[BL] The Mafia Boss Wants My Body

Chapter 235: Chapter 235: Waiting Hurt More Than Goodbye

"Actually, Nora, let’s go straight to your mother’s house first. I can always check into the hotel afterward."

Nora’s eyes lit up. "Oh, even better! Let’s go."

With a heavy heart and a mind weighed down by dread, Adrian walked out of the restaurant beside Nora and Fiona.

He climbed into their car, and together they headed straight for the estate that held so many memories of his past...

Leaving behind the man he loved, heartbroken and waiting in the city.

Meanwhile, the sleek black convoy pulled up to the grand entrance of the five-star hotel.

Matteo stepped out of the lead SUV, his face an unreadable mask of ice.

His security detail moved with silent efficiency, unloading the luggage and clearing a path through the opulent marble lobby.

When Matteo stepped into the penthouse suite, the sheer luxury surrounding him did nothing to ease the storm brewing inside him.

The suite was a masterpiece of modern design, with plush carpets, dark velvet furnishings, and warm ambient lighting reflecting off rich mahogany accents.

Floor-to-ceiling glass doors stretched across one wall, opening onto a private balcony that overlooked the sprawling city skyline.

From this height, the towering skyscrapers and winding river below looked almost miniature beneath the fading afternoon light.

Matteo walked over to the glass doors and slid one open, letting the cool breeze wash over his face.

He stood there rigidly, staring out at the horizon as his mind replayed everything that had happened at the restaurant.

He had been left standing there alone.

No consideration for his feelings.

No regard for the promises they had made.

Matteo rubbed a hand over his face, a bitter ache settling deep in his chest.

Adrian... I’ve given you everything, he thought.

So why am I still not your first choice?

Why couldn’t you choose me before anyone else?

This time... you really hurt me.

You keep making me feel like I don’t matter.

He let out a humorless chuckle and slowly shook his head as he stared out at the empty skyline.

"I’ll wait for you," he murmured. "And then we’ll see what kind of explanation you have for me this time."

Matteo convinced himself that Adrian would eventually realize his mistake and find a way to slip away from the family before nightfall.

So he waited.

He refused to unpack a single bag, his eyes constantly drifting between the clock and his phone, expecting it to ring at any moment.

But the hours slipped by.

Daylight faded into darkness...

And Adrian never came back.

It was well into the night when Matteo’s phone finally lit up.

He was sitting alone on the sofa, a glass of dark amber liquor in one hand and a cigarette burning between his fingers, when Adrian’s message appeared on the screen.

He unlocked his phone and read it.

Babe, I might not make it back to the hotel tonight. But I promise I’ll be back early tomorrow morning.

Matteo went completely still.

The whiskey caught in his throat, making him cough once before he slowly lowered the glass onto the table.

His gaze remained fixed on the message.

The boundary he had set the night before...

The promise Adrian had made to him...

Both were shattered.

Something inside him finally snapped.

The warmth in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a cold, unsettling calm.

For the first time since falling in love with Adrian, Matteo didn’t want to understand him.

He wanted Adrian to feel exactly what he was feeling. And before the night was over, a plan began to take shape in his mind.

*********

Miles away, the atmosphere inside Elena’s family home was completely different.

The moment Adrian walked through the grand double doors of the mansion, he was surrounded by Elena’s family.

Her grandmother was the first to reach him. Her elderly face lit up with genuine joy as she pulled him into a warm embrace.

Back then, when Adrian was married to Elena, it was always Nora and her grandmother who supported their relationship the most.

Elena’s father, a prominent and highly respected lawyer, was always consumed by his demanding caseload. He had never openly opposed Adrian, but the two men had never grown particularly close.

Elena’s mother, however, had deeply resented Adrian in the past, viewing him as an outsider who wasn’t good enough for her daughter. Several other members of the extended family had shared her opinion.

But tonight, everything was different.

To Adrian’s surprise, they welcomed him warmly.

Even Elena’s mother greeted him with a gentle smile.

Adrian quietly observed the shift, reasoning that they no longer had a reason to harbor hatred toward him now that Elena was gone. Yet, he hadn’t agreed to stay longer because of the mother or Nora. He stayed entirely for the grandmother.

She was the only one who had consistently reached out to him, sending letters and checking on his well-being even after the tragic loss of his wife and child.

When the time came for Adrian to excuse himself and return to the hotel, the grandmother gently held his hand, pleading with him to stay the night. One by one, the rest of the family joined in, insisting it was far too late for him to leave.

Caught between their warm hospitality and the guilt weighing heavily on his heart, Adrian finally gave in.

Letting out a quiet sigh, he pulled out his phone and sent Matteo a brief message before slipping it back into his pocket.

Afterward, he joined the family in the spacious living room, where Nora poured everyone a cup of tea while the grandmother happily reminisced about years gone by.

Before long, the conversation drifted to Elena.

The name alone was enough to make Adrian’s heart ache.

The memories he had spent years trying to bury came rushing back all at once, reopening wounds that had never truly healed.

His breathing grew uneven as tears slowly rolled down his face.

Around him, the family spoke in quiet, sorrowful voices, each sharing how deeply they still missed her.

Eventually, they began discussing the formal memorial prayer scheduled for the next morning.

To prepare him, Elena’s mother gently led Adrian into a private room where they had set up a beautiful remembrance altar.

On the table sat a polished frame displaying a photograph of Elena beside a smaller, heartbreaking portrait of their late son.

Seeing his wife and son together again entirely broke Adrian’s resolve. He dropped to his knees in front of the altar, a broken sob tearing from his throat. The family quietly stepped back, closing the door to grant him privacy.

Adrian sat on the floor, his trembling hands holding the silver frames close to his chest.

He stared at his son’s tiny features, the tears blurring his vision as he wept openly in the quiet room. "I miss you so much," he choked out, his voice cracking with years of suppressed grief. "I miss you both so much it hurts." He stayed there for hours, weeping into the dark until his energy was entirely spent.

By the time Adrian finally made his way to the guest bedroom, it was already around three in the morning.

He collapsed onto the bed, utterly drained. Even then, sleep refused to come right away. Thoughts of Elena, their son, and everything he had lost continued to weigh heavily on his heart until exhaustion finally won.

When he opened his eyes again, only a few hours had passed.

The early morning sun was beginning to brighten the room, but his body still ached from the night’s grief. His head throbbed, his eyes burned from crying, and he felt too drained to think clearly.

He glanced at the time and let out a weary sigh.

If he went back to the hotel now, he would only have to turn around and return almost immediately for the memorial prayers.

In the end, Adrian decided to stay.

Once the memorial service was over, he would return to Matteo, apologize properly, and do everything he could to make things right.

Back at the hotel, the morning light filtered through the heavy curtains.

Matteo was already awake, sitting perfectly upright on the edge of the bed.

He was waiting.

He expected his phone to ring with Adrian’s voice asking him to send the driver to pick him up from the estate.

But the phone remained silent.

Instead of a call, a text notification chimed.

Matteo picked up his phone, his expression unreadable.

Good morning, baby. I won’t be able to come back to the hotel until tonight after the service. Can you please tell your men to bring over the gifts I prepared for Elena’s family? Also, please have them bring the formal outfit I prepared for the memorial service. Thank you, love.

Matteo stared at the screen. He had barely slept a wink the entire night, his mind consumed by dark thoughts, and reading this casual request made a cold, dangerous laugh escape his throat. He didn’t bother typing a reply.

Matteo rose from the bed and crossed the suite to the hotel wardrobe.

The night before, while waiting for Adrian to return, he had taken the time to hang up the garment bag containing the clothes Adrian had carefully prepared for the memorial.

He slowly unzipped it, his gaze settling on the perfectly pressed formal suit.

His jaw clenched, but his face remained cold and unreadable.

He draped the garment bag over his arm, picked up his phone, and called Harry, asking him to come up to the suite.

After ending the call, Matteo sat down and waited.

A few moments later, a knock sounded at the door.