Chapter 317: Operation: Propose to Matteo

"So... can I stay with you, please, Teo?" he asked hopefully. "Can you please help me talk to Mark? Tell him you’re the one who insisted I stay with you."

Matteo narrowed his eyes immediately. "Why?"

Maxwell groaned dramatically, rolling his eyes. "Mom wants me to stay with Mark, but I don’t want to stay with him."

Matteo let out the long, weary sigh of an older brother who had seen this behavior countless times. "If Mom told you to stay with Mark, then that’s exactly what you’re going to do."

"No, Teo, please!" Maxwell pleaded, giving him the most pitiful puppy-dog eyes he could manage.

Matteo remained completely unmoved. "No."

Beside him, Adrian quietly reached under the table and gave Matteo’s thigh a gentle pinch.

Matteo flinched and turned to look at him.

Adrian met his gaze with soft, pleading eyes, silently asking him to let Maxwell stay.

Matteo held his gaze for a long moment before letting out a defeated sigh. "Fine. Let’s eat. You literally just got back—"

"—and you’re already asking me for favors." Maxwell finished for him with a knowing grin, having heard that sentence from his older brother more times than he could count.

Adrian couldn’t hold back his laughter. Watching Maxwell finish Matteo’s sentence so effortlessly left him thoroughly amused.

Matteo simply rubbed his temples and shook his head, a fond smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Fine. I’ll talk to Mark."

Maxwell’s face lit up instantly. He reached over and gave Matteo’s shoulder an affectionate pat. "That’s why you’re my favorite brother."

Matteo rolled his eyes and pointed a warning finger at him. "Just behave yourself while you’re under my roof, or I’ll throw you out before you even know what hit you."

"I know you won’t," Maxwell shot back with a cheeky grin.

Matteo finally shifted his attention from his brother to Adrian. "So this is your surprise?"

Adrian nodded eagerly, his eyes sparkling. "Yes, baby."

Matteo let out a playful groan and leaned back in his chair. "Next time, don’t call it a surprise. Just text me and say, ’I’ve got another headache waiting for you at home.’"

Adrian gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his chest. "What? Who’s the first headache, then?"

Matteo chuckled and reached over to gently pinch Adrian’s cheek. "You, baby."

Adrian swatted his hand away, narrowing his eyes with a playful grin. "Nice one. Well, you’re dead tonight. Just wait until we get back to our bedroom, you’ll see exactly what I’m going to do to you."

Matteo raised a brow, a slow, wicked smirk spreading across his face. "Please. You’ll be the one begging me before midnight."

Adrian stared at him, his cheeks flushing pink as he corrected him sharply. "I am talking about giving you a punishment, you pervert! What the hell are you thinking about?!"

"Only the punishment," Matteo murmured smoothly, winking.

Adrian huffed, shaking his head. "Fine, stop talking and let’s just eat before I lose my appetite."

"Okay, baby," Matteo chuckled, picking up his fork.

Sitting across from them, Maxwell watched the endless back-and-forth banter, a warm, happy smile spreading across his face as he dug into his meal.

They finally picked up their cutlery, eating in a comfortable, companionable silence. Once they finished dinner, the three of them moved from the dining room into the spacious living room to unwind.

Adrian settled onto the plush sofa, resting his head comfortably against Matteo’s shoulder, while Maxwell took a seat across from them. They put on a movie, letting the background noise wash over the room as the night hours wound down.

When the film finally ended and the house grew late, Adrian let out a soft yawn, rubbing his eyes. He turned his head into Matteo’s neck. "Baby... I’m feeling sleepy."

Matteo smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to his hair. "Alright, babe. Let’s go."

They both stood up, and Adrian offered a polite, sleepy smile to his brother-in-law. "Goodnight, Maxwell."

"Goodnight, Teo baby," Maxwell replied with a grin.

A fond smile spread across Matteo’s face at the nickname. He glanced at Adrian with an amused look before the two of them turned to head upstairs. Just then, Maxwell’s voice stopped them.

"Teo."

Matteo paused, looking back over his shoulder.

"Mom and I came back to Central City together," Maxwell said, his tone growing more subdued. "She’s going to be staying here for a while."

Matteo’s relaxed expression instantly hardened into a mask of cold indifference. He stared at his brother. "There is no need for you to tell me that."

"Teo..." Maxwell pressed.

"Goodnight," Matteo said flatly. Without giving him another chance to speak, he grabbed Adrian’s hand, and they walked away together, heading up the grand staircase toward their bedroom.

As they walked down the dimly lit hallway, Adrian looked up, sensing the sudden tension in Matteo’s grip. "Baby..."

Before Adrian could even finish the sentence, Matteo cut him off, his voice tight and resolute. "If it’s about my mother, then let’s not talk about it. I don’t want to ruin our night."

Before Adrian could even finish the sentence, Matteo cut him off, his voice tight and resolute. "If it’s about my mother, then let’s not talk about it. I don’t want to ruin our night."

Adrian fell quiet, recognizing the old wounds and boundaries Matteo refused to cross. He squeezed Matteo’s hand softly. "Okay, baby."

They finally reached their bedroom, stepping into the warm, quiet sanctuary. Settling beneath the covers, they pulled the duvet over their shoulders, curling up and holding each other close as they drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, after Matteo quietly left the estate for the office, Adrian and Maxwell found themselves lingering in the living room. The house was peaceful, sunlight streaming through the tall glass windows as they spent the morning lounging on the sofa and casually watching a movie.

During a quiet lull on the screen, Adrian shifted slightly, turning his attention to his brother-in-law. He asked Maxwell how he was holding up, steering the conversation toward life and everything in general.

"Everything’s fine," Maxwell replied smoothly, keeping his eyes on the television. He glanced back at Adrian. "What about you?"

"Everything’s cool," Adrian answered with a soft smile. He hesitated for a moment, studying Maxwell’s expression before asking carefully, "So... are you and James still together?"

Maxwell offered a faint, melancholy smile, looking down at his hands. "I haven’t really spoken to him since I traveled back with my mother."

Adrian frowned. "That’s not cool. Did you guys break up?"

"We were never officially in a relationship to begin with," Maxwell murmured.

"But you like him, right?" Adrian asked gently.

Maxwell lowered his gaze.

"I like him... a lot," Maxwell admitted, a shadow crossing his face. "That’s why I never wanted to start anything. I knew I couldn’t commit to him, and I didn’t want to hurt him by beginning something when I already knew we could never end up together."

Adrian tilted his head, remembering past conversations. "Why not? Didn’t you once tell me that nobody can tell you what to do with your life?"

Maxwell let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "If it were just my father, I’d go against him in a heartbeat. But my mother... that’s a different battle entirely."

Adrian frowned, leaning forward. "But you’re only going to hurt your own heart like this."

Maxwell gave a faint, bitter smile, his gaze dropping to the floor.

"My heart?" he murmured. "It’s okay if I get hurt. I’d rather be the one in pain than put James through that."

He paused before continuing. "He’s a genuinely good person. Even though I haven’t officially asked him out, I know he feels the same way about me. That’s exactly why I’m afraid to cross that line. I don’t want to drag him into my family’s mess or make him suffer because of me."

Adrian offered him a sympathetic smile. "You’re a good person for caring so much about his feelings. But why not fight for him?"

Maxwell fell silent for a moment before speaking.

"Adrian, not everyone is as strong as Matteo." A faint smile tugged at his lips. "You have no idea how much I admire my brother. He fights for his freedom, does what he believes is right, and never lets fear or consequences stop him." He sighed quietly. "But not everyone is like that. I don’t even know how to explain it... I just think it’s better if James stays out of this. At least this way, he’ll have the chance to find someone who can give him the future he deserves."

Before Adrian could ask anything else, Maxwell waved a hand dismissively, clearly wanting to end the conversation.

"Anyway, enough about my complicated love life." A teasing grin returned to his face. "What about you and my brother? Honestly, I thought you two would be married by now."

Adrian instantly sat up straighter, his eyes lighting up as the conversation shifted to a much more exciting topic.

Maxwell raised an eyebrow, a knowing grin spreading across his face. "So... what are you two waiting for?"

Adrian let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Your brother still hasn’t proposed to me yet. He’s always telling me how much he loves me, but I have no idea what he’s waiting for."

Maxwell chuckled. "Why does it always have to be him?" he asked with a smirk. "You can propose to him too, you know."

Adrian blinked in surprise. "Wait... really? I can do that?"

"Of course you can," Maxwell replied encouragingly. "Teo can be a little old-fashioned when it comes to things like this. If you really want it to happen, maybe you should take the first step."

Adrian’s heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened as countless ideas immediately began racing through his mind.

"Really? Then... how should I do it?" he asked eagerly. "What kind of proposal do you think would suit him?"

Maxwell settled back against the cushions with a grin.

"Now that’s a question I can help with. Tell me what you’re imagining, and we’ll plan something he’ll never forget."

Adrian flashed Maxwell a bright smile. "See? That’s exactly why I like you. You’re always full of vibes."

He grinned mischievously. "Alright, here’s the plan..."