Before they even arrived, Matteo had already told Harry to call his personal doctor and send him the address.

Not long after they got there, the doctor arrived.

He went straight to Matteo’s room.

Matteo sat down on the couch, his injured arm resting carefully at his side.

The doctor didn’t waste time. He put on his gloves, removed the emergency bandage Harry had wrapped, and examined the wound.

"It’s a clean graze," he said, "but deep enough to need a few stitches so it heals properly."

Matteo gave a short nod. "Do it."

The doctor worked quickly and carefully, stitching the wound, then cleaning it again before wrapping it in a fresh bandage.

When he was done, he handed Matteo some medication.

"This will help with the pain. Take it and rest the arm."

Matteo nodded once. "I’ll be fine."

After the doctor finished, he packed up his things and stood. "Call me and let me know where you’ll be," he said. "I’ll come back to check on your arm."

Matteo gave a short nod. "Alright. Thanks."

"You’re welcome, sir," the doctor replied before turning and leaving.

Matteo decided to stay at the house until nightfall. He knew that if he returned during the day, the bandage under his shirt and the signs of what happened would be too obvious. He didn’t want Adrian to worry. Later that afternoon, he called him.

"Hey, baby," Adrian’s voice came through the phone, warm with a slight pout. "You left this morning without waiting for me to wake up."

"I’m sorry, babe," Matteo said softly, masking the dull ache in his arm.

"It’s okay," Adrian replied. "Where are you now? It’s already afternoon and I expected you back by now. Have you left my father’s place?"

"Yes, baby, I’ve already left your father’s place," Matteo said. "But something important came up that I need to handle personally, so I’ll be back at night."

"Alright, babe," Adrian replied, his tone turning a little curious. "What did he say? What did you both talk about? I hope you..."

"Baby, I’m fine," Matteo cut in gently, leaning back against the sofa. "You don’t have to worry. We’ll talk about it when I get back. Don’t miss me too much, okay?"

Adrian let out a small sigh. "I’m already missing you. It’s boring here alone. What if one of your men takes me to the studio? You can pick me up later."

Matteo thought about the risk of Adrian leaving the house while his father was still in that state and shook his head. "No, baby. Stay home and wait for me. Before you know it, I’ll already be back."

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Adrian asked, his voice soft, a hint of concern in it.

"I’m fine, babe," Matteo said.

They spoke a little longer, keeping things normal. Matteo made sure his voice stayed steady, hiding any trace of pain or what had really happened.

As evening turned to night, Matteo changed into a fresh, loose-fitting set of clothes that wouldn’t irritate the stitches. He and his men finally made the drive back to the main house.

By the time he got home, it was late.

But Adrian was still awake.

He had been waiting.

Matteo stepped out of the car and went straight inside, heading upstairs to their room.

The moment he walked in, Adrian lit up.

"Baby—"

He rushed forward without thinking and threw himself into his arms.

Matteo couldn’t help it; he winced sharply as Adrian’s weight pressed directly against his injured arm.

Adrian pulled back instantly, his eyes wide with concern. "What happened? You’re hurt."

Matteo tried to play it off, forcing a tired smile as he shook his head. "I’m just exhausted, Rian. I’ve been running around all day... I’m not feeling great."

He leaned in and kissed him, trying to shift the moment. "I’ve missed you."

But Adrian wasn’t easily swayed. He looked closely at Matteo’s pale face and noticed the stiffness in his shoulder.

"No... something’s wrong. You’re not moving normally."

Matteo shook his head. "Baby, I’m fine. Did you have dinner?"

Adrian frowned. "No, baby. I haven’t eaten yet. I’ve been waiting here since morning... I couldn’t relax until I saw you."

Matteo leaned in, kissing the tip of his nose before lightly tapping it. "Then since you were waiting for me, I’m here now. Let’s go eat."

Adrian shook his head. "I don’t feel like eating. I’m not really hungry anymore."

"Why?" Matteo asked.

Adrian moved closer and wrapped his arms around him. "I got full the moment I saw you."

Matteo smiled softly. "Same here, baby. Let’s just eat in the morning."

"Alright," Adrian said quietly.

Normally, Matteo would have gone straight to his closet to change or head to the shower, but tonight, he didn’t.

He walked slowly to the sofa, dropping his phone on the table before lowering himself into a seat. Every movement was careful, controlled, as he tried not to strain his arm.

Adrian noticed. But he stayed quiet.

They talked for a while.

Adrian asked about his father.

Matteo kept it simple.

"Just the usual," he said. "Threats. Nothing new."

He reached for Adrian’s hand. "Don’t worry. We’ll get through this. With time... he’ll come around."

Adrian nodded, even though he knew something was wrong. Still, he said nothing.

When it was time for bed, Matteo suggested something unusual.

"What if we turn off the main lights and just use the bedside lamp tonight?"

Adrian paused. Normally, he would’ve refused.

But that night, he nodded.

"Okay, baby."

Matteo turned off the main lights, leaving only the soft glow of the lamp. He kept his jacket on even after they lay down.

When Adrian tried to get him to take it off, Matteo brushed it aside, pulling him closer instead and focusing all his attention on him.

He kept talking softly, holding him, distracting him, until Adrian finally fell asleep.

After a while, thinking Adrian had finally fallen asleep, Matteo carefully slipped out of bed.

Adrian kept his breathing steady, pretending to be deeply asleep.

He moved slowly, making sure not to wake him.

In the dim light, he removed his jacket. His face tightened in pain as the movement pulled at his stitches.

He hadn’t told anyone at home yet, not even Mark.

He started unbuttoning his shirt, moving quietly toward the bathroom to clean up and change.

But as he pulled the fabric away from his injured arm, revealing the bandage with a faint red stain seeping through.

He took a step toward the bathroom.

Then suddenly—

Click.

The lights came on.

Matteo spun around, his heart jumping in shock.

Adrian’s hand was still on the switch, his face pale, his eyes wide as they fixed on the blood-stained bandage.

"Babe, what happened to your hand?" Adrian shouted, jumping to his feet and rushing toward him. "What happened to you?"

"Baby, calm down." Matteo started.

"Matteo, what is this?" Adrian demanded.

"Will you just calm down first?" Matteo tried to plead... "listen to..."

"Did my father do this?" Adrian cut in, his voice breaking. "Did he do this to you?"

"Adrian, calm down, and let’s talk. This isn’t about your father. I told you, I went to work."

"I don’t believe you!" Adrian shouted, tears welling in his eyes. "You’re lying to me! You think I’m blind, but I see it! You’re lying!"

The room went tense.

"Tell me the truth," he said, his voice shaking. "What happened? Did he do it? Tell me the truth!"

Matteo raised his voice, trying to cut through the panic in the room. "Yes, he did it. What are you going to do? Run to him right now? Will you calm..."

Before Matteo could process another word, Adrian spun around, his eyes filled with tears and anger. He grabbed his clothes...