Episode 10

The drive to Adrien's apartment was enveloped in a heavy silence that seemed to announce the end of something more than just a simple night. For Adrien, each step towards his home resonated like a melancholic beat, marking the end of an era. He was determined to say goodbye to Carlo in the cruelest way possible, not towards him, but towards himself, sinking into suffering and pain as a desperate attempt to forget.

Meanwhile, the silence in the car began to weigh heavily on Carlo's thoughts. He had never been able to fully understand Adrien Gautier, who always acted impulsively and sometimes destructively. He was bewildered by the duality of his personality, alternating between indifference and vulnerability, between coldness and the need for comfort. Carlo felt caught between the desire to embrace him and the urge to hit him for his selfish and erratic behavior.

He was terrified of the way Adrien occupied his thoughts, fearing he would never be able to get him out of his mind. There were times when he wanted to confront him and make him see his mistakes, but the next instant, he longed to be able to give him the love and understanding he seemed to desperately need. However, he feared that any gesture of affection would be misinterpreted and reinforce the wrong idea Adrien had about his feelings.

"We're here," Carlo announced as he stopped the car and turned off the engine. Adrien, who had remained silent with his eyes closed, nodded wearily.

"Help me down," Adrien murmured, taking Carlo's hand before he could get out of the vehicle. Carlo frowned, confused by the sudden action and the words that followed. "What an idiot," Adrien exclaimed, in a tone of evident discouragement. Carlo stayed in his place, watching him disconcerted as Adrien continued. "Come on, I want to talk to you."

With no choice but to follow him, Carlo got out of the car and followed Adrien to the parking lot elevator. Both rode in silence to the apartment on the top floor. Upon arriving, Adrien took off his jacket, tie, and shoes, leaving a trail of clothes along the way. Carlo, with a resigned gesture, picked up the clothes and placed them neatly, before turning his gaze to Adrien.

"What is it you want to tell me?" Carlo asked, seeing Adrien remain silent, waiting for an explanation that was sure to be as perplexing as all the other facets of Adrien he had come to know.

"You were with that bitch, weren't you?" Adrien questioned flippantly. "And don't try to deny it, I could smell her cheap perfume impregnated on your skin. Ha! She can't even afford a decent quality one."

"When will you stop belittling people? You sound like a teenager with such stupid behavior. If you only invited me here to talk about her, it's best if I leave," Carlo replied, frowning and crossing his arms.

"If you know who I'm referring to, then you give me reason to say she's simply an unscrupulous woman," Adrien proclaimed, crossing his legs and adopting a posture of superiority that made Carlo uncomfortable.

"Adrien..."

"Okay, I won't say anything else about her," Adrien said, raising his hands in surrender. "But tell me, why her? Why do you defend and value her if you barely know her? Instead, you never defended me when everyone said horrible things about me. You never valued my love. I tried so hard for what I thought we had. But it only took a month, Carlo, a month to realize that even if I gave everything, I would never receive anything. And now she has everything I ever wanted from you."

Adrien's words were like darts charged with pain and resentment. Every time he thought about the time and energy he had invested in loving Carlo, he felt a deep sense of abandonment and disappointment. He asked himself again and again if he had really meant anything to Carlo, but the answer seemed to be always the same.

"You're wrong, Adrien," Carlo replied, putting his hands in his pockets and clenching his fists. "You already knew it, I made it clear from the beginning, when you forced me to sign that contract."

Adrien bit his lower lip hard, fighting back the tears that threatened to escape. Carlo's words reminded him of a painful reality he would rather not face.

"And I don't understand what she has that we don't have," added Carlo, trying to understand the situation.

"No?" Adrien stood up and walked over to the bookshelf at the back of the room. He took out a yellow envelope and threw it disdainfully at Carlo. "And what is this?" he asked, his voice thick with bitterness.

Carlo opened the envelope and found photographs of them in different places, including one where they were seen kissing.

"It doesn't mean anything," Carlo tried to explain. "It was a mistake, that's all."

The coldness with which Carlo spoke only made Adrien's sarcastic smile widen.

The weight of Carlo's indifference and lack of reciprocation had become unbearable for Adrien. Even though months had passed, the pain of being unrequited was still acute. He felt as if he had been dragged into a whirlwind of false emotions and broken promises. Carlo's coldness had become a dagger that repeatedly pierced his heart, leaving him hurt and confused.

He was tired of chasing someone who would never love him the way he longed for. He was tired of suffering from one-sided, superficial love. Adrien regretted allowing superficial feelings to grow in his heart, promising himself that he would not fall into that emotional trap again.

Adrien's pain and anger are expressed through his words and actions:

"I know you don't like me, and I know you'll never like me, so why don't you take this opportunity to say it clearly, just like you did before?"

Adrien walked over to Carlo and stood in front of him, then leaned his forehead against his strong chest and dropped his hands to his sides, giving a semblance of surrender.

"Because no matter what I say, you'll always find the most wretched way to tie me to you," he said after several seconds of silence. Adrien smiled bitterly. Once again, Carlo was reclaiming his freedom that had been taken from him four years ago.

"You're right." Adrien lifted his face and looked at him coldly, though it was only a perfect mask to hide his suffering. "I'm a person who seeks exclusivity, I'm possessive and jealous. I would never let you see anyone else, or talk to anyone but your siblings or in-laws. You know that, just like in the past, I would get rid of anyone who tried to flirt with you... I would keep you watched twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. You're right, I'm mean and selfish, a complete piece of shit."

Adrien's words caused Carlo's heart to skip a beat. Of course there were some questionable behaviors, but for him to describe himself that way, and the calm way he did it, made him want to hug him and tell him it wasn't all true.

Adrien, despite being a jerk, had a humanity and humility that he had not seen in many people. He always helped with charities for orphans, he also supported animal associations and so on, but, apparently, he himself could not see that.

"But, you know what?" Adrien took two steps back and returned to the bookshelf, from which he took some papers. "I'm tired of playing with you, it's been four years of me chasing after you as if you were the last man on earth." Adrien crossed his arms and laughed. "But you're not even that attractive. You're just one of the crowd."

"What the fuck are you saying?" Carlo furrowed his brows and walked towards him.

"Are you deaf?" he scoffed. "I can find anyone I want, after all, the rumors you believed said I'm a slut, isn't that right?"

Carlo was silent. Adrien was right, all those rumors, even though he avoided listening to them and thinking about it before they got to know each other more intimately, were stuck in his head and, on occasion, even he had told him so. He had told him that he had a long list of candidates and that he didn't have to obsess over him. But, hearing him say that he would look for his replacement, he couldn't help but feel his courage rise.

"You're right, try to replace me, let's see if you succeed. But, don't be surprised if one day you get the invitation to my wedding."

Those words made Adrien's chest ache. He was willing to let him go, but he didn't want to hear him say anything like that. It was really painful. However, he forced himself to be strong and show an indifferent face.

"I'll be delighted to go, so I set you free, Carlo Mancini."

Adrien held out the sheets to him and Carlo took them, reading the contents, he realized it was the end of their contract.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***