[BL] The Mafia Boss Wants My Body

Chapter 283: Chapter 283: The Love You Always Deserved

Mark noticed immediately. He slowly turned his chair toward Charles and held out his hand.

"Come here, pretty," Mark murmured.

Hearing those words, Charles’s hesitation melted away. He walked over without another thought and pulled out the empty chair beside Mark. But before sitting down, he leaned across the small gap and pressed a sweet, lingering kiss to Mark’s cheek.

Hearing those words, Charles’s hesitation melted away. He walked over without another thought. Mark rose from his chair and pulled out the empty chair beside him, waiting patiently for Charles to sit. Instead, Charles leaned across the small gap first and pressed a sweet, lingering kiss to Mark’s cheek before taking his seat.

Mark smiled warmly, his heart melting a little more. Once Charles was settled beside him, Mark returned to his own chair and resumed his work, his fingers flying across the keyboard. The entire atmosphere in the room had completely changed.

For the next hour, a sweet, domestic silence settled between them.

Charles rested his chin in his hands, his eyes filled with adoration as he watched the sharp, handsome profile of the man he loved.

Every few minutes, Mark would feel Charles’s gaze and glance up from his screen to meet his eyes. Every time their gazes met, they exchanged a quiet smile. It was a simple, beautiful moment, the kind of peaceful intimacy Charles had waited so long to share with him.

But as the night wore on, the warmth of the room and the soft clicking of the keyboard gradually lulled Charles to sleep. By the time Mark finished the last line of work, Charles had fallen fast asleep, his head resting on his folded arms atop the desk.

Mark stood up quietly and walked around the desk to Charles’s side. He looked down at his boyfriend’s peaceful sleeping face, a soft, tender smile spreading across his lips. Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss to Charles’s forehead.

Sitting on the edge of the desk beside him, Mark simply stared at Charles for a long, silent moment, his thoughts growing heavier with emotion.

I was so wrong, Mark thought bitterly. I was so incredibly wrong to believe that loving you was a mistake. I was too blind to accept that I could love a man, and I treated you so cruelly for months. Yet through all of it, you never stopped loving me. You never stopped respecting me. I’ve been such an idiot.

Mark reached down, his fingers gently tracing Charles’s soft jawline.

I just wish you could truly forgive me, Charles, he thought, his heart aching with regret. This time, I’m going to give you the very best of myself. I’ll treat you the way you deserve to be treated. I’ll give you the whole world and be the boyfriend you’ve always dreamed of having.

Leaning down once more, Mark pressed a soft, lingering kiss to Charles’s forehead. Not wanting him to wake up with a stiff neck from sleeping at the desk, he gently shook his shoulder.

"Baby... wake up. Let’s go to bed."

Charles let out a sleepy little hum as his eyes fluttered open. Still half-asleep, he let Mark help him to his feet before allowing himself to be guided back to the massive bed.

The moment they climbed under the covers, Mark pulled Charles tightly against his chest, wrapping his arms securely around him. He tugged the thick duvet over both of them, shielding them from the night’s chill. Then he pressed one last lingering kiss to Charles’s forehead and held him close as they finally drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep together.

The next morning, Mark woke up first. The morning light was just beginning to filter through the curtains, illuminating Charles, who was still fast asleep, softly snoring against his chest. Mark leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"Good morning, baby," he whispered.

Careful not to wake him, Mark reached over to the nightstand and picked up his phone. He snapped a quick selfie with a soft, genuine smile, Charles’s sleeping face just visible in the background. He opened his chat with Matteo, attached the photo, and began typing a long, heartfelt message. He needed to make things right with his brother.

Good morning to the man who shares my face, my other half, and the brother I love more than anyone else in this world.

I’m so sorry, Teo. I’m truly, deeply sorry for how everything went yesterday. When you were calling me out, all I could do was stay quiet because I knew you were right. I never should’ve kept something this important from you, especially when you’ve always been completely honest with me. It breaks my heart knowing I hurt you. I could see the pain in your eyes yesterday before I left.

I need you to know that I didn’t keep it a secret because I thought I was our mother’s favorite or because I was taking her side. I did it because I care about you too much. I honestly didn’t know how to deal with the toxic things she was saying, and more than anything, I didn’t want to be the one to tell you something that would make you feel like your own mother doesn’t love you. She’s still your mother, Teo, and I wanted to protect you from that pain, even though I handled it in the worst possible way.

I’m so sorry. Please don’t stay angry with me over this. I value our bond too much to let something like this come between us. I’m begging for your forgiveness.

As for Charles, I’ve completely made up my mind. I’m ready to change, and I’m going to become the man he deserves. I want you to know that I’m not sending this apology just to get you to help me deal with Owen. I’ll fight that battle myself. I just want my twin back.

I hope you can forgive me so we can move forward from here. You always promised that when the time was right, you’d go and make things right with our mother. Please don’t let my stupidity change your mind about that. I want to be there for you when that day comes.

I love you, brother.

After hitting send, Mark stared at the screen for a long moment, patiently waiting for a reply that never came. Eventually, he set his phone aside and turned his attention back to Charles.

Looking at his boyfriend’s peaceful sleeping face, a sudden wave of protectiveness washed over him. He wanted to do something he had never willingly done for Charles before—a grand gesture to show just how much he appreciated him.

He picked up his phone again, Mark opened his banking app and transferred an incredibly generous amount of money into Charles’s account, adding a short remark:

Get yourself anything you want.

The moment the transaction went through, Charles’s phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand.

The sudden vibration broke the quiet of the room. Charles stirred slowly, his long eyelashes fluttering as he blinked his heavy eyes open. The first thing he saw was Mark sitting beside him, and a soft, sleepy smile instantly spread across his lips.

"Good morning, baby," Charles murmured, his voice still thick with sleep.

Mark smiled down at him tenderly. "Good morning, pretty. Did you sleep well?"

Charles nodded with a happy hum. "Yes, baby."

Still half-asleep, Charles rolled onto his side and reached for his phone on the nightstand, wanting to check what notification had woken him up. But the second he unlocked the screen and saw the banking alert, a massive deposit from Mark, all traces of sleep vanished instantly.

His face went pale. He bolted upright in bed and turned to Mark with wide, trembling eyes.

"Baby... did you send me money?"

Mark’s smile widened.

"Yes, love," he answered, fully expecting a sweet thank-you.

But Charles’s reaction instantly shattered his heart.

"Why did you send me this?" Charles’s voice cracked, sheer panic taking over his features. He scrambled backward until his back hit the headboard, his phone trembling in his hand. "Why this amount of money, Mark? Why? Are you sending me away? Are you done with me? You promised me yesterday that you weren’t angry about Owen! You promised!"

Mark’s smile disappeared, replaced by immediate alarm. He quickly moved closer across the mattress.

"Calm down, baby. Just breathe—"

"No! Just tell me why you’re sending me money!" Charles cried, tears instantly filling his eyes as his breathing turned shallow and frantic. "I didn’t even ask for this! I don’t want it! I’m not accepting it, and I’m not leaving you! I love you, Mark. Whatever mistake I made with Owen in the past, please forgive me. Don’t throw me away like this. I don’t need your money... I just need you!"

Hearing the sheer terror in Charles’s voice, a crushing wave of guilt washed over Mark. A hot tear rolled down his cheek. He couldn’t believe how deeply his past coldness had scarred the man he loved.

Without another word, Mark lunged forward and pulled Charles tightly into his arms, burying his face against Charles’s shoulder.

"I’m so sorry," Mark choked out, holding him as if he never wanted to let go. "I’m so incredibly sorry that I’ve hurt you this much, Charles. I’m sorry that a simple gesture of love made you think I was abandoning you. I’m sorry, baby. I’m not leaving."

Charles clutched the back of Mark’s pajama shirt, sobbing openly now, his fingers digging into the fabric as though he were holding on for dear life.

"You did nothing wrong," Charles wept against his neck. "Just... please don’t leave me. Don’t send me away by giving me money. You’re all I want, okay? Just you."

Mark nodded frantically, his chest aching as he rubbed slow, soothing circles over Charles’s trembling back. "Okay. Okay, I understand. I’m right here, love. Shh... calm down, okay? I’ve got you."

Charles nodded weakly, his entire body trembling as he clung to Mark with a desperate grip.

"I love you. I truly do. Everything from my past was a mistake, okay? Please don’t judge me or leave me because of it."

Gently, Mark pulled back from the embrace just enough to look Charles in the eyes. He cupped his tear-stained face with both hands, his thumbs gently wiping away the tears.

"Listen to me very carefully, baby," Mark said...