Chapter 307: The Ghost That Never Died

"I understand it’s shocking, Bella," the doctor interrupted smoothly, checking his watch and cutting her theatrical monologue short. "Just leave the food there. I must go meet Mark now."

With a grave nod, the doctor stepped out of the bedroom first, the heavy doors clicking shut behind him.

The very second the door latched and she was certain she was alone, Bella’s tears stopped instantly. The heavy sobbing vanished, replaced by a cold, eerie stillness. She wiped the dampness from her cheeks with the back of her hand, a twisted, triumphant smirk spreading across her face.

She turned on her heel and walked slowly toward the bed, where Adrian lay perfectly still beneath the sheets, his eyes closed as he pretended to be dead.

Standing over him, Bella looked down at him, a torrent of long-buried bitterness and venom finally spilling from her lips.

"Look at you now," she whispered maliciously, her voice dripping with pure satisfaction. "Dead and quiet. You were doing entirely too much, Adrian. Always acting so fragile, getting so damn spoiled, acting like a helpless prince while everyone ran around to cater to your every whim."

She leaned over the bedpost, her eyes gleaming with absolute hatred. "You got so much, love. Matteo looked at you like you were the only thing that mattered in this world, showering you with everything while the rest of us had to bow and serve you. It disgusted me. I’m so incredibly satisfied that you are finally gone."

Bella reached out, her fingers hovering just inches away from the sheet, a dark, ambitious smile stretching across her lips. "With you out of the picture, Selene will take the fall for your murder and be executed. And once Matteo is lonely and broken, I can finally proceed with my real plan. I’ll be the one to comfort him. I’ll be the one to climb into this bed, take your place, and become Matteo’s true partner."

She let out a sharp, mocking laugh, tossing her head back.

"Baby... baby... Daddy... Daddy..." she whispered, cruelly mimicking the sweet, breathless way Adrian always called out to Matteo.

Her smile twisted into a bitter sneer.

"It disgusted me every time I heard you. But I guess I can’t entirely blame you. You weren’t loved by your own father growing up, were you? That’s why you kept craving affection and calling Matteo ’Daddy.’"

She smiled coldly. "The good thing is, all of that ends today. You’re gone, and Matteo can finally be mine."

She smirked down at the motionless figure beneath the sheets, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face.

"Anyway... rest in peace."

Bella turned on her heel, ready to stride confidently out of the master bedroom.

But before she could take a single step, the rustle of the heavy duvet broke the silence behind her.

Bella froze. Her entire body began to shake as a cold sweat broke out across her skin. Slowing down her breath, she frantically spun around to look back at the bed.

Adrian was still lying there, perfectly serene.

Bella let out a shaky breath, clutching her chest. "Just my imagination," she muttered to herself, turning back toward the exit.

"Are you sure about that, Bella?" a faint, melodic whisper echoed through the dim room.

Bella gasped, spinning around a second time. This time, Adrian’s arm was draped lazily over the edge of the mattress. She stumbled backward, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. "No... no, the doctor said... the poison..."

Suddenly, Adrian lazily sat up, stretching his arms above his head and yawning like he had just finished a pleasant afternoon nap.

"HAAAAA!" Bella screamed at the top of her lungs, slamming her back against the heavy wall, her face completely sheet-white.

Adrian looked over at her, tilting his head with a mischievous, playful smirk. "Hey. Why are you screaming so loud? Are you happy to see me, or are you just terrified?"

"Ghost! Oh my God... a ghost!" Bella shrieked, backing toward the door in terror, her legs trembling beneath her.

"Quiet," Adrian commanded, his tone dropping into a sharp, icy register that perfectly mirrored Matteo’s commanding aura.

Instinctively, terrified for her life, Bella clamped both hands tightly over her own mouth, her eyes wide as saucers.

"You’re the one who is going to be a ghost in a few hours, Bella," Adrian said, swinging his legs out of bed. He looked entirely alive, vibrant, and completely untouched by the toxin.

"Because you were stupid enough to drink that juice. Did you really think I just randomly decided to be nice and offer you a refreshment? You failed to poison my food, so I put the real poison in the juice instead. And you drank every last drop. In twenty-four hours, it’ll shut down your nervous system."

"No... no, that’s impossible!" Bella stammered, dropping her hands. "You ate the food! I recorded it!"

Adrian let out a bright, mocking laugh, entirely unbothered by her panic. "You wanted my position so badly? You wanted the eight-inch cock I take every night?"

Adrian laughed, his tone dripping with utter disdain as he looked down at her. "You are completely delusional. Taking Matteo as yours? You really thought you could ever slide into my place? You are a nobody, Bella. A pathetic, bitter maid. A bond like ours isn’t something a lowlife like you could ever dream of breaking."

Bella’s mind completely fractured under the weight of her failed plan. "How... how did this happen?!"

"Ask your ancestors when you get to heaven," Adrian shot back, walking slowly toward her with absolute confidence. "Too bad you’ll only have to watch from above while Matteo spoils me even more. You can just die of jealousy all over again up there, you bitter soul."

Driven into a corner by pure madness, Bella’s eyes snapped to the silver tray she had brought up for the doctor. Resting on the plate were a sharp metal fork and knife.

"No! I can’t lose! I won’t lose to you!" Bella shrieked.

She lunged toward the table, her hands scrambling for the steak knife. Gripping the handle, she turned around, raising the blade to frantically attack Adrian and finish the job herself.

Adrian didn’t even try to run or flinch. He stood his ground, crossing his arms with a cold laugh. "I can see you’re in a hurry to meet your end. Since you chose to die early, let’s accelerate the process."

Adrian was just about to call out for the guards stationed outside, but before he could raise his voice, the heavy bedroom doors flew open with a violent slam.

Matteo stepped into the room.

The suffocating, murderous aura radiating off Matteo was so intense it instantly drained the oxygen from the air. The moment Bella’s eyes met his pitch-black, lethal gaze, the knife slipped from her trembling fingers, clattering uselessly onto the floor.

Her knees buckled entirely, and she crashed to the ground, sobbing and groaning as she dragged herself toward his boots. "Boss! Please! Have mercy! I was forced—"

Matteo didn’t let her finish. Stepping forward, he hauled her up by her collar and delivered three brutal, successive slaps across her face.

SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.

The sheer force of the blows sent Bella spinning back onto the hardwood floor, her lip instantly splitting open as she wailed in agony.

"You ungrateful, pathetic human being," Matteo hissed, his voice vibrating with a terrifying, quiet rage. "After everything I have done for the staff in this house, you dare bring your filth near my boyfriend?"

Adrian walked over, slipping his arm around Matteo’s waist to calm him. Matteo instantly melted into the touch, pulling Adrian flush against his side. He looked down at the weeping maid on the floor with pure disgust.

"I don’t even need to waste my bullets or my time on a piece of trash like you," Matteo murmured coldly. "What’s going to kill you is already flowing through your veins. Guards!"

The doors opened instantly, and two heavily armed security details marched in.

"Take her downstairs and lock her in one of the holding cells," Matteo ordered, his tone flat and unyielding. "By morning, her nervous system will shut down. Once she’s dead, deliver her body to her family’s doorstep. Let’s see who in this city dares to question me."

As the guards grabbed Bella by her arms, dragging her kicking and screaming across the floor, Adrian stepped right in front of them, stopping them for a brief moment.

He leaned into Matteo, wrapping his arms securely around his neck, and captured Matteo’s lips in a deep, fierce, and lingering kiss right in front of her. Matteo held him tightly, returning the kiss with absolute devotion, marking his territory.

Adrian broke the kiss slowly, turning his head to look down at the ruined, weeping maid with a triumphant smile.

"Watch us closely, Bella," Adrian whispered, his eyes sparkling with absolute victory. "This love is forever. I’m going to give my Matteo the family he’s always wanted. We’re even going to have twins, just like we planned. Don’t ever think we were just joking around. Our bond is beyond anything a bitter soul like you could ever touch. You failed completely."

Bella let out a broken, defeated groan as the bodyguards brutally dragged her out into the hallway, slamming the heavy doors shut behind them, leaving the room in absolute peace.

The moment the door locked, the cold, calculating expressions vanished from both of their faces. Matteo immediately grabbed Adrian by his waist, pulling him into a breathless, passionate kiss that poured out all the hidden terror and relief he had bottled up during the operation.

"You were brilliant, baby," Matteo murmured against his lips, his voice thick with raw adoration.

Without breaking the kiss, Matteo easily lifted Adrian into his arms, walking back toward the grand bed.

He laid Adrian down gently against the plush pillows, immediately climbing over him and pinning him down, eager to reclaim his spoiled prince after the long, dangerous game.

Adrian looked up at him, his dark eyes heavy with exhaustion yet filled with affection. He weakly wrapped his arms around Matteo’s neck, a soft, breathless laugh escaping his lips. "Be gentle, Daddy... I’m not strong enough yet."

Matteo looked down at him, his gaze burning with a fierce, possessive hunger. A dark, deeply fond smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "All you need is my dick inside you, baby, and you’ll be strong again in no time."

Adrian smiled, his fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of Matteo’s neck, pulling him down closer. "You deserve it," he whispered against his lips. "You deserve all of me."

With that, Matteo leaned in, capturing Adrian’s mouth in a deep...