Vegas's POV
"Nop? Why are you calling me? What happened?"
"Khun Kinn is here at the mansion, Khun Vegas."
"Kinn? What is he doing at the mansion? Nobody told me he was looking for me."
"Khun Kinn came to talk to Pete."
"Pete?"
"Pete was also surprised he'd come here alone at this hour looking for him."
"What are they doing?"
"They are locked in the meeting room. Khun Kinn wanted everyone out of the room."
"I'm going back home."
I hang up the phone and I hurry to leave.
"What is it now? Where are you going? tonight we have to..." Porsche asks me, startled.
"Your husband is at my house! Locked in the conference room with Pete."
"Kinn?? Why? I talked to him on the phone not long ago...he casually asked if you were here."
"Casually my ass. He went to the minor family mansion to talk to Pete alone."
"Is he suspicious of something? I'm going with you!"
"No! Wouldn't that be more suspicious?! I'm going alone. You stay here, dealing with things."
"Vegas...don't do anything stupid. Pete was Kinn's trusted man...they can be talking about anything. Don't overthink it."
"Well, I think he should get over it and leave Pete alone."
"What do you mean...?!"
"SLAM"
"Vegas! Shit!"
...
Pete's POV
I don't have time to assimilate what Lian Wang said.
According to him, minor family is behind the assassination order against me.
Minor family.
I'm stunned.
Besides myself, who's minor family now?
...Vegas, Macau, Venice...Porsche...?!
It doesn't make any sense.
Even if he had said 'Main Family', that would sound less absurd.
I meet Khun Kinn in the conference room. He's standing by the window.
Nop is upstairs taking care of Venice.
"Pete... I'm sorry to come without prior notice."
"No problem, Khun Kinn. You are welcome anytime. Please, take a sit.
"..." Khun Kinn doesn't sit down, but approaches me to talk.
His countenance is uneasy.
"Something happened?"
I realize the room is empty. Just the two of us.
It feels like old times...when Khun Kinn used to give me difficult and secret missions...like spying on Vegas. Not a good feeling though.
"Pete... I need you to be honest with me."
"Sure."
"How's it been living here...with Vegas?"
"Huh?! Living with Vegas?! Everything's fine. We live like a family... we are a family. Vegas, Macau, Venice and me. I like to think that we are all very happy...why?
"Does he treat you right?!"
"Sure. It's almost suffocating...haha."
"Okay..."
I serve him a whisky.
"Don't worry. I appreciate your concern, Kuhn Kinn. Vegas is a little impulsive sometimes, but that's because he really cares a lot about me. Besides...you don't have to carry any concern about it...you don't own me anything, Khun Kinn...honestly...I'm fine."
I hope my words bring peace to his heart, who I know still carries some remorse.
He nods.
"Where is he?"
"Office. He works late every day."
"Vegas and Porsche."
Kuhn Kinn sips his whiskey.
"Yes."
"It doesn't bother you...?!"
Now that you've brought it up...it bothers me, but I prefer to keep it to myself.
"There's a lot of work to put in place...all the business Khun Khan left behind."
"Mhmm..." Khun Kinn takes another sip. "You're smarter than this, Pete."
I knew there was something more to this conversation. Had he also noticed the strange financial transactions in the minor family's accounts?
"..."
Khun Kinn stares at me.
"You know there's something going on. Even if you can't see it, you can feel it."
I look away from Khun Kinn.
I don't think it's time to share what I've discovered so far...and incite distrust between the clans. I trust Vegas. I trust Porsche.
However, what does Khun Kinn suspect?
"...in what sense, Khun Kinn?"
Khun Kinn sets his empty glass on the corner table and takes a long breath.
He walks towards me and cups my face with his hands, making me stare into his eyes.
"Pete, you are not a fool. I mean every sense."
I can see flames and angst in his eyes.
Oh no...Khun Kinn...you have been bitten by the snake of doubt too.
"CREAK"
Khun Kinn withdraws his hands.
"Am I interrupting? (in English)"
"Vegas...?! No, of course not. Khun Kinn was passing by. We were just chatting."
"The door was closed..." Vegas says strangely calm.
"Not locked." Khun Kinn answered him coldly.
They stare each other in a strange way.
I can feel the air getting thicker between them.
I rush to the side of Vegas to break it.
"You arrived early today. I thought you were in the office."
"I bought the food you like. I came back for us to have dinner together."
Vega speaks to me tenderly.
"Really?! Thank you! Please join us, Khun Kinn."
"Thanks, Pete, but I need to get back to the mansion. Porsche also returned home, Vegas?"
"I don't know...I left first." Vegas keeps a serene countenance.
"Okay..." Khun Kinn looks slightly at me and walks away.
When Vega and I are alone, Vegas' face changes.
"Come with me."
He speaks firmly, without shouting. But he is clearly angry.
"What's wrong?"
Vegas drags me upstairs to our bedroom.
He aggressively throws me onto the bed, leaning over me.
My plans to have a clear, honest and peaceful conversation with Vegas go awry.
"Vegas...wait! We need to talk!"
His hands firmly grip my wrists against the bed.
Vegas' fierce eyes beat Khun Kinn's flaming gaze.
What happens to these two cousins. And why am I the victim of their anguish and anger?
"Will Kinn always be your dear master? Can he do what he wants?"
"No...he just..."
"Stop it, Pete. You need to stop it!"
"Stop what? I don't understand..."
"Why do you let people get close to you? Why do you even let them touch you?"
"No...I don't allow it...no... Khun Kinn was just..."
"You don't?! How do you expect me to believe you don't even notice when you're kissed?"
Vegas frees one of my hands to grab his phone and show me a video, while his other hand moves to my neck.
"..."
Oh man...I'm so tired of hidden cameras.
The video shows the shadow of a man kissing me...the unexpected kiss the white king gave me in that hotel room.
"Do you know him?"
"It was dark."
"Why didn't you tell me there was someone in that room with you? You said there wasn't!!"
"Because I knew you would behave like this... and I needed time..."
"Time for what? To think whether you liked it or not?"
"No! What nonsense are you saying, Vegas?!"
"Look at this video, Pete!"
Vega squeezes my neck, bringing his phone close to my face.
Hi face is red and the veins in his temples bulge.
"Wait...listen...!" I try to hold his wrist to relieve the pressure in my neck.
"You didn't even flinch."
"...Vegas..."
"A stranger kisses you in the dark and you don't even flinch, Pete!"
"...I was..."
How can I tell Vegas that kiss felt familiar?! I was just trying to understand why...I was just trying to recall a memory... no...no...
"You are lying." (in English)
...