The Mafia's Stolen Prize (BL) Chapter 104: The Meeting

Milo was incredibly nervous all morning. Salvatore had left the mansion early, and Milo didn’t know where he had gone.

To try to calm his racing thoughts, Milo couldn’t sit still. He paced from his room to the kitchen, walking through the entire mansion just to keep his anxiety at bay.

Anything related to the Hartley na always made his heart pound uncomfortably. If it were a different family na, he thought, maybe he would actually enjoy the idea of inheriting wealth and becoming a rich heir.

"Milo, calm down. The storm will pass. Salvatore will help you," Milo whispered to himself, trying to believe his own words.

But peace wouldn’t co.

When lunchti arrived, his lack of appetite was obvious to the kitchen staff. He only took a half portion of food and picked at the rest listlessly, feeling a wave of nausea wash over him. He felt like he was going to vomit.

Roderick walked into the kitchen a few minutes later, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Milo.

"Milo, after you finish lunch, go straight to Salvatore’s office."

Milo knew what that ant. He quickly finished his al, cleared his throat, and walked down the hallway.

But Salvatore was already waiting for him right outside his office. The man was on the phone, his expression dead serious, but he looked up the mont he heard Milo’s footsteps.

"Go change. I bought so suits for you," Salvatore said before Milo could even speak.

Milo followed the man to his room, his hands trembling.

"Sir, do I really have to go?" Milo asked, his voice cracking as he held back tears. "Please."

"Yes. Be brave," Salvatore said, his tone firm. "You are going to be a boss. Why do you need to worry so much?"

"I’m scared."

Salvatore stopped and looked at him directly. "What are you scared of?"

Milo looked down at the floor. He hated being the center of attention. He didn’t want to see anyone associated with the Hartleys, and he wanted nothing more than to completely sever his connection to that na. If it were legally possible, he wanted to remove his last na entirely.

Salvatore stepped forward and grabbed Milo’s shoulder, his grip firm. "If you don’t take this opportunity, you’ll always be the sa Milo who gets looked down on by others. Let it happen, and don’t be scared of anything. If sothing happens, let it happen. You’ll never know your own strength if you don’t try. You might even enjoy it, Milo. I’m sure you will."

Milo looked up at Salvatore, his eyes brimming with tears. "But..."

"No buts. Go change your clothes." Salvatore shoved a heavy garnt bag into Milo’s hands, the force of it making the young man stumble back a step.

Milo let out a heavy sigh and walked into the bathroom. He needed to wash his face and clean himself up before he lost his composure entirely.

Salvatore lit a cigarette and stood in the middle of the room, staying on his phone and handling various tasks while he waited.

An hour passed, and Milo still hadn’t co out of the bathroom. The silence behind the door was absolute.

Salvatore tapped his foot, growing impatient. "Milo? Did you fall asleep in there?"

No answer.

Salvatore waited another minute, his brow furrowing as a sudden wave of worry washed over him.

He reached out and grabbed the brass doorknob, preparing to force it open, but then realized it wasn’t locked. The door swung open easily.

Salvatore’s eyes widened slightly at the sight.

Milo was kneeling on the cold tiled floor, completely naked. His face was starkly pale, and he looked startled by the sudden intrusion.

"What are you doing?" Salvatore asked, his voice dropping.

Milo scrambled, quickly grabbing a towel from the rack to cover his lower body.

Salvatore looked around the floor. A tube of shaving cream and a steel razor were sitting on the tiles near the basin.

Milo swallowed hard, forcing himself to stand on his shaky legs. "I’m sorry, Sir. I’ll be done soon."

"What are you doing?" Salvatore repeated, his eyes tracking the red patches on Milo’s skin.

"I... I just shaved myself."

"For what?"

"So I look clean for the eting."

Salvatore stared at Milo intently, his jaw clenching. "Who the hell cares whether you shave or not?"

Milo looked down, unable to et the man’s gaze. He was just so nervous about who he would et later, and over the years, he had been conditioned to ensure his body was completely hairless and smooth before any visitors arrived at Nero’s house.

He had simply done it out of habit and fear.

Salvatore looked at Milo’s trembling hands. He stepped forward and held Milo’s wrists firmly. "What is it? Are you in pain?"

Milo felt a sharp strain in his wrists and a dull ache in his stomach from kneeling on the hard tiles for too long.

That was the real reason it had taken him an hour to finish. But he kept his mouth shut, simply shaking his head.

Salvatore didn’t buy the lie. He looked at Milo’s bare skin, noting that several of the dark purple bruises from the basent were still clearly visible. "Don’t shave anymore. Just put your clothes on."

Milo nodded quietly.

An hour later, they arrived at the Hartley Group’s main corporate headquarters downtown. The building was massive, a towering structure of dark glass and steel.

Milo had been brought to this building a few tis by Nero in the past, and each visit had given him goosebumps.

Arriving today felt exactly the sa. Walking through the grand lobby made him feel as though he might faint.

A handso young blond man t them near the private elevators. Milo recognized him instantly. His na was Liam. He was a managent executive, and he was one of the few people in the company who had never made Milo feel uncomfortable or inferior.

"Welco, Mr. Portello," Liam said, bowing his head respectfully before turning to Milo with a soft smile. "Mr. Hartley. The board is waiting for you on the fifth floor."

They rode the elevator up to the executive level. The conference room was surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass walls, offering a clear view of the city.

As the doors opened, the directors and senior managent stood to greet Salvatore, Roderick, and Milo.

But the mont Milo stepped over the threshold, his entire body went completely stiff. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes landed on three specific n sitting near the center of the large glass table.

Milo recognized those faces. They were n who used to visit Nero’s private study at the mansion. They were the n who had sat comfortably with drinks in hand while Nero forced him to strip naked on the floor for their amusent.

Milo’s heart began to pound violently, the sound roaring in his ears. His face flushed a dark, burning red, and a wave of pure humiliation washed over him.

He took a sharp step backward, completely losing focus as Salvatore walked forward to greet the board.

Salvatore instantly sensed the shift in the room. He felt the executives’ eyes tracking soone behind him.

He turned around and saw Milo’s pale, terror-stricken face.

Thinking the boy was simply experiencing stage fright, Salvatore walked back and reached for Milo’s hand to guide him forward.

But the mont Salvatore’s fingers brushed his, Milo grabbed the man’s hand with frantic, crushing strength.

He threw himself behind Salvatore’s broad back, pressing his chest against the man’s suit jacket, and wrapped his arms around Salvatore’s waist, hugging him with desperate tightness.

"Sir, Sir, please," Milo sobbed, his voice a frantic, breathless whisper against Salvatore’s shoulder. "We have to go back now. Please. I don’t want to et them. Please, take out of here right now."

The hug was so sudden and tight that Salvatore felt the air leave his lungs. He reached down, his large hands grabbing Milo’s forearms to pull him back so he could speak to him, but Milo only squeezed tighter, burying his face directly into the crook of Salvatore’s neck to hide himself from the room.

"Milo. Milo, calm down," Salvatore growled softly, keeping his voice low so the board mbers couldn’t overhear.

"No, no, please! Take out! Please..." Milo was panicking, his shoulders shaking violently as tears began to spill down his cheeks.

Salvatore felt the intense, uncontrollable trembling running through the young man’s entire fra. "Why are you scared? Just stay behind . I’ll handle the talking."

Milo wept quietly, his grip unyielding. "Please, I don’t want to et them."

Salvatore realized he couldn’t conduct a corporate transfer under these conditions. He looked over his shoulder at the stunned board of directors, his gray eyes turning ice-cold.

"Clear the room," Salvatore commanded flatly.

Roderick caught the look instantly. He stepped forward, gesturing to Liam and the rest of the managent team.

"Everyone, get out. Clear the room."

The executives quickly gathered their briefcases and filed out of the glass-walled room, leaving Roderick to guard the outer door.

Once they were completely alone in the massive conference room, Salvatore pried Milo’s hands from his waist. He grabbed Milo by the hips, sat heavily in the main leather executive chair, and pulled the trembling young man directly onto his lap.

Milo still refused to look up. He imdiately hid his tear-streaked face against Salvatore’s neck, his bandaged fingers clutching the collar of the Don’s gray shirt.

"Milo, what is it?" Salvatore asked, his hand coming up to rest against the back of Milo’s head. "Tell ."

"No, I’m scared. I don’t want to be here!"

"But why? What did they do?"

Milo’s breathing was fast and shallow, his words coming out in a garbled, panicked mumble that made no sense.

"Milo, calm down. Take a deep breath," Salvatore murmured, his voice dropping into that steady, heavy rhythm as his large palm moved down Milo’s back in slow, soothing strokes. "Tell . Speak slowly so I can understand."

Milo inhaled and exhaled rapidly several tis, trying to ease the tightness in his chest. He swallowed hard, his voice a tiny, humiliated whisper against Salvatore’s skin. "T-they saw naked before. I don’t want to et them."

Salvatore froze, his hand pausing on Milo’s spine. "What?"