The dark room offered no comfort to the small figure trapped beneath the sheets. Deep in sleep, Leo's mind was dragged backward into a violent nightmare. He was back in his family's dark basement, surrounded by shadow-draped figures. Cold, malicious laughter echoed in his ears, followed by the harsh, slamming noise of a locked door. Hands reached out, shoving him down into the freezing darkness.
Help! Please, help me!
Leo tried to scream, but his vocal cords generated only empty air. Panic clawed at his throat. He thrashed against the suffocating weight of the memory, his heart hammering like a trapped bird against his ribs.
With a sudden gasp, Leo shot upright in bed.
Cold sweat soaked his forehead, his chest heaving as he fought for air in the black room. The psychological panic raged, but as he tried to catch his breath, a heavy disorienting dizziness swept over him. His head throbbed violently, his body shivering with intense chills despite the oppressive heat radiating from his skin. The physical and mental exhaustion of the past two days had finally caught up with him and a burning fever had taken hold of him.
Shaking, disoriented, and weeping silently, Leo looked around the dark room. He felt entirely alone, the terrifying ghosts of his past still lingering in his mind. In his fever-addled mind, safety was no longer this quiet empty room. His subconscious drove him toward a single, absolute truth, the man who had promised that no one could ever touch him again.
Adrian.
Clinging desperately to the heavy duvet, Leo swung his trembling legs over the edge of the bed. He dragged the thick blanket behind him like a long tail, stumbling out into the silent hallway.
He stood before the entrance of Adrian's room all while he was shivering under the blanket. He lifted a trembling hand, hovering his knuckles an inch from the door. But the memory of Adrian's strict warning echoed in his head. He was terrified of waking his stern husband, terrified of being a burden and terrified of being scolded.
Unable to knock, Leo sank down onto the cold floor. He wrapped the large duvet tightly around himself, tucking his head inside until he looked like a tiny round blanket burrito left on the doorstep. Seeking a bit of grounding warmth, he gently leaned his forehead against the lower panel of the door. The soft impact echoed quietly through the doorframe.
Inside, Adrian lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, his hands rested behind his head. When the faint noise sounded at his door, Adrian's eyes narrowed. He threw off the covers and slipped off the bed.
"What now?" Adrian grumbled under his breath, his brow furrowing in irritation as he walked over to the entrance.
He unlatched the lock and pulled the door open and immediately tripped over a large lump lying directly on his entry.
"What the—" Adrian caught his balance against the doorframe, looking down in utter disbelief.
Curled up at his feet was a massive ball of white duvet. Poking out from the top were messy bangs and two wide, glossy eyes staring up at him.
"Leo, what are you doing sleeping on the floor? Have you completely lost your—"
Adrian stooped down, grabbing the boy's shoulder to pull him up. The moment his bare hand made contact with Leo's skin through the thin collar of his shirt, Adrian paused. The heat radiating off the boy was staggering and it felt like touching a burning stove.
"You have a fever?" Adrian's voice lost its annoyed edge, dropping into a sharp note of shock.
Leo opened his glassy, fever-dazed eyes fully. As soon as he recognized Adrian's familiar face looking down at him, the terrifying remnants of his nightmare completely shattered. A sudden wave of overwhelming relief washed over the boy. Soft, hot tears spilled over his flushed cheeks, dripping down his chin as he looked up at his husband with utter helpless trust.
Seeing the boy shivering violently on the cold carpet, crying in silence while burning up with fever, completely destroyed Adrian's cold composure.
"Damn it," Adrian cursed under his breath, his heart taking an uncomfortable, violent leap in his chest.
Without a second thought, Adrian discarded his icy demeanor. He reached down, slipping one arm under Leo's knees and the other behind his back, easily scooping the burning, blanket-wrapped boy into his arms. He carried him straight into the master bedroom and laid him down gently on his own massive king-sized bed.
"Stay here," Adrian ordered gruffly, turning to head toward the adjoining bathroom to grab fever medication and a damp cloth but a pull on his clothes stopped him.
Adrian paused and looked back. Leo had reached out from beneath the duvet, his small, burning fingers tightly clutching the silk of Adrian's shirt. A silent whimper escaped his throat as he shook his head, pleading with his glossy eyes for Adrian not to leave him alone in the dark again.
"I am just getting water, you foolish hamster," Adrian muttered, though his tone held no real bite.
Leo's grip didn't loosen which made Adrian let out an exhausted sigh, completely defeated by the boy's clingy and pathetic state. "Fine. Fine! Stop pulling, you will tear my clothes."
Unable to leave the bedside, Adrian reached over to the nightstand, grabbing a glass of water and the small emergency kit he kept in the drawer. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he dipped a small hand towel into the cold water, wringing it out before carefully placing it over Leo's burning forehead.
Leo let out a contented sigh at the cool relief. Instinctively seeking more soothing coldness, the delirious boy turned his head, nuzzling his feverish cheek directly into the cool palm of Adrian's free hand. He snuggled into Adrian's hand, letting out a faint breath as his eyes fluttered shut.
Adrian sat completely still. This is absurd, Adrian complained bitterly in his own head, staring at the small face resting comfortably against his hand. His sleep is completely ruined. He has an eight o'clock board meeting tomorrow, and here he was playing nurse to a clingy hamster who refuses to let go of his shirt.
Yet, despite his ruthless internal complaints, Adrian's hand didn't move an inch. He gently adjusted the cloth on Leo's forehead, his thumb lightly stroking the smooth skin of his little husband's temple to soothe his trembling.
Unwrapping the fever medicine, Adrian carefully lifted Leo's head, placing the glass of water to the boy's dry lips. "Drink it."
Leo took small sips, swallowing the medicine obediently before sinking back down into the pillows.
"You are an absolute menace," Adrian whispered dark and low into the quiet room, his fingers carefully brushing wet strands of dark hair away from Leo's forehead, tenderly wiping away the remaining tear tracks from Leo's cheek.
😌🖤☺️
IN THE MORNING
Though the burning heat from two in the morning had subsided into a dull fever, his body felt as heavy as lead, his head throbbing with every beat of his pulse.
Beside the bed, Adrian stood fully dressed in a dark charcoal suit, adjusting his cuff links. He looked down at the pale boy. Reaching down, Adrian pressed the back of his hand against Leo's forehead.
"Still warm," Adrian sighed, his brow furrowing in dissatisfaction. He pulled out his phone and dialed Julian's number. The line rang twice before his brother answered.
"Good morning," Julian's calm voice came through the speaker. "I'm finalizing the materials for Leo's first sign language session at eleven—"
"Cancel today's session," Adrian interrupted him.
There was a brief pause on the other end. "Why? Is something wrong?"
"He has a fever. He isn't in any condition to sit through a lesson today."
On the other end of the line, Julian let out an amused chuckle. "A fever? Really, Adrian? Don't tell me you scared the poor boy so badly yesterday that he broke out in a stress fever."
Adrian's jaw clenched, a sudden wave of fierce anger flaring in his chest. "Watch your tongue, Julian. He was already exhausted before he even stepped foot in my office. Just stay at your hospital today."
Without waiting for a reply, Adrian ended the call and tossed his phone onto the nightstand. He turned back to the bed, picking up a small tray containing a bowl of warm oatmeal, a glass of water, and a packet of fever medication that the house staff had brought up minutes prior.
"Eat this," Adrian commanded, pointing a long finger at the tray resting on the bedside table. "And take the pills immediately after. Do not skip them."
Leo blinked his dazed eyes up at Adrian, giving a slow, weak nod.
Adrian tightened his tie, his sharp mind already forecasting the rest of the day. He knew Leo's pathetic, ingrained habit of trying to make himself useful, he was terrified the foolish hamster would drag his sick body out of bed to sweep floors or wash dishes the second the master left the house.
"Listen to me carefully. I have important meetings at the office today. If you dare leave this room while I am gone, it won't be good for you. Understood?"
To Adrian, it was a firm, protective warning meant to keep a sick boy resting in bed. But to Leo, whose feverish brain was utterly disoriented, still echoing with the terrifying screams of last night's nightmare, the words translated into a severe, terrifying threat.
If you leave this room, it won't be good for you.
Leo's breath hitched in his throat. Panic surged through his hazy mind. In his fragile state, a singular, desperate thought took root: I must stay in this bed. I must obey. I cannot be a burden, or he will throw me away.
"Good," Adrian grunted, oblivious to the terror he had just reinforced. He turned on his heel and strode out shutting the doors behind him.
An hour after Adrian departed for the Hale Corporation headquarters, a middle-aged head maid tapped softly on the master suite door before pushing it open. She carried a fresh pitcher of juice and a light soup.
"Leo?" the maid called out gently. "Sir Adrian instructed us to check on your fever and bring you lunch."
Leo was lying rigid under the duvet, his heart hammering wildly against his ribs. When he heard the door open, his eyes snapped wide with sheer panic. All he could hear was Adrian's dark, echoing warning: If you dare leave this room...it won't be good for you.
To Leo's fever-addled perception, moving, speaking, or accepting anything from the staff felt like stepping out of bounds. He squeezed his eyes shut, turning his face toward the wall, curling his trembling body into a tight, motionless ball. He couldn't comprehend the maid's kind words, all he knew was that he had to stay completely still and remain invisible to survive.
The maid stood at the door observing the boy's rigid, unmoving posture. Thinking the boy was simply fast asleep and resting, she set the plate down on a side table, lowered the blinds, and quietly backed out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Throughout the agonizing hours that followed, Leo remained frozen in that exact same position. The fever raged on, making his skin burn and his throat dry up like sand, but he refused to touch the water or the food sitting mere feet away. He clung to the sheets with white knuckles, enduring the pain in absolute silence just to prove he was obedient.
Meanwhile, at the Hale Corporation headquarters, the atmosphere on the executive floor was suffocatingly tense.
Adrian sat behind his desk, scanning a stack of quarterly acquisition reports. The silence was shattered by a firm knock on the double doors.
Aaron stepped inside, his expression unusually grim. "Boss, Mr. Ward is downstairs in the lobby. He doesn't have an appointment, but he is insisting on seeing you."
Adrian's eyes narrowed into annoyance. Mr. Ward, Leo's father and the head of the corrupt family that had bought, abused, and neglected the mute boy for year's had finally come crawling.
"Mr. Ward," Adrian repeated slowly, a mocking curl touching his lips. "He couldn't even wait three days before trying to leech off the marriage."
"Should I have security escort him out?" Aaron asked.
"No, send him up. Let's see what the parasite wants."
A few moments later, the doors opened, and Mr. Ward walked into the office. He was a plump, middle-aged man with greedy eyes, wearing an expensive suit that couldn't quite mask his sleazy demeanor. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, flashing a wide, sycophantic smile as he approached the grand desk.
"Ah, Adrian! My dear son-in-law!" Ward blustered loudly, reaching out a hand. "It is wonderful to see you! I hope I'm not intruding on your busy schedule."
Adrian didn't bother offering his hand, nor did he invite the man to sit. He simply stared at Ward with unblinking eyes. "You have five minutes, Mr. Ward. State your business."
Ward's smile stiffened, his arm dropping back to his side in deep embarrassment. Arrogant, condescending bastard, Ward cursed silently in his head. But knowing the immense power and wealth the Hale family possessed, he quickly forced his fake grin back onto his face.
"Well, you see, Adrian, now that our families are officially united through marriage, I thought it was only right that we maintain a close bond," Ward began, pulling at his collar. "Everyone at home misses little Leo dearly. The house feels so quiet without him! I was thinking...perhaps you could send Leo back to our house for a few days? His mother and siblings would love to spend time with him."
A suffocating, dangerous chill instantly descended upon the room. Adrian's jaw tightened. The utter audacity of this disgusting hypocrite calling Leo "little Leo" and claiming his abusive family missed him was almost laughable. The idea of letting the timid, damaged boy step foot into that abusive hellhole ever again was an insult to Adrian's intelligence.
"Leo is sick," Adrian replied, his voice dropping an octave, deadly cold and flat. "He is currently resting at my private residence under medical supervision. Once he recovers, I will ask him if he wishes to visit you. Though I severely doubt he will."
Ward's eyes flickered with annoyance, but he quickly put on a show of dramatic worry. "Oh dear! Sick? Is it serious? I hope it's nothing terrible!"
"It is a minor fever," Adrian said dismissively, resting his elbows on the desk. "Now, cut the act, Ward. What are you actually here for?"
Cornered by Adrian's sharp bluntness, Ward wiped his brow again, dropping the warm facade. He cleared his throat nervously.
"Well...since we are family now, I shouldn't feel embarrassed to ask for a small favor," Ward let out, leaning forward. "My company, Ward Logistics, is currently facing a slight liquidity crunch...a few debts from our recent overseas expansion. I was hoping you could introduce me to some of your top venture capital partners, or perhaps have Hale Corp extend a short-term credit line of twenty million to stabilize our stock."
Adrian stared at the man, his expression completely unreadable. Inside, a dark, vengeful fury boiled beneath his mask. Ward had used Leo as a transactional pawn to clear his debts, and now he had the nerve to demand even more money while pretending the boy was family.
Adrian could have easily ordered security to drag the pathetic man out and blacklisted his company from the global market with a single phone call. But throwing him out was too easy. Where was the fun in that? Leo had suffered years of torment at the hands of these people, a quick rejection was far too gentle a fate.
"A credit line," Adrian murmured smoothly, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes. "I will keep your request in mind, Mr. Ward. I will review your company's financial portfolio tonight."
Ward's face lit up with pure, unadulterated greed. "Really?! Ah, thank you, Adrian! I knew I could count on family! You won't regret this—"
Ring! Ring! The sharp sound of Adrian's phone ringing cut Ward off mid-sentence.
Adrian glanced at the caller ID, it was the house's head maid. Expecting an update that Leo had taken his medicine, Adrian slid his finger across the screen and brought the phone to his ear. "Speak."
"S-Sir!" the head maid's panicked, trembling voice echoed through the speaker. "I am so sorry to disturb you, but something is very wrong with Master Leo!"
Adrian's posture instantly locked up, his body going deathly rigid. "What happened?"
"His fever has spiked drastically!" the maid cried out nervously. "We went in to check on him again, but he hasn't moved from the bed all day! He hasn't touched a single drop of water, his food is stone cold, and he refused to take his medicine! He is completely unresponsive, shivering and burning up! He won't let anyone touch him!"
A surge of terrifying panic slammed directly into Adrian's chest. He hasn't eaten? He hasn't taken his medication?! Adrian stood up abruptly.
"I am coming home right now," Adrian barked into the phone. "Do not touch him until I get there!"
He slammed the phone down, pulling his suit jacket off the rack and striding toward the door with furious steps.
"Adrian?" Ward asked, stepping into his path with a confused, annoyed frown. "What's going on? Is everything alright with our deal—"
Adrian didn't even slow down. He brushed past Ward with such force that the older man stumbled sideways, crashing into a glass display table.
"Get out of my sight before I have you thrown out the window," Adrian growled coldly, not even glancing back as he tore open his office doors and stormed out toward the private elevator.
Ward scrambled to his feet, clutching his bruised shoulder, his face flushed with embarrassment and rage as he glared at the closing elevator doors.
"Arrogant, disrespectful prick!" Ward spat under his breath, adjusting his coat in disgust.
Meanwhile, Adrian practically sprinted out of the building, his heart hammering against his ribs in a chaotic rhythm he had never experienced in his entire life.
After an hour, his car tore through the mansion's gate. Adrian slammed the car door shut and stormed up the grand marble steps. The entrance doors swung open, the house staff standing in a nervous line, ready to report.
"Sir, the doctor is on his way, but the master—" the head maid began, stepping forward with her hands clasped nervously.
Adrian didn't even slow his pace. He didn't look at them, didn't utter a single word, and completely ignored their panicked chatter as he swept past them like a storm, his broad strides taking the staircase three steps at a time.
His chest heaved with a terrifying mixture of raw anger and suffocating anxiety. How could that boy be so utterly foolish? How could he ignore his food, refuse his medicine, and sit there burning up with fever while Adrian was away? Did he have zero self-preservation?
Reaching his room, Adrian grabbed the handle and shoved the doors open with enough force to shatter the quiet of the second floor.
Adrian's sharp eyes instantly locked onto the king-sized bed. Tangled in the middle of the mattress was a small, shivering lump, clutching the duvet to his chin, his entire frame trembling violently beneath the thick covers.
A sharp wave of fury exploded behind Adrian's eyes.
"Leo!" Adrian growled out, his deep voice echoing off the high ceilings like a thunderclap.
He strode over to the bed, ripping the duvet off the bed. The cool air hit Leo's burning skin, making the boy gasp silently. Before Leo could even register what was happening, Adrian reached down, grabbing the smaller boy forcefully by his shoulders and yanking him upright.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Adrian barked, his hand gripping Leo's shoulder with a harsh and unforgiving intensity.
Leo's eyes flew open, wide and glossy with a high fever. His cheeks were flushed a deep, painful crimson, his lips cracked and pale, his body radiating a terrifying heat that seeped through his thin shirt into Adrian's broad palm.
"Do you think I have nothing better to do than run home from the office because you refuse to act like a rational human being?!" Adrian scolded loudly, his dark eyes pinning the trembling boy with pure rage. "I explicitly told you to eat! I told you to take your medicine! Instead, you lie here like a stubborn idiot, ignoring the staff, letting your fever spike, and starving yourself!"
Every single word slammed into Leo like a physical blow.
Leo trembled brutally under Adrian's harsh grip. The fever made his ears ring, but the thunderous, terrifying tone of his husband's voice cut through the haze with agonizing clarity. His heart hammered so wildly he felt sick.
Why is he so angry? Leo's chaotic, fever-dazed mind screamed in pure confusion. I obeyed him... I stayed in the room...I didn't leave...I didn't make trouble...Why is he yelling at me?
In his sickness, Leo had taken Adrian's warning from the morning, If you dare leave this room while I am gone, it won't be good for you, as a literal command never to move an inch, never to touch anything, and never to draw attention to himself. He thought he was being a good and obedient boy. He thought he was proving that he wasn't a burden.
"Look at me when I am speaking to you!" Adrian yelled again aggressively. "Answer me! Why didn't you eat?!"
Leo looked up, his large, tear-filled eyes swimming with absolute terror. Tears spilled over his hot cheeks, dripping onto Adrian's fingers. He tried to open his mouth, his chest hitching heavily, but no sound came out, only soft, pathetic wheezes of air.
I ruined it again, Leo thought bitterly, his soul drowning in sheer despair. I failed. He hates me. He thinks I'm useless. He's going to throw me away...He's going to send me back to the Ward family...
The thought of being dragged back to that abusive basement sent a wave of blinding terror through Leo's entire body. No! No, please! Not back there!
Driven by desperate panic, Leo tried to move. He pulled away from Adrian's grip, intending to drop to his knees to beg for mercy, but his weakened, fever-ridden body completely betrayed him. As soon as Adrian released his shoulders, Leo's knees buckled like lead weights. Leo tumbled completely off the mattress, collapsing heavily onto the hard floor beside the bed.
"Leo!" Adrian gasped out, his eyes widening in sudden shock as his anger instantly vanished, replaced by a violent jolt of dread.
Before Adrian could reach down to pick him up, Leo scrambled into a posture of absolute submission. Weak, dizzy, and sobbing silently, Leo pressed his burning forehead directly against the leather of Adrian's dress shoe. He bowed his head into the dust of the floor, his small shoulders shaking violently with agonizing sobs.
Unable to speak, unable to defend himself or explain the tragic misunderstanding, Leo did the only thing his traumatized past had taught him to do to survive a master's wrath.
He shook his head back and forth against Adrian's shoe, over and over again. It was a silent heartbreaking plea for forgiveness.
I'm sorry...I'm sorry...Please don't beat me...Please don't send me back...I'll be good...Please...
Adrian stood completely frozen, staring down at his feet. The sight of the fragile, feverish boy prostrating himself on the cold floor, desperately rubbing his head against Adrian's shoe to beg for mercy, felt like a poisoned blade plunging straight into Adrian's heart.
The oppressive, suffocating reality of what he had just done hit Adrian with the force of a wrecking ball.
He hadn't been scolding a stubborn, arrogant adult. He had just screamed at a deeply traumatized, mute child who was terrified out of his mind. He had used the exact same loud, threatening tone that Leo's abusers had probably used for years before hitting him.
A wave of bitter disgust and self-hatred washed over Adrian, burning hotter than Leo's fever.