[BL] The Mafia Boss Chapter 29: A Kiss That Changed Everything

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: A Kiss That Changed Everything

A small chuckle slipped from Matteo. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Adrian’s forehead, then lifted himself off him. He stood beside the bed and held out his hand.

"Co on," Matteo said, a small smile on his lips as he looked at . "Co with ."

Adrian hesitated for a second, then reached out and took his hand, letting Matteo pull him up.

They stepped out of the room and walked down the hallway in silence.

Matteo led him straight to a private elevator at the end of the corridor. The doors slid open, and they stepped inside.

The ride up was smooth and quiet.

When the doors opened, cool night air t them imdiately, carrying a soft, expensive scent.

Adrian stepped out onto the rooftop and stopped.

His hand lifted to his mouth without thinking, holding back a gasp.

The space had been completely transford. It wasn’t flashy or overdone; it was simple and elegant. Soft, warm lights ran along the glass railings, and a small table for two was set in the center, surrounded by white orchids.

Across the far wall, a simple arrangent of lights glowed softly.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN ADVANCE.

Adrian’s breath caught.

He didn’t move.

For a mont, he just stood there, taking it all in.

Then he turned to Matteo, his hand slowly falling from his mouth.

His birthday was still seven days away. He hadn’t even thought about celebrating it. For years, that day had only brought back things he didn’t want to rember. But Matteo wanted this year to be different.

"How..." Adrian’s voice cracked as he looked at him. "How did you even know?"

"You told ," Matteo said, his voice calm. "I rember every word you say to . I kept it all in my head. And I want to change how you see that day. So from now until your birthday... I’ll celebrate you every day with you."

Adrian felt a lump form in his throat, the sting of tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. The weight of the effort, the fact that a man like Matteo had spent his afternoon worrying about decorations and orchids while Adrian was out trying to prove he didn’t care.

He didn’t know what to do with that feeling.

As the first tear almost fell, Matteo stepped closer. He lifted his hand and wiped it away before it could run down Adrian’s cheek.

"Don’t," Matteo murmured, his touch gentle. "You can’t cry. I didn’t do all this for tears."

"I’m not... I just." Adrian’s voice broke.

"You can’t cry," Matteo said again, leaning closer until their foreheads were almost touching. His hand stayed on Adrian’s face, gentle. "I need you to keep your eyes open. I want you to see everything I did for you. I want you to know how much you matter to ."

Matteo stayed quiet for a mont, just looking at him. Then he spoke.

"Adrian... I want you to see

differently," he said softly. "Not the devil. Not the boss. Just a man who wants to make you happy."

Adrian leaned into Matteo’s hand.

At that mont, nothing else mattered.

Not that Matteo was a man. All Adrian could see... was the man in front of him, trying to make him happy.

"It’s been a long ti since anyone has done anything like this for ," Adrian admitted, his voice trembling. "I wasn’t expecting any of it." He looked up, his gaze locking onto Matteo’s. "Thank you."

"You don’t have to thank ," Matteo said softly, his thumb brushing against Adrian’s cheek. "I wanted to do this... for you."

Adrian stayed quiet for a mont, the weight of what he had done sitting heavy in his chest.

"Matteo?"

"Yeah... baby."

Adrian smiled a little and tapped Matteo chest. "Stop."

Matteo gave a small smile. "Alright. Just talk."

Adrian took a breath. "I’m sorry. For earlier... for breaking my promise. I understand now why you were angry. I was being stubborn."

He looked at him.

"Please... forgive ."

Matteo raised a brow slightly. "You slapped

too."

Adrian lowered his eyes. "I’m sorry... please forgive ."

Matteo’s expression softened. "It’s okay, Adrian. It’s over now. Co on, let’s go sit down."

He started to lead him toward the table, but Adrian didn’t move. He reached out and held both of Matteo’s hands.

"Wait... listen to

first."

Matteo stopped, looking down at their hands, then back at him. "What?"

"You can celebrate

from now till then," Adrian said quietly. "But on the actual day... on my birthday... don’t co around . Don’t co looking for ."

Matteo’s brow furrowed. "Why?"

"Because bad things happen on my birthday," Adrian said, his voice low. "They always do. That’s why I tell people I care about to stay away. I don’t want anything to happen to you."

Matteo went quiet for a mont.

Then a small, sad smile touched his lips. "You don’t have to worry about that," he said. "I’m not one of the people you care about, Adrian. You’ve made that clear. So whatever it is... it won’t affect ."

"No, that’s not..."

"Listen to ," Matteo interrupted, stepping closer until their chests brushed. He squeezed Adrian’s hands. "I’m not scared of a curse. I’m not scared of whatever ’bad things’ you think are coming. I’m the devil, rember? I’m the nightmare people are afraid of."

He lifted Adrian’s hands and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. "All I care about is making you see that you’re not cursed. You’re not bad luck, Adrian. You’re sothing good... sothing worth holding on to. And I’m not staying away. Not for anything. I’ve got you."

The way he said it broke sothing in Adrian.

A tear slipped down his face.

He let go of Matteo’s hands and pulled him into a tight hug, burying his face in his shoulder.

"Thank you," Adrian said, his voice breaking as he held onto Matteo’s shirt.

"I told you," Matteo said softly, though he pulled Adrian closer, his arms wrapped tightly around him. "No crying... you’re going to ruin everything."

Adrian pulled back slightly, his eyes red but bright. He looked at Matteo and realized he didn’t want to ruin this mont... or what he was starting to feel.

He lifted his hand, cupped Matteo’s face, and gently pulled him closer.

Adrian pressed his lips to Matteo’s in a soft, tentative kiss.

Matteo froze, his eyes widening in surprise. For a mont, he didn’t move at all, like he was trying to figure out if this was real or just another dream.

Then, slowly, he lted. He reached up to wipe away the stray tear on Adrian’s cheek before tilting his head and deepening the kiss, claiming Adrian’s lips with a hunger that was finally, officially, returned.