Sky wongravee
"Are you sure?" I asked, my voice low but cutting through the room like a whip. "Can we trust this intel?"
Win stood firm, his sharp eyes meeting mine. "We've confirmed it, boss. Hong knows about the doctor's brother. He's been watching him for weeks. We missed it because we've kept him off Nani's radar-no meetings, no in-person contact. But Hong managed to find him."
Dew, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, straightened. "This is Hong we're talking about, Sky. He used to be one of us and the best at it. He's not like the others. He knows how to dismantle us from the inside. He's already playing us, and now he's using Nani's brother to get to him."
My fists clenched, the tension coiling in my chest like a spring about to snap. Of course, he knew. He always knew. Every move we made, he was three steps ahead.
"We can't let Nani know," I said, my voice dropping to a growl. "Not until we have this under control. Win, arrange the security of Nani's brother. High alert and double the guards if necessary. I don't care if he's being watched by half the city-I want him untouchable."
Win nodded sharply. "Consider it done."
"This is Hong's move to bait Nani," Dew said grimly. "He knows Nani won't stay put if his brother's life is on the line."
"That's why we can't let him know the full extent of this," I said, slamming my hand on the desk. The sound reverberated through the room. "We control this. We keep him here. If Hong wants to play games, then we'll make the next move."
Before Dew or Win could respond, the door to my office burst open.
Bam!
It slammed against the wall, the sound sharp and jarring, cutting through the tense air like a blade.
Nani stood in the doorway, his face pale, his breath uneven. His eyes locked on mine, wide and filled with something I couldn't bear to see-fear. His phone trembled in his hand, his knuckles white as he gripped it tightly.
"Sky," he said, his voice trembling, barely above a whisper. "It's Pond."
The blood drained from my face. Damn it. He knew.
Dew moved quickly, taking the phone from Nani's hand. He frowned as he swiped through the screen, his jaw tightening with every second.
Win stepped forward. "What is it?" he asked.
"It's photos," Dew said darkly, showing Win the screen. "Photos of Nani's brother. They are watching him.
Nani's breathing grew erratic, his eyes darting between us as if searching for answers. "How?" he whispered, his voice cracking. "How does he know about Pond? I haven't seen him in three months. I've barely called him. I did everything you told me to do, Sky. So how is he still a target?"
I stepped toward him slowly, keeping my voice steady. "Nani, i already took the precaution. My men are protecting him. Pond is safe."
"Safe?" he repeated, his voice rising in pitch. "Safe? He's being watched by your enemy! He's being photographed, tracked, and you're telling me he's safe?"
I reached for him, but he stepped back, his entire body rigid. "I need to see him," he said, his tone desperate. "I need to know with my own eyes that he's okay."
"No." My voice was sharp and final, a command that left no room for argument. "This is exactly what they wants. He wants you to panic, to leave the safety of this house. If you go to Pond, you're playing right into his hands."
"Doc, listen to Boss," Win said, his tone steady but urgent. "We've got this under control. I'll personally make sure your brother is safe."
Nani's hands balled into fists, his entire body trembling. "You don't understand," he said, his voice breaking. "Pond is all I have left. He's my only brother. I can't just stand here while he's in danger. I won't!"
"Nani, listen to me-"
"No!" he shouted, cutting me off. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he stared at me, his eyes full of fear and anguish. "I trusted you! I've done everything you've asked. I've stayed in this house, I've followed your rules, I've let you take control of everything. But this is my brother! I won't just sit here while he's being hunted like some animal!"
"Nani." I reached for him, trying to pull him into my arms, to ground him, to console him. "Calm down, please!, you have to trust me. I will make sure Pond is safe. I swear."
"You always tell me to trust you," he said, his voice trembling with barely-contained emotion. "And I have. I've trusted you with everything-even my life. But what about you, Sky?" His voice cracked on my name, and it felt like a dagger to my chest.
"Do you trust me?"
"You keep saying this is about protecting me, about keeping me safe, but it's always on your terms. You don't even let me choose for myself. How is that trust?"
I froze, my breath catching in my throat.
His eyes burned into mine, filled with pain, anger, and something deeper-something I wasn't ready to face. "You tell me to stay here, to let you handle everything. But do you even believe that I can make my own decisions? Do you even trust me to protect myself? Or am I just another part of your plan-another piece of your puzzle?"
"Nani-"
He interrupted me, his voice breaking as tears spilled over, streaking down his face. "I told you I loved you," he said, his words raw, each one cutting deeper than the last. "I said it, Sky. I put everything on the line for you. And you..." His breath hitched, his hands trembling. "You didn't even say it back. You just stood there."
A sharp gasp came from Dew, and I caught the way Win's eyes widened slightly, his usual composure slipping for just a moment.
He paused, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to hold himself together. Then, in a voice so quiet it nearly broke me, he asked, "Do you love me?"
The question hung in the air like a weight too heavy to bear, his words trembling with desperation and fear.
"Do you love me, Sky?" he repeated, louder this time, his voice cracking under the strain. "Do you? Because I don't know anymore. I don't know if I'm just someone you feel responsible for, someone you need to protect because it's your job. Or if I'm-" His voice faltered, his eyes searching mine, pleading. "Or if I'm anything more to you."
My chest tightened painfully, his words hitting me like a blow.
"Nani," I started, his name breaking on my lips like a confession I wasn't ready to make. My chest tightened, the words clawing at my throat, but when I opened my mouth to speak, he shook his head, stepping back further.
"No," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I can't do this. I can't just sit here while my brother is in danger. I can't..."
Before I could stop him, he turned and walked out of the room, his shoulders trembling as he disappeared through the door.
The sound of the door slamming behind him echoed through the room, leaving a deafening silence in its wake.
------
Sky wongravee
The sound of the door slamming echoed in my ears long after Nani was gone.
I stood frozen, staring at the space where he had been, my chest tightening with every second that passed. The room felt too quiet now, too empty. Even Win and Dew seemed to hold their breath, waiting for me to speak, to make a decision, to do something.
But for once, I didn't know what to do.
His words replayed in my mind, each one cutting deeper than the last.
Do you even trust me? Do you love me?
I clenched my fists, the tension radiating through my entire body. I'd faced enemies, betrayal, death itself-but nothing had ever made me feel as powerless as I did in that moment.
"You need to talk to him," Dew said quietly from behind me, his voice breaking through the fog in my mind.
I didn't respond. What could I say? That I'd failed?
Dew stepped closer, his voice steady but firm. "Sky, this isn't something you can fix by locking him down or sending more guards. You can't fight your way through this."
"I know, i do know" I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. I turned to face him, my eyes narrowing. "But what choice i have"
Win raised an eyebrow, leaning casually against the desk, though his eyes were as sharp as ever. "Do you?" he asked, his tone calm but pointed. "Because from where I'm standing, you're about to let Hong win without him even lifting a finger."
My jaw tightened. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means," Win said, pushing off the desk, "that Hong's goal isn't just to hurt the doctor. It's to dismantle you. He's not just targeting his brother to get him-he's targeting him to get to you. And right now? You're letting Hong do as he wishes."
The words hit me harder than I wanted to admit.
I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair as I turned away from them. My mind raced, torn between the instinct to protect Nani at all costs and the growing realization that my methods were pushing him further away.
"You love him," Dew said quietly, and I froze.
I didn't turn to face him. I couldn't.
"You love him," Dew repeated, his voice steady but softer now. "And he loves you. But he's not going to know if you didnt say it"
My chest tightened, the weight of his words pressing down on me like a vice.
"I can't lose him," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Then don't," Dew said.
I didn't respond. Instead, I turned toward the door, the decision forming in my mind before I even realized it.
"I'll talk to him," I said finally, my voice firm. "But if he thinks leaving this house is an option, he's wrong."
Win exchanged a look with Dew but said nothing as I stepped out of the office and headed toward Nani's room.