He marched into the study with a determined look on his face. Antonio had his head bowed over a book, his glasses resting low on the bridge of his nose, three lit candles placed at strategic points around the overly large round table. The study was dim, shadows pooling in the corners between towering shelves of leather-bound volumes. The air smelled faintly of wax and old paper.
"What is it, Ralph?" Antonio said without lifting his eyes from the page.
"I need an answer," Ralph replied, drawing out a chair and sitting opposite him with deliberate calm.
"On what?" Antonio asked, this time raising his eyes slightly, suspicion flickering across his face.
"Alex."
Antonio closed the book with a loud bam and pushed it toward the corner of the table, meeting Ralph eye to eye. Beneath the composed exterior he wore so well, something tightened. If Ralph had found out, this would not be a small inconvenience. It would be a fracture.
"And what about him?" he asked, tone carefully neutral.
"He says you are the reason for his gloominess. Tell me exactly — did you do anything… deterrent to him?"
"What's it to you?"
"Tell me, Tonio. I just want to know. He seemed pretty upset. Very down."
Antonio said nothing.
"You shouldn't be too hard on him," Ralph added, his voice mellowing into something closer to genuine concern.
He really is passionate about Alex, Antonio thought, and the realization scraped at him.
"Why do you care?" Antonio shot back. "I treat my employees how I like."
Ralph did not move. He remained seated, posture firm, gaze unwavering.
"I will have you know," Ralph said bluntly, "that I have a huge crush on Alex. And I intend to confess to him."
Antonio stiffened, a subtle gasp escaping before he could stop it.
"Oh. I forgot you were gay," he said, and the words were not mocking — they were genuinely startled.
Ralph's expression hardened slightly.
Antonio had not learned through confession. He had caught Ralph one night in a well-known gay bar in the city. When confronted, Ralph had simply said he was gay, as though stating his height or eye color. Antonio had never disclosed his own bisexuality in return. Two queer heirs at the helm of one of the most dangerous syndicates in the city was not a narrative he was prepared to feed to the world.
"You did?" Ralph asked dryly.
"Yes," Antonio replied. "So how are you sure Alex is gay?"
Ralph rolled his eyes.
"The internet, dummy," he said, the faintest trace of humor surfacing.
Antonio frowned. It had genuinely never occurred to him to check something so obvious. A tight sensation formed in his gut — sharp, territorial. He recognized it immediately.
Competition.
And his brother, it seemed, was already far ahead.
"So," Ralph said again, leaning forward slightly, "what did you do?"
The question landed heavier this time. Antonio felt the hazy memory of the previous night flash through him — heat, alcohol, loss of restraint, Alex's voice saying no.
He swallowed.
"Nothing," he said.
The word had barely left his mouth when the study door burst open.
Alex marched in, tears streaking down his face, composure shattered but resolve intact.
"Has he told you yet?" he demanded, looking directly at Ralph.
Ralph stood immediately, alarm replacing composure. "Told me what?"
Alex's chest rose and fell unevenly. He pointed at Antonio without looking at him.
"Ask him what he did last night."
Ralph's gaze shifted slowly to his brother.
"Antonio," he said quietly, "what did you do?"
Antonio remained seated for a moment too long. Then he removed his glasses and placed them carefully on the table, as though buying time.
"It wasn't supposed to happen like that," he began.
"Like what?" Ralph's voice sharpened. "Use words."
Antonio stood.
"I lost control."
"That is not an explanation," Ralph replied, each word clipped.
Alex let out a hollow laugh. "He raped me."
The word filled the study, heavy and irreversible.
Ralph's jaw tightened. He turned to Antonio, disbelief and fury battling beneath his controlled exterior.
"Tell me he's lying."
Antonio didn't.
Silence stretched.
"Antonio," Ralph said again, slower now, more dangerous, "tell me he's lying."
"He isn't," Antonio admitted at last, the confession barely above a breath. "I didn't plan it. I didn't wake up intending— it just—"
"You forced him?" Ralph cut in.
Antonio's silence answered.
Ralph took a step forward, incredulity breaking through his restraint. "Since when have you been gay?"
Antonio let out a strained breath. "I'm not exactly gay."
Ralph stared at him. "Then what are you?"
"I don't know," Antonio snapped, frustration cracking his composure. "I didn't know what came over me. I've been with men before, yes, but this— this was different. I didn't think. I wasn't thinking."
"That's your defense?" Ralph demanded. "You weren't thinking?"
Alex stood there, arms wrapped around himself, watching them argue as though he were not the one fractured between them.
Ralph turned to him then, his tone softening instantly. "Alex, look at me."
Alex did.
"You don't have to stay here," Ralph said firmly. "Not if you don't want to. I can take you away from this estate. Tonight."
Antonio's head snapped toward him. "You can't just remove him."
"Watch me," Ralph replied coldly.
"This is still my wing. My staff."
"And he is not your property."
The words struck cleanly.
Antonio's composure faltered. "I made a mistake," he said, the guilt finally bleeding through. "I will fix it. I will make it right."
"You don't get to decide what 'right' looks like," Ralph said.
He turned back to Alex. "You have a choice. Come with me. Stay in my wing. Or leave the estate entirely. I'll arrange security. You won't be alone."
Alex hesitated. His breathing steadied slowly as he looked between the two brothers — one rigid with guilt and possessiveness, the other burning with controlled outrage.
"I don't feel safe here," Alex said quietly.
The admission shifted something in the room.
Ralph nodded once. "Then you're not staying."
Antonio took a step forward. "Alex—"
"No," Alex cut him off, voice shaking but firm. "You don't get to say my name like that."
Silence followed.
After a long moment, Alex moved to stand beside Ralph.
"I'll go with you," he said.
Ralph placed a steadying hand at the small of his back , it was protective, not possessive.
Antonio watched them, something raw flickering behind his eyes as they turned toward the door.
The candles continued to burn steadily on the round table, wax dripping slowly down their sides.