart hammering. The spark between us—the slow, building tension—was no longer ignorable. I realized with a jolt that Bruno’s interference, though stressful, had only made my feelings for Adrian clearer.

He was mine. In ways I hadn’t fully admitted yet, but he was. Protector, confidant, temptation all wrapped into one impossibly magnetic package.

Adrian’s hand still rested lightly on my cheek, gaze intense. “Nova,” he said quietly, “you don’t have to be afraid of him or anything else while I’m here. Always remember that.”

“I will,” I whispered, voice trembling slightly.

His lips brushed my temple, soft, fleeting, intimate—a promise and a claim at once. Sparks ran through me, impossible to ignore, as the tension of the afternoon melted into something tender, something raw, something undeniably ours.

And I knew, with a certainty that startled me, that no one—not Bruno, not society, not anything—would ever make me question where I stood again.

And damn, I wanted to kiss him so bad.