[BL] The Mafia Boss Wants My Body

Chapter 250: Chapter 250: The Reunion They Feared

Finally, at exactly 9:12 p.m., the grand doors parted once more.

The conversations around the ballroom gradually faded as heads turned toward the entrance.

Adrian had finally arrived.

He stepped into the lavish ballroom with slow, measured strides, dressed in a sharply tailored midnight-black three-piece suit. His pale complexion contrasted subtly against the dark fabric, while his composed expression revealed nothing of the illness he was fighting.

Beside him, Leah walked gracefully in an elegant champagne-colored gown, their hands loosely intertwined as she quietly matched his pace. To everyone watching, they looked like a perfectly composed pair making a fashionable entrance.

From across the ballroom, Matteo’s eyes found him instantly. His carefully maintained composure cracked as his heart slammed violently against his ribs.

The wait was finally over.

Mark leaned closer to Matteo, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Your man is finally here," he murmured, nodding toward the entrance. "But it looks like he’s already taken."

Matteo’s gaze remained fixed on Adrian and Leah, their hands loosely intertwined. A slow, chilling smile curved across his lips.

"They look good together?" he murmured, his voice dropping an octave as he turned a cold, unblinking stare toward his twin. "No one will ever look more right beside him than me."

Mark immediately raised both hands in mock surrender. "Easy, bro. I’m your twin brother, remember?"

Across the ballroom, Maya immediately spotted Adrian and began making her way through the crowd toward him. Before she could reach him, Adrian’s eyes swept frantically across the sea of guests, searching for the familiar faces of Charles and Frank.

Back at the high table, Matteo’s gaze narrowed.

"He’s not well," he said quietly.

Mark blinked, caught off guard.

"What?"

"Adrian," Matteo said, his voice tightening. "He’s not well."

Mark looked toward the entrance again, taking in Adrian’s impeccably tailored black suit and composed appearance.

"How can you possibly tell? He looks perfectly fine. If anything, he looks better than ever."

Matteo let out a dark, chuckle, never taking his eyes off Adrian.

"To you, he looks that way. But to me, he doesn’t. He’s lost weight... and he’s forcing himself to look okay."

Mark turned to look at Matteo, a sudden dread gripping his chest as if his brother was slipping back into his old delusions.

"Teo, are you taking your medicine?" he asked urgently under his breath. "Have you been going to every psychiatric appointment? Are you—"

"I’m stating a fact, Mark," Matteo interrupted, his voice eerily calm. "I’m not crazy."

By then, Maya had reached Adrian, her eyes wide with worry.

"Why did you take so long? Are you okay?"

Adrian forced a weak smile before wrapping his arms around his sister in a gentle hug.

"You worry too much, sis. I’m fine. It was just the traffic that slowed us down."

Maya sighed, stepping back but keeping a gentle hold on his wrists.

"Fine. If you need to go and rest for a while, you can. There’s nothing you need to worry about. Just enjoy yourself, mingle with everyone, and stay as long as you can."

"Alright, I’ll stay right here," Adrian said softly, smiling down at her.

Maya then turned to greet Leah warmly, who had remained quietly by Adrian’s side.

Adrian’s gaze drifted past his sister’s shoulder, scanning the ballroom until he finally found Frank and Charles.

But the instant his eyes moved past them, they locked onto Matteo.

The air caught in his throat.

Adrian snapped his gaze back to Maya, his voice dropping into a harsh, betrayed whisper.

"You promised me."

Maya flinched, guilt flashing across her face.

"No... Adrian, listen. I invited Charles, and Charles invited Mark and Matteo—"

"No, sis," Adrian cut in quietly, his eyes never leaving hers. "You and I know that’s not true. Matteo would never attend an event like this unless the hosts personally invited him. That’s not how he operates."

Maya bit her lip, completely cornered.

"...Fine. I invited him."

Before she could explain herself, her husband approached and smoothly drew her attention away.

"Excuse me, darling. There are a few guests waiting to congratulate us."

Adrian immediately composed himself, politely greeting his new brother-in-law and offering his congratulations before he led Maya toward a group of waiting guests.

Left standing with Leah, Adrian could still feel the weight of Matteo’s distant gaze resting on him. He had originally planned to sit with his friends, and since he had no intention of acknowledging Matteo, he saw no reason to change that plan.

"Let’s go over there," Adrian murmured to Leah as they slowly made their way toward Charles and Frank.

The moment Charles and Frank spotted him, they immediately walked over to meet him. Before Adrian could say a word, both of them pulled him into a tight embrace. The unexpected force made him lose his balance for a brief second.

"Easy, guys," Adrian managed with a strained laugh, letting go of Leah’s hand so he could return the hug while subtly steadying himself against his friends.

Beneath the soft music filling the ballroom, Charles and Frank quietly asked at the same time, "How are you feeling now?"

"I’m fine," Adrian said softly as they finally pulled away.

He walked the remaining few steps to the table, deliberately keeping his eyes away from Matteo’s piercing gaze.

Adrian greeted Mark with a polite nod, but the moment his eyes inevitably met the dark, unwavering stare of the twin seated beside him, his expression turned to ice. He held Matteo’s gaze for the briefest moment before deliberately looking away. He didn’t offer a greeting. He ignored him completely.

Adrian pulled out a chair for Leah, waiting until she had taken her seat before sitting beside Frank, putting as much emotional distance between himself and his ex as possible.

Leah leaned closer to Adrian’s ear, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Leave your friends for a moment and go find a room to rest, Adrian. You’re burning up."

"I told you, I’m fine," Adrian whispered back through gritted teeth.

Before Leah could press him any further, Maya appeared beside the table, looking flustered.

"Leah, I’m so sorry, but could you come help me with something in the catering hall for a moment?"

Leah glanced at Adrian hesitantly, but he gave her a reassuring nod.

With a quiet sigh, she followed Maya away.

Over the next hour, Matteo kept his gaze fixed on Adrian. He watched the way Adrian talked with Frank and Charles, noticing every subtle detail, the slight tension in his shoulders, the way he occasionally braced himself, and how every smile looked carefully forced, never quite reaching his eyes.

As the evening unfolded, the celebration moved through speeches, toasts, and laughter. Matteo remained silent the entire time, while Adrian steadfastly refused to look in his direction. Whenever Adrian’s eyes accidentally drifted toward him, he immediately looked away.

Finally, as the music softened into a gentle lounge melody, Matteo broke the silence. He calmly interrupted the conversation Adrian was having with Frank.

"Rian," Matteo said, his voice smooth, quiet, and unmistakably familiar. "Long time no see."

The use of the intimate nickname made the air around the table turn tense.

Adrian slowly turned his head, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

"Please don’t ever call me by that name again," Adrian said, his voice razor-sharp. "Call me Adrian if you have something to say."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the table. Charles, Frank, and Mark exchanged uneasy glances, sensing the tension instantly.

Frank quietly reached over and rested a gentle hand on Adrian’s forearm, silently urging him to calm down.

Matteo absorbed the blow, his expression remaining perfectly calm, a testament to the weeks of restraint he had forced upon himself. He held Adrian’s gaze for a long moment before asking quietly,

"Can we talk?"

"I have nothing to say to you," Adrian replied flatly, his tone final. "Just enjoy the party you came for."

Every attempt Matteo made over the next several minutes was met with a brick wall.

He kept trying to draw Adrian into a conversation, searching for even the smallest crack in his composure.

At first, Adrian answered with short, dismissive replies. But as the minutes dragged on, the combined toll of the fever and the emotional strain became too much to bear.

Adrian stopped responding entirely. A sharp, agonizing cramp twisted through his abdomen. Subtly clutching his stomach, he turned his back on Matteo and looked directly at Charles and Frank.

"I’ll be back."

Without waiting for an answer, Adrian stood up and quietly left the crowded ballroom. Not wanting to cause a scene, he searched for somewhere quiet and eventually found a private VIP changing room.

The room was silent, furnished with a long velvet sofa. Exhausted, Adrian practically collapsed onto it. He lay flat on his back, draping one heavy, feverish hand over his eyes to block out the light while the other pressed firmly against his aching stomach.

He closed his eyes, desperately hoping for a few moments of sleep to dull the pain.

Just as he began drifting into a restless haze, he sensed someone beside him.

A hand gently wrapped around his wrist and carefully lifted it away from his stomach before another warm hand settled over the spot where the pain was strongest.

Slowly, that hand began rubbing his stomach in slow, soothing circles...