Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Just When Everything Was Perfect

Adrian’s lips curved into a playful, teasing smile. He tilted his head against the pillow, eyes locked on Matteo’s. "Anything? You’ll really do anything, right?"

Matteo didn’t hesitate for a second. He nodded firmly, his dark eyes full of devotion. "Yes. Anything."

"Alright," Adrian said, his smile widening into something nostalgic and bright. "What I want most is for you to go on a night drive with me. I want us to get into a fast car, roll the windows down, and just drive... but I’ll be the one driving." He let out a quiet breath, glancing toward the window. "It’s been so long since I’ve driven at night, seeing the city lights pass by. I’ve missed it so much."

Matteo blinked, slightly caught off guard by the simplicity of the request. A soft laugh escaped him as he shook his head. "Just that? A night drive in a fast car?"

"Consider it granted," Matteo said, a rare, genuine smile touching his face. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Adrian’s forehead, completely unfazed by the others watching. "That’s easy, baby. And if you think of anything else later, no matter how big or impossible it sounds, don’t hesitate to tell me. I’ll get you whatever you want."

Adrian’s heart swelled, his eyes shining with pure happiness as he looked up at his partner. "Thank you so much, babe."

Matteo stared at him with absolute devotion. "I love you, baby."

"I love you more, daddy," Adrian replied, a bright, breathtaking smile spreading across his face. He wrapped his arms securely around Matteo’s neck, pulling him down into another deep, lingering kiss.

Seeing the two completely lost in their own world, everyone around the bed collectively took a step back to give them space.

Charles cracked a grin, crossing his arms. "Hey, at least have some mercy on those of us who are still single in this room."

Mark immediately turned his head, narrowing his eyes at him. "Wait... you’re what?"

"No, no," Charles corrected quickly, raising his hands in defense. He subtly shifted his weight and pointed beside him. "I’m speaking for my friend Frank over here. He’s still single."

Frank let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "Actually, that’s outdated information. I’m no longer single, okay?"

The announcement burst their little romantic bubble. Adrian broke the kiss, blinking in shock as he looked past Matteo’s shoulder. "What?" he asked, suddenly alert. "Frank, since when are you dating someone?"

Charles added, "So you’re in a relationship now?"

Frank smiled calmly. "Yes, of course I am."

Charles looked completely betrayed. "No way. There is absolutely no way you’re in a relationship and I know nothing about it."

"Well, my partner wants to keep things private for now," Frank explained, a small smirk playing on his lips.

Adrian leaned forward, fully invested. "Who is it? Come on, tell me!"

"Adrian, it’s way too early for you to be this nosy," Frank teased, crossing his arms. "Focus on your recovery, please."

Frank refused to answer the question, causing the rest of the group to burst into amused smiles, the lighthearted banter carrying them through the rest of the afternoon.

Just like that, the day passed in a blur of quiet comfort. The next morning, even though Matteo had strictly told Mark and Adrian’s friends to stay home and rest, every single one of them still showed up. No one wanted to miss the moment Adrian would finally be allowed to leave.

Soon enough, the doctor stepped back into the room to perform his final rounds. After a quick, successful examination, he smiled. "Alright, everything looks perfect. You are officially good to go home today."

A wave of relief swept the room, but the doctor raised a hand slightly. "Before I hand over the discharge papers, I have a few very important things to discuss with you regarding your aftercare."

Matteo stood tall beside the bed, his demeanor instantly turning serious. "Alright. Go ahead."

The doctor hesitated for a moment and glanced toward the back of the room, checking Mark and the others to see if they wanted privacy.

Matteo didn’t shift his gaze. "It’s fine. You can speak freely in front of them."

"Very well," the doctor nodded. "Firstly, I’ll have the nurse bring in the exact schedule for your daily eye drops, along with the specific dates and times you will need to come back to the clinic for your follow-up check-ups over the next few weeks."

Adrian nodded obediently from the bed. "Okay, doctor."

"And secondly, most importantly, until your eyes are fully recovered, you must strictly follow a few rules," the doctor continued, his tone a bit hesitant. "No strenuous activity for the next few weeks. That includes heavy lifting, intense exercise, and..." He paused briefly, clearing his throat. "...most importantly, no sexual activity at all until I explicitly clear you at your follow-up appointment."

Adrian’s jaw dropped slightly, and his eyes immediately flicked to Matteo.

Matteo, however, didn’t even blink. He met the doctor’s gaze calmly. "That’s fine. I’m perfectly okay with that."

Adrian reached out, his fingers wrapping around Matteo’s hand, worry flickering across his face. He realized it had already been nearly two months since they had last been intimate, everything they had been through keeping them apart. Hearing they would have to wait even longer made him uneasy.

Not caring about who was in the room, Adrian asked without hesitation. "Doctor... exactly how many weeks are we talking about for the sexual restriction?"

Before the doctor could even answer, Matteo gently squeezed Adrian’s hand, pulling his attention back. "It doesn’t matter, Rian," Matteo said softly, his deep voice steady and reassuring. "Just focus on your recovery."

Adrian turned his head fully toward him, his brow furrowed as he tried to argue. "But babe, I wanted to ask because—"

Matteo didn’t let him finish. He leaned down, meeting Adrian’s eyes with steady warmth. "I’ll be perfectly fine, baby. Just focus on getting better. Your man isn’t going anywhere, do you understand me? I’ll be fine, okay?"

Looking into Matteo’s loving eyes, Adrian’s anxiety melted away. He let out a soft breath and nodded against the pillow. "Alright, babe."

The doctor watched the exchange with a respectful smile, offering a few final instructions regarding medication before stepping back. "Alright, then. You are free to leave whenever you’re packed up."

"Thank you, doctor," Matteo said, shaking his hand. "One of my men will be down at the front desk shortly to settle the final bills."

The doctor nodded politely and exited the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

The very second the door clicked shut, Adrian didn’t waste a moment. He threw his arms around Matteo’s waist, pulling himself flush against him and burying his face into the crook of his neck. He pressed a flurry of soft, grateful kisses against Matteo’s skin, whispering sweet thank-yous over and over again.

Standing near the window, Maya watched the two of them hold onto each other. A deep sense of relief and happiness washed over her. She was so grateful her brother hadn’t lost Matteo through everything they had been through.

Looking at the fierce, protective way Matteo wrapped his arms around her brother, Maya couldn’t help but think that whoever came up with the phrase don’t judge a book by its cover was an absolute genius.

To the rest of the world, Matteo was dangerous, cold, and intimidating, a man people feared before they even knew him. But beneath that ruthless exterior was someone entirely different.

Regardless of how lethal he could be to his enemies, Matteo was exactly the kind of man anyone would be lucky to have in their life: a protector who loved with everything he had and guarded the people he cared about with unwavering devotion.

Not long after everything was settled, Matteo’s men went down to the billing department to clear the final expenses. Once the paperwork was fully processed, the group packed up the remaining gift bags and overnight supplies, and Adrian was officially discharged from the hospital.

Tony wasn’t with them. He had already told Mark that he needed to handle something important and would be unavailable for the rest of the day.

In his place, Matteo assigned one of his most trusted security men to accompany Mark and Charles home.

Down in the hospital parking garage, the group exchanged relieved goodbyes. Everyone climbed into their respective vehicles, and one by one, the cars pulled out of the garage and headed home. By the time they left the hospital grounds behind, darkness had already settled over the city, with the last traces of twilight fading from the sky.

The drive began in comfortable silence as the city lights flickered to life along the highway. Mark sat in the passenger seat, finally letting go of the stress of the past few days, while Charles sat beside him, equally relaxed.

But the peace didn’t last.

As their car entered a darker, more secluded stretch of road on the way to their residential district, a pair of headlights suddenly appeared out of nowhere. An unmarked black car surged forward at terrifying speed, its tires screeching as it swerved violently into their lane.

Before Mark’s driver could even slam his foot onto the brakes, the car swerved horizontally, cutting them off entirely and forcing their car to screech to a violent, smoking halt. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

BANG! BANG!

The deafening roar of a gunshot shattered...