Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Betrayal

Author's Short Note:

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for following my story and sticking with me this far. I really appreciate all the votes and comments I get. So truly hope you're still enjoying it!

I wanted to let you know that I’ll be taking a short break from updating the story from 4/2 to 7/2. Regular updates will resume on 8/2.

If I can sneak in some time between packing snacks and taking selfies, I’ll try to update sooner.

Oh, and no stress—it’s just a mini vacation! I promise I’ll come back refreshed and ready to roll. So wait for me, okay? You’re the best!

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The air in the room was thick.

With tension.

With things unsaid.

With the weight of everything neither of them knew how to say.

Nani stood in front of Sky, arms crossed so tight his nails dug into his skin.

Sky, sitting on the edge of the bed, didn’t move. He just watched him.

Waiting.

Like he always did.

Like he knew Nani needed to say this first.

But Nani didn’t know where to start.

How do you yell at someone for nearly dying for you?

How do you tell them that it scared you in a way you don’t know how to handle?

He inhaled sharply. “You’re reckless.”

Sky tilted his head slightly. “I saved my team.”

“At what cost?” Nani’s voice came sharper than he intended. “You got shot, Sky. You nearly bled out. Do you even care?”

Sky’s gaze didn’t waver. “If it meant keeping you safe? No, I don’t.”

Nani’s breath caught.

His fingers curled into his palms. “That’s not your choice to make.”

Sky studied him for a long moment.

Then—quietly, simply—he said, “Neither was losing you.”

Nani froze.

His mind went blank. His pulse slammed against his ribs.

Sky’s voice was softer now, but it cut deeper.

“You think I don’t know what that feels like?”

Nani swallowed hard.

Sky exhaled, shaking his head. “I lost you before I ever got the chance to know you.”

Nani’s stomach twisted.

Because Sky never said things like this.

Never let this much slip.

But now—

Now, he was saying it like it was a fact.

Like it had always been true.

Like he had been carrying it this whole time.

Nani’s breath shuddered. “Sky…”

Sky didn’t stop.

Didn’t let him brush this off.

Didn’t let him run.

“You think you’re the only one who’s afraid?” His voice was lower now, raw. “I watched you break down before. I saw how much this is destroying you.”

Nani clenched his jaw, looking away. “I can handle it.”

Sky’s fingers twitched against his thigh. “…Maybe you don’t have to.”

Nani inhaled sharply. “You don’t understand—”

“Then make me understand.”

Nani flinched.

Because this—

This was different.

Sky had always been steady, unshaken, a force of nature that didn’t bend.

But right now?

Right now, he was asking.

Not demanding. Not ordering.

Asking.

For Nani to let him in.

Nani’s throat tightened.

Because he wanted to.

Wanted to let Sky be something more than a teammate.

More than a shield.

More than a promise of safety.

But he didn’t know how.

Didn’t know if he could.

So instead, he exhaled—slow, shaky—and stepped closer.

Too close.

Just enough that Sky could feel the warmth of his breath.

Just enough that Nani could see everything in his eyes.

Sky didn’t move.

Didn’t step back.

Didn’t stop him.

And when he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.

“…I can’t lose you.”

The words cracked something in the air between them.

Sky let out a slow breath, fingers twitching—fighting the instinct to reach out.

But Nani beat him to it.

A hand on his wrist. Light. Uncertain.

But there.

Sky exhaled, tilting his head just slightly. “Then stop pushing me away.”

Nani’s fingers tightened.

Because he knew this was a line.

A moment he couldn’t undo.

But this time—

This time, he didn’t let go.

He just nodded.

Barely.

But Sky saw it.

Felt it.

And that was enough.

For now.

------

The Hunt for Answers

The air in the interrogation room was thick with tension.

Thupa leaned back in his chair, completely at ease despite the chains binding his wrists. His smirk never wavered, even as Thanawat, Dew, and Sakda stared him down.

Sky stood beside Nani, arms crossed, his presence solid and unyielding.

Nani, on the other hand—he felt like a live wire.

Because now that he was face-to-face with Thupa, everything felt too real.

Twelve years.

Twelve years he had spent by this man’s side.

Twelve years earning his trust.

Twelve years that meant nothing the second his cover was blown.

Thupa tilted his head, eyes settling on Nani like a predator that recognized its prey.

“Well, well,” he drawled. “Still alive. That’s unexpected.”

Nani’s fingers curled into a fist.

Sky shifted slightly beside him. A silent warning. Don’t react.

Thanawat’s voice was sharp. “Let’s cut the bullshit. You know why you’re here.”

Thupa’s smirk didn’t fade. “Do I?”

Sakda’s patience was already wearing thin. “You made a deal with Jason Blackwood. You sold out your own empire to save your skin.”

Thupa laughed under his breath. “Sold out? No. I adapted.”

Dew scoffed. “Yeah? And how’s that working out for you?”

Thupa ignored him, turning his full attention back to Nani.

“You should’ve stayed dead, kid.” His voice was almost… amused. “It would’ve been easier for everyone.”

A muscle in Nani’s jaw twitched.

But he didn’t flinch.

Didn’t look away.

He stepped forward instead. “You know who betrayed us.”

Silence.

Then—Thupa’s smile vanished.

For the first time, there was something cold in his expression.

A shift.

Something real.

Nani took another step, eyes sharp. “You weren’t the one who set us up, were you?”

Thupa exhaled, looking almost… disappointed.

“No, Nani,” he said, voice lower now. “You were.”

The entire room froze.

Nani’s breath hitched. “…What?”

Thupa leaned forward, his gaze dark. "You betrayed me first."

Sky stiffened beside Nani. Dew stopped shifting. Even Thanawat’s usual calm faltered.

Thupa’s voice was smooth but dripping with something bitter.

“For twelve years, I trusted you. I made you my second-in-command. You were supposed to inherit everything.”

His lips curled slightly.

“And all that time, you were lying to me.”

Nani’s hands trembled.

Because he knew Thupa was trying to manipulate him—trying to turn the guilt around.

But the worst part?

It wasn’t a lie.

Thupa had trusted him.

And Nani had betrayed him.

Because it had been his mission.

Because it had been his job.

Because it had been right.

But hearing it now—hearing it from Thupa himself—it hit differently.

It hurt in a way Nani hadn’t been prepared for.

Sky sensed it.

Without hesitation, he moved.

One step forward—just enough to stand between them.

A silent barrier.

A silent declaration.

Nani wasn’t alone.

Thupa’s eyes flickered to Sky, his smirk returning. “Ah. Of course. The famous Captain Wongravee.”

Sky didn’t react. “Who’s the mole?”

Thupa chuckled. “Oh, you think I’ll just give that up?”

Thanawat exhaled sharply. “You don’t have a choice.”

Thupa tilted his head. “Don’t I?”

A pause.

Then he smirked at Nani.

“Tell me, Ghost.” His voice was almost mocking. “Do you ever wonder why Jason knew exactly where to find you three years ago?”

Nani’s stomach dropped.

The air shifted.

Because that—that wasn’t a bluff.

Jason hadn’t just stumbled upon them. He had been sent.

Which meant—

Someone had given him the information.

A mole.

Someone inside.

Someone Interpol trusted.

Nani’s hands curled into fists.

Thanawat’s face was unreadable, but his eyes burned with something cold.

“Who was it?”

Thupa smirked. “That’s the fun part, Chief.” He leaned back against his chair, looking relaxed. “I know. But I don’t feel like sharing.”

Sky’s patience snapped.

Before anyone could stop him, he slammed his hands on the table.

The entire room flinched.

Even Thupa.

Sky’s voice was ice-cold.

“Talk. Now.”

Thupa laughed.

A slow, easy sound.

Because Sky’s anger? It didn’t scare him.

“That’s adorable, Captain.” He grinned. “But threats won’t work on me.”

Sky’s jaw clenched. “Then what do you want?”

Thupa’s smirk widened.

And when he spoke next—he looked straight at Nani.

“I want to talk to him.”

Silence.

Sakda immediately objected. “Not happening.”

Sky’s entire body tensed. “No way in hell.”

Thupa ignored them, eyes locked onto Nani. Waiting.

Because Thupa knew something.

And Nani needed that information.

Even if it meant facing him alone.

Even if it meant walking straight into the past.

Nani exhaled.

Then—he stepped forward.

“Nani.”

Sky’s voice was low. Warning.

Nani didn’t look at him.

He couldn’t.

Because he had already made up his mind.

“Let me talk to him.”

Thanawat frowned. “That’s not a good idea.”

Nani’s gaze didn’t waver.

“I don’t care.”

Sky’s fingers twitched.

Because he had seen this before.

This recklessness.

This determination.

This suicidal need to finish what was started.

And he hated it.

Sky inhaled sharply. “I’m coming in with you.”

Nani finally turned to him. Shook his head.

“No, Sky.” His voice was quiet, but firm.

Sky’s chest tightened.

Because this—this was the one thing Nani wouldn’t bend on.

Sky clenched his jaw.

Felt the frustration. The helplessness.

But most of all—the fear.

Because for the first time, Sky wasn’t sure he could protect him.

------

A Game of Guilt

The heavy metal door clanked shut behind Nani.

For the first time in years, he was truly alone with Thupa.

No squad.

No Sky.

No safety net.

Just him and the man he had betrayed.

Thupa leaned back in his chair, his wrists still cuffed, a smirk tugging at his lips. His gaze flickered over Nani, slow and calculating, like he was peeling away layers.

"Must be strange," Thupa mused. "Standing here as yourself instead of as my right hand."

Nani didn’t respond.

Because the truth was—it did feel strange.

He had spent twelve years at Thupa’s side. Lying. Deceiving. Infiltrating.

And now, sitting across from him, it felt like looking at a ghost of his old life.

Thupa’s smirk widened. “You look uncomfortable, Nani.”

Nani exhaled slowly. “Not really.”

Thupa chuckled. “Liar.”

Silence stretched between them.

Then—Thupa struck.

"Tell me something, kid," Thupa leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Did it ever bother you?"

Nani’s fingers twitched.

Thupa’s voice lowered, smooth and deliberate. "Living in my world. Taking my orders. Eating at my table. Sleeping under my roof. And knowing—every single day—you were going to stab me in the back."

The words hit like a punch.

Nani didn’t flinch.

But inside, he felt it.

Because Thupa wasn’t lying.

Nani had been more than just an undercover cop.

He had been trusted.

He had been family.

And then—he had shattered it all.

Nani swallowed hard. “It was my job.”

Thupa’s smirk didn’t falter. “Bullshit.”

His voice turned softer, almost cruel in its gentleness.

“I raised you, Nani. Kept you alive. You wouldn’t have lasted a month in that world without me.”

A sick feeling twisted in Nani’s stomach.

Because he hadn’t lasted without Thupa.

His first year undercover had been hell.

And Thupa—Thupa had saved him.

The man who was supposed to be his enemy.

The man who had given him a place.

The man who had trusted him when no one else did.

And Nani had destroyed him.

Thupa leaned back, eyes gleaming. He could see it—the hesitation. The guilt.

And he went in for the kill.

“If I had known what you were,” he murmured, voice almost gentle, “I would have killed you myself.”

Nani felt his breath hitch.

Because for a second—just a second—he believed it.

He believed he deserved it.

His heart hammered against his ribs.

Memories crashed into him—

Thupa handed him a gun for the first time.

Thupa telling him to watch his back.

Thupa trusts him enough to put his empire in his hands.

And all of it had been a lie.

Nani wavered.

And Thupa saw it.

"Still playing hero, huh?" Thupa’s voice was almost mocking. "Pretending you're better than us?"

Nani swallowed against the lump in his throat.

The guilt clawed at his ribs.

For a split second, he felt like that kid again.

The one who had belonged to this world.

The one who had found safety in Thupa’s shadow.

But then—he thought of them.

The squad.

Dunk’s teasing.

Santa’s smirks.

Joong’s steady presence.

Perth’s quiet loyalty.

Sky’s—

Sky.

Sky, who had grabbed him in the middle of gunfire and whispered, “Stay close to me.”

Sky, who had stood between him and Thupa.

Sky, who had looked at him and seen something more than a ghost.

Something worth saving.

Nani’s hands clenched.

He wasn’t that kid anymore.

And Thupa didn’t get to define him.

Slowly, Nani breathed in.

Then—he met Thupa’s gaze.

And for the first time in this entire conversation—he smiled.

A slow, sharp smile that made Thupa’s eyes narrow.

“You know what’s funny?” Nani murmured.

Thupa tilted his head. “Enlighten me.”

“I don’t regret it.”

Thupa’s smirk froze.

“I don’t regret betraying you.”

Something flickered in Thupa’s expression.

Something ugly.

“I was never yours, Thupa,” Nani said quietly. “And I never will be.”

Thupa’s jaw clenched.

And just like that—the power shifted.

The control, the mind games, the pressure—it evaporated.

Because now—Thupa was the one losing.

He knew something Nani needed.

But Nani knew something he didn’t.

And that made them even.

Nani leaned forward. His voice was soft. Dangerous.

“Tell me the mole’s name.”

Thupa exhaled slowly.

“I don’t know his name.”

Nani’s breath caught. What?

Thupa’s eyes gleamed. “But I know his face.”

The air shifted.

Nani felt something twist in his gut.

Sky was going to kill him for doing this.

But he had no choice.

He had to see.

“I want to talk to Jason,” Nani said.

Thupa laughed. “Are you insane?”

Probably.

But that wasn’t the point.

“You want to stay alive?” Nani murmured. “Give me a name.”

Thupa’s smirk returned. Darker.

“I’ll do you one better.”

Nani’s stomach dropped.

“I’ll give you a meeting.”

With Jason.