Chapter 320: Will She Recognize Him?

Adrian listened quietly, his heart swelling with pride.

Wrapping his arms around Matteo’s waist, he rested his head against his chest.

"I believe in you, Teo," he whispered with a gentle smile. "You can do this."

The days passed quietly, and before either of them realized it, the weekend had finally arrived.

Early that Saturday morning, soft rays of sunlight filtered through the bedroom curtains, casting a warm glow across the room.

Adrian was the first to wake. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself staring at Matteo’s peaceful sleeping face. A small smile tugged at his lips.

He didn’t move, afraid that even the slightest movement would wake him. Instead, he remained comfortably nestled against Matteo’s chest while Matteo’s arms stayed wrapped securely around his waist, holding him close even in his sleep.

The steady rhythm of Matteo’s heartbeat should have been enough to calm Adrian’s restless mind, but it wasn’t. His thoughts refused to settle.

Ever since Matteo had decided to meet his mother while pretending to be Mark, Adrian hadn’t been able to stop worrying.

He had kept those worries to himself, too afraid to voice them. Deep down, he feared that if he said anything, Matteo might overthink everything, change his mind, and decide not to go at all.

But no matter how hard he tried to stay positive, his mind kept filling with questions.

What if something went wrong?

What if his mother realized he wasn’t Mark, but Matteo... and became so angry that everything only got worse?

What if seeing her brought back too much pain... and Matteo decided he could never come back to face her as himself?

Adrian closed his eyes for a brief moment, took a slow breath, and forced those thoughts out of his mind. He had promised to believe in Matteo, and he refused to let fear overshadow that trust.

Deciding not to dwell on it any longer, Adrian carefully tried to slip out of bed. Moving as gently as he could, he slowly lifted Matteo’s arm from around his waist and began easing himself free, intending to head to the bathroom without waking him.

The moment his feet were about to touch the floor, a familiar arm slid back around his waist. Before Adrian could react, Matteo gently pulled him back against his chest.

Adrian let out a small gasp. "Baby..." he whispered, letting out a soft laugh. "You’re awake?"

Matteo let out a sleepy hum, nuzzling his face into Adrian’s neck before tightening his embrace just a little. "Mm-hmm," he murmured, his voice still husky with sleep. "Good morning, my love."

A warm smile instantly spread across Adrian’s face. "Good morning, baby."

Matteo leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Adrian’s forehead before looking into his eyes. "Where are you going so early?"

Adrian smiled sheepishly. "I was going to use the bathroom. I didn’t want to wake you."

Matteo gave a quiet hum but made no move to let him go. Instead, he held Adrian a little closer. "You know..." he mumbled, burying his face against Adrian’s neck. "I sleep better when you’re in my arms."

Adrian’s heart melted at the sleepy confession. Leaning in, he placed a gentle kiss on Matteo’s lips. "I’m sorry I woke you up. I really tried to be quiet."

Matteo murmured against his skin, "It’s okay, I’m awake now," he teased. "So what’s next? Should I come with you to the bathroom?"

Adrian chuckled softly. "Never mind. Let’s talk about your visit to your mother today. What time are you leaving?"

Matteo replied that he would be going right after breakfast.

Adrian looked at him slowly, hesitation creeping into his voice. "Can you really pull this off? Can you actually act like Mark?"

Matteo smiled, pressing a reassuring kiss to his jaw. "Babe, you don’t have to worry. Mark is my twin brother. I’ve known him my entire life. I know his habits, the way he talks, the way he carries himself... I’ll be fine."

Adrian nodded slowly. "Alright..." After a brief pause, another question came to mind. "Are you taking any gifts with you?"

"Yeah," Matteo said. "Mark already told me exactly what to bring. I’ll take the same kind of gifts he’d normally bring whenever he visits her."

Adrian simply nodded. He didn’t say another word.

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward. It was filled with quiet concern. Sensing what was on Adrian’s mind, Matteo tightened his arms around him and gently nuzzled his neck.

"Hey..." he murmured.

Adrian hummed softly. "I’ll be fine... trust me." He placed a lingering kiss beneath Adrian’s ear. "So stop worrying."

Adrian let out a quiet sigh as Matteo continued showering him with little kisses. "Alright, my clingy baby..." Adrian teased.

Matteo looked at him. "Yes, I’m your clingy baby," Matteo murmured, stealing another quick kiss from Adrian’s lips before resting his forehead against his.

A few minutes later, they finally climbed out of bed together and headed into the bathroom.

The peaceful morning quickly turned playful.

While brushing their teeth, Adrian deliberately flicked a little foam toward Matteo.

Matteo raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That’s how we’re starting today?"

Before Adrian could respond, Matteo gently tapped his toothbrush against Adrian’s nose, leaving a tiny dot of toothpaste there.

Adrian burst into laughter. "Teo!"

Matteo couldn’t stop smiling. Soon the two of them were laughing like children as they finished brushing their teeth.

Afterward, they stepped beneath the warm shower.

The steam filled the room as they washed each other’s hair and playfully splashed water at one another. Every now and then, Adrian would try to rinse Matteo’s face only for Matteo to catch his wrist and splash him back.

Their laughter echoed throughout the bathroom until they finally finished. Wrapped in matching bathrobes, they stepped out together.

Matteo gently towel-dried Adrian’s hair before carefully blow-drying it. Once it was completely dry, Adrian walked into the walk-in closet.

After looking through several outfits, he picked a colorful set of clothes that perfectly matched Mark’s usual style.

Returning to the bedroom, he laid everything neatly on the bed. "These should work."

Matteo smiled as he looked at the clothes. "My personal stylist?" Matteo teased.

Adrian grinned proudly. "The best one you’ll ever have," he replied.

With gentle hands, Adrian helped Matteo get dressed, straightening his collar, adjusting his sleeves, and carefully styling his hair until he looked identical to Mark.

When he finished, Adrian stepped back to admire his work. A wide smile spread across his face as his eyes slowly traveled from Matteo’s head to his feet.

"Wow..." Adrian breathed, clearly impressed. "Baby, you look so handsome."

He walked over and gently straightened Matteo’s collar one last time. "Honestly... you’re so hot. If I didn’t already know you were my baby, I’d probably fall for you all over again."

Matteo chuckled, clearly pleased by the compliment. "That’s good, huh?"

Adrian nodded without hesitation. "Even better. Mark is handsome, but you’re the hotter twin."

Matteo laughed softly, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. "You’re biased."

"Maybe," Adrian admitted with a grin. "But I’m also telling the truth."

Matteo smiled warmly before leaning in to kiss Adrian’s lips. "Thank you, baby," he said softly. "Now it’s your turn."

He walked over to the closet, picked out a comfortable outfit for Adrian to wear around the house, and helped him get dressed. Once Adrian was dressed, Matteo gently smoothed out the wrinkles on his shirt before taking a step back to admire him.

A proud smile spread across Matteo’s face as his eyes lingered on Adrian. "Beautiful..." he murmured. "And all mine."

Adrian’s cheeks instantly flushed. "Only yours," he replied with a shy smile before stepping back into Matteo’s arms. "You always make sure I look good."

"Because you deserve to," Matteo replied.

Matteo slowly lifted his hand and gently ran his fingers through Adrian’s dyed hair. "Baby..."

"Hm?" Adrian murmured.

Matteo smiled softly. "I want your hair black again."

Adrian blinked in surprise. "You do?"

Matteo nodded. "Yeah. Don’t get me wrong..." He gently tucked a loose strand behind Adrian’s ear. "This color looks amazing on you. It makes you look really hot."

Adrian smiled shyly.

Matteo chuckled before adding. "But your black hair... I don’t know. It just suits you better." He gently cupped Adrian’s cheek. "When your hair is black, you look more innocent. You look so much more beautiful."

Adrian’s smile grew even wider. "If that’s what you like, then I’ll dye it back to black."

Matteo immediately shook his head. "No, baby. Only if you want to. If you love this color, keep it. I was only saying what I—"

Adrian placed a finger over Matteo’s lips, stopping him from finishing. "I’ll change it," he said gently.

Matteo frowned slightly. "You don’t have to."

Adrian smiled and shook his head. "I know I don’t. But seeing you happy makes me happy too. So if you love my black hair more, then that’s the color I want."

Matteo’s eyes softened with affection. "You’re so sweet," he whispered with a smile.

"Only for you," Adrian replied.

Matteo couldn’t help himself anymore. He leaned forward and captured Adrian’s lips in a slow, lingering kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, they rested their foreheads together, smiling quietly at one another.

A few moments later, they intertwined their fingers and walked hand in hand out of the bedroom.

The two of them headed downstairs and shared a peaceful breakfast. Although neither of them mentioned the visit again, the weight of what was about to happen lingered silently between them. Once they had finished eating, Adrian walked Matteo to the front entrance.

Adrian stopped in front of him and looked into his eyes with a gentle smile.

"I love you so much, Matteo," Adrian said softly.

Matteo’s lips curved into a warm smile as he reached up to cup Adrian’s cheek.

"I love you more," he replied before leaning in to steal one last gentle kiss from Adrian’s lips.

With that, he turned and walked out of the house.

Outside, his convoy was already waiting. The moment Matteo settled into the back seat, the gates slowly opened and the line of black vehicles rolled out of the estate, disappearing onto the main road. Sitting quietly by the window, Matteo watched the passing scenery while the driver focused intently on the road.

About halfway through the journey...