[BL] The Mafia Boss Wants My Body

Chapter 202: A Small Smile, A Big Victory

He thought that maybe seeing his friends would finally cheer him up and bring some life back into his eyes. "Sure," Matteo replied. "They can come around."

"Alright, we will be there soon," Mark said.

"Alright." Matteo hung up.

Adrian looked up from his plate, his voice quiet. "Are you going out, or is someone coming to see you?"

"Mark is coming around," Matteo said, keeping it simple so Adrian wouldn’t feel overwhelmed.

Adrian gave a small nod.

"Alright."

He then focused back on his plate.

Matteo watched him closely, noticing that Adrian’s appetite seemed a little better today.

For the first time in days, a genuine smile tugged at his lips.

"Babe, eat a bit more, okay?"

Without a word, Adrian obediently took a large forkful and stuffed it into his mouth until his cheeks puffed out completely.

He sat there chewing slowly, his face round and entirely adorable.

For a moment, Matteo was caught off guard.

After everything that had happened, seeing that familiar habit again felt like a tiny piece of the old Adrian returning.

A soft chuckle escaped him.

Unable to resist, he reached over and gently pinched Adrian’s puffed cheek.

Adrian slowly looked up at him.

"What?" he asked around his mouthful of food.

Matteo’s smile widened.

"Nothing, babe."

Adrian stared at him for another second before lowering his gaze back to his plate and continuing to eat.

Once they finished breakfast, the house staff quietly cleared the table.

Matteo and Adrian moved into the spacious living room. As soon as they sat down, Adrian naturally leaned closer and rested his head against Matteo’s chest, seeking comfort.

Matteo immediately wrapped an arm around him, holding him close.

A few hours later, Mark, Charles, Tony, and Frank arrived at the secluded house. Because this property was massive and featured two separate living areas, Matteo’s guards led the group down the hall to the private lounge.

When they reached the doorway, they immediately spotted Adrian and Matteo curled up together on the sofa.

A movie was playing quietly on the television, but Adrian had long since drifted off to sleep.

His face was buried in Matteo’s shirt, one hand loosely clutching the fabric as he slept peacefully against his chest.

Matteo caught sight of the group and immediately raised a finger to his lips, gesturing for them to come in and sit down silently so they wouldn’t startle Adrian.

The guys tried to step as carefully as possible, but despite their caution, the subtle shift in the room’s energy woke Adrian up. His eyelids fluttered open, and he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes as he moved off Matteo’s lap.

The group immediately greeted him in unison, keeping their voices soft. "Hey, Adrian."

Adrian offered a small, quiet nod in return.

Frank and Charles stepped forward, checking his face with deep concern. "How are you feeling?" Charles asked gently.

"I’m fine," Adrian answered, his voice flat but polite.

Sensing that Adrian needed a moment alone with his friends, Matteo glanced down at him.

"I’ll be back, okay?" he said softly.

Adrian nodded.

"Okay."

Matteo leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Adrian’s cheek before rising from the sofa.

Then he caught Mark’s and Tony’s eyes.

"Please come with me," he said quietly.

Without another word, he headed toward the door, intending to check on the latest updates from the interrogation.

Matteo’s departure gave Adrian and his friends some space.

Before coming over, Mark had given Charles a strict warning not to crowd Adrian or pressure him into talking about what had happened.

Charles had passed the same warning on to Frank.

So neither of them rushed to ask questions about the kidnapping.

Instead, they simply sat nearby and kept him company.

The atmosphere remained calm and relaxed as they casually watched the television together, giving Adrian the space he needed while letting him know he wasn’t alone.

Down the hall in the second living room, Matteo sat down with Mark and Tony, the air immediately turning tense.

Matteo turned his sharp gaze to Tony. "Did Kevin change his story?"

Tony shook his head grimly.

"No, Teo. We pushed him hard, but he keeps repeating the same statement."

Tony paused briefly.

"As for Kelly, he’s still in the medical wing recovering. Because of where Adrian shot him, he lost a massive amount of blood. The doctors barely managed to stabilize him."

Matteo’s expression didn’t soften.

"It would’ve been better if they hadn’t made it alive."

"If he died, you’d never get the truth," Mark countered quietly.

He leaned forward, studying his twin’s exhausted face. "Teo..." he said carefully. "What are you going to do if everything Kevin said turns out to be true?"

Matteo looked at Mark, his eyes deadpan and completely unwavering. "At this point, I don’t really care. In fact, I don’t even need the answer right now. All I want is for Adrian to become stable again. As for Kevin and Kelly, they can’t escape what they did. I will make them pay regardless."

Matteo paused, looking at both Mark and Tony. For the first time in his life, a desperate, pleading look entered his eyes.

"I need you both to do something for me," he said, his voice dropping to a low, whisper.

"Act like you never heard a single word that came out of Kevin’s mouth."

A heavy silence filled the room.

"I don’t want anyone judging Adrian. I don’t want anyone whispering behind his back. And I don’t want this repeated to anyone ever again."

His gaze settled on Mark.

"Mark, that includes Charles."

Mark and Tony exchanged a glance before nodding.

"Understood, Teo," Tony said quietly.

"Understood," Mark agreed.

Matteo rubbed his face with both hands, a heavy sigh escaping him. "This is all my fault. I brought those monsters into his life. I love him way too much to leave him over something I caused."

He lowered his hands and looked back up, his jaw set like stone. "I’d rather bury it and act like it never happened than let it destroy what we have."

A cold determination settled into his eyes. "I won’t let them win."

He glanced between Mark and Tony.

"Adrian isn’t someone I fell for overnight. He’s someone I took the time to understand. Someone I chose. I love him for no reason other than the fact that he’s him. And I want him only for myself."

Matteo leaned back, his voice thick with absolute certainty. "I’ve thought about it over and over. Even if it is true, will I leave or stay? My answer is that I will stay, no matter what happened. In fact, I’m going to learn how to love and spoil him even more than before. This time, I’ll do better as his future husband, not just his boyfriend."

He looked at his brother and his friend.

"Mark, Tony... Adrian is everything I want. I don’t want anyone else."

Before Mark or Tony could respond, Adrian walked into the lounge. His frame still looked a little fragile as he made his way inside.

The moment Matteo saw him, he immediately rose from his seat, his protective instincts kicking in. "Babe? Do you need anything?"

Adrian looked at him for a moment before speaking. "You didn’t give me my medication after breakfast."

Matteo blinked, realizing the oversight. "Oh, my bad." He turned to Mark and Tony, giving them a brief nod. "I’ll be right back."

He walked toward Adrian, but before they could head upstairs, Adrian let out a quiet sigh.

"I’m too tired to walk all the way upstairs," he murmured. "Just go get it for me, or send one of your men."

"No, let’s go together," Matteo murmured, a tender smirk finally breaking through his serious expression.

He stepped in front of Adrian and immediately bent his knees, presenting his broad back.

"Come on. I’ll carry you."

Adrian stared at him for a moment.

Then, a tiny dimple appeared on his cheek.

For the first time since the kidnapping, a genuine smile spread across his face.

It was small.

But it was real.

And it nearly stopped Matteo’s heart.

"I’m not a kid, Matteo," Adrian huffed softly, though there wasn’t any real protest in his voice.

The sight of that smile made something inside Matteo finally loosen after days of worry.

"I know you’re not a kid, but you’ll always be my baby." Matteo said with a soft chuckle, looking directly at him. "So come on, let me carry you."

In the living room, Mark and Tony watched the scene unfold...