Chapter 311: I Will Never Leave You

Connor’s breath hitched, his chest heaving as the finality of her words sank in. The realization that his wife valued her brother’s life over his own family shattered something permanent between them.

"I can’t do this anymore," Connor whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and defeat. "I can’t continue this conversation. It’s over. Just know this, Maya, Matteo is going to be arrested this time. And when they finally lock him up, my family will use every single ounce of our influence to keep him behind bars. Even I won’t let Matteo escape this time. He’s finished."

Maya’s icy composure cracked, a sudden wave of panic hitting her chest. "Honey, please. Let’s talk about this."

"There is absolutely nothing left to talk about," Connor snapped. He forcefully swung the bedroom door open and stepped out into the hallway.

"Honey, wait!" Maya called out, rushing out of the room to follow him.

Connor didn’t answer, his footsteps heavy and resolute as he marched down the corridor. Maya refused to stop, trailing closely behind him and pleading for him to listen, until Connor abruptly spun around on his heel.

He stared at her, his expression softening slightly as he tried one last time to change her mind.

"If you truly love Adrian, Maya, you wouldn’t let him be with someone like Matteo. What exactly can a man like that give him? Nothing but danger and bloodshed. Matteo can’t make a good partner. He’s a devil, and you need to tell Adrian to leave him right now. With everything going viral, Matteo won’t escape the law this time."

Connor took a slow step closer to Maya. He raised a trembling hand and gently brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his voice dropping into a desperate, pleading tone.

"I know you love your brother, Maya. I know you only want what’s best for him. But Matteo is the wrong choice. He’ll be arrested, and what will happen to Adrian then? He’ll be dragged into the scandal and left to deal with the fallout."

Connor stepped back, shaking his head.

"Just talk to your brother. Tell him to find a good partner and start a real family. Adrian is handsome, he’s intelligent, and he has his whole life ahead of him. He shouldn’t waste it with someone as monstrous as Matteo."

"No, Connor, you don’t understand," Maya said, her voice filled with frustration as she reached for him. "Matteo is good to Adrian. Owen just—"

"Enough!" Connor shouted, his voice echoing through the empty hallway. "Tell your brother to leave him! Matteo is a toxic, horrific influence on his life. What happens if Matteo loses his temper one day, Maya? He’s a psychopath! What if he turns around and kills Adrian too? What will happen to your family then?"

"Matteo would never do that," Maya shot back, her eyes blazing with fury. "He would die before he ever hurt Adrian!"

Connor looked at her, disappointment etched across his face. "All it takes is enough evidence, and Matteo will be arrested," he said firmly. "He’s done so many terrible things. Sooner or later, they’ll all catch up with him. It’s time he paid for everything he’s done."

Maya shook her head, tears beginning to gather in her eyes. "You’ve got it all wrong, Connor," she pleaded. "Why couldn’t Owen just stay away from Adrian? Matteo warned him. Why did he have to go after my brother? Why did he have to push things this far?"

She stepped closer, her voice breaking.

"Please, Connor... don’t help them arrest Matteo. He’s a good person. He only wanted to protect Adrian."

Connor simply looked at her, completely exhausted and done arguing. He took a deep breath and pointed back toward their master bedroom. "Go back inside," he said quietly. "Think about everything I just said. If you truly, honestly love your brother, you’ll do the right thing and get him away from that man."

Without waiting for her reply, Connor turned away and walked down the hallway, his footsteps gradually fading into the distance, leaving Maya standing alone in the suffocating silence.

Back at the Matteo estate, Adrian and Matteo lay tucked beneath the covers of the grand bed, settling in for the night as a comforting silence filled the master bedroom.

Adrian lay with his head rested securely on Matteo’s chest, listening to the steady, reassuring rhythm of his heart. At first, he didn’t say a word, just tracing slow, idle patterns over Matteo’s bare torso. But the quiet allowed his lingering anxieties to resurface, tightening his throat.

Slowly, Adrian broke the silence, his voice barely a whimper. "Matteo... I’m so sorry."

Matteo paused his gentle stroking of Adrian’s hair, looking down at him. "Sorry for what, baby?"

"All of this," Adrian murmured, a heavy guilt lacing his words. "It’s my fault. If I hadn’t said those harsh words to hurt Owen’s pride back then... he wouldn’t have tried to have me killed. You wouldn’t have had to go out there and stain your hands again. It’s all because of me."

Matteo listened patiently to every word, his heart aching at the misplaced guilt weighing on his baby. He cupped Adrian’s cheek, gently tilting his face up until their eyes locked.

"None of this is your fault, Adrian," Matteo said, his voice laced with absolute conviction. "You have done absolutely nothing wrong. Owen was just an arrogant, stubborn fool who couldn’t accept his own standing."

Matteo stroked his thumb across Adrian’s bottom lip, explaining the cold truth of the underworld. "I warned him before. I even gave him a chance to walk away, but he still came after you. The reason I killed Owen was that he would never stop. Even if I had spared his life that night, he would have spent every waking second plotting another way to win. Someone like Owen simply hated to lose. He would have kept coming after you, or after me, until one of us was dead."

Matteo kissed Adrian’s forehead tenderly. "Instead of living in constant fear, waiting for someone to strike from the shadows, it was better to silence him permanently. I did what had to be done to protect our peace."

Adrian leaned further into his touch, but his heart still pounded with worry. "I’m just scared, Matteo..."

"You have nothing to be scared of, my love," Matteo reassured him softly. He paused for a moment, his dark eyes growing somber as he thought about the media storm brewing outside.

"But listen to me, Adrian... if the worst happens and they somehow manage to arrest me, I don’t want you waiting for me. In Central City, I won’t get a fair trial. If I go down, you need to move on and live your life."

"Never," Adrian interrupted instantly, his voice filled with fierce, uncompromising determination.

He pushed himself up slightly, placing his hands on Matteo’s chest and looking down at him with unwavering devotion. "I am never going to leave you, Matteo. Don’t you dare say that to me again."

Adrian spoke with absolute conviction, his eyes shining with both tears and steely resolve. "I won’t let them arrest you. And even if the whole world comes after us, I am never leaving your side. We are going to get through this together, side by side. And once this is all over... I promise I’ll stay completely out of trouble so you never have to put yourself in danger for me again."

Matteo stared up at him, a breathtaking, deeply affectionate smile spreading across his face. His heart swelled with an overwhelming wave of love. "Baby..."

Before Matteo could say another word, Adrian leaned down and captured his lips in a sweet, lingering kiss that sealed his promise.

When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against Matteo’s, a soft, sleepy smile tugging at his lips. "Let’s just sleep, Daddy."

Matteo wrapped his arms tightly around Adrian, pulling him flush against his body under the warm duvet, entirely content as they both let the peace of the night carry them away.

The next morning, Matteo woke up early to prepare for work as usual. The bedroom was bathed in the faint, cool gray light of dawn. Careful not to disturb the sleeping baby in his arms, Matteo gently slipped out from beneath the duvet and stood beside the bed.

He hadn’t taken more than a few quiet steps toward the bathroom when the sheets rustled behind him.

"Good morning, baby," Adrian’s soft, raspy morning voice called out. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Matteo turned around, genuine surprise flickering across his features. "You’re up early," he noted, his voice low and warm.

Adrian swung his legs over the edge of the bed, offering a bright, determined smile. "Let’s shower together. I’m coming to the office with you today."

Matteo stared at him as if he had misheard. In all the time they had been together, Adrian had never once asked to accompany him to the office.

The sudden request immediately put Matteo’s protective instincts on high alert. He knew Adrian was only saying this because he was afraid the police or Owen’s family would come after him today.

"No, baby," Matteo said gently. "You’re staying home and resting."

"I insist, Matteo," Adrian pressed, standing and taking a step toward him, his eyes filled with stubborn determination. "I want to be with you today. I can’t just sit here waiting and worrying."

Matteo hated lying to him, but keeping Adrian away from the impending chaos was his top priority. He closed the distance between them and cupped Adrian’s face in his hands. "Listen to me, Adrian. I just have a few routine matters to take care of at the office. I’ll be back in a couple of hours, I promise."

Adrian searched Matteo’s dark eyes, wanting to push further, but the calm assurance in Matteo’s voice smoothed over his rising anxiety. He let out a soft sigh and finally nodded. "Okay... but you better come back early."

"I always do," Matteo murmured.

Adrian agreed, and the two of them walked into the bathroom together, sharing a sweet, relaxing shower. Adrian had only joined Matteo to freshen up so they could have breakfast together before Matteo left for the office while he stayed home waiting for his return.

After their shower, they stepped out of the bathroom. Matteo gently dried Adrian with a soft towel before drying himself off. He then slipped into one of his sharp, perfectly tailored black suits and helped Adrian change into a comfortable, casual outfit perfect for lounging around the house.

Standing behind Matteo in front of the vanity mirror, Adrian picked up the comb and carefully styled Matteo’s hair to perfection.

Satisfied with his handiwork, Adrian rose onto his tiptoes and rewarded Matteo with a sweet, lingering kiss on the lips. Matteo smiled into the kiss, wrapping an arm around Adrian’s waist and holding him close for a moment longer before they finally headed downstairs together.

In the dining room...