Macau's POV
We're on a bench in the mansion's garden.
"Why did you come with me, Phi?"
"Vegas asked me to come. You come every day to the main family mansion, Macau."
"..."
Why am I surprised?
"You can talk to me."
"I haven't been able to talk to Arm these last few days.
"Tankhun gave him some kind of new mission...I don't know what it is...Arm is deep in the computer looking for something, or on field. He doesn't tell me what it is."
Wait! Was that a secret? I don't remember. Now I've said it.
"Tankhun?!"
"Yeah...Arm said it's because of Khun Kinn, but I'm pretty sure it's Tankhun. I don't know if it's some plan to tear us apart."
"I don't think so. Don't worry. Arm is very competent. He's definitely working on something important."
"Arm said he would talk to my brother, but he hasn't been able to yet. He wants to ask my hand on a date...haha...sounds weird doesn't it?!"
"Haha...Vegas will say yes."
"I don't know..."
"Vegas is very protective of you. I knew it would be like this."
"Actually... it wasn't always like this...He was supportive about Dr Top before. I think it's because of Arm... and... because of you."
Hmn...I think I've said too much.
"Because of me?"
"Phi...never mind"
Why can't I keep my mouth shut?
"Speak up Macau! You can trust me. I'm sure there's a lot going through your head...I know how it is...you'll feel better if you let it out. Trust me."
"It's...it's not my secret."
"Secret?"
"Well...I guess it's okay...since it's in the past."
"What is it? And what does it have to do with me? You mean because of Vegas' jealousy over Tianshi and Gu Wei? When Arm and I were disguised?"
"No...not only that..."
"..."
"In the past...Arm...Arm had feelings for you..."
Please, everyone, don't tell me secrets!
"We've always been good friends. Vegas is jealous of all my friends! Even Tankhun."
"No, Phi! That's not it..."
I can't keep secrets! Don't trust me secrets for God's sake!
"..."
"Arm really liked you. I suspected...and he confessed it to me."
Actually, I found out it myself. Cause I'm that smart, huh!
"If that's what you're saying, it's definitely gone. And what we have is a great friendship."
"I know. I believe it. Arm told me that too. And I shouldn't be revealing it to you."
"Thanks for trusting me."
"I think my brother believes Arm still likes you. Arm said he'll talk to him...explain his feelings for me."
"I see. Arm is an honorable man. He will keep his word and resolve this."
"Don't tell Arm I've told you this, please!"
"I won't, don't worry. We all carry our secrets...and sharing them lightens the load, right?!"
"Do you have secrets, Phi? Want to share with me?"
"Hey Pete! Are you around here?" We are interrupted. Damn!
"Hello, Kim! We brought Venice to play with Tankhun. Are you around here a lot too?"
"No, I just came to say goodbye to my dad. He left on a trip this morning. I'd like to introduce you to my friend Yu Ming. He wanted to say hi to Dad too. Our parents are friends...Zhou family, remember? They are an important partner from the Chinese market. "
Kim introduced a boy about my height, very handsome...with delicate features and a smiling face.
"Nice to meet you all. Call me Jade, please."
Must be this boy Porschay was talking about these days. Hmm...sorry, Chay, you better worry indeed. Geez...Your boyfriend is introducing this guy like he's his new boyfriend.
"Hey" I say.
"Jade... Your name is familiar..." P'Pete narrows his eyes, trying to remember.
"I'm Kim's ex-boyfriend."
Hmmm...handsome ex-boyfriend...not good.
"Right! The one who dumped him in high school to return to China!" P'Pete smiled, satisfied that he remembered. Kim doesn't look happy though.
Oh...handsome ex-boyfriend that dumped your boyfriend, and they get along well...and he is sleeping at your boyfriends place! hmm...not good at all.
"That's me! I'm very happy to meet you. You're really cute."
Cute? Is that the word you wanted to use, dude? Let my brother hear this.
"Uh?! Oh...thank...you."
"I'm sure we'll be good friends."
I hate how nice this guy seems to be. Too clingy!
"...Sure..."
"Are you going to play somewhere, Kim?" Pete asks, looking at the guitar in his hand.
"We are going to the studio... record some songs. Jade is here for that."
"Oh, are you a singer?"
Pete looks like a groupie. Stop being nice to the enemy!
"Yes...among other things."
"He's a very good singer"
"Wow! It would be great to hear you sing some day."
No! He's not your best friend, Ph! This guy is trying to steal Kim from Chay!
"Why don't you sing 'How You Feel', Jade? I accompany you on the guitar."
"Wow!Please!"
"Hmm...okay...if you insist."
[How you feel?
If there's me inside your heart.
I just want to hear you say that you love me.
Can you do that for me?]
The moment that boy started singing, it felt like those lyrics spoke to me.
I know I'm in a hurry, but will Arm say he loves me soon? He should! I saved him several times to hear that! Time is running!"
Damn it.
Chay, worry right now.
Because I heard the voice of an angel.
Suddenly the singing stops.
"Kim! What are you doing here with this guy?"
"Chay?!Calm down."
Arm's POV
"Hello, Khun Noo?! It's Arm. I'm downtown...I've tried talking to some mafia old contacts...reliable mafia bodyguards, but still to no avail. Every time I showed the chess piece picture, they would stop talking to me and walk away."
"Shit... Let's take advantage of my father's absence and search in his bedroom and office."
"Okay, Khun Noo. When I return to the mansion, I will continue to search in the deep web too."
"By the way...Pete brought Venice to see me... and your sly not so secret little lover came along."
"Oh, Is Macau there? Damn...I think I'm still going to take a while to return."
"Wish...why should I care?!"
"I'm sorry, Khun Noo."
...
I stop the car in front of the office building.
"Hey, Arm! What are you doing here? Kinn sent you here?"
"Hello Porsche! Not really...I came to talk to Khun Vegas."
"Vegas?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?!"
"Yes."
"Are you really smart?"
"I like to think that I am."
"Good. Maybe you have a chance."
"I know I'm against the odds."
"You are the mathematician here...I'll take you to his office."
...
"KNOCK, KNOCK, Vegas?!"
"I'm busy"
"Don't be rude. You have a guest."
Porsche opens the door and motions for me to enter Vegas' office. It's very neat. Meticulously arranged.
I bow to him.
Vegas just look at me with an unfriendly gaze and calmly takes his gun out of the drawer, placing it on the desk. Just to try scaring me a little, I suppose.
"Hey, Arm...any problem, shout." Porsche says to me but looking seriously at Vegas.
"What would you do?" Vegas smirks to both of us.
"Call Pete, of course."
"How funny."
"Do you see me laughing?! Don't harm Pete's friends, remember?!You know your wife."
"Will Pete choose his FRIEND over me?" Vegas keeps his gaze at me.
"If you shoot him...YES."
"Leave."
Porsche winks at me and leaves.
"Khun Vegas, I'm sorry for coming here suddenly without prior notice. But I'd like to talk about something very important with you, sir"
"Take a sit."
"I'm here because..."
"Let's cut the crap. The walls in that hotel aren't that thick. I heard enough. And the answer is NO. You can leave now."
Vegas started reading a stack of documents without looking at me.
"May I know why?"
"You know why"
"Please, enlighten me, sir."
"Don't you think you're being too bold?"
"I came here to ask for your permission to date Macau. I know I'm just a bodyguard, but I promise to do my best to be a suitable partner for him."
Vegas stops reading the documents and throws his pen on the desk, annoyed, looking at me.
"Tell me? Do you have some sick fetish to touch what's mine?"
"W-what?"
"My brother...my wife!!"
Vegas gets up and slams his fists on the table.
But that doesn't frighten me. I'm used to tantrums.I calmly get up.
"With all respect. Are you out of your mind, Khun Vegas?"
"Don't play dumb with me. Tell me, Arm. Have you enjoyed that folder...Pete?!"
I can't believe he got the nerve to talk about that folder with me...after all this time...This man has no shame.
"No sir. I never opened that folder."
"Do you want me to believe that?"
" I have too much respect for Pete to do something like that. And you, sir. Can you say the same?"
"How dare you?!"
"I dare to say a lot more. Let's get straight to the point. Do you think I like Pete, right?"
"Isn't that obvious? What do you want with Macau suddenly? Were you fantasizing with Pete while screwing my brother and listening to our moans, huh?! Bastard!"
Vegas raises his angry voice.
"What the fuck are you saying?" I slam the damn desk with my fists to not punch him right in the face. "What do you take me for? Have I ever been this disrespectful to you, Pete or Macau?"
"Don't tell me you didn't take advantage of that stupid disguise to touch Pete, to kiss him. Then you took my bother to a hotel room! You don't fool me. And now you want to use Macau to fulfill whatever sick..."
"You know what? I won't deny it."
"I knew it"
"I'm saying I liked Pete a lot... for a long time. I felt something when hugging and kissing him in disguise. I envied you and I questioned myself why he chose someone like you."
"You would be a better choice then?" He raise his voice to me.
"Yes, I would be a fucking better choice!" I raise my voice to him.We stare each other in rage.
"..." He glanced his gun.
But I was not afraid at all. I was pissed.
"But...I was not his choice...I never was...Pete has never even realized my feelings for him...and I accepted that...and I moved on...you know why?"
"Enlighten me" he said ironically.
"Because when you really love someone, you don't expect anything in return. My choice was to support him to be happy with you...even...even if I didn't think you deserved him at that time. And about Macau...I apologize spending the night with him, but I don't regret it at all. And for your concern, I was focused on him...not in any moans that were not ours."
"You..." Vegas clenches his fists. I said that on purpose. Disrespectful bastard.
"As I said, I moved on from an unrequited love for Pete before getting along with Macau and I ended up falling in love with him." I get to my normal calm tone of voice. "I was reticent about it at first, but...he is persevering and knows how to really love someone. He touched my heart. And here I am for respect of your love for him...but actually...I don't think I need any approval from you anymore. This is just something I would expect from someone capable to understand what I'm talking about. And you certainly don't. I know this conversation was not good, but it was necessary. Excuse me, sir."
I bow to him and turn my back to leave the room.
"Arm..."
"..." I stop and turn my neck slightly. Is he aiming his gun at my back?
"Make sure you treat my brother right."
"..." I firmly nod and leave....
Vegas' POV
Arm...why do I always get the impression that nerdy Clark Kent bodyguard always fares better against me?!
Fuck!
He basically slapped me in the face a couple of times.
Okay! I can live with that!
But I can't live with this...pictures of Pete...somebody sent this to me...close pictures of him handcuffed to that bed at The Diamond Hotel. I've been receiving a picture each day.
Damn Sanya is not dead. It's his doing. I've sent Nop to track him.
Pete is not talking about the chess room anymore...not even about Sanya being shot. His gaze is different recently. I wonder if it's because of these last pictures...these last ones I received this morning and are killing me inside. Maybe the main reason I vented my anger on Arm.
...
Pete's POV
"Thanks for helping me out of that mess, Pete!"
"Juvenile jealousy...don't worry. Kim and Chay will talk and everything will be settled."
"What place is this?"
"Here's the martial arts training room"
"You have traditional Chinese fighting weapons here."
"Bodyguards are trained in various martial arts."
"The long spear... is my favorite."
"Go ahead...you can take it."
"May I?"
"Sure"
"Thank you, Pete"
Jade makes attacking movements with the long spear towards me. His movements are light and deadly.
"Hey! I see you are very skilled. But how about we keep this now, huh?"
"Are you scared, Pete?"
Jade gives me an innocent look...but I have a feeling it's not innocent at all. The tip of the spear touches my neck.
"Should I be scared?"
"Maybe...you have an assassination order on you."
...