LOGINDex sighed for what felt like the millionth time and turned another sharp corner. They had been down here for about fifteen minutes. The air was cool and damp, and the only source of light came from the small torch in Dex’s hand, casting long shadows along the rough walls. Elian had no idea where they were or where they were going. And his husband… The moment they had gotten inside and the wall sealed shut behind them, Dex had only said two words. “Follow me.” He had turned on the torch and started leading the way. Since then, he hadn’t said anything else. Just the occasional sigh and the steady sound of their footsteps echoing in the narrow passage. Another sigh came from Dex, and this time, Elian couldn’t keep his silence. “Are you okay?” he asked. Dex didn’t stop walking. “Does it look like I’m okay to you?” he replied sharply. Elian’s eyes narrowed. “Hey.” He reached forward, grabbed Dex’s arm, and turned him around swiftly so they were face to face. The torch light caugh
Elian’s back hit the floor hard, the impact knocking the wind clean out of him. He coughed, gasping for air as he stared up at the ceiling of the training room. Sweat dripped down the side of his face. His arms burned and his legs felt like lead. Dex appeared in his vision with a very serious look on his face. “Get up,” he said from above him. Elian didn’t move. He stayed flat on the floor, chest rising and falling too fast. “We should take a break.” Dex shook his head. “There’s no resting on a battlefield.” Elian sat up with a sharp glare, still breathing hard. “Who the fuck fights on a battlefield for six hours? We’ve been at this since five in the morning. I’m hungry. I’m tired. And I need to take a damn shower.” Dex just gave him that familiar, unimpressed look that always meant he wasn’t going to bend. Elian already knew what it meant, and right now he couldn’t give less of a fuck. “What did I tell you about maintaining your anger?” Dex asked. “Well how the hell am I supp
Elian’s fingers tightened around the edges of the file, his eyes lifting slowly to meet Dex’s. Then finally, with shaky hands, he flipped it open. As Dex said, it was their marriage contract. The original marriage alliance agreement between Jacob Virelli and Derek Russo. But this was the one with the hidden clauses. Elian’s eyes scanned the pages rapidly, his breathing growing heavier as he read. Finally, his eyes settled on what he was looking for, and it nearly made his heart stop. ° Clause 7.3 – Power Transfer Protocol In the event of instability or unfitness of either heir, full operational control of the merged territories shall default to the more stable party as determined by a joint council {Jacob Virelli and Derek Russo}. Elian Virelli’s documented psychological history and volatile episodes shall be considered grounds for review. ° Elian flipped another page and found attached medical reports. They were the old ones from when his grandfather has sent him for treat
Elian stared down at his bandages hands, repeating what his husband just said over and over in his head. Then he scoffed bitterly and pushed himself off the bed. He looked down at his husband, his face returning to the cold expression from earlier. “I should’ve known,” he muttered, more to himself than to Dex. “I should’ve known you wanted something. Of course there was a price.” He tried looking everywhere in the room but Dex, but he was failing.“Of all the things I expected you to ask for, telling me to quit wasn’t one of them. How the hell do you expect me to keep trusting you after this?” Dex remained seated on the edge of the bed, watching him carefully. “I’m not asking you to trust me blindly. I’m asking you to see the only way this works. The only way you can actually fight your family is if you’re no longer under them. As long as you’re still the Virelli heir, you’re still their puppet. Your grandfather pulls the strings, your father just blatantly hates you, your brother
Elian remained straddled over Dex, one fist still raised high in the air, knuckles split and bleeding through the bandages. Sweat and blood mixed on his face. His chest rose and fell hard. Beneath him, Dex lay still, watching everything unfold with a dark, unreadable expression.Mark kept his gun raised, ignoring the gun pointing at his own head. His eyes kept flicking between Elian and Dex, trying to make sense of the scene.No one spoke for several long seconds. Until Mark broke the silence.“What the fuck is this?” he asked, voice tight. “Someone explain right now why the hell you’re on top of the boss beating him half to death.”Elian didn’t lower his fist. His eyes stayed locked on Mark, cold and wild. “Put the gun down.”“Not until you get off him,” Mark shot back.“You heard him. Lower your weapon. If that gun stays pointed at him for one more second, I will put a bullet in your head.” James interfered, glaring at the side of Mark's head.Mark’s jaw clenched, but he.didn’t lo
Elian stared at Dex like he had lost his mind.The suddenly felt too small. He looked from his wrapped hands to Dex’s face, waiting for the joke to land, but it never did. “You’re out of your fucking mind,” Elian said flatly. “I’m not going to hit you.”“Yes, you are.” Dex said with a stubborn determination. Elian let out a scoff. “No. I’m not. This is the stupidest idea you’ve ever had. What the hell is wrong with you? You want me to beat you until you’re half-conscious?”Dex gave him a cold look and took one step closer. “You’ve been letting Michael get inside your head for years. He calls you weak, and you believe him. He shows up, and you become the weakest version of you I've ever seen. He orders you around like a fucking puppet, and you abide to his every whim. He fucking drugged you Elian, and you let it happen. I’m not watching that happen again.”Elian’s jaw tightened. “So your solution is to make me beat the shit out of you?” he said flatly.“It’s the only way you’ll remem
Dex slammed Elian against the glass wall of the bathroom, getting out a low groan from him. In a swift move, he turned on the shower and the water came down on them like a storm. The water was a deafening roar against the glass wall that did nothing to cool the fever burning between them. Elian’
“I expected you to be occupied with each other.” Jacob said coldly, looking at their disheveled state. “But I did not expect you to be so occupied that you would allow three million dollars worth of high grade weaponry to be stolen at the warehouse, by a street gang.”Elian's breath hitched as he r
“You both look…well rested.” Jacob, Elian's grandfather, said finally after eating in silence for the past ten minutes.Jacob, Derek, Dex and Elian sat at the table for brunch. Surprisingly, the both of them had come down at the same time for their late breakfast when it was announced that Elian's
Elian stormed into the wildly decorated bedroom, already peeling off every layer of clothing on him. He threw the million dollar suit on him to the floor and turned to glare at his rival, aka his husband, who just walked past him, pretending as if he wasn't even standing there.Anger boiled in him







