Mark leaned back, trying to lighten the mood. "Fair enough. But tell me... am I your style? The kind of guy you like?"

Charles teased him with a small smile. "No."

"I don’t believe that," Mark grinned.

"Why not?"

"Because I’m tall, handsome, and rich," Mark said with a wink. "I’m a whole package, Charles. I know I’m your type."

He leaned back slightly. "So be honest."

Charles laughed softly. "Maybe I’ll tell you... after you let me eat my breakfast."

Mark smiled. "Fair enough. Go ahead."

Charles began to eat, a small smile lingering on his lips. "I never knew you talked this much. You’re a much better version of your brother. Unlike him, you’re actually friendly."

He let out a light chuckle.

"Honestly, someone like you shouldn’t even be related to Matteo... he’s just too scary."

Mark’s face went cold instantly. The playful light in his eyes vanished. "Eat your food," he said shortly.

Charles noticed the shift immediately. "I’m sorry... did I say something wrong? I didn’t mean—"

"It’s fine," Mark interrupted, his voice flat. "Just eat."

The rest of the meal was buried in a suffocating silence. Charles couldn’t focus on his food, and Mark stared out the window, his jaw set. After they finished, Mark paid the bill and they walked to the car in silence.

The driver took them to Charles’s workplace. When they arrived, Mark didn’t get out. He didn’t ask for Charles’s number or try to fix the mood. He just gave a brief, distant wave as Charles stepped out.

"Thank you for breakfast," Charles said softly.

Mark looked at him and smiled. "You’re welcome."

The car pulled away.

As they drove, Mark stayed silent, staring down at his hands. For the first time, he found himself questioning the feelings he had been so sure of just an hour ago.

Tony watched him through the rearview mirror. He knew Mark well enough to tell something was wrong, but he stayed quiet, waiting until they got home to ask.

Meanwhile, Matteo made his way to Adrian’s father.

At the gates, the guards stopped him, but after a brief exchange, they were instructed to let him in.

When Matteo entered the meeting room, Adrian’s father was already seated. He gestured calmly to the chair across from him.

"Sit."

Before Matteo could respond, Adrian’s father spoke again, his tone measured.

"You’re safe here," he said. "Tell your men to wait outside."

Matteo glanced at his guards. "There’s nothing to worry about," he said calmly.

With that, he instructed them to stay outside and walked into the office alone.

The door closed behind him.

Now it was just the two of them.

When Matteo sat down, Adrian’s father regarded him calmly.

"Can I offer you something?" he asked. "A drink? Water?"

Matteo shook his head. "I’m fine. Let’s get straight to it."

Adrian’s father gave a small nod. "Very well."

But before he could continue, Matteo spoke first.

"I should apologize," he said, his tone respectful. "You invited me, and I arrived late. I’m sorry."

"It’s fine," Adrian’s father replied. "That’s not an issue."

Matteo leaned back slightly, his gaze steady. "Then I’d like to know why you asked to see me."

Adrian’s father didn’t hesitate. "The reason I invited you here is because of my son, Adrian. I know about the two of you: you’re together, and I know the kind of relationship you share, which I don’t approve of. It’s not because of who you are, specifically; I only feel you aren’t the kind of person my son needs in his life."

Matteo looked at him, still maintaining a level of respect. "Before you proceed, sir, can you tell me exactly what kind of person your son does need in his life?"

For a moment, Adrian’s father said nothing.

Then he dismissed the question with a slight wave. "That’s not important," he said. "What matters is that he doesn’t need someone like you."

His tone hardened. "He already has someone suitable. A fiancée. Their wedding is already being arranged."

The words hung in the air.

"So... I invited you here to tell you to end whatever is going on between you and my son."

Matteo leaned back, a cold, sharp smile playing on his lips. "And if I refuse? Adrian is a grown man. He’s not something you can trade to secure a business deal or protect a family legacy."

Adrian’s father looked at Matteo, his expression hard to read. He didn’t say a word at first, letting the silence fill the room like a threat. When he finally spoke, his voice was chillingly calm.

"If you refuse, you already know what will happen."

Matteo shook his head, his eyes flashing with defiance. "What will happen? Go ahead. Can you tell me exactly what will happen?"

The older man exhaled, his gaze settling on Matteo with quiet dismissal. "I’m not interested in dragging this out. I want a simple, peaceful resolution. Walk away from my son, and we both move on with our lives."

Matteo leaned forward, his patience snapping. "Can you stop calling him your son? You keep using that word, but you don’t mean it. If you want to talk about being a father, let’s be honest, you haven’t been a responsible one to him. A real father doesn’t sell his child’s happiness for power or convenience."

Adrian’s father’s grip tightened on the edge of his desk. "I’m protecting his future," he said coldly. "Something you could never give him."

"You’re protecting your ego," Matteo shot back. "And I’m not going anywhere."

He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. "If you want a war, keep pushing me away from him... but don’t expect it to stay peaceful."

Adrian’s father rose slowly to his feet. The distance between them vanished as they faced each other across the mahogany desk.

"A war with me will cost you more than money, Matteo," he said coldly. "It will cost Adrian his family. Is that what you want? To make him an orphan while he lies in your bed?"

"I never said I would harm you," Matteo replied.

"That’s your plan because it’s the only way you were taught," Adrian’s father said. "You want to take my life so you can be with him. You want to turn him into an orphan, is that what you want?"

Matteo didn’t blink. "He already became an orphan the moment you sent him away nearly two decades ago," he said coldly. "The only real family he has is Maya."

"To him, you died as a father in that moment. The only reason he still listens to you now is that his heart is fragile... and he still respects you as a father, not because he truly wants to."

Adrian’s father’s face turned a deep shade of red. "You know nothing of our history."

"I know enough...