When Leo pushed open the door, he found his adoptive mother lounging on the couch, her hate-filled eyes flicking up from the gossip magazine in her lap. She looked him up and down, taking in the borrowed outfit she'd forced on him because his own clothes were "too ratty for a man like Adrian Hale."
"Well? How did the meeting go?" she demanded in an impatient voice that always made his stomach twist. She set the magazine aside and gave him a look of disgust.
Leo stood frozen in the doorway, his hands clasped tightly in front of him. How could he answer? He had no idea how it went. Adrian's assistant said he would inform them of the result. Leo shook his head slowly, his lips pressed into a thin line. Silence was his only language, after all.
"What do you mean, you don't know?" His mother's face darkened, her brows knitting together in that way that signaled an outburst was coming. "You stupid boy, did you mess it up?! If Adrian doesn't marry you, mark my words, you'll be out on the streets before you can blink. No more roof over your head and no more scraps from my table. You will die out there in the cold, hungry, and alone. Is that what you want? To rot like the trash that you are?"
Her words reminded him of how precarious his existence was. He wasn't her real son. He was the orphan she'd taken in years ago, probably for some tax break or pity points from her rich circle. But pity had washed away long ago.
Leo's introverted nature, honed by years of retreating inward to escape the cruelty, made him absorb the insults without outward reaction, though inside, they chipped away at his resilient heart. He observed her fury with that gentle sensitivity he always kept hidden, he knew defenselessness would only invite more pain.
He nodded meekly, dropping his eyes to the floor. His delicate eyes threatened to shed tears but he blinked them back because crying never helped him. It only made his mother angrier and invited more beatings.
"Now go clean the dishes," she snapped, waving a dismissive hand toward the kitchen. "And don't dawdle. You've got chores to earn your keep."
He nodded again like a puppet on strings. His feet carried him to the kitchen where a pile of greasy plates and utensils waited in the sink. The water from the faucet ran cold because he wasn't allowed to use the boiler.
As he scrubbed, his hands turned red from the soap that stung his skin. And without thinking, his mind wandered back to the meeting with Adrian. Leo remembered his piercing dark eyes, that effortless aura of domination he carried around himself.
He was everything Leo wasn't, wealthy, confident, and free. And Leo? A mute orphan with nothing to offer but silence and desperation. Leo's observant eyes had caught the subtle transformations in Adrian's demeanor during their encounter. However, he couldn't exactly read Adrian's thoughts so he had no idea whether Adrian would agree or not.
But Leo didn't dwell on hope, that wasn't in his personality, he had taught himself to expect the worst while quietly enduring.
The hunger gnawed at his insides but there wasn't anything to eat for him tonight, his mother had made that clear long ago by locking the fridge and only she and his stepbrother, Kyle, had keys to it. He was allowed scraps if they felt generous, but tonight, the counter was bare. He clutched his growling stomach and bit his lip.
Once the dishes were done, he slipped out to the balcony. The narrow cluttered space where old boxes, broken furniture, and forgotten junk were piled high. This was his room, if you could call it that. There was no bed, and just a thin mattress he had salvaged from the trash. The wind whistled through the cracks in the railing, carrying the chill of the January night.
He changed quickly out of the borrowed outfit, folding it neatly to return tomorrow to his sister who had lent it, and pulled on his old clothes which were a faded gray sweater with holes at the elbows and threadbare jeans that hung loosely on his too-thin frame. These were one of his two sets but after rotating every day for the past year, it wasn't wearable anymore. Washing them in the sink left them stiff and smelling of mildew, but it was all he had.
He sank onto the mattress, pulling a tattered blanket over his knees. The city lights twinkled below, mocking him with their distant warmth. He shuddered in the chilling cold and soon his thoughts drifted to Adrian again. And to the demands he had requested. Would he agree to his demands when he had asked for so much to escape this hell? It seemed insane now.
Who was he to demand anything from a man like Adrian Hale? That man was handsome, rich, the kind of person you could only see on TV and magazine covers. And Leo? Ugly, mute, with his plain face, tangled hair he could barely afford to cut, and a voice stolen by trauma years ago. No one would want him. So why would Adrian?
Leo's gentle sensitivity made him hyper-aware of his own situation, and he couldn't help but feel tragic and sad.
His demands were probably too much, arrogant, even. Adrian would probably laugh them off, tell his assistant to reject him, and Leo would be back to square one, trapped here, the same invisible and worthless.
Insecurities flooded inside him and he stared at his reflection in a cracked mirror propped against a box. He wasn't beautiful like his sister or handsome like his brother. He had ghost-like pale skin, hollow cheeks from skipped meals, eyes too big and haunted. Who would marry someone like him? Mute, broken, and a burden.
He was jolted from his thoughts when he saw a shadow fall over the balcony door. The sliding glass creaked open, and Kyle stepped out, his smirk was visible even in the dim light. His stepbrother was two years older than him. His predatory gleam in his eyes made Leo's skin crawl. Kyle closed the door behind him and bent down before Leo.
"Hey, mute!" he sneered, his breath reeking of beer. "How was your little meeting? You think you're gonna snag a rich hubby? As if anyone would want a freak like you."
Leo scooted back against the wall and his heart began to pound. Kyle had always taken advantage of his silence since he couldn't or call for help. He would corner him like this before and his hands would wander where they shouldn't, knowing Leo couldn't complain because no one would believe him even if he could speak. Tonight was no different. Kyle lunged and grabbed his arm, his fingers digging in painfully.
"Come on, bro. Let's have some fun before you get married and leave our house."
Panic surged through Leo. He twisted and sank his teeth into Kyle's wrist as hard as he could.
"Ahh!" Kyle yelped, yanking his hand back, blood welling up from the bite mark.
"You bitch!" he roared and slapped Leo, a sharp crack that sent stars exploding behind his eyes. His face throbbed but he was ready to fight back again if Kyle tried anything funny again.
Even though weak and fragile, Leo had at least learnt to fight back against Kyle's advances over time. But it wasn't always the same. Kyle was much stronger and larger than him so Kyle could easily overpower him.
Kyle exploited his silence by cornering him in dark corners or on the balcony, beating him with fists and belts while groping and touching him in ways that left invisible scars deeper than bruises. Leo could endure, too weak to resist. But survival soon gave rise to an unknown strength. Over time, he learned to fight back by biting, scratching, and kicking with desperate ferocity.
Now, Kyle would still strike him in rage, but Leo's retaliation ensured the assaults stopped at blows leaving him thrashed but untouched.
"What was that noise?!" It was his mother's voice.
"Shit! I'll fucking kill you next time, you slut!" Kyle shoved him down, cursing under his breath. He stormed back inside before his mother could catch him.
Leo curled into a ball, tears streaming silently down his face. His cheek burned, and he tasted blood from where his lip had split. This was why he had to leave. To stop Kyle's assaults, his mother's indifference, and the constant fear.
He tried to close his eyes and sleep but sleep wouldn't come. Every small noise made him flinch, imagining Kyle would return for revenge.
He dozed fitfully with the nightmares of hands grabbing him and throwing him into the streets. By dawn, his small and malnourished body was too tired to get up but he dragged himself up anyway. Chores were waiting for him or else he would be punished for slacking.
The kitchen was his first stop. He swept the floors, wiped counters, and started making breakfast. After making it, he transferred everything to the table where everyone came one by one. One by one all the family members sat and began to eat peacefully while chattering.
Kyle's furious eyes exchanged between the bite on his hand and Leo. He smirked and extended his leg when Leo was moving, tripping him, the glass of orange juice slipped from his hands and shattered on the floor, everywhere was a mess.
"You clumsy idiot!" his mother shrieked, her face twisted in rage. "Look what you've done! Can't you do anything right? Worthless mute has to always cause trouble!"
He quickly dropped to his knees, grabbing a rag to clean it up, apologies screaming in his mind but silent on his lips. Kyle's mad eyes are narrowing at the sight of him. Time for revenge for last night, you freak!
"Stupid boy!" he growled, raising his hand to slap him. Leo braced for the impact, eyes squeezing shut.
But it never came.
"What exactly were you about to do?" a deep voice rumbled, sending a shiver down Leo's spine.
He peeked up in confusion. Adrian Hale stood there in his tailored suit out of place amid the grime. In his other hand, he held a thick document.
"M-Mr. Hale?" His mother gaped, her anger evaporating like mist the instant she recognized the man.
Adrian Hale didn't need to raise his voice or move a muscle to others' heart stutters.
Because danger doesn't always announce itself. Tall and immaculate in a charcoal suit that cost more than their yearly rent, he carried the kind of silence that made people check their own breathing. Elite families fought for a seat at his table, begged for partnerships, and still whispered his name like a curse because Adrian Hale was infamous for being colder than winter. He could ruin a bloodline with a single phone call and never change expression.
His dark eyes seemed calm on the surface, flicked to Kyle. He released Kyle's wrist, giving the boy a light shove that still sent him stumbling back two steps.
Kyle's face was drained of color. He cursed Adrian but he knew exactly who was standing in his house.
"Mr. Hale! You're…earlier than we agreed. I thought the appointment was this afternoon." She forced a laugh to hide her son's fault and lighten the mood. She knew she couldn't afford to offend this man, his one word could ruin her next few generations. "Kyle was only teasing Leo. You know how brothers are, playful roughhousing."
Adrian's gaze was perfectly steady, perfectly calm, and utterly murderous in its restraint.
"Teasing?" he repeated, and the single word sounded threatening.
Selene's hands fluttered to her throat, then to her dress, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles.
"Why did you come personally? We were expecting a word from your assistant."
Leo kept his head lowered, staring at the juice-stained floor, but his body was trembling uncontrollably as if he could feel the chills in his bones that Adrian brought with him.
Why was Adrian here? Had he come to complain about Leo's demands? To tell them how presumptuous he was? Rejection would seal his fate, kicked out, dying on the streets. The thoughts made his breath slow and short.
He felt Adrian's heavy and intense gaze on him. Slowly, Leo looked up, and his eyes met Adrian's dark ones. His cheeks flushed when he couldn't handle that gaze and dropped them again on the floor.
Adrian cleared his throat. "I'm here to collect Leo. We've got an appointment to register the marriage today."
The words stunned everyone into silence. His mother's mouth opened and closed like a fish. Kyle muttered a curse under his breath.
And Leo? Relief crashed over him, mixed with disbelief. Adrian...agreed? To his demands?
But why? A man like Adrian, marrying a pitiful mute like him?