HIS POSSESSION (A MAFIA BL ROMANCE)

MINE TO PROTECT 😍❤️

HIS POSSESSION

Chapter Eight: Mine to Protect

Monday evenings were the one exception to Adrian’s routine.

Le Château was closed.

The restaurant observed every Monday as a day of rest, allowing its staff to recover before another demanding week.

For most people, it was just another day.

For Adrian…

The city felt unusually quiet.

The De Luca estate sat on the outskirts of Manhattan, hidden behind towering iron gates and centuries-old oak trees.

Inside the library, shelves of leather-bound books stretched from floor to ceiling.

A fire crackled softly in the marble fireplace.

Adrian sat alone in a high-backed chair, a book open in his hands.

He had read the same page three times.

He couldn’t remember a single sentence.

Closing the book, he set it aside with a quiet sigh.

A knock came at the door.

“Come in.”

Luca stepped inside.

“Your father has arrived.”

“I’ll be there.”

Dinner with Vittorio De Luca was rarely pleasant.

Father and son respected one another.

Affection, however, had never come easily.

“You’ve been avoiding public appearances,” Vittorio observed as he cut into his steak.

“I’ve attended every meeting that mattered.”

“But not every invitation.”

“They weren’t important.”

Vittorio studied him.

“Something has changed.”

Adrian calmly sipped his wine.

“I’ve become more selective.”

His father accepted the answer—for now.

The following evening…

Tuesday.

Le Château reopened.

The familiar glow spilling from its windows seemed warmer than Adrian remembered.

As soon as he stepped inside, the hostess smiled.

“Welcome back, Mr. De Luca.”

“It’s good to be back.”

The words escaped him before he realized how honest they were.

“Ethan,” the hostess called.

“Table nine.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Moments later, Ethan approached.

“Good evening, Mr. De Luca.”

“Good evening.”

“I hope you had a relaxing day yesterday.”

“I worked.”

Ethan laughed softly.

“I should’ve guessed.”

“And you?”

“I spent the afternoon with my sister.”

There was no hesitation in Ethan’s answer.

Just casual conversation.

Adrian looked at him.

“You have a sister?”

“I do.”

“Younger?”

“Very.”

A smile brightened Ethan’s face.

“She’s convinced she can beat me at chess now.”

“Can she?”

“Not yet.”

The warmth in Ethan’s voice lingered long after the conversation moved on.

It was the first personal detail Adrian had ever learned about him.

A sister.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

Yet somehow…

It made Ethan feel more real.

Dinner progressed as usual.

The restaurant buzzed with quiet conversation.

Music drifted through the air.

Crystal glasses caught the light.

Everything was exactly as it had been for the past week.

Until the front doors opened.

Three men entered.

Expensively dressed.

Confident.

Loud enough to draw attention.

Noah leaned toward Ethan.

“Table sixteen.”

“I’ve got it.”

Ethan picked up three menus and walked over.

“Good evening, gentlemen. Welcome to Le Château.”

One of the men barely looked up.

“We’ll need your best table.”

“I’m afraid this is the best one currently available.”

The man glanced around with obvious irritation.

“I don’t like it.”

“I can move you as soon as another table becomes available.”

Another man smirked.

“We’ll wait.”

For several minutes, everything seemed normal.

Then the complaints began.

The water wasn’t cold enough.

The bread arrived too late.

The wine list was “disappointing.”

Each complaint was answered politely.

Each demand was met with patience.

From across the room, Adrian found his attention drifting toward table sixteen more often than his own meal.

He didn’t like the way they spoke to Ethan.

Not because they were dissatisfied.

Because they were trying to provoke him.

As Ethan placed their entrées on the table, one man deliberately nudged his wineglass.

Red wine spilled across the white tablecloth.

“Oh,” he said lazily.

“You’ve made a mess.”

Ethan looked at the untouched glass.

Then at the man’s hand, still resting against its base.

He understood exactly what had happened.

Still…

He smiled politely.

“I’ll replace the tablecloth immediately.”

“No apology?”

“I am sorry your evening was interrupted.”

The man leaned back.

“You’re calm.”

“I try to be.”

“I wonder how long that’ll last.”

Nearby conversations began to quiet.

Several guests glanced toward the table.

The atmosphere shifted.

Without thinking…

Adrian stood.

Luca immediately noticed.

“Boss?”

Adrian’s gaze never left table sixteen.

He watched Ethan remain composed despite the obvious provocation.

He watched the men exchange amused glances.

Something cold settled inside him.

Not anger.

Disapproval.

Before he could take another step…

The restaurant manager arrived.

“Good evening, gentlemen.”

Within moments, he had taken over the situation, offering to reseat them and personally oversee the remainder of their service.

The tension eased.

Adrian slowly sat back down.

Luca studied him carefully.

“You were going to intervene.”

“I was.”

“Why?”

Adrian didn’t answer immediately.

Because he didn’t have one.

Not one he was ready to admit.

Later that evening, Ethan arrived at table nine carrying dessert.

“Our pastry chef insisted you try this.”

Adrian looked down.

Chocolate soufflé.

“The one you recommended.”

Ethan smiled.

“I remembered.”

For a brief moment…

Neither of them spoke.

Then Adrian asked quietly,

“Were those men bothering you?”

Ethan blinked.

“A little.”

“You handled it well.”

“I’ve learned that some people aren’t looking for a solution.”

“What are they looking for?”

“A reaction.”

“And you didn’t give them one.”

Ethan smiled.

“My manager says the calmest person usually wins.”

Adrian looked at him for a long moment.

“I think he’s right.”

Outside, the night air carried the scent of rain.

Luca opened the car door.

“You nearly involved yourself in a restaurant dispute.”

“I know.”

“You’ve never done that before.”

“No.”

Luca waited.

Adrian looked back toward the softly lit windows of Le Château.

“I didn’t like seeing him treated that way.”

The confession came quietly.

Almost reluctantly.

Luca nodded once.

“I thought as much.”

As the sedan disappeared into the Manhattan traffic, Adrian rested his head against the leather seat.

For days, he’d been trying to understand what Ethan Brooks had become to him.

Tonight…

He found one answer.

When Ethan smiled, the restaurant felt warmer.

When Ethan was absent, something felt missing.

And when someone tried to hurt him…

Every instinct Adrian possessed urged him to step between them.

He still couldn’t explain why.

He only knew one thing.

For the first time in years…

Someone else’s peace had become important to him.

End of Chapter Eight.