Nani hirunkit
"Where are you!" Pond's voice roared through the phone, loud enough to make me wince.
I held the phone a little farther away from my ear as he continued, his words sharp and fast like bullets. "I stopped by the hospital. Phuwin told me you've been taking a break from work, which sounds like something you'd never do! Then I go to your apartment, and it looks abandoned. What's going on, Nani? Is this about that guy? The one Phuwin mentioned? Tell me what's happening!"
I closed my eyes, letting out a long, slow breath. Pond's overprotective streak wasn't new, but this time, it was harder to brush off. I could hear the worry in his voice, the undercurrent of panic he was trying to mask with anger.
"Calm down, Pond," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I'm fine. I promise. I just needed a vacation to clear my head. That's all."
"A vacation?" He snorted, disbelief dripping from the word. "You don't take vacations. Something's not right, and you're not telling me what it is. You've disappeared, no one knows where you are, and now you're just telling me to 'calm down'?!"
I pressed my lips together, guilt twisting in my chest. I missed him-I missed my brother more than I could say. But I couldn't put him in danger, not because of me.
"You still can call me anytime," I said, softening my tone. "I'm not cutting you out, Pond. I just... I need time to sort out some things. Please, just trust me on this. I'm safe. I'm in good hands. You don't have to worry."
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, followed by a heavy sigh. "I'm always going to worry about you. You're my little brother." His voice dropped, quieter now. "Just... don't shut me out, okay? If anything happens, you call me."
"I will," I said, even though we both knew it was a lie. "I promise."
When the call ended, I let the phone slip from my hand, dropping onto the bed beside me. My chest felt tight, and I stared up at the ceiling, trying to shake the ache that had settled in my ribs.
I hated this. The lies, the distance, the isolation. And on top of that, Sky had been avoiding me.
For the past few days, he hadn't shown up for breakfast or dinner, and when I caught glimpses of him around the house, it was always fleeting-him disappearing into his office with Win, Dew, and a stack of files. It was like he was deliberately keeping his distance.
But I couldn't stop thinking about him.
I could still feel the ghost of his kiss on my temple. The way it had been so soft, so fleeting, but had lingered in my mind long after. I missed him. His presence. The way his voice wrapped around me, steady and unshakable. And I hated how much I missed it.
With a sigh, I grabbed my phone again, hesitating for a moment before typing out a message.
Can I go out today? I want to buy something.
I stared at the screen, my thumb hovering over the send button. Was this a mistake? Probably. But I hit send anyway.
The response came faster than I expected.
What do you need? You can ask Mark to get it for you.
I frowned, typing back quickly. I want to go out. Not just send someone else.
This time, the reply took longer. I stared at the screen, watching the little dots appear and disappear as he typed.
Fine, on one condition. Bring all the men.
My frustration flared. No. That'll just attract unnecessary attention. Dew and Mark are enough. Don't you trust them?
Before I could even set the phone down, it buzzed again. This time, it was a call.
I answered, pressing the phone to my ear.
"Nani," he said, his voice low and controlled, but there was an edge of weariness beneath it. "Please don't add more problems to my head right now. I need to know you're safe."
The sound of his voice sent a shiver down my spine, melting my irritation faster than I cared to admit. He wasn't angry-he was worried. And somehow, that made me want to listen to him, even when I didn't want to.
"Fine," I murmured, my tone softer now. "But ask them to stay further back. Just Dew and Mark close to me, okay?"
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before he spoke again. "They'll keep their distance, but don't test me, Nani. I'd rather see you annoyed with them than not see you at all." Tell Mark when you're ready to go."
When the call ended, I found myself smiling faintly, my fingers brushing over the screen like I could still feel the warmth of his voice.
---
Sky wongravee
I hung up the phone, leaning back in my chair with a heavy sigh.
"Win," I called, not bothering to look up.
He appeared at the door almost instantly. "Boss?"
"Arrange several men to follow Dew and Mark," I said. "Make sure they keep their distance, but I want eyes on Nani at all times. No mistakes."
Win nodded and left without a word.
As the door clicked shut, I rubbed a hand over my face, the tension in my chest not easing. Nani had agreed to my conditions-for now. But the way his voice softened toward the end of the call lingered in my mind. It shouldn't have. I shouldn't have cared. But I did.
He always managed to pull me in, no matter how many walls I put up. I hadn't seen him in days, yet his absence felt sharper than I'd expected, as if the house itself noticed he was missing from my orbit. And that kiss on his temple...
I clenched my jaw. It was a mistake. A line I shouldn't have crossed. But the memory of it lingered, unshakable, like a warmth I didn't know I needed.
Another knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. One of my men entered, setting a file on the desk.
"This just came in from the surveillance team we've had on Hansel and Emery," he said.
I opened the file, flipping through the photos. Most of it was routine-meetings, shipments-but then my fingers froze on one image.
A face. Familiar.
The anger bubbled up before I could stop it, sharp and cold, tightening my grip on the photo's edge.
"They've been working together," I muttered under my breath.
This wasn't just business anymore.
My mind flashed to Nani-to his laugh, his stubborn glare, the way he'd looked at me, like he'd finally started to trust me. And then to the way he'd crumbled into my arms when he was too tired to fight me.
A threat against me was one thing. But a threat against him?
I set the photo down carefully, the edge of my lips tightening.
This was personal now.
And no one touched what was mine.