Charles hesitated slightly before continuing.

"I didn’t want to say it over the phone."

Adrian frowned faintly.

"What is it?"

Charles leaned back slowly.

"Recently... Mark came to see me."

Adrian blinked once in surprise.

Charles looked down at the drink in his hand briefly.

"And honestly, things were going well at first. The conversation was good. We talked, we laughed..."

Charles expression slowly became more conflicted. "But somewhere along the line, everything suddenly changed."

Adrian stayed quiet, listening carefully.

Charles sighed softly. "He became distant after something I said."

Adrian frowned slightly. "What did you say?"

Charles rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I made a joke about Matteo."

Adrian’s expression changed immediately.

Charles noticed instantly and quickly continued.

"I didn’t mean anything bad by it," he explained. "I just joked that Mark was easier to talk to while Matteo was intimidating and scary."

He let out a frustrated breath.

"At the time, I honestly thought I was just teasing him lightly."

Adrian stayed silent for a few seconds.

Then finally, he spoke quietly.

"You just answered your own question."

Charles looked at him.

Adrian rested his glass down carefully.

"One thing I’ve learned since being with Matteo," Adrian said calmly, "is that whenever we’re having serious or personal conversations, I keep the attention on us and the conversation we’re having."

Charles listened quietly.

"I don’t compare him to other people," Adrian said. "I don’t bring his family into serious conversations unless it’s necessary."

Charles’ expression slowly shifted as the realization began to settle in.

Adrian sighed softly. "You might’ve thought you were complimenting Mark by saying he was friendlier than Matteo..." he said. "But instead, it probably sounded like you were putting Matteo down."

Charles lowered his eyes slightly.

"And honestly?" Adrian added carefully. "The moment you called Matteo scary, Mark probably remembered Stella too."

Charles looked up immediately.

"Who’s Stella?"

"Mark’s ex-girlfriend," Adrian answered. "They only recently broke up."

Charles blinked once. "So Mark is actually single now?"

Adrian nodded slowly. "Yes. And Stella used to say the same thing constantly," he continued. "That Matteo was scary. Cold. Difficult."

His fingers tightened slightly around the glass. "And then she cheated on him."

Silence.

Charles finally leaned back against the seat slowly.

"Oh..."

Adrian nodded. "So hearing you say something similar probably hit a nerve."

Charles ran a hand through his hair with frustration.

"I genuinely didn’t mean it that way."

"I know," Adrian said honestly. "But timing matters. Especially during a serious conversation."

Charles stared down quietly at the table.

Adrian’s voice softened slightly. "When you’re talking to someone about feelings, focus on them. Don’t bring other people into it unnecessarily."

Charles gave a slow nod before looking down at his drink for a moment.

"That actually makes sense," he admitted quietly. "I understand now."

Then he looked back up at Adrian again.

"But how do I even talk to him again?"

His expression turned more serious. "And I don’t want to ask you for his number because I don’t want to look desperate," he added honestly. "But I really want to see him again."

He sighed softly. "I want to apologize properly and actually have a real conversation with him this time. Maybe I can still fix things."

A small pause followed before he added quietly, "And let him know I’m not Stella."

Adrian couldn’t help the faint smile that appeared on his face.

"You really like him, huh?"

Charles didn’t even hesitate. "Yes, I do," he admitted immediately. "If I didn’t, I wouldn’t still be thinking about this right now."

Then he looked at Adrian seriously.

"So please... help me."

Adrian stayed quiet for a second before finally nodding.

"Alright," he said calmly. "I’ll figure something out."

Charles immediately looked relieved.

"But listen carefully," Adrian added. "Never mention Stella to him. Don’t force conversations too quickly either."

He leaned back slightly. "Let things happen naturally. Let conversations come at the right time."

Charles nodded quietly.

"I will."

Adrian took a slow sip from his drink before speaking again.

"And another thing..."

Charles looked at him attentively.

"Follow the same approach I use with Matteo."

Charles frowned slightly.

Adrian said. "I never pressure him to talk before he’s ready," he explained calmly. "I let him come to me whenever he wants to open up."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"And I never compare him to anyone. Not his family, not other people. I just let him be himself without making him feel like he has to compete with anyone for my attention or respect."

Charles listened carefully.

"So if you really want something serious with Mark," Adrian said softly, "then focus on Mark. Just Mark."

Charles slowly nodded again.

"I understand now."

Right then, Frank finally returned from the restroom.

The moment he sat back down, Adrian and Charles immediately dropped the topic and shifted the conversation back toward lighter things, focusing instead on the food, drinks, and casual conversation filling the table again.

Not long after, Adrian’s phone buzzed softly on the table.

He picked it up immediately.

A message from Matteo.

Hey, baby. I’ll be there soon. Probably in about an hour.

A small smile appeared on Adrian’s face almost instantly.

Alright. We should be done by then too.

After sending the reply, Adrian placed his phone back down on the table.

But almost immediately after—

The doors to the lounge suddenly opened.

The noise inside the room shifted instantly.

Several people turned toward the entrance at once.

Then came excited whispers.

Some girls even squealed loudly the moment the man stepped inside.

The sudden reaction naturally caught Adrian, Frank, and Charles’ attention too.

All three of them looked toward the entrance.

A tall man dressed casually but expensively walked into the lounge alongside another man around his age.

The attention around him was immediate.

Phones were already being pulled out.

People whispered excitedly under their breath.

Adrian frowned slightly.

Unlike everyone else in the room, he looked more confused than impressed.

Frank’s eyes widened instantly.

"Oh my God," he muttered dramatically. "That’s Kelly."

Charles looked surprised too.

Adrian turned toward them.

"Who?"

Frank looked at him like he had just committed a crime.

"You don’t know Kelly?"

Adrian blinked once.

"Should I?"

Frank let out a dramatic gasp and leaned closer immediately.

"I keep forgetting you don’t pay attention to celebrities or social media."

He pointed subtly toward the man across the lounge.

"That’s Kelly Laurent," Frank said dramatically. "A professional footballer. His father is a billionaire, and luxury brands are constantly fighting to sign him for endorsement deals. The guy is famous everywhere."

Charles nodded slightly.

"He’s one of the highest-paid footballers right now."

Frank looked personally offended that Adrian still looked unimpressed.

"Do you even know how many followers he has on Instagram?"

Adrian took a slow sip from his drink.

"No."

Frank clutched his chest dramatically.

"Unbelievable."

Adrian looked back toward the entrance briefly before shrugging lightly.

"I still don’t understand why everyone is screaming."

Frank stared at him in disbelief.

"Because he’s famous."

Adrian looked even less impressed somehow.

"The noise is too much," he muttered. "This isn’t a concert."

Charles immediately started laughing quietly.

Frank rolled his eyes dramatically.

"At least when he walks into a room, people get excited," Frank teased carelessly. "Unlike your boyfriend. If Matteo walked in here right now, everyone would probably stop breathing from fear."

The moment those words left his mouth...Charles immediately kicked Frank under the table.

Hard.

Frank nearly choked.

"Ow!"

Adrian slowly looked at him.

"What you just said was too much."

Frank’s expression instantly changed.

"No, no, no—I didn’t mean it like that," he said quickly. "I was joking."

Adrian stayed quiet.

He didn’t reply again.

The slight tension at the table returned briefly.

Meanwhile, Kelly and the friend he arrived with were led toward one of the nearby sections close to Adrian’s table.

The entire time, Frank kept glancing over excitedly.

"Oh my God," he whispered dramatically. "He looks even better in person."

Adrian immediately pointed toward Charles.

"Face him and talk to him instead," Adrian muttered dryly. "Leave me alone."

Charles burst into laughter instantly.

Frank ignored him completely.

But across the lounge, Kelly’s attention had already shifted toward their table.

More specifically, toward Adrian.

Out of everyone in the room reacting to his arrival, Adrian was the only person who genuinely looked like he couldn’t care less who he was.

And somehow, Kelly found that interesting immediately.

Eventually, Frank and Charles managed to drag the conversation away from Kelly completely after Charles repeatedly told Frank to calm down and stop acting like a crazed fan.

Not long after, the three of them were already talking about something entirely different at their table.

Meanwhile, over at Kelly’s section, the attention around him still hadn’t fully died down.

Several girls gathered around his table excitedly, asking for pictures, videos, autographs, and conversations.

"Can we take a picture?"

"Oh my God, I’m your biggest fan."

"Kelly, please look here!"

The entire area stayed noisy for a while before security and staff finally managed to calm things down enough for people to return to their seats.

Eventually, the atmosphere inside the lounge settled again.

A few minutes later, one of the waiters suddenly approached Adrian’s table carrying an expensive-looking drink.

The waiter carefully placed the glass directly in front of Adrian.

Adrian frowned immediately.

"I didn’t order this."

Then he turned toward Frank and Charles.

"Did either of you order it?"

Both of them shook their heads immediately.

The waiter smiled politely.

"Mr. Kelly asked me to bring it to you, sir."

He subtly gestured toward Kelly’s table.

Almost instantly, all three of them turned in that direction.

Kelly was already looking toward their table.

The moment their eyes met, Kelly gave Adrian a small wave alongside an amused smile.

Frank nearly choked beside him.

"Oh my God—"

But before Frank could continue dramatically, Adrian calmly looked back at the waiter.

"Take it back," he said casually.

The waiter blinked once.

Adrian’s expression didn’t change.

Immediately, Frank looked at Adrian like he had completely lost his mind.

"What does having a boyfriend have to do with accepting an innocent drink?" he asked dramatically. "Just take the drink and appreciate the fact that a celebrity sent you something for free—"

Before he could finish properly, Charles immediately cut in.

"Please take it back," he told the waiter politely. "Thank you."

The waiter nodded awkwardly before carrying the drink away from the table.

The moment he left, Frank immediately turned toward both of them in disbelief.

"What is wrong with the two of you?" Frank complained. "It’s not like you and Matteo are married. You’re just dating, so what’s the big deal?"

Charles looked...