[BL] The Mafia Boss Wants My Body

Chapter 200: The Truth Waiting Between Us

He stared down at his boyfriend’s bruised, exhausted face, a heavy, suffocating ache settling deep inside his chest.

Please, Matteo thought, a crushing sense of dread settling deep in his chest as he looked at the man he loved.

Please let this not be true.

By the time the doctor finished administering the treatment, Adrian was barely able to keep his eyes open. The heavy cocktail of drugs still lingering in his system, combined with exhaustion and the IV fluids helping stabilize his body, finally took its toll.

His breathing gradually slowed.

His eyelids fluttered shut.

And within minutes, he slipped into a deep, restless sleep, his head rolling slightly to the side on the pillow.

Matteo stood up from the mattress, his face completely blank as he turned to the doctor.

"How is he doing?" he asked.

The doctor quietly packed his stethoscope into his medical bag and offered a reassuring nod.

"He’s stable. The fluids will help flush the drugs from his system, and his vital signs look good. Right now, he needs rest."

Zipping up his bag, the doctor looked at the large IV bag dripping steadily above the bed.

"The infusion will take a few hours to finish. I’ll wait downstairs and come back up periodically to check his vitals and make sure everything remains stable."

Given how late it was, the doctor added that he would stay at the house overnight to monitor Adrian’s recovery.

Matteo gave a stiff nod of appreciation.

Without another word, the doctor quietly stepped out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him and leaving Matteo alone in the dimly lit room with his sleeping boyfriend.

After the soft click of the door signaled the doctor’s departure, Matteo slumped back onto the edge of the mattress beside Adrian.

The room was heavy with silence.

He stared down at his boyfriend, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest and the light sheen of sweat still glistening on his pale skin.

Seeing Adrian lying there, so small and alone in his suffering, felt like someone was tearing pieces out of Matteo one by one.

He reached out, his fingers incredibly gentle as he brushed the damp hair back from Adrian’s forehead.

"I wish I could share your pain," Matteo whispered into the quiet room, his voice cracking with a vulnerability he kept hidden from the rest of the world. "So you wouldn’t have to carry all of this by yourself."

He fell silent, simply staring down at Adrian for a long time before taking his limp, cold hand and squeezing it between both of his own.

"I’m sorry, Rian," he murmured, his thumb rubbing over Adrian’s knuckles.

"I’m so sorry for being the reason you had to go through this. If I hadn’t brought the devil I called a friend into our home, none of this would have happened to you."

His voice broke.

"I just wish... I wish you could truly forgive me."

Adrian remained deep in his drug-induced sleep, but despite the cool air from the air conditioner, sweat continued to bead across his skin.

Not wanting him to become uncomfortable, Matteo quietly stood up and prepared a basin of warm water and a soft white towel.

He returned to the bedside, wringing out the cloth until it was damp and warm.

He started with Adrian’s face.

His movements were painstakingly slow as he gently dabbed around the angry bruises on his jaw and cheek, flinching slightly himself at the sight of the damage.

Moving lower, Matteo carefully unbuttoned Adrian’s shirt, hoping to cool his feverish skin.

But the moment the fabric fell open beneath the dim light, Matteo froze.

His hand stopped moving.

Spread across Adrian’s collarbone and upper chest were harsh fingerprints and several dark hickeys, standing out starkly against his pale skin.

For a long moment, Matteo simply stared.

The room suddenly felt a lot colder.

A suffocating darkness threatened to consume him. He closed his eyes tightly for a long, agonizing moment, forcing the murderous rage back down his throat.

He couldn’t break right now.

He couldn’t allow himself to think about something he didn’t even want to imagine.

Adrian needed him.

Opening his eyes, Matteo forced his trembling hands to stay steady, focusing entirely on caring for Adrian, gently wiping the sweat from his skin with a tenderness that bordered on desperation.

Once he finished, he re-buttoned the shirt and sat beside him again, holding his hand tightly.

As he watched over him, a single tear escaped from beneath Adrian’s closed eyes, glistening against his skin.

Even in his sleep, the physical and emotional trauma of the nightmare was finding its way to the surface.

Panic seized Matteo at the sight of Adrian crying in his sleep. He immediately stepped to the door and ordered his men to bring the doctor back upstairs.

The doctor entered quickly, concern flashing across his face.

Matteo immediately explained what had happened.

The doctor moved to the bedside, checking the IV line before taking Adrian’s pulse. After a moment, he looked up at Matteo with a sympathetic expression.

"His body has been through a severe ordeal," the doctor said quietly. "The physical pain, the drugs, the exhaustion, and the emotional trauma have all taken a heavy toll on him."

He glanced at the sleeping Adrian.

"Even though he’s asleep, his mind is still processing everything he went through. Tears like this aren’t unusual after a traumatic experience."

Matteo’s brow furrowed, his grip on Adrian’s hand tightening. "But he’s sleeping. Why is he crying if he’s unconscious?"

"Because the physical and psychological toll was simply too much for his nervous system to process all at once," the doctor explained softly. "Even asleep, his mind is still reacting to the stress."

The doctor quietly stepped back to give them space.

Matteo leaned over the bed, his heart breaking as he gently wiped the tear from the corner of Adrian’s eye with his thumb.

"Baby..." Matteo whispered, his voice thick with promise as he leaned down and pressed a long, soft kiss against the top of Adrian’s head. "Everything will be fine. I’ve got you."

Matteo didn’t sleep a single wink that night.

He remained completely alert, checking Adrian’s temperature, adjusting the blankets, and watching the steady drip of the IV fluid.

It wasn’t until around five in the morning, when the first pale light of dawn began filtering through the curtains, that exhaustion finally caught up with him.

Quietly, he climbed onto the mattress beside Adrian and carefully pulled his boyfriend’s weak body against his chest.

Only then did he allow his eyes to close.

Within minutes, he drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, the morning sun fully cleared the room. Matteo felt a faint, hesitant twitch from the fingers resting against his arm. His eyes snapped open instantly. Looking down, he saw Adrian blinking up at him through a heavy haze.

"Babe," Matteo murmured, his voice thick with relief. "You’re awake."

Adrian parted his dry, cracked lips, his voice barely a raspy whisper. "Water..."

Matteo scrambled out of bed immediately. He poured a fresh glass of water from the nightstand, then carefully slipped an arm behind Adrian’s shoulders to help him sit up against the pillows.

He held the glass to Adrian’s lips, but Adrian could only manage a few small sips before shaking his head weakly.

Matteo immediately called the doctor up to the room to run a full examination.

Throughout the rest of the day, Adrian remained entirely quiet. He didn’t speak a word about the kidnapping, staring blankly ahead while Matteo patiently took care of him, offering him water and coaxing him to swallow a few small bites of food at a time.

Over the next couple of days, the house stayed quiet as Adrian received proper medical care. The toxic heat from the drugs slowly left his system, and the swelling on his face began to go down. Finally, on the third morning, the doctor checked Adrian’s vitals one last time and gave a satisfied nod.

"The treatment is completely done," the doctor assured Matteo as they stepped out into the hallway. "He is physically fine now, but his body has taken a massive toll. He needs to rest a lot to regain his full strength."

Matteo let out a breath he felt like he’d been holding for days. "Thank you so much. I really appreciate everything you’ve done."

The doctor smiled gently. "You’re very welcome, Sir Matteo. If anything at all comes up, don’t hesitate to reach out to me immediately."

"I will," Matteo said. He walked the doctor down the stairs, thanking him one final time at the front entrance before the physician finally drove away.

Once the front door closed, the heavy silence of the house settled over Matteo’s shoulders. He stood alone at the entrance, his jaw tightening as the reality of the situation rushed back. The immediate medical crisis was over, which meant there was only one conversation left to face.

Kevin’s venomous words flashed through his mind again: My brother and I... we slept with him.

Matteo shook his head to clear the thought, his fists clenching in his pockets. He couldn’t let his mind go there yet. He turned around and walked back up the stairs, quietly pushing open the bedroom door.

When he stepped inside, Adrian was sitting on the edge of the mattress...