CEO loves me with all his soul.
Chapter 41. Mathew’s problem

Chapter 41: 41. Mathew’s problem

The morning sun was high in the sky, casting a warm glow through the windows, but inside Ethan and Adrian’s home, chaos brewed.

Ethan lay in bed, his face flushed with fever, and his expression a mixture of discomfort and annoyance. Adrian was bustling around the bedroom, trying to care for his ailing husband, while simultaneously attempting to keep his own emotions in check. The sight of Ethan, usually so confident and strong, reduced to a grumbling, feverish mess made Adrian’s heart soften—but also made him want to smack some sense into him.

"I’m fine," Ethan groaned, pulling the blanket over his head like a petulant child. "It’s just a little fever."

"Just a little fever?" Adrian repeated, raising an eyebrow as he approached the bed with a bowl of steaming porridge. "You’re burning up like you’re trying to cook yourself from the inside out, Ethan."

Ethan peeked out from under the blanket, his black eyes narrowing at the bowl of porridge in Adrian’s hands. "What’s that?"

"It’s porridge," Adrian replied sweetly, though there was a hint of mischief in his tone. "I made it myself. And you’re going to eat it."

Ethan’s face twisted in horror. "Porridge? Really? Adrian, I love you, but I don’t think I can—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Adrian shoved a spoonful of the warm porridge into his mouth, silencing any further complaints. Ethan’s eyes widened as he swallowed, then let out a low, dramatic moan. "Ugh... okay, that’s actually not bad."

Adrian smirked. "Told you."

At that moment, the door burst open, and in walked Lucas, Ethan’s best friend and personal doctor, with a grin so wide it was as if he had won the lottery. "Well, well, well," Lucas teased, crossing his arms as he stood at the foot of the bed. "The mighty Ethan, brought down by a measly fever. How the tables have turned."

Ethan shot Lucas a glare from under the covers. "Don’t you dare start, Lucas."

"Oh, I’m starting," Lucas laughed, clearly enjoying himself. "This is too good to pass up. I’m going to tell everyone you cried over porridge."

Adrian stifled a laugh as he wiped Ethan’s mouth with a napkin, while Ethan grumbled something incoherent under his breath. Lucas, still chuckling, pulled a syringe from his bag and waved it in front of Ethan.

"All right, big guy, time for your injection," Lucas said, his tone all too cheerful for someone about to jab a needle into his friend’s arm.

Ethan’s eyes widened. "An injection? Is that necessary?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Unless you want to keep feeling like a potato in an oven, yes, it’s necessary. Don’t be a baby."

Adrian smirked at Ethan, enjoying the sight of his husband’s rare vulnerability. "Don’t worry, Ethan, it’ll only hurt a little."

"Whose side are you on?" Ethan muttered, giving Adrian a betrayed look before reluctantly rolling up his sleeve.

Lucas expertly administered the injection, and within seconds, it was over. "There. See? Not so bad."

Ethan rubbed his arm, glaring at Lucas. "I hate you."

"No, you don’t," Lucas shot back with a grin. "You love me because I’m saving your life right now."

Just as Ethan was about to retort, the sound of footsteps approached, and Mathew burst into the room, looking frazzled and out of breath. "Boss! We have a problem!"

Ethan groaned. "Please tell me it’s not about work."

Mathew gave him a pained expression. "It is. You didn’t come to the company today, and Leclair refused to handle any company matters. The workload is piling up, and we’re drowning! Please, Ethan, you have to get Leclair to help."

Ethan let out a long, exaggerated sigh and rubbed his temples. "Leclair refused, huh?"

Leclair, who was wheeling himself into the room at that very moment, looked completely unbothered. "That’s right," he said casually, glancing at Mathew with a bored expression. "I’m not interested in company drama today. It’s my day off."

Mathew clasped his hands together, practically begging. "Please, Leclair! You know the company can’t function without you and Ethan both on deck! We’re swamped with reports, meetings, and deadlines. Just for today, help us out?"

Leclair raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smirk. "I already told you, Mathew. I don’t care. Ethan’s got a fever, and I’m enjoying my break. You’ll survive."

Mathew looked like he was about to cry. "But... the workload is—"

"Not my problem," Leclair cut him off, turning his wheelchair slightly toward the side of the room where Augustin, Lucas, and Adrian were seated, clearly enjoying the spectacle. Augustin was sipping tea, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, while Lucas and Adrian exchanged amused glances.

"I’d say this is better than any drama series on TV," Augustin remarked, taking another sip of his tea. "Mathew, you really should stop begging. Leclair’s in one of his ’don’t care’ moods today."

Mathew, his face paling, turned his desperate gaze to Ethan, who was lying in bed, looking half-dead from the fever. "Ethan, please! If you just talk to Leclair—"

Ethan groaned. "Why do I have to talk to him? He’s a grown man. If he says no, then it’s a no. Just... figure it out."

"But the company—"

Leclair cut in, his tone playful but sharp. "Mathew, my dear, your lack of problem-solving skills is becoming a problem in itself. Do you need me to hold your hand while you file some paperwork? Or perhaps you’d like me to personally wipe the stress off your brow?"

Mathew’s face turned red, clearly embarrassed. "No, I—"

Leclair leaned back in his wheelchair, crossing his arms. "Then get on with it. I’m not going to swoop in like your knight in shining armor just because you’re too scared to make a decision."

Augustin snickered, looking at Leclair with admiration. "Ah, that’s the savage wit I married. Mathew, you really thought you’d get anywhere by pleading? You should have bribed him with a vacation package or something."

Mathew looked mortified, his eyes darting between Leclair and Ethan, who was now covering his face with his hands, trying to suppress a laugh. "I don’t know what to do..."

Adrian finally chimed in, smiling sweetly. "Mathew, you should probably just handle things yourself. I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think. And besides, Leclair deserves a break too."

Mathew looked as if he had been betrayed by every single person in the room. He opened his mouth to argue again, but Leclair raised a hand. "Mathew. Enough. You’ve spent more time begging than it would’ve taken to solve the problem yourself. Go. And don’t come back unless you have an actual emergency."

Mathew, utterly defeated, hung his head and turned to leave the room. "I... I understand," he mumbled, heading for the door.

As soon as he was gone, the room erupted in laughter. Even Ethan, despite his fever, couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.

"That poor guy," Lucas said, wiping a tear from his eye. "He really thought he could convince Leclair to work on his day off."

Adrian shook his head, grinning. "I almost feel bad for him. Almost."

Leclair smirked, clearly pleased with himself. "He’ll survive. If he can’t handle a little stress, then he’s in the wrong line of work."

Augustin leaned over and patted Leclair’s arm. "You’re so cruel, but I love it."

Leclair gave Augustin a teasing look. "Cruel? I call it tough love. Mathew needs to grow a backbone."

Ethan, still lying in bed but in much better spirits, sighed. "Remind me to give him a raise later. He’s going to need it after today."

Adrian chuckled and leaned down to kiss Ethan’s forehead. "You’re still burning up," he whispered softly. "Try to rest, okay?"

Ethan closed his eyes, smiling at Adrian’s touch. "Only if you stay with me."

"I’ll be right here," Adrian promised, sitting beside him on the bed.