THE D'ARGENTO SECRETS

EPISODE 10

A NIGHT OF CONFUSION AND HEARTACHE

The sleek black car pulled into the driveway of Leo’s penthouse, the soft hum of the engine fading into the background as Nathan Hart stepped out first. Leo followed suit, the night air crisp and cool against his skin. As the door clicked shut behind him, he turned to Nathan, offering a small, tight smile.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” Leo said, his voice betraying nothing of the conflicted thoughts swirling in his mind.

Nathan's grin was easy, familiar. He'd always been like this—charming, confident, the kind of man who always knew how to make Leo feel special when he wanted to. Tonight, it seemed like he was doing just that.

"That's the point," Nathan replied, his tone low, filled with a certain intensity that made Leo’s heart race. "Surprises are good, aren't they?"

Leo didn't respond, merely nodding as Nathan led him inside, his hand brushing against Leo’s back in a move that could only be described as possessive. It was clear—Nathan wasn’t about to let the past slip by so easily. The air between them was thick with unspoken history.

The night passed in a blur of heated kisses, lingering touches, and whispered words in the dark. They shared a night of intimacy, a night that had once been familiar but now felt strangely hollow. Nathan’s hands on Leo’s skin, his warm breath on Leo’s neck—it should have been comforting, it should have felt right. Yet, no matter how much he tried, Leo couldn't shake the thought of Julian. Every time Nathan pulled him closer, Leo’s mind drifted, his thoughts consumed by the man who had been nothing more than a shadow in his life—Julian.

Nathan’s hand found its way to Leo’s chest, pulling him out of his reverie. "You’re thinking about him again, aren’t you?" Nathan's voice was almost a whisper, though Leo could hear the tension in it.

Leo tried to shake off the thought, but it lingered. "No... it's nothing," he replied, though he could feel Nathan’s eyes on him, studying him.

Nathan’s face softened, and he cupped Leo’s chin gently, tilting his head so that their eyes met. "You don't have to pretend with me. You know that, right?" His words were careful, measured.

Leo sighed, looking away. "Nathan, I... I don’t want this to be complicated."

The words hung between them, thick with emotion, but before Nathan could respond, the moment passed. The night stretched on, and they fell into a strange routine. Days turned into nights, and the world around them buzzed with speculation.

Media outlets started to pick up on the story. Photos of them together—laughing, talking, seemingly inseparable—began to flood news feeds. The press couldn’t get enough of them. Had Leo Astor and Nathan Hart rekindled their past love affair? Were they back together?

The whispers spread like wildfire, but Leo remained tight-lipped. He refused to give the media anything to work with. When reporters approached, he simply shut them down with a practiced smile, giving nothing away. He wasn’t ready to address it, not yet—not while his thoughts kept drifting back to Julian.

Meanwhile, Nathan gave them little more than an ambiguous smile when questioned. "Who knows?" he'd say with a shrug, the implication clear. He wasn’t about to shut down the media speculation; if anything, he was enjoying the attention. It was clear—he had his sights set on Leo, and he was playing his cards well.

But Leo could feel the strain of the situation. The confusion, the pressure—it was all too much. His heart was divided, torn between the familiarity of Nathan and the unresolved feelings for Julian.

And Julian... Julian had made himself scarce since the award ceremony. He hadn’t been seen in public, and Leo hadn’t heard from him. His absence spoke volumes.

---

Julian’s World

Julian, on the other hand, buried himself deeper into the world of business. He threw himself into meetings, the weight of his responsibilities at Orion Group bearing down on him. He kept his mask on, his usual cold, distant demeanor, and made sure no one in his company knew his true feelings.

Only Elias Carter, his trusted vice president, knew the depth of his struggle. Elias could see through Julian’s stoic exterior, and though he didn’t comment, he remained a silent observer, ever-watchful of his leader’s unraveling heart.

“I should’ve known better,” Julian murmured to Elias one evening as they sat in the dimly lit office, papers scattered across the desk. "Leo... he’s still with him."

Elias didn’t respond immediately, instead choosing to focus on the documents in front of him. He understood Julian’s pain, but he also knew there was nothing to be done. The situation was out of their hands.

“You can’t keep running from this,” Elias finally said, his voice calm but firm. "You know that, right?"

Julian didn’t look up. "I’m not running. I’m just... dealing with it."

But it was clear that he wasn’t. Not really. The quiet ache in his chest told him everything. Seeing Leo with Nathan, the way they looked at each other—it hurt, it cut him deeper than he could admit. But Julian had made his choice. He had stayed hidden, keeping his distance, because Leo had asked for it.

Still, the emptiness gnawed at him. The weight of being so close to Leo but so far away was unbearable. But what could he do? Leo had made it clear he didn’t want him, and Julian wasn’t about to push.

Meanwhile, as the media buzzed with rumors of Leo and Nathan’s rekindled relationship, Julian's work consumed him even more. The gossip about Leo and Nathan spread like wildfire, but Julian remained a silent observer, watching from the shadows. He wasn’t ready to face Leo—he wasn’t ready for any of it.

---

Back To Leo

Leo’s routine became a strange dance of appearances. He kept up his work, his business, but his mind was constantly divided. Nathan would show up at his penthouse, and they’d fall into a pattern of comfort, of familiarity. But after each night, after the shared moments of pleasure, Leo was left alone with his thoughts, unable to shake the feeling that something, or someone, was missing.

And it wasn’t Nathan.

It was Julian.

The feeling gnawed at him, but he ignored it, pushing it to the back of his mind. For now, he would deal with Nathan, with the media, with everything around him—but Julian? Julian was a different story. One he wasn’t ready to face.

As the days went by, Leo's heart began to feel more and more like a battlefield. Torn between two worlds, two men—one who was familiar, comfortable, and the other... the other who made his heart race with just a glance.

But Leo wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. And so, he kept his distance from the truth, even though his heart knew it.

---

The episode ends with Leo standing alone on his balcony, looking out over the city. The lights shimmered beneath him, but his mind was far away, caught in a whirlwind of emotions he couldn't quite grasp.

And in the shadows, watching it all unfold, Julian was still there—just out of reach.

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