Matteo’s expression turned serious, his posture straightening. "Ask anything."
"Is it true..." Adrian’s voice trembled. "Is it true your father doesn’t know you’re gay? That he doesn’t even know you’re into n?"
Matteo fell silent, his gaze fixed on Adrian as it sank in. "How did you find out?"
"So it’s true," Adrian said, the realization hitting hard. "You’re hiding that you’re into n?"
"It’s not hiding, Adrian. I’m planning to tell him," Matteo said, reaching out, but Adrian pulled back.
"When?" Adrian’s voice rose, panic creeping in. "Now that we’re official, do I have to hide from my family while you hide from yours? Am I just a secret you keep... Is that what I am to you—a secret?"
"Calm down," Matteo said. "You’re not a secret. Everyone in my inner circle knows about you. My father just... hasn’t made the connection yet. He might have heard that I’m into n, I just haven’t confird it to him."
"This is wrong!" Adrian snapped.
Matteo frowned. "What? Who told you this?"
Adrian ran a hand through his hair, his voice tense. "Iris. She sent an ultimatum. She’s giving 24 hours to go back ho, or she’ll make sure everything reaches your father and mine. She’s going to start a war, Matteo."
Matteo stood, his gaze turning sharp. "Why does it matter what she does? Let her tell them. I don’t give a damn about her threats."
"Don’t you get it?" Adrian shouted, his composure breaking. "Do you even understand how dangerous this is? It’s not just about you, it’s our families, our worlds colliding! You might be ready to face it, but I’m the one she’s threatening to break!"
Before Matteo could reach for him again, Adrian turned away. He didn’t look back as he stord out of the living room and hurried up the stairs to the bedroom.
Adrian scrambled into the bedroom, his hands shaking as he began pulling his belongings off the dresser and shoving them into his bag. He was frantic, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Matteo followed close behind, his footsteps heavy. "Adrian, stop," he said, reaching the room just as Adrian grabbed his shirt.
Matteo grabbed his wrist, his grip tight. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I’m leaving," Adrian snapped, yanking his hand free. "I’m going back. If I’m not there in twenty-four hours, Iris will destroy everything. I have to go."
"You aren’t going anywhere," Matteo growled, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low register.
"You dare not stop !" Adrian shouted, his face flushed with terror and anger.
Matteo’s eyes darkened, his stance immovable. "Dare ."
Adrian let out a frustrated sound. He rushed forward, shoving both hands hard against Matteo’s chest, trying to push him out of his way. "Don’t stop ! I’m doing this to protect us both!"
Matteo caught Adrian’s wrists, holding them firmly against his chest to stop him. "I never asked you to protect us. Stay here... I’ll handle this. My father isn’t a fool; he doesn’t act on rumors. Even if she goes to him, he’ll co to first. I’m ready to tell him myself, on my own terms. Just calm down."
"No!" Adrian scread, tears stinging his eyes. "I can’t wait for your ’terms’! I have to leave, now!"
Matteo stared at him for a long mont, his expression going cold. A muscle tightened in his jaw. "Fine," he said quietly. "If you want to leave, you’re free."
Matteo turned and walked out of the room without looking back. The mont he stepped outside, he glanced at the bodyguard by the door.
"Lock the door," he ordered. "Don’t let him leave."
The click of the deadbolt sounded loud in the quiet room.
Adrian rushed toward the door just as it locked.
"No—no, no!" he shouted.
"Matteo, don’t lock the door!"
"Matteo!" Adrian yelled, throwing himself against it. He pounded on the wood, his palms stinging. "Matteo, open this door! Don’t do this! Matteo!"
He banged on the door until his hands ached, but the only response was the sound of Matteo’s retreating footsteps growing fainter as he headed back downstairs.
Adrian slumped against the heavy door, his legs giving out as he slid down to the floor. The silence in the room felt suffocating. Tears ran down his face, hot and fast, blurring his vision.
"I just want to protect us," he sobbed, his voice breaking. "How am I wrong for that? I don’t want this to end... I love you, Matteo. Why won’t you listen to ?"
He pleaded into the empty air, desperate for Matteo to understand. Adrian truly believed that if he could get out, face Iris, and talk to her, he could fix everything.
He was ready to swallow his pride and beg her if he had to. In his mind, it was simple, if he pleaded, she would step back and let him be with Matteo.
But what he didn’t understand was this, soone like Iris would never give up on him. And she would never let Matteo win.
Miles away, in a dimly lit office, Iris wasn’t acting on impulse. She knew sending a ssage to a powerful man wasn’t enough, the mafia world ran on loyalty and confirmation from within.
"If I send it directly to Matteo’s father, he’ll dismiss it," Iris said, her voice calm and calculating. "I need soone on the inside, soone he trusts."
She turned to her lead man. "Find soone in Matteo’s inner circle, soone who sees everything, soone who can confirm the truth. Make it impossible for his father to ignore. Find the weak link."
The man nodded, his expression devoid of emotion. "It’s a dangerous ga, boss. But we’ll find the leverage."
******
Downstairs, the atmosphere had turned cold. Matteo sat in the living room, the silence of the mansion pressing in on him. He hadn’t called Mark. He hadn’t made a move. He just sat there, staring ahead.
He heard every sound, every muffled sob, every shaky breath and each one tore at him. He wasn’t ignoring it. He just forced himself to stay where he was.
It would have been easy to go back upstairs, to pull Adrian into his arms and promise him everything would be okay.
But he knew Adrian. He was stubborn.
If he let him go now, Adrian would run straight into danger, trying to "protect" him... and Matteo might lose him for good.
He wasn’t acting out of malice or a need for control. It ca from fear and desperation. To Matteo, that door wasn’t a cage; it was the only thing keeping everything from falling apart.
He needed ti to think, to find a way to deal with the problem once and for all before he could face Adrian again.
He had to protect him like he promised... even if it ant being the one Adrian hated, at least for now.
After sitting in silence for hours, Matteo finally moved.
He called for one of the bodyguards stationed outside Adrian’s door.
When the man ca downstairs, Matteo looked up at him. "Is he still talking? Crying? Has he said anything?"
The bodyguard shook his head. "No, boss. He’s been quiet for over an hour. There’s no sound coming from inside."
Matteo’s expression tightened.
For a mont, a dangerous thought crossed his mind.
"What if he collapsed?"
He stood up imdiately. "Go check on him. Open the door, but make sure he doesn’t leave."
"Yes, boss."
The bodyguard went upstairs and tried the door.
But it didn’t open.
He frowned and tried again.
Locked.
From the inside.
Adrian had locked it himself.
If Matteo wouldn’t let him out... then Matteo wouldn’t be allowed in either.
The bodyguard returned downstairs. "He locked the door from inside."
Matteo paused, then let out a quiet breath.
"I see," he said calmly. "That sounds like him."
He leaned back slightly. "As long as he’s fine, leave him. He’ll co around."
The bodyguard nodded and stepped away.
Once he was alone, Matteo stayed in the living room for several more hours. By the ti night fell, he finally picked up his phone.
For a long mont, he stared at the screen.
Then, slowly, he dialed his father’s number.
Across the city, Iris sat at a bar with a friend.
They were seated at the counter, drinks in front of them, the bartender moving back and forth behind the glass shelves.
Iris looked calm, but her mind was far from it.
She was still thinking.
Still planning.
Still searching for the right person to use.
Soone close to Matteo.
Soone his father would believe.
Then suddenly—
A voice spoke behind her.
Iris turned imdiately, expecting soone she knew.
Her eyes narrowed.
The man standing there... wasn’t a stranger.
He was soone she had seen before.
Soone from Matteo’s circle. Soone close.
For a brief second, she just stared.
Then... a slow smile spread across Iris’s lips.
So this is it, she thought.
She had been searching for soone she could use... soone close enough, important enough.
And now—
He had walked right up to her.
She didn’t need to search anymore.
The scapegoat had co to her on his own.
But the question is...
Who is he?
And why did he co to Iris?
Who do you think he is?
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