[BL] The Mafia Boss Wants My Body

Chapter 236: Chapter 236: Love, Grief, and Consequences

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.

Matteo stood up, walked over, and opened it.

"Come in," he said.

Harry stepped inside and bowed his head respectfully. "Good morning, Boss."

Without responding to the greeting, Matteo picked up Adrian’s garment bag and gestured toward the neatly packaged gifts beside the coffee table.

"Take these to the address where Adrian is staying," he said calmly. "Hand everything over to him. Don’t linger, and don’t answer any questions."

After a brief pause, he added, "If he asks about me... tell him I’m fine."

"I understand, Boss."

Harry tapped the earpiece clipped to his ear. "I need one man in the boss’s suite."

Within moments, another bodyguard arrived. Working together, they collected the garment bag and the gifts.

Harry bowed once more before leaving the suite with the other bodyguard, quietly closing the door behind them.

Once the door clicked shut, leaving him alone once more, Matteo walked back into the living room.

He lowered himself onto the massive velvet sofa, completely ignoring the breathtaking city view behind him.

Reaching for the bottle of liquor on the table, he poured himself a generous glass before lighting a fresh cigarette.

As thick gray smoke curled toward the ceiling, Matteo took a slow drag and a long swallow of the liquor, his dark eyes fixed on the empty room as he waited for night to fall.

Meanwhile, Matteo’s convoy arrived outside the grand gates of the estate.

Following Adrian’s instructions, the drivers pulled into the designated waiting area.

Adrian was already making his way down the long driveway to meet them, his eyes searching the vehicles for any sign of Matteo.

When he saw only the guards, a wave of disappointment washed over him.

He walked up to the lead SUV as the rear door opened.

Harry stepped out, holding the pristine garment bag containing Adrian’s formal outfit.

"Thank you," Adrian murmured, taking the garment bag from him.

He glanced toward the SUV, where the luxury gifts Matteo had prepared were neatly packed.

Turning back to Harry, he said, "Harry, just you come inside with me to help carry the gifts. The rest of the men can wait here."

"Understood, sir," Harry replied politely. He lifted the packaged gift boxes from the vehicle and followed closely behind Adrian as they walked back toward the massive entrance of the house.

As their footsteps echoed along the paved walkway, Adrian couldn’t hold back any longer.

Lowering his voice, he cast Harry a worried glance.

"How is Matteo doing?"

Harry’s face remained completely professional and unreadable. "He is doing fine, sir."

Adrian swallowed the lump in his throat, knowing the brief answer likely meant Matteo was in a volatile, silent fury.

Before he could ask anything else, they stepped through the front doors.

Several members of Elena’s household staff immediately hurried forward, bowing respectfully as they took the garment bag and the heavy gifts from Adrian and Harry’s hands.

With the delivery completed, Adrian turned back to Harry near the foyer entrance.

Harry gave a formal, respectful bow.

"I’ll take my leave now, sir."

"Alright. Thank you, Harry," Adrian said, watching the man turn and leave the estate, leaving him alone to face the heavy memories of the day ahead.

The rest of the day passed in a somber, agonizing blur.

The formal memorial service was held in the grand hall, drawing a quiet gathering of close relatives.

Prayers were offered, tears were openly shed, and the family spent hours sharing heartfelt memories of how deeply they missed Elena and their son.

Through it all, Adrian moved like a ghost, doing everything expected of him.

He had personally purchased an exquisite arrangement of Elena’s favorite flowers, carefully placing them at the center of the remembrance altar.

When the service finally concluded and the family members slowly stepped out of the room to give him some privacy, Adrian remained standing frozen before the portraits.

He stared at Elena’s smiling face, the silence of the room pressing heavily against his chest.

"We could have gone so far if you were still here," Adrian whispered into the empty room, a fresh tear slipping down his cheek as he traced the edge of the silver frame. "By now... you’d probably be carrying our third child."

He stood there for a long time, sharing his thoughts with the silence, pouring out the grief he had locked away for years.

Then his fingers tightened around the silver frame, and his voice broke into a trembling whisper.

"I’m sorry, Elena."

He closed his eyes, another tear slipping free.

"I told you it would always be you... But somewhere along the way, I gave my heart to someone else."

A faint, bittersweet smile touched his lips through the tears.

"I love him so much, Elena. More than I ever thought I’d be able to love again. I just hope you can forgive me... and that wherever you are, you’re happy for me."

For a long time, Adrian stayed there, speaking through his tears and finally saying all the words he had kept locked inside his heart.

Only when there was nothing left to say did he slowly rise to his feet.

He lowered his head one last time, whispered a goodbye, and quietly walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Miles away, inside the hotel, every passing minute felt like torture for Matteo.

He checked his watch relentlessly.

Afternoon slipped into evening.

Evening disappeared into the night.

And eventually...

Midnight arrived.

Despite the roaring, possessive anger burning through his chest, Matteo was still waiting for his phone to ring.

He hated himself for it, but the desperate need to see Adrian again, to have him back within his reach, was stronger than his anger.

His phone never left his hand as he waited for the call asking him to send the cars.

But as the clock ticked past two in the morning, the call never came.

Instead, his phone chimed with a short text message.

Babe, please... I can’t leave yet. I’ll be there early tomorrow morning. I promise. I’m so sorry.

Matteo stared at the words, the last shred of his legendary patience finally snapping.

A dangerous, unsettling calm settled over his features.

He didn’t choke this time.

He simply tossed the phone onto the table, the glowing tip of his cigarette illuminating the cold, humorless smirk on his face.

He couldn’t swallow this hurt anymore.

If Adrian wanted to treat him like a second choice, Matteo was going to carry out the plan he had spent the entire night thinking about, a plan he knew would completely shatter Adrian’s composure.

The rest of the night passed in a deadly, freezing silence.

Finally, as the morning light filtered through the curtains of the hotel suite, the phone on the table began to ring.

Matteo picked it up on the third ring and raised it to his ear without saying a word.

"Baby, good morning," Adrian’s exhausted voice came through the phone, sounding visibly relieved that everything was finally over.

"Tell your men to come pick me up. I’m finished here."

Matteo didn’t offer a single word in return.

His expression remained completely blank.

Without saying a single word to his partner, he coldly ended the call, cutting Adrian off mid-sentence.

He immediately dialed Harry.

"Harry. Go to the estate and pick up Adrian."

With the order given, Matteo set the phone down and leaned back against the sofa, quietly preparing for the storm that was about to walk through his door.

*****

The journey back to the hotel where Matteo was staying was long and painfully silent.

Adrian sat in the back seat of the SUV, his eyes never leaving his phone as he waited for a message that never came.

When the convoy finally arrived at the hotel and Harry escorted him up to the penthouse suite, and Adrian’s nerves were stretched to their limit.

Reaching the door of the penthouse suite, Adrian took a deep breath and knocked softly.

He waited, listening carefully, but no footsteps came from inside.

Frowning, Adrian turned to the lead guard standing rigidly behind him.

"Harry... is Matteo actually inside?"

Harry kept his eyes focused straight ahead, his face a disciplined mask. "Yes, sir."

Anxiety tightening his throat, Adrian raised his hand and knocked again, louder this time.

Knock. Knock. Knock.