"Seriously," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "Two crazy people completely crazy in love."

Matteo chuckled softly before holding his hand out toward Adrian.

"Alright, babe. Let’s go upstairs."

Adrian immediately took his hand.

Together, they walked toward the stairs side by side—

While Tony silently watched them leave.

When they got upstairs to their bedroom, Adrian went straight to sit on the bed while Matteo locked the door behind them.

Once the door clicked shut, Matteo walked over to him immediately.

Adrian stayed quiet for a moment, clearly lost in thought.

Then he finally spoke.

"Is there something I’m missing?" Adrian asked, his voice tight with confusion. "Is there another reason Tony hates me this much besides the fact that we’re together?"

He looked up at Matteo, frustration and hurt written all over his face.

"I’ve thought about it over and over, Matteo. I’ve never offended him. I’ve barely even spoken to him enough to give him a reason to hate me like this."

Matteo sighed, walked over, and sat beside him, the mattress dipping slightly under his weight. "You don’t have to worry about Tony," he said softly, trying to ease the tension in Adrian’s shoulders. "I told you before, he’s bitter. He likes pushing people too far to get a reaction. That’s just how he is, baby."

But Adrian shook his head immediately. "No, Matteo. This isn’t just him joking around or trying to annoy me," he said. "He does it intentionally. You can see it in the way he talks to me. He enjoys hurting my feelings."

Matteo stayed silent for a second before pulling Adrian closer. "I know," he admitted softly. "But don’t let him get into your head, okay? Tony likes reactions. The more attention you give him, the more he keeps going."

Matteo kissed the side of his head gently. "I’m sorry about today."

Adrian immediately looked up at him. "It’s not your fault, baby," he said softly. "Why are you apologizing?"

Matteo sighed immediately. "I know... but I still shouldn’t have stood there and done nothing."

Adrian shook his head immediately. "It’s okay, baby. You can’t always fight my battles for me, especially when it comes to someone like Tony. I have to be the one to deal with him myself."

Matteo looked at him for a moment before speaking quietly. "Just don’t let him get to you, okay?"

Adrian nodded softly.

Then he leaned closer, and the two of them kissed.

After sitting together for a while, the tension slowly eased.

Eventually, the two of them got ready for the day. They showered, changed clothes, and headed downstairs together.

When they reached the living room, Tony and Mark were still there.

The moment Adrian saw them, his expression hardened slightly again.

But this time, he said nothing.

He simply turned to Matteo.

"Let’s go," Adrian said quietly.

Matteo nodded, giving his brother a brief look. "Mark, we’re heading out."

Without saying a single word to Tony or even looking in his direction, Matteo and Adrian walked out of the mansion together and headed toward the waiting car.

Once the front door closed behind them, silence settled heavily over the living room.

Mark finally looked at Tony, his expression tired and disappointed.

"What was the reason for all that?" He asked. "Why do you always act like that toward Adrian?"

Tony leaned back lazily against the sofa, completely unbothered.

Mark sighed. "I understand your history and your feelings toward Matteo. I understand you still have complicated feelings about everything that happened between you two. But whether you like it or not, Matteo and Adrian are together now. I think you should respect that." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Before Mark could finish properly, Tony scoffed.

"Who cares about their relationship?" he said coldly. "And who said I care about Matteo anymore?"

Mark raised an eyebrow slightly.

Tony smirked faintly. "I just enjoy seeing Adrian react like that. The moment he gets angry, you can see everything on his face. It’s entertaining."

Mark frowned immediately. "And honestly," Tony continued carelessly, "he’s weak. All he can do is yell and throw water. That’s it."

He crossed his arms behind his head. "So no, I’m not doing this because I want Matteo back. Maybe I did before... but not anymore. Now I just enjoy messing with him."

Mark stared at him for a long moment before speaking again. "You should be careful, Tony."

Tony glanced at him. "Matteo is staying calm right now because he’s trying to keep peace in this house and because of your place in the family," Mark said seriously. "But Adrian is someone he genuinely loves."

His tone hardened slightly.

"One day you’re going to push too far, and Matteo won’t just stand there quietly anymore."

Tony rolled his eyes dramatically, waving a hand dismissively. "Okay, okay, okay, fine. Message received."

They both went silent, the quiet settling heavily between them for a few seconds.

Tony tapped his fingers lazily against the armrest before suddenly turning toward Mark. "Speaking of things we aren’t talking about..." he said. "You still haven’t told me why you left Charles that day. You haven’t made a move, you haven’t mentioned him... nothing."

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "So what’s the story there?"

Mark stiffened slightly, his gaze dropping to the floor. "There’s a lot going on right now," he said quietly. "I’m trying to take my time and understand a few things first."

He paused briefly before continuing. "Mostly, I need to sit down and talk to Matteo properly. We haven’t really had the chance to talk because of everything happening lately."

Mark leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful. "I need to hear his opinion on some things before I decide what to do next."

Tony smirked. "You don’t have to wait for your brother’s permission to speak. You can talk to me, you know. I can give you some actually useful advice."

Mark looked at him for a second before letting out a dry laugh. "Yes, you can," he admitted. "But sometimes your advice is just as annoying as you are."

Tony placed a hand dramatically over his chest. "Wow. That hurts."

Mark shook his head.

Tony chuckled and stood up, smoothing out his expensive trousers. "Fine. Are we going out today? Any business meeting? Any heads to crack? Any contracts to sign? Something entertaining?"

"I’m working from home today," Mark replied, already reaching for his laptop. "I don’t really have much that requires me to go out today."

"Suit yourself," Tony said, turning toward the stairs. "I have my own things to do. I’ll be upstairs if you suddenly decide you want to hear some winning advice—"

Before he could finish, Mark’s phone buzzed on the table.

Mark frowned slightly and picked it up.

It was a message from Matteo.

Attached to it was a file.

Curious, Mark opened it immediately.

The moment he started reading, his eyes widened.

It was information about Stella’s secret boyfriend.

The man wasn’t just some random lover. He was already married, with a wife and two children living abroad. While he stayed in Central City secretly dating Stella. The entire time, he had been living a double life without Stella knowing the truth.

Mark stared at the screen for a few seconds before suddenly calling out loudly.

"Tony! Get back here, now," Mark called out, his voice sharp with a mix of shock and dark amusement. "You need to see this."

Tony immediately turned around and walked back toward him.

"What happened?"

Mark turned the phone toward him.

The moment they both leaned over the screen and started reading through the report, including the photos of the man’s wife and children living overseas, they burst into deep, mocking laughter.

The irony was unbelievable.

Mark couldn’t stop laughing either. "So Stella cheated on me for a married man?" Mark said between laughs.

"Unbelievable," Tony said between laughs. "So Stella cheated on you for this guy, and this guy is out here scamming Stella to take care of his secret family? Wow. It’s literally a circle of idiots."

Mark leaned back against the sofa, still laughing in shock.

"Wow."

A few seconds later, Matteo’s call came in.

Mark picked up immediately.

"Did you see the file?" Matteo asked...