Chapter 61: Between Love and Loyalty
Tony took another step, his voice dripping with condescension. "He doesn’t deserve the air he breathes, let alone the love you give him. He’s nobody. He’s—"
BANG.
This time, Matteo didn’t aim for the air. The shot came from pure fury. The bullet tore through Tony’s shoulder, the impact forcing him to stagger before he hit the ground.
Tony let out a choked cry, clutching his shoulder as blood began to seep through his fingers, staining his shirt.
Matteo rose slowly, his presence casting over Tony. The coldness in his eyes was gone, replaced by something far worse a quiet, focused intent.
"Say one more word about him," Matteo said, his voice low and deadly as he stepped closer, pressing the barrel of the gun against Tony’s forehead. "Give me a reason... and I’ll finish what you started."
No one moved.
The guards stood frozen.
Mark didn’t look up.
Matteo didn’t take his eyes off him.
"Mat..." Tony said, his voice strained. "You shot me..."
Matteo didn’t react.
"You’re still talking," he said quietly.
He pressed the gun harder against Tony’s forehead.
"I told you what would happen."
Tony clutched his shoulder, the blood stain spreading fast, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the coldness in Matteo’s eyes.
A bitter smile tugged at his lips.
"So this is it?" Tony said hoarsely. "After everything... this is how you choose him?"
Matteo’s expression hardened. "I didn’t choose anything," he said. "You made your choice the moment you went after him."
Tony looked up at his friend, his voice cracking.
"We grew up together, Mat," he said hoarsely. "Everything I did... I did it for you."
"For me?" Matteo repeated.
Tony laughed weakly, shaking his head. "He’s changing you. You used to be untouchable. Now look at you... standing here, ready to kill me over him."
Matteo didn’t fire again. He looked away and lowered his gun. The silence that followed was more terrifying than the shots.
He looked at Tony, not as a brother, but as a stranger.
"You say you did it for me?" Matteo said quietly. "You planned it. You sent someone to pull the trigger... knowing exactly where I would be. You didn’t just target Adrian. You were ready to risk my life for your jealousy."
Tony tried to speak, but Matteo cut him off.
"If it were anyone else, you’d be a corpse on this rooftop right now. But because we shared history, I’m giving you a different kind of sentence."
Matteo turned to his men, his face a mask of iron.
"Strip him of his rank. Take his keys, his weapons... everything. From this moment on, Tony is dead to this family. If I see his face anywhere near me again, the history we shared won’t save him a second time."
Mark finally looked up from his wine, his eyes wide. This was a social death. In their world, being cast out and erased was often worse than a bullet.
"Mat, please..." Tony gasped, the reality of losing everything hitting him harder than the wound.
He turned to Mark, as if searching for something—help, reason, anything.
Mark met his eyes briefly, then gave a subtle shake of his head, signaling him to leave. He would handle it later.
Tony understood without a word.
"Go," Matteo said sharply, turning his back on him. "Before I change my mind."
Mark watched in silence as the guards helped Tony to his feet and led him toward the elevator. The doors slid shut with a dull metallic sound, leaving only the wind whistling across the rooftop.
Matteo walked back to the table and sank into his chair. His hands were steady as he reached for his glass, but the tension around him hadn’t faded.
He didn’t speak. He just stared out at the city skyline, the wine untouched in his hand.
Mark read the room. He knew that pushing for a deeper conversation about Tony’s betrayal right now would be like stepping into a minefield. Instead of bringing up the blood on the floor, Mark cleared his throat softly and shifted the focus.
"Is Adrian sleeping?" Mark asked, his voice gentle, slicing through the tension.
Matteo’s expression softened instantly. The hard lines around his eyes smoothed out at the mere mention of the name. He took a slow sip of his wine before finally looking at Mark.
"Yeah," Matteo replied, his voice losing its sharp edge. "He’s already asleep. He had a long day."
"Good," Mark nodded, leaning back. "He needs the rest."
Matteo leaned back, a genuine smile pulling at his lips. "Yeah. He definitely needs it."
Mark caught the shift in his expression and let out a quiet chuckle. "Look at you," he said, lifting his glass slightly. "Our lover boy is finally showing. You love Adrian more than you thought."
Matteo didn’t deny it. He kept his eyes on the city lights, a faint smile settling on his lips.
"You could say that again."
"I’m glad you’re finally admitting it," Mark said, his tone turning a bit more serious but staying warm.
"When you’re in love, Mark, it’s hard to hide," Matteo admitted. "Even if I tried to deny it with my words, my actions would give me away. I can’t hide how I feel about him."
Mark nodded, then tilted his head slightly, his expression turning thoughtful.
"You’re right... But I remember when things were different."
He shook his head, then looked straight at Matteo.
"There was a time I thought you felt something for Tony. Maybe you never said it out loud, but... it was there. I know you consider something serious about him."
A small pause. "So... what changed?"
"Mark," Matteo said, his voice warning but not angry.
"I know, I know," Mark said, raising his hands slightly in defense. "But we need to talk this through. I’m not comfortable with how things ended with Tony. I can’t just sit here and do nothing."
"Tony betrayed me, Mark," Matteo said.
"I know," Mark replied, nodding. "But don’t forget, you’ve got your boyfriend waiting for you upstairs. And I know you won’t stay away from him for long."
He gave him a look.
"You want to go back to him, right? So let’s settle this first."
The word boyfriend sent a jolt of satisfaction through Matteo. Even though they hadn’t made it official, hearing Mark say it made his chest swell with a quiet kind of happiness.
"You’re right," Matteo said, leaning back slightly. "But I didn’t love Tony. I was interested in him once, yeah... but it didn’t last."
He paused, choosing his words. "When I tried to picture a future with him, there was nothing there. I couldn’t see a life with him. So I stopped it before it became anything real."
His voice stayed calm. "I never told him I loved him. I never promised him anything. I knew how he felt, and I tried to see if I could feel the same..."
A small shake of his head. "But I couldn’t. So tell me, what did I do wrong?"
Mark stayed quiet for a moment, his gaze drifting toward the elevator where Tony had disappeared. "It’s not wrong not to love someone back, Teo," he said. "But we have to be smart."
He looked back at Matteo. "You’re not just pushing him out, you’re cutting him off. Stripping him of everything. That won’t end quietly. You’re turning him into a full-blown enemy."
"He tried to kill Adrian," Matteo snapped.
"I know," Mark advised calmly. "But it’s better to keep your enemies close. If you chase Tony out now, he has nothing left to lose. He could hunt Adrian from the shadows where we can’t see him. If you keep him close, strip his power, but keep him within reach, you can monitor every move he makes. You can protect Adrian better when you know exactly where the threat is sitting."
Matteo exhaled. "I can’t look at him the same way."
"You have to try," Mark said. "Unless you’ve decided to personally guard Adrian twenty-four hours a day. Tony won’t spare him if you cast him out into the cold. Think about the long game."
A brief silence passed. "So you’re saying I should just let this slide?"
"No," Mark said. "I’m telling you to punish him without putting a target on the man you love. Don’t let your anger expose Adrian. Think like a king, Matteo."
Matteo went quiet, staring out into the dark as he weighed his brother’s words.
Just as he was about to speak, his phone vibrated, breaking the silence. He pulled it out, and the hard lines of his face softened the moment he saw the caller ID.
A genuine smile touched his lips.
He stood up, the tension around him fading as if it had never been there.
"Let’s go inside," Matteo said. "My baby’s calling. He’s probably awake and noticed I’m not there."
A faint smile lingered.
"He already misses me."
Mark couldn’t help but let out a loud laugh...