Chapter 71: Love Is a Weakness
As they headed toward the car, Iris glanced over her shoulder. She didn’t say a word, but a quiet, satisfied chuckle slipped out. Her eyes said everything her lips didn’t—I told you he was mine.
Adrian climbed into the car beside her, and the engine hummed as they sped away into the night. Matteo stayed where he was, frozen in place.
As the car pulled away, Iris rested her head against Adrian’s shoulder, her posture filled with quiet triumph. But Adrian didn’t look at her. He kept turning slightly, trying to catch one last glimpse of Matteo through the rear window until he disappeared into the night.
Only then did he turn away, his face settling back into that hollow, haunted expression.
Matteo remained on the sidewalk for a long moment, the quiet of the street pressing in around him. Finally, he turned and walked back to his car. His bodyguard opened the door without a word, sensing the tension in the air around him.
Matteo remained where he was for a long moment, the silence of the street pressing in around him. Finally, he turned and walked back to his car. His bodyguard opened the door without a word, sensing the tension around him.
"Drive home," Matteo commanded.
The ride passed in a blur of streetlights and shadows. Inside the car, Matteo’s thoughts looped endlessly, the same question repeating in his mind—What did I do wrong? But there was no answer waiting for him in the dark, only the cold echo of Adrian’s voice.
When Matteo arrived home, the guards greeted him with stiff bows. "Where is Mark?" he asked.
"He left for your father’s house this morning, sir. He hasn’t returned yet."
Matteo nodded curtly, the emptiness of the house suddenly weighing on him. Selene approached him hesitantly. "Would you like me to serve dinner, sir?"
"I’m not hungry," he replied.
He walked upstairs, his footsteps echoing through the silent halls. In his room, he stripped off his suit and stepped under the hot water, letting it run over him until the tension eased.
When he stepped out of the shower, Matteo reached into the closet for a robe. His hand brushed past a few before he picked one, but then he paused.
His gaze shifted.
There, among them, was the one Adrian had worn.
He hesitated for a second... then slowly put the first one back.
Instead, he took Adrian’s robe.
He stepped out onto the balcony and lit a cigarette, the faint orange glow cutting through the darkness. "Love is a weakness," he muttered into the night, smoke curling slowly around him.
He could handle war, betrayal, even death, but this silence was breaking him.
"If he wants to end it, he should at least have the courage to tell me why."
He sank into a chair and called down to Selene, telling her to bring a bottle of his strongest liquor upstairs. Not long after, she came up, served the drink, and quietly left.
Matteo sat alone.
He drank and smoked until the stars began to fade, the alcohol dulling the edges of his grief.
Late into the night, when the bottle was empty and his mind finally went numb, he stumbled back to his bed and collapsed into a heavy, dreamless sleep.
The next morning, Adrian woke to the hollow silence of his bedroom. For a brief moment, his thoughts drifted to Matteo, to the quiet promises and the moments that had once felt so real.
Then the memory came rushing back.
"He said your life isn’t worth it."
The words cut deep, the betrayal opening like a fresh wound. Adrian didn’t even realize he was crying until a tear slipped down and landed on his hand.
"He made me fall in love," he whispered into the empty room, his voice heavy with grief. "He lied to me from the start."
He wiped his eyes roughly, forcing himself to steady his breathing.
"It’s okay, Adrian," he told himself quietly. "You’ll get over him. You have to."
He pushed himself up and went to start his day. He headed to the bathroom and stepped into the shower, trying to wash away the lingering feeling of being discarded.
When he came out and began to dress, his new phone buzzed on the nightstand.
It was Iris.
"I’m waiting for you downstairs," she said the moment he picked up, her tone bright and possessive.
Adrian replied, "I’ll be down shortly."
When Adrian made his way down, he found Iris waiting in the foyer. She was wearing a dangerously short dress with a plunging neckline, clearly intended to grab his attention. Adrian’s gaze lingered for a split second before he looked away, feeling a strange sense of exhaustion rather than attraction.
"Good morning!" Iris chirped, rushing toward him.
As she reached out to wrap her arms around him in a tight hug, Adrian instinctively flinched. He stepped back, creating a sliver of distance as he gently pushed her arms away. "The maid is setting the table," he said, his voice flat. "Join me for breakfast."
Iris hid the flicker of annoyance behind a smile and followed him into the dining room. As they ate, she watched him over the rim of her coffee cup.
"We should go to the cinema tonight," she suggested.
Adrian glanced at her briefly. "Not a bad idea. Do you want to invite Maya? You can go with her."
"No," Iris said lightly, her smile returning. "Just the two of us. You need to get out and have some fun."
Adrian moved his food around his plate. "I usually meet up with Charles and Frank on nights like this. I haven’t really sat down with them since... everything happened."
Iris pouted, her expression turning soft with practiced hurt. "So... you’re choosing them over me?"
"It’s not that," Adrian replied. "I just haven’t seen them."
"Well, if your friends are more important, I understand," she sighed, looking down at her plate as if she were about to cry. "We can just plan the cinema for another time. Whenever you’re not too busy for me."
Adrian looked at her for a long moment. He didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to do anything at all. But a part of him felt he owed her for being the one who stood by him while Matteo walked away. He wanted to feel something for her, to make the feelings grow so he could finally bury the memory of Matteo, but the spark simply wasn’t there. Still, he couldn’t stand to see her look so dejected.
"I’ll look into it," he said tentatively.
Iris’s face lit up instantly. "Is that a yes?"
Adrian hesitated, then gave a slow nod. "Yes. We’ll go."
Iris beamed, and the rest of their breakfast passed in a lighter mood. Once they stepped out, they headed to Adrian’s studio together.
Hidden in the shadows of the studio parking lot, Matteo watched from the back seat of his car. He saw Adrian step out, give Iris a brief, stiff hug, and head inside without a glance back.
Matteo didn’t move. He didn’t try to intercept him.
He sat there, his jaw tight, before giving a quiet order.
"Let’s go."
The driver pulled away, heading toward his office.
Later that afternoon, Charles called Adrian. "Hey, Adrian. Frank and I were thinking of grabbing drinks later. You up for it?"
Adrian stared at the half-finished sketch, his chest heavy. "I’m busy after work, Charles. Maybe another time."
"Alright," Charles replied, sounding disappointed.
As evening fell, Iris arrived to pick Adrian up. They drove to the cinema, the car filled with her light, meaningless chatter. Inside the theater, the lights dimmed and the film began, flickering across the screen.
Halfway through, the crowded space began to feel suffocating.
"I need to use the restroom," Adrian whispered, leaning away from Iris.
"I’ll come with you and wait outside," she offered immediately, reaching for her purse.
"No, stay. I can manage," Adrian insisted. He stood up, maneuvering through the dark row and pushing through the heavy double doors into the brightly lit hallway.
The restroom was nearly empty. One person stood at the sinks, but they finished and left quickly, the door swinging shut behind them.
Adrian washed his hands, staring at his pale reflection in the mirror, as if trying to recognize the man looking back at him.
He took a breath and turned to leave. But just as he reached for the handle, the door swung open with a sudden, forceful pressure. Adrian looked up, his heart leaping into his throat.
Standing in the doorway, blocking the only exit, was Matteo.