Mark noticed the hesitation immediately. His brows furrowed as he glanced at the phone, but the screen was out of view. He looked back at his partner.

"Who is that calling?" he asked.

A sudden wave of panic washed over Charles, his grip tightening around the phone. He swallowed hard, dread pooling in his stomach. But he knew he couldn’t lie. If Mark found out the truth later, it would only make things worse.

Meeting Mark’s gaze, Charles answered in a near whisper,

"It’s Daniel."

Mark’s expression hardened instantly, the warmth from moments before completely evaporating.

"Not again," Mark snapped, his jaw clenching. "I thought we talked about this. I told you explicitly that I do not want you texting or talking to any of your exes, especially him. He’s your ex. Someone you used to sleep with. So tell me, why the hell is he calling you?"

Charles nervously shifted on the mattress, his voice shaking. "I don’t know why he’s calling. I swear, Mark. We are just friends. We aren’t doing anything..."

Mark didn’t let him finish.

He threw the blanket aside, stood up from the bed, and pointed a finger at him.

"Quiet!" he shouted, his chest heaving with anger. "How many times have I warned you about him? You keep calling a former hookup a ’friend’ and expect me to sit back and pretend everything is fine?"

Charles started shaking under the intensity of his glare, clutching the phone tightly against his chest. "I already told him I have a boyfriend now!" Charles protested. "I told him we’re strictly just friends!"

"I said I don’t want him anywhere near you!" Mark shot back, refusing to back down. "Daniel isn’t Adrian, and he isn’t Frank. Adrian and Frank are the only friends of yours I know and tolerate. I don’t want Daniel anywhere near you. Or are you still not over him?"

"I am completely over him!" Charles pleaded. "I swear, Mark. There’s nothing between us anymore. I’m sorry. I’ll tell him to stop calling me. I’ll block him right now."

Mark scoffed, pacing the room. "That’s exactly what you said the last time, Charles. I am not going to tolerate this disrespect from you anymore."

Desperate to fix things, Charles climbed off the bed and hurried towards him, reaching for his arms.

But Mark sharply shrugged off his touch.

Without a word, he walked over to the nearby sofa and sank into the cushions, aggressively running a hand through his hair as he struggled to keep his temper under control.

Charles walked slowly toward the sofa, his heart pounding. He sank to his knees right between Mark’s legs, looking up with wide, apologetic eyes.

Mark looked down at him, his gaze heavy and exhausted. "Charles... can you give me one single reason why you won’t just listen to me?"

"I’m sorry, honey. I’m so sorry," Charles whispered, resting his hands tentatively on Mark’s knees.

"Is there anything you want from me that I’m not giving you?" Mark asked, his voice laced with bitter hurt. "Tell me. Do you lack intimacy from me? Do I not provide enough for you? What exactly is making you keep tabs on your exes, especially someone you used to sleep with?"

"No, honey, no," Charles said quickly, shaking his head. "You give me everything. I’m so sorry. I promise you this will never happen again."

Mark stared at him for a long, silent moment. The quiet was suffocating as he searched Charles’ face. When he finally spoke, his voice was dangerously quiet.

"If he ever calls you again, Charles... you and I are going to have a serious problem."

"It won’t happen again. I swear," Charles said, sensing the slight softening in his boyfriend’s posture. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Mark sighed, leaning back against the sofa. "Fine."

Sensing the opportunity, Charles tried to lighten the mood. "Don’t be mad at your pretty boy," he murmured, pouting as he playfully swayed back and forth in front of Mark.

The dramatic display worked.

Mark’s lips twitched.

Reaching down, he gripped Charles’s waist and pulled him up from his knees. "Climb up here," Mark ordered.

Charles gladly complied, climbing onto Mark’s lap and straddling his thighs. He wrapped his arms securely around Mark’s neck, a relieved smile breaking across his face as he stared down at his boyfriend.

Without warning, Mark delivered a firm, playful spank to Charles’ butt.

"Ow!" Charles let out a sharp squeal, giggling as he nudged Mark’s shoulder. "Stop!"

Mark wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer.

"You look so innocent, but you drive me crazy, Charles," he murmured. "I don’t want to share you with anyone."

A soft smile spread across Charles’ face.

"I’m all yours, baby," he replied, resting his head against Mark’s shoulder. "You don’t have to worry."

"I am an overthinker, Charles, and I absolutely hate what my mind does to me anytime I see you texting your exes," Mark said, his tone turning serious again as he locked eyes with him. "Stop chatting with them. Okay?"

Charles nodded obediently. "Alright, baby."

"I am more than enough for you," Mark added, his hands sliding possessively up Charles’ back. "If you want anything in this world, I’ll get it for you. And when it comes to intimacy, I’ll make sure you never lack anything. Do you understand?"

"Alright, honey," Charles nodded softly.

He leaned down and pressed a sweet, lingering kiss to Mark’s lips. When he pulled away, he smiled mischievously.

"Now take me out for breakfast. I don’t want to eat at home today. I’m craving smoked salmon eggs Benedict, butter croissants, fresh fruit, and champagne at that fancy place downtown."

Mark let out a breathless chuckle. "Granted, Your Highness. But hold me for a while first."

He pulled Charles closer against his chest.

"You know how jealous I am. Yet you still keep letting them contact you after I’ve told you how much I hate it."

Charles wrapped his arms tightly around him, burying his face in Mark’s neck.

"I’m sorry, honey. I was wrong. Now I’m going to hold you right here until you forgive me, get tired of me, or stop being angry."

"I will never get tired of you," Mark murmured, his grip tightening around Charles’s waist.

Charles smiled into his skin. "Me too. I love you so much."

"I love you more," Mark replied, finally letting the anger go as they held each other on the sofa.

Meanwhile, back on Matteo’s side.

Matteo had always believed Adrian was completely comfortable with him and the life they shared.

Never once had he imagined Adrian would look at him the way he had that morning.

But after hearing Adrian admit that he didn’t want his late wife’s family to see them together, Matteo found himself questioning everything.

He couldn’t stop thinking about those words.

"You know the kind of person you are."

The sentence replayed in his mind over and over again.

Matteo had truly believed Adrian accepted every part of him, his reputation, his past, and the darkness that came with his world.

Now, for the first time, doubt had crept in.

A cold weight settled heavily in his chest.

What if he had been wrong all along?

His mood shifted entirely.

Throughout breakfast, a heavy silence hung over the table. Whenever Adrian spoke, Matteo only responded with a quiet nod, completely lacking his usual warmth and easy affection.

After breakfast, they returned to their bedroom to get ready for the day.

Matteo was the first to finish dressing for work. Once he was fully dressed in his sharp suit, he looked over at Adrian with an unreadable expression. "I’m leaving."

"Alright, baby," Adrian replied, looking up expectantly.

He waited for Matteo to become clingy, to pull him into the deep, lingering kiss he always gave before leaving for work.

But Matteo didn’t move.

He kept his distance, his posture rigid.

"Your men will take you to the studio," he said, his tone entirely professional. "Call me when you get there."

"Alright, baby," Adrian murmured, his brow furrowing as he noticed Matteo actively avoiding eye contact with him.

Matteo turned on his heel and left the house first. Left alone in the quiet bedroom, Adrian’s stomach twisted uneasily.

The damage from their earlier conversation hadn’t disappeared as easily as he’d hoped.

In all the time they had been together, Matteo had never been this distant or cold.

Trying to shake off the growing anxiety, Adrian pushed the thoughts aside and finished getting ready for work before letting his security detail drive him to the studio.

The moment he walked through the doors, he pulled out his phone and texted Matteo to let him know he had arrived safely.

Normally, Matteo would reply within minutes, always sending something sweet.

This time, hours passed.

When his phone finally buzzed, Adrian grabbed it immediately and looked down at the screen.

Matteo: Okay.

There was no "baby," no sweet emoji, and no apology for the delay.

In the past, if Matteo took even ten minutes to reply, he would immediately explain himself and apologize for keeping Adrian waiting.

Today, his response consisted of a single, blunt word.

The difference was impossible to miss.

On a regular day...