Chapter 156: Chapter 156: A Mother’s Embrace, A Hidden Truth

Adrian nodded. "Alright." He climbed onto the bed and pulled the sheets up.

Matteo opened the glass doors and stepped out into the cool night air, sparking up a cigarette. As he took a drag, his phone rang again. He answered immediately, his voice turning cold and commanding as he issued strict orders to his men on the other end.

When the call ended, Matteo stared out at the dark estate, a bitter, humorless laugh escaping his lips. He realized how ruthless and in control he sounded with his men, yet he couldn’t even find the courage to face his own partner inside. Love truly is a weakness for a powerful man, he thought, the beginning of a downfall.

But as he stared into the night, Matteo knew he didn’t regret being weak for Adrian. He didn’t care about the weakness, he only hoped Adrian would forgive him and trust him again. Exhaling a final cloud of smoke, he stubbed out the cigarette and stepped back into the bedroom.

When he reached the side of the bed, he noticed Adrian had placed the pillow barrier between them again. This time, however, Matteo didn’t leave it there. He slowly climbed onto the mattress, reached over, and gently pulled the pillow away, tossing it aside before slipping under the heavy duvet.

Adrian wasn’t actually asleep yet, but he didn’t pull away as Matteo carefully moved closer from behind, wrapping his arms tightly around Adrian’s waist.

Matteo didn’t push for anything more. He simply held Adrian close, content just to be near him.

Adrian had secretly expected more, but seeing Matteo respect his boundaries, a wave of relief washed over him. Pretending to be asleep, Adrian slowly reached down and wrapped his hand over Matteo’s resting on his waist. Holding onto each other, they finally drifted into a quiet, peaceful sleep.

The next morning, Matteo was the first to wake. His mind was too restless for deep sleep, so he simply lay in the quiet room, his gaze fixed on Adrian’s sleeping face. He stayed like that until Adrian finally stirred and slowly opened his eyes.

Meeting his gaze, Matteo spoke softly. "Good morning, babe."

"Good morning," Adrian replied.

As Adrian began to sit up, intending to head toward the bathroom, Matteo’s voice stopped him. "Rian."

Adrian stopped but didn’t turn around.

Matteo hesitated before asking, "What can I do... for you to forgive me? To trust me again?"

Adrian remained still for a long moment, keeping his back turned. He didn’t answer, and when he finally moved, his voice was entirely flat. "I need to use the bathroom."

"What if we start all over again?" Matteo murmured. "What if we just—"

Adrian didn’t let him finish. He turned around, his eyes flashing with cold, sharp pain. "From the very beginning, you knew exactly what you were doing. You fooled me completely without me ever suspecting a thing. So tell me, Matteo, why do you suddenly need me to tell you what to do now?"

Adrian stood up to walk away, but Matteo quickly moved into his path, desperately trying to bridge the gap between them. "Please, Adrian. It’s been over a month already and I can’t figure out how to fix this..." Matteo reached out, his fingers trembling as he tried to touch him, but Adrian instantly recoiled.

"Don’t touch me," Adrian shouted.

Matteo’s hands hovered in the air, his eyes filled with raw hurt. "You haven’t allowed me to touch you in over a month, babe. I need you."

Taking a step back, Adrian stared at him coldly. "I said, don’t touch me."

"Baby, please listen to me," Matteo pleaded, his voice breaking as he stepped closer to Adrian. "I know you’re angry, but please, Rian...forgive me."

Adrian kept stepping back, his whole posture warning Matteo to stay away. But Matteo, driven by desperation, believed that if he could get close enough, if he could hold him, Adrian might finally soften and forgive him. In a sudden move, he closed the distance and pulled Adrian tightly against his chest, one hand gripping the back of his neck as he leaned in for a forced kiss.

The desperate touch instantly ignited Adrian’s anger. With a surge of fury, he shoved Matteo away and slapped him hard across the face.

Matteo froze, slowly raising a hand to his stinging cheek. The desperation in his eyes faded, replaced by a quiet, crushing defeat. "I’m sorry," he whispered. Without another word, he turned and left the bedroom, leaving Adrian alone inside.

Matteo didn’t return to the room. When Adrian was ready to leave, he instructed his men to escort Adrian home safely and ensure he was protected the entire way.

Adrian left the estate and went straight to his studio. Throughout the rest of the day, he constantly checked his phone, waiting for a call or a text from Matteo, but none came. It was the same story the following day; Matteo didn’t call, he didn’t text, and he never showed up at the studio. For three long days, an absolute silence stretched between them.

On Friday, Charles sent a text to Adrian: We are leaving right now to go pick up Mark and Matteo’s mother!

Adrian typed back a quick reply: Alright, friend.

Later that afternoon, Charles messaged again, clearly ecstatic: We picked her up! Adrian, she is absolutely beautiful and so nice!

Wow. I will get to see her too, soon, Adrian replied, forcing a polite tone.

Throughout the evening, Charles kept Adrian updated on every single detail of his time with the family. He texted when Maxwell arrived, followed by updates when Marissa and Marco joined the gathering. Finally, a message came through: Matteo isn’t here yet.

Adrian quickly typed back: Matteo is away on a business trip.

Okay, Charles replied.

After closing the chat, Adrian stared at Matteo’s contact for a long moment, his thumb hovering over the screen as he considered sending a message. In the end, he stopped himself. His phone remained completely silent.

Late that night, after the family dinner ended, Charles started a video call with Frank and Adrian. The moment his face appeared on the screen, he excitedly began telling them every detail about the day. Adrian and Frank listened with smiles, happy to see how excited he was.

"I’m really happy for you, Charles," Adrian said sincerely.

"You really should’ve been here," Charles replied. "Even though Matteo isn’t around, it still would’ve been nice for you to meet his mother."

Adrian offered a faint smile. "Soon, Charles."

Frank groaned playfully on his end of the line. "Alright, Charles, enjoy yourself. But that’s enough gushing. Remember I’m still single over here. I need to go to sleep and just hug my pillow."

Both Charles and Adrian burst into laughter, and after chatting for a few more minutes, the call finally ended.

The next day, the afternoon of the welcome party arrived. Maxwell sent Adrian a text inviting him to come, but Adrian ignored it. Charles also messaged him, trying to convince him to attend, but Adrian replied that there was no point in showing up since Matteo wasn’t around.

Adrian stayed home, the weight of not hearing from Matteo for days finally turning into a heavy, consuming worry. Yet, his pride kept him from calling.

Needing some form of reassurance, Adrian finally texted Maxwell to ask about his brother’s whereabouts.

Maxwell replied quickly: Matteo is at our father’s place.

A wave of relief washed over Adrian. At least Matteo wasn’t alone or doing something reckless.

By Sunday morning, the weekend festivities had ended, and everyone had returned home. Adrian was resting when Charles suddenly showed up at his house, practically dragging him out the front door. He insisted that Adrian come with him, completely refusing to say where they were going.

Adrian reluctantly got into the car, watching the scenery change until they pulled up to the gates of a massive, peaceful luxury estate. Charles scanned a security pass and drove inside.

"Where is this place, Charles?" Adrian asked, looking around the quiet neighborhood.

Charles remained tight-lipped until they finally parked, stepped out of the car, and walked up to the porch of a grand house. Holding a large, beautifully wrapped gift box in his hands, Charles reached out and rang the doorbell. Only then did he look at Adrian with a grin. "This is where your boyfriend and my boyfriend’s mother is staying."

Adrian’s eyes widened in sheer panic. "What?! Why would you bring me to her without telling me?! No, Charles, this is completely wrong—" 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"No, it’s not," Charles said quickly.

Before Adrian could turn on his heel to run back to the car, the front door swung open. A maid greeted them warmly, immediately taking the heavy box from Charles’s hands and gesturing for them to enter.

Charles immediately grabbed Adrian’s hand and pulled him inside. As they stepped into the elegant living room, Matteo’s mother sat gracefully on the couch. Hearing their footsteps, she slowly lifted her head. Her eyes landed on Charles first, and a warm smile spread across her face.

"Oh, Charles, you’re here."

"Yes, mother, I’m here," Charles said brightly.

Then her gaze slowly shifted to Adrian. She paused, slowly rising from the couch as her eyes settled on his face. A soft expression crossed her features as she spoke his name.

"Are you... Adrian?"

Adrian froze, completely shocked that she knew who he was.

Charles leaned in close to Adrian’s ear, whispering in total confusion, "Adrian, why did you lie to me? You said she didn’t know you."

Adrian was completely stunned, unable to speak. He hadn’t lied, this was truly the first time he had ever seen or spoken to her.

Matteo’s mother stepped forward, her voice gentle. "You are Adrian, right?"

Adrian swallowed hard, managing a respectful nod. "Yes, ma’am."

"Come here," she said, extending her hands.

Charles smiled broadly, nudging his friend forward, completely convinced Adrian had just been shy all along.

Adrian walked closer, carefully taking her hand out of respect. Without a word of warning, Matteo’s mother wrapped her arms around Adrian, pulling him into a warm embrace.

When she finally pulled back, she gently took...