[BL] The Mafia Boss Wants My Body-Chapter 17: When the Devil Shows Kindness

The smile on Adrian’s face disappeared instantly, replaced with shock and anger.

"What are you doing here?" Adrian demanded.

Matteo didn’t answer.

Instead, he pushed the door open and stepped inside without waiting for an invitation.

Adrian stumbled back a step, anger flashing across his face. "Hey! I didn’t say you could come in."

Matteo ignored the protest.

Adrian folded his arms tightly across his chest. "I asked you a question. What are you doing here?"

Matteo finally turned to face him.

His eyes traveled slowly over Adrian, taking in the styled hair, the fitted shirt, and the unmistakable effort he had put into his appearance.

A faint, dangerous smile tugged at the corner of Matteo’s mouth.

"Expecting someone?" he asked calmly.

Adrian’s expression hardened. "That’s none of your business."

Matteo took a few slow steps forward, his polished shoes clicking softly against the floor.

"It became my business," he said quietly, "the moment you believed it was over between us."

Adrian’s eyes widened, a flicker of panic breaking through his anger. "We had a deal! You said if I slept with you, you’d leave me alone!"

"And you believed me?" Matteo asked, his voice dropping into a dark, mocking register.

Adrian froze, his mouth opening as he struggled to find words. "If you knew you weren’t going to stop... why make me sleep with you in the first place?"

"I didn’t make you do anything," Matteo countered, his tone smooth as silk. "You said yes yourself. I never forced you."

"I have done exactly what you wanted!" Adrian yelled, his voice cracking. "Leave me alone and stop coming after me. I’m done with you!"

Matteo looked Adrian up and down with chilling calm. "I’m not done with you."

Adrian stared at him in disbelief. "Then get out of my house."

Matteo ignored him. His gaze drifted around the room with quiet scrutiny.

"Your father is a powerful politician. He has money," he said calmly. "And you run a profitable studio."

His eyes settled back on Adrian.

"So explain something to me... Why are you living in a place like this? It’s cramped. It’s not safe. It doesn’t suit you."

Adrian clenched his fists, barely holding back his anger. "It’s none of your business. Stop digging into my life."

Matteo studied him for a moment before speaking again. "You talk too much," he said coolly.

Then he grabbed Adrian’s hand. "Come with me."

Adrian immediately pulled back. "No."

"Let go of me!" Adrian snapped, digging his heels into the floor in a stubborn attempt to stop.

But Matteo didn’t slow down. He seized Adrian’s hand in an iron grip. "Come with me."

He kept dragging Adrian toward the door.

Outside, the bodyguards were waiting. One of them opened the car door the moment they stepped out.

Matteo pushed Adrian into the back seat before sliding in beside him.

Adrian struggled, his voice rising. "Where are you taking me? Let me out!" Adrian shouted, lunging for the door handle.

Matteo slowly turned his head to look at him. He didn’t move otherwise, but the warning in his voice was sharp and unmistakable.

"Keep quiet, Adrian," he said calmly. "Or I’ll silence you with a kiss."

The threat worked instantly.

Adrian fell silent, his face flushing as he sank back against the leather seat. He stayed quiet for the rest of the ride, anger burning inside him as he cursed Matteo in his mind for ruining his plans, and possibly his life.

The car moved through the city before finally stopping in front of a massive, high-end department store. Matteo stepped out first and motioned for Adrian to follow.

Inside, the store wasn’t crowded, but the moment Matteo stepped in, the atmosphere shifted. The few shoppers present reacted instinctively. Some who recognized him quickly looked away, lowering their heads as if they didn’t want to be noticed. Others stared from a distance, their expressions caught between curiosity and fear.

Matteo paid no attention to any of them. His focus remained entirely on Adrian.

"Pick whatever you want," Matteo said, gesturing toward the rows of expensive designer items.

Adrian crossed his arms, stubborn and unimpressed.

"Thanks," he said dryly, "but I don’t need you dragging me here. I can buy whatever I want myself."

As they stood in the middle of the aisle, the tension between them thick and unspoken, the sound of a child crying suddenly broke the moment.

A small boy was tugging at his mother’s sleeve, asking for a toy while tears streamed down his face. The woman shook her head helplessly, her tired expression showing she couldn’t afford it.

The sight immediately softened Adrian’s anger.

Forgetting Matteo for a moment, he stepped away and walked toward the child.

Matteo turned his head, his eyes following Adrian as he approached the boy.

Adrian crouched down until he was at the child’s eye level, his expression soft and patient.

"Hey there, little guy," Adrian said gently. "What’s wrong?"

The little boy sniffled, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. His small fingers still clutched his mother’s sleeve.

"I... I want that one," he said between sobs, pointing toward a bright toy sitting on the shelf.

His mother looked embarrassed. She gently pulled the boy closer. "I’m sorry," she said softly to Adrian. "He’s been asking for it since we came in."

Adrian followed the boy’s pointing finger and spotted the toy.

He smiled faintly.

"Well," Adrian said gently, "that doesn’t seem like something worth crying over."

The boy looked up at him with watery eyes.

Adrian reached for the toy and handed it to him.

"There you go."

The boy blinked in surprise before his face slowly lit up with excitement. "Really?"

"Really," Adrian said with a small smile. "So be a good boy and wipe those tears."

The boy smiled. He quickly rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to stop the tears.

The mother immediately shook her head. "No, no, that’s too much. You don’t have to—"

Before she could finish, a calm voice spoke behind Adrian.

"Put it on my bill."

Adrian didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

The store staff nearby instantly straightened.

Matteo stepped closer, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.

The mother’s face turned pale when she recognized him.

"Th-thank you, sir," she stammered.

Matteo barely acknowledged her.

His gaze rested only on Adrian.

"Finished playing hero?" he asked quietly.

The mother hurried away with her child, and Matteo extended a hand toward Adrian, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"Come on, little one," he said. "Get up."

Adrian brushed the hand away, his anger flaring instantly. "Don’t talk to me like that."

He tried to stand on his own, pushing himself up too quickly. But the sudden movement, mixed with the lingering soreness, threw off his balance.

He stumbled.

Before he could fall, Matteo’s arms caught him.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Adrian slowly lifted his head, his eyes meeting Matteo’s. The space between them felt heavy and still.

Then Matteo spoke.

"Just admit it," he murmured, his voice low and steady. "You need me in your life."

Adrian immediately pushed him away, his face flushed with anger.

"Stay away from me!"

Frustrated—and realizing his plans for the evening were officially ruined, Adrian grabbed a few random items from the shelves, to end the situation and leave. Once Matteo had paid, they walked back out to the car.

The door closed behind them, and the engine started.

As the car pulled away, the image of the little boy lingered in Adrian’s mind. It stirred something he had tried for so long to keep buried.

He thought of his own son... the life he should have had. The world he would have given his wife and child if they were still alive.

The pain he believed he had buried began to surface again.

Matteo noticed the change immediately. He watched Adrian quietly as his eyes slowly grew glassy.

Adrian leaned his head back, staring at the roof of the car, trying desperately to stop the tears from falling.

"What’s wrong?" Matteo asked, his voice unusually soft.

Adrian hesitated before answering.

"I want to cry," Adrian murmured, his voice trembling. "But I’m worried about my eyes."

Matteo frowned faintly. "Why worry about your eyes when you need to cry?"

"Because my vision fails when I cry too much," Adrian admitted, a broken laugh escaping him. "If I start, I won’t be able to see anything."

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Matteo replied.

Adrian looked at him, a sad smile touching his lips despite the pain. "Are you mocking me?"

"No," Matteo said, his gaze steady and intense. "I’m saying you have me. I can be your eyes when your world goes dark."

Adrian chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You’re almost acting nice."

"I’m not nice," Matteo corrected him instantly. "I have simply chosen to treat you differently than everyone else."

"Why?" Adrian asked.

Matteo leaned in, his shadow falling over Adrian. "Forget the ’why’ for now. Tell me what made you so sad."