Nani hirunkit
I felt alive again.
The bustling mall was loud and chaotic, filled with the chatter of shoppers, the hum of music from various stores, and the faint clinking of cutlery from the nearby food court. I'd missed this-being surrounded by people, blending into the crowd. For the first time in weeks, I felt like myself again.
Dew and Mark trailed a few steps behind me, their alertness impossible to ignore. They didn't say much, but their eyes constantly scanned the crowd, their movements rigid and calculated. It was like a neon sign flashing over us, screaming, "Danger!"
I stopped abruptly, turning to face them. "Guys, can you stop acting like bodyguards for just a minute?"
They exchanged a glance, Mark raising a skeptical eyebrow while Dew smirked.
"Pretend to be my friends, okay? Just for today. Can you do that?" I asked, half-pleading.
Mark opened his mouth, no doubt to protest, but Dew flipped him off casually, stepping forward with an easy grin. "Sure, doc. Whatever you say."
Mark's frown deepened. "The boss isn't going to like this."
"Cheer up, Mark," I said with a laugh, patting his arm. "I already know Sky has half a battalion hidden around here somewhere. You're not really going to let them outshine you, are you?"
That earned a reluctant smile from him, and he finally relaxed, his shoulders dropping slightly. "Fine," he muttered. "But if something happens, don't blame me."
I grinned, spinning back toward the shops. "Deal."
---
The hours flew by as we wandered through the mall. I bought a few necessities-clothes, toiletries, random odds and ends I hadn't had time to think about since moving into Sky's mansion. Dew and Mark even helped me pick out a few things, their banter light and amusing.
For a little while, I forgot about the shadows that seemed to follow me everywhere.
We stopped for lunch at a small café near the center of the mall. Dew cracked jokes the entire time, and even Mark, who seemed perpetually serious, let out a few chuckles. It felt... normal.
But that lingering feeling of being watched never left.
I tried to shake it off, telling myself it was just paranoia. I hadn't been in a crowd like this for so long, so of course, my nerves were on edge. Dew noticed me glancing around and immediately stiffened, his easy smile fading as his gaze swept the area.
"Relax," I said softly, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "It's nothing. Just my imagination."
He didn't look convinced, but he nodded, easing back into his chair. Mark kept his gaze on me for a moment longer before he relaxed too.
I smiled, hoping it would be enough to calm them down. "See? Nothing to worry about."
---
The day had been perfect-almost too perfect.
Laughing with Dew and Mark, teasing Mark until his usually stoic face turned red, shopping for things that reminded me I still had some control over my life-it had felt normal, even freeing.
But as we walked back to the car, the air felt... wrong.
It wasn't the bustling noise of the mall or the distant hum of car engines. It was the silence within the chaos. That prickling feeling at the back of my neck, the sense that something wasn't quite right.
I glanced at Dew and Mark, who were walking a few paces behind me. Dew was carrying a bag with a goofy grin plastered on his face after a joke I'd made, while Mark still scanned the parking lot with his ever-watchful eyes.
I wanted to shake off the feeling, to tell myself I was being paranoid. But I couldn't.
And then I saw it.
A black car at the far end of the lot. Its engine idled, the headlights off, but something about the way it was parked-angled slightly away from the others-set my nerves on edge.
"Mark," I said, my voice tight.
He immediately tensed, his sharp eyes snapping toward me. "What?"
I nodded toward the car. "That one. Do you see it?"
Mark followed my gaze, his expression hardening in an instant.
"Get in the car," Mark said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
But it was too late.
The black car's engine roared, its tires screeching as it peeled out of its spot and barreled toward us.
"Nani, move!" Dew yelled, his voice sharp and commanding.
Time seemed to slow. The car sped toward us, its sleek black hood gleaming under the parking lot lights. I froze for a fraction of a second, my breath catching in my throat as adrenaline surged through my veins.
Then, instinct took over.
I shoved Mark out of the way, the force of it sending him stumbling to the ground just as the car grazed past me. The side mirror struck my shoulder with enough force to spin me around, and I hit the pavement hard, the impact jarring my entire body.
Pain flared in my palms where they scraped against the ground, and my breath came in short, shallow gasps as I tried to process what had just happened.
"Nani!"
Dew was the first to reach me, dropping to his knees as his hands hovered over my arms and shoulders, checking for injuries.
"I'm fine," I managed to say, though my voice was shaky. I held up my hands, palms bloody but superficial. "See? Just scratches."
Mark scrambled to his feet, his face pale as he knelt beside me. "Doctor, I-" His voice cracked. "I should've. I-"
"No." I cut him off, shaking my head even as the pain in my shoulder throbbed. "This isn't your fault, Mark. I'm fine. Really."
But my reassurance did little to calm them.
Dew's jaw was tight, his fists clenched as his gaze darted to the black car speeding away in the distance. "Chase that car!" he barked into his radio, his voice a furious snarl.
Two men appeared seemingly out of nowhere, taking off in pursuit without hesitation.
"Dew," I said softly, reaching for his arm. "Let it go. It's not worth it. I'm okay."
But he wasn't listening. His eyes burned with barely restrained fury, his entire body coiled like a spring about to snap.
---
Sky wongravee
The second the call came through, my blood turned to ice.
"They attacked him."
Win's voice was calm, clinical, as he relayed the details over the phone, but I could hear the tension in his tone.
The words echoed in my mind, drowning out everything else.
"They attacked him."
I barely remembered storming out of the office, barking orders at Win to double the mansion's security. All I could see was the image of Nani-bloodied, vulnerable, hurt.
By the time they arrived back at the mansion, I was waiting for them in the front hall.
Dew and Mark looked tense, their postures stiff, their faces drawn. But all I cared about was him.
Nani stepped out of the car, his movements slow and deliberate, his shoulder stiff. A bandage was wrapped hastily around his palm, and though his expression was calm, I could see the faint tremble in his fingers.
My chest tightened, a mix of relief and rage surging through me in equal measure. He was alive, but he shouldn't have been in danger in the first place.
---
Nani hirunkit
I barely made it two steps inside before Sky was on me.
His hand shot out, gripping my uninjured arm as his dark eyes scanned me from head to toe. His touch was firm but not rough, and the intensity in his gaze made my breath hitch.
"I'm fine," I said quickly, trying to shrug him off. "It's just a scratch-"
"You call this fine?" he snapped, his voice low and furious.
He gestured toward my bandaged hand, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might crack.
"I wasn't hurt," I insisted, though my voice wavered under his glare.
"Not hurt?" His tone sharpened. "You could've been killed."
Before I could respond, his attention snapped to Dew and Mark, who stood silently nearby, their heads slightly bowed like soldiers awaiting punishment.
"It is your job to protect him!" Sky roared, his voice echoing through the hall. "Not the other way around!"
"Boss-" Mark started, but he didn't get the chance to finish.
Sky's fist connected with his jaw in a brutal, unrelenting swing.
"Sky!"
The word tore from my throat, louder than I intended, but it stopped him in his tracks.
"What are you doing?" I demanded, my voice shaky but firm. "Why are you hitting him? This wasn't his fault!"
"They failed," Sky growled, his voice low and seething. His eyes locked onto mine, his anger cutting through me like a blade. "It's their duty to protect you, and they failed."
I stepped closer, looking directly into his eyes. "I'm fine!" I snapped, my voice rising. "Nothing happened to me. I'm still standing, aren't I? So stop blaming them!"
His gaze didn't waver, but his fists clenched tighter, his knuckles white. His silence was louder than any words, a crackling storm that hadn't yet broken.
"Sky," I said, my tone softening slightly. "Look at me. I'm okay."
He shook his head, his jaw tightening. "This isn't okay," he said through gritted teeth. His voice was trembling now, but not with anger-with something deeper. "This isn't supposed to happen. You're not supposed to be out there, throwing yourself into danger. Your life is-"
He stopped abruptly, his breathing ragged, his words cutting off like they were too heavy to say.
"Your life is mine," he finally finished, his voice barely above a whisper but heavy with meaning.
The room fell silent. Dew and Mark exchanged a glance, their expressions unreadable, while the other bodyguards seemed frozen in place.
"Everyone. Out. Now."
The words were quiet, controlled, but the authority in them was absolute. No one hesitated. One by one, they filed out of the hall, their movements quick and deliberate.
Dew lingered for a moment, his gaze flicking to me before he turned and left. The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving me alone with Sky.
---