Leo's body was completely drained out of any energy, he sat curled beside Adrian's much bigger body. They were on their way to Hale estate. All the judgment, hostility and oppressive presence of the family had thoroughly worn him out.
His eyes were fluttering shut as he fought back the sleep.
Adrian also rubbed his temple. He was tired too, not from his family but his own thoughts.
"Can you handle that responsibility without getting attached?"
His grandfather's voice echoed in his head like a persistent irritating fly. Adrian's jaw tightened, his fingers digging slightly into his knee. Attachment? He wanted to burst out laughing right there in the backseat of the car. Like hell would he ever get attached, and to this timid little hamster of a boy? Not in this lifetime.
He was Adrian Hale. The ruthless prodigy. The man the global corporate market feared and respected, the mastermind who had doubled his family's empire before turning thirty. Everyone spoke of him with reverence, bowing to his superior intellect and discipline. His heart was a fortress built of cold glass and sharp steel. The very idea that a silent, helpless kid could somehow pierce through his defenses was an insult to his intelligence.
If there was even a fraction of a chance that any foolish emotional development attempted to take root in this transactional arrangement, Adrian would slice it down without hesitation. He would cut ties, terminate the agreement, and throw the entire alliance into the fire before he ever let himself become vulnerable. He was in complete control—
Suddenly, a soft weight dropped heavily against his right shoulder, instantly shattering his dark train of thought.
Adrian froze for a second and slowly turned his head.
Leo's head had fallen sideways, resting heavily against Adrian's suit jacket. The boy was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling in deep hitches.
Adrian's eyebrows shot up in pure disbelief. The utter audacity!
A surge of cold annoyance flared through him. Adrian extended his long fingers, intending to unceremoniously shove the boy's head off his shoulder and push him back to his own side of the car. But just as his fingertips hovered an inch away from Leo's temple, the smaller boy let out a tiny contented sigh. Leo snuggled his cheek deeper into Adrian's shoulder, looking like an exhausted kitten that had finally found a warm spot in the cold world.
Adrian's hand halted and stared down at the peaceful face. The sheer nerve of this hamster. Slowly, Adrian retracted his hand, resting it back on his lap with a sharp exhale.
Fine, Adrian thought to himself, his lips curving into a subtle but arrogant smirk in his head. I will let him sleep for now. But the second he wakes up, I am going to scold him into oblivion.
He began imagining the upcoming scolding with a dark, twisted sense of amusement. When he called Leo out for his severe lack of boundaries, how would the hamster react? Would he puff out his cheeks in shock? Would he pout his lip in that ridiculous, cute way he did when he was flustered?
Then, a sudden thought crossed Adrian's mind. What if he cries?
The smirk instantly vanished from Adrian's face, replaced by a dark scowl.
No. He did not want Leo to cry. He hated tears. Tears were pathetic, weak, and annoying. Besides...the hamster would look terrible while crying. Red eyes and a snotty nose would completely ruin his delicate, pretty face. Adrian absolutely forbade him from crying.
Still, Adrian rationalized, trying to regain his dominant posture, the boy needs to learn his manners. How dare he use my shoulder, a shoulder worth billions of dollars as a comfortable travel pillow? He has zero discipline. I will definitely scold him tomorrow morning!
The car smoothly pulled into the driveway of Adrian's private mansion. The driver placed the car in park, turning around in his seat.
"We have arrived, Boss," the driver said quietly, glancing at the sleeping boy. "Should I call one of the house servants to carry the master inside?"
"No!" Adrian barked out instantly, his voice far sharper than necessary. "No need for anyone else to carry him."
The driver blinked, surprised by the aggressive refusal, but quickly bowed his head. "Understood, Sir."
Adrian unbuckled his seatbelt to lean over, tapping Leo's cheek with two fingers. "Wake up. We are home."
Leo didn't even stir. He merely let out another tiny breath, his head sliding a fraction lower down Adrian's arm.
Adrian's jaw flexed. Irritated by the boy's absolute refusal to cooperate, Adrian opened his car door, stepped out into the cool night air, and strode around to the other side. He yanked the rear door open, reached inside, and scooped Leo up into his arms, pulling him out of the car.
The moment Leo felt himself being lifted into the air, his subconscious instincts kicked in. Before Adrian could even establish a proper grip, Leo instantly wrapped both of his arms around Adrian's neck, clutching his suit jacket and locking his legs loosely around Adrian's waist. He latched onto his broad husband like a clingy, sleepy koala.
Adrian's eyes snapped wide. He staggered back half a step under the sudden, desperate clinginess.
"What the..." Adrian muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes toward the night sky in exasperation.
The driver hastily looked away, suppressing an awkward cough.
Adrian felt his face heat up with a sudden, ridiculous wave of embarrassment. He really, truly needed to teach this hamster some proper decorum. Things could not continue like this! He was a respected corporate titan, not a human climbing tree for an airheaded boy!
Carrying the surprisingly lightweight burden up the stairs, Adrian kicked open the front doors, ignoring the bowing house staff as he marched straight up the staircase toward their bedroom. He pushed open the door, striding over to the bed.
With a low sigh, Adrian leaned down, attempting to drop Leo onto the mattress. But Leo's small hands were tangled tightly in the lapels of Adrian's jacket, refusing to let go.
"Let go, you menace," Adrian growled under his breath, carefully peeling Leo's small, stubborn fingers off his suit one by one.
Once released, Leo instantly curled up into a tiny ball on top of the duvet, clutching a pillow to his chest. He let out another soft sigh, but as he settled into the sheets, a faint but tight frown appeared between his delicate eyebrows.
Adrian stood at the edge of the bed, smoothing down his rumpled jacket. He was ready to turn on his heel and walk away, but for some completely unexplainable reason, his eyes caught on that small troubled frown.
Why is he frowning? Is he having a nightmare?
Driven by a sudden, strange impulse of curiosity, Adrian leaned over the bed. He extended his hand, his long index finger gently touching the wrinkled space right between Leo's brows.
The moment his skin made contact, the tightness in Leo's face completely smoothed out. The frown vanished and replaced once again by a look of serene, peaceful rest.
Adrian stared down at him, his finger hovering over his little husband's forehead. For some bizarre, terrifying reason, Adrian couldn't bring himself to pull his hand away. He just stood there in the quiet bedroom, mesmerized by the delicate symmetry of the boy's sleeping face.
Before Adrian could process what his own body was doing, sleeping Leo unconsciously turned his head into the touch. The boy rested his warm cheek right into the broad palm of Adrian's hand, rubbing against it gently like an affectionate cat.
Thump. A violent jolt struck Adrian's chest. His heart executed a frantic flutter, a wave of hot electricity shooting straight up his arm.
Adrian practically recoiled. He yanked his hand back as if he had just touched a red-hot iron plate, taking two massive steps backward. His breath hitched in his throat, his dark eyes wide with pure shock as he stared at his own palm, then at the peacefully sleeping boy.
What the actual fuck was that?!
A spike of dark panic flared in Adrian's mind. His chest felt uncomfortably tight, his skin burning where Leo's cheek had touched him. This was wrong. This was dangerous. This was a glitch in his logical, perfectly ordered universe.
Without waiting another second, Adrian turned around, practically fleeing out of the guest room. He slammed the bedroom door shut behind him, the sharp sound echoing through the empty corridor.
Reaching his own master suite, Adrian locked the door, leaning back against the heavy wood as he aggressively slapped a hand over his forehead.
"Just what the heck was I doing?" Adrian muttered out loud, utterly furious with himself.
He paced back and forth across his room, loosening his tie with sharp jerks, his heart still hammering against his ribs like a trapped beast.
"Forget it," Adrian spat out into the dark room, trying to force his trembling breath back under control. "It's just fatigue, I am just tired."
He pulled off his suit jacket, tossing it harshly onto the armchair, his eyes narrowing into cold. slits as he looked at his reflection in the dark window pane.
"I will teach that damn Hamster some manners..." Adrian growled dangerously to himself, "...some other day."
The next morning, Adrian refused to leave Leo at home. Terrified that the boy would spend the day cleaning or hiding in corners, Adrian simply commanded him into the car, bringing his silent husband directly to the Hale Corporation headquarters.
The moment they stepped off the private executive elevator, Aaron was there. The instant the assistant caught sight of the delicate boy walking a half-step behind his boss, his eyes lit up as if he had just won the lottery.
"Boss! Good morning! And...Good morning, little Sir!" Aaron practically squealed, beaming down at Leo.
Leo shrank back slightly, his fingers instinctively tugging at Adrian's suit jacket, but Aaron's blinding, friendly smile kept him from panicking.
Adrian let out a long, long-suffering sigh. "Aaron. I have back-to-back board meetings until noon. Keep him company in my private lounge. Do not let him clean anything, do not let him wander off, and do not make him cry."
"I would never!" Aaron gasped, looking scandalized. "I will protect him with my life, Boss! We're going to have tea and pastries!"
Adrian shook his head, throwing a final, lingering glance at Leo who was nervously blinking up at him before turning toward the boardroom.
By two o'clock, the high-stakes meetings were wrapped up. Adrian returned to his office, expecting to find Julian waiting for him alone. Instead, as he unlocked the doors, he found Julian sitting on the leather sofa alongside a loud Tristan.
Adrian halted, his sharp brow furrowing in instant irritation. "Why did you bring him?"
Tristan's jaw dropped in dramatic offense. "Excuse me?! 'Why did you bring him?!' I am your favorite cousin! I am a ray of sunshine in this gloomy office!"
Julian chuckled softly, swirling the coffee in his mug. "Yesterday at home, I told him I was coming to see you today, so he tagged along. He threatened to throw a tantrum in my car if I didn't drive him."
Tristan crossed his arms, leaning forward with a wide, mischievous grin. "Where's Leo? I wanna see my new cousin-in-law! Aaron said he's in the lounge!"
Adrian's eyes narrowed into a cold, lethal gaze. "Do not disturb him, Tristan. I am warning you."
"Oh, wow," Tristan gasped funnily, clutching his chest with both hands. "Are my ears deceiving me? Is big, bad Addy actually...worried? Does the cold-hearted CEO finally have a heart after bullying all his brothers and cousins their entire lives?!"
Adrian rolled his eyes, taking his seat behind his desk. "Leave, Tristan. We have serious matters to discuss."
"Not a chance!" Tristan giggled, jumping off the couch in a flash. "I'm going to go say hi to your husband!"
"Tristan, stop—" Adrian began, rising halfway out of his chair.
"Let him go," Julian interjected smoothly, reaching out to pat Adrian's arm as Tristan darted out the door toward the private lounge. "Tristan is a good kid. He's loud, but he won't do anything to hurt or scare Leo. Let them bond."
Adrian gritted his teeth, eyeing the door with intense dissatisfaction, but slowly sank back into his chair. He adjusted his cuffs, the playful atmosphere in the room vanishing in a split second as he turned his dark, sharp gaze onto his older brother.
"Alright," Julian let out, his posture straightening into that of a seasoned medical professional. "What did you want to talk about? I assume this isn't a social call."
"It's about Leo," Adrian nodded, getting straight to the point. "I want you to treat him."
Julian tilted his head slightly. Out of habit, he had already analyzed Leo's subtle body language at the dinner table the night before, the hyper-vigilance, the skittish reflexes, the complete lack of vocalization.
"I figured as much. What specifically are we dealing with?"
"He was severely abused by his former family. He has lost his voice entirely. Psychogenic amnesia or trauma-induced mutism. I don't know. But I need you to diagnose it and fix it."
Julian leaned back against the chair, his expression turning deeply serious. As a top neurologist and head of his own medical research center, he had seen his fair share of trauma cases.
"If it's trauma-induced mutism," Julian explained carefully, "he needs a full neurological evaluation. He has to come to my hospital. We'll need to run an MRI, vocal cord scans, and psychological assessments. Then I can determine a treatment plan."
Adrian's jaw tightened. "No. He is not going to a hospital right now."
Julian raised an eyebrow. "Adrian, medical equipment doesn't fit in my briefcase. He needs to come to the clinic."
"He is terrified of leaving the house, let alone stepping into a sterile hospital filled with strangers," Adrian argued back. "You saw him yesterday. He panics when too many people look at him. If you throw him into a clinical environment right now, it will do more damage than good."
Julian studied his younger brother's intense defensive posture. He noted the way Adrian's hands clenched into tight fists at the mere thought of the boy being overwhelmed.
"I saw his fear yesterday, yes," Julian conceded softly. "But if we are going to treat him, he has to come eventually. If he trusts you, Adrian...then you need to build that trust further. Make him feel safe enough with you so that he agrees to step foot into my hospital."
Adrian fell silent. He hated the idea of pushing the boy, but he hated the idea of Leo remaining trapped in his silent world even more.
After a heavy beat, Adrian gave a firm nod. "Fine. I will manage it."
"Good," Julian smiled slightly.
"Furthermore," Adrian added, resting his elbows on the desk, "I want you to teach him sign language. If his voice takes months or years to recover, he still needs a proper way to communicate. He shouldn't have to rely on nods and gestures."
Julian nodded approvingly. "That's a smart move. It will reduce his frustration immense—"
"Name your fee," Adrian interrupted coldly, pulling a pen from his holder. "I will have Aaron wire the payment to your personal account by noon."
Julian let out a dry laugh, waving his hand in dismissal. "Put your checkbook away, Adrian. I'll do it for free."
Adrian's hand paused over his desk. "Why?"
"Because I like the kid," Julian said warmly, a genuine, gentle smile softening his tired face. "He's sweet. He's really cute."
The room instantly plunged into a suffocating darkness.
Adrian's jaw gritted so hard a muscle twitched violently in his cheek. His dark eyes narrowed into a deadly frown, fixing Julian with a glare powerful enough to freeze blood.
"You are not here to find him cute," Adrian growled out, every word heavily laced with territorial threat. "You are here as a medical doctor to treat him."
Julian blinked, utterly stunned by the sudden spike of fierce possessiveness radiating off his younger brother. A mischievous smirk spread across Julian's face as he threw his hands up in mock surrender.
"Whoa. Easy there, Boss. I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just saying he's a pleasant boy."
Adrian felt a wave of profound awkwardness wash over him. Realizing how absurdly aggressive he had just sounded over a simple compliment, he quickly lifted a hand, rubbing his temple aggressively to hide the faint flush on his neck. He cleared his throat loudly.
"Right, regardless...we need a structure."
Julian chuckled softly, deciding not to push his brother's obvious denial any further. "I'll come to your house daily at eleven in the morning to conduct his sign language classes and speech therapy sessions. That way, he will stay in his safe environment while we work."
"I will have Aaron set up a private room specifically for your sessions," Adrian agreed. "No servants will be allowed near it during those hours."
"Perfect," Julian agreed, standing up from the chair and buttoning his coat. "However, before we start formal lessons tomorrow, I need to spend an hour just talking to him. We need to get to know each other so he realizes I'm not a threat."
"Fine," Adrian murmured, though he didn't understand why he was reluctant to leave his brother alone with his little hamster.