Hi,

How are you all? 

I hope you're all well, staying at home and following at the safety precautions. 

Here is a new chapter of my story. I hope you like it.

Warning: Lots of angst so you may need to have a box of tissues near you and maybe some sharp knives in case you wanted to kill someone!

This chapter is edited by Grammarly only. Please, excuse my mistakes.

Your votes, comments and reviews are highly welcomed and appreciated.

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Two days later,

Wad frowned as soon as he entered and saw his friend in the same position he had left him in the morning; laying on the couch and staring blankly at the ceiling. With a sigh and shake of his head, Wad placed the bags of takeout food on the table.

"Kong," he called out. "I brought food. Want to eat now or wait for P'Prem?"

Kongphop glanced at his friend before he rose into a sitting position. "Let's wait," he replied dully.

Wad let out a deep sigh in response.

Kongphop called him a couple of nights ago, asking whether he could crash in for a few days. Both Wad and Prem were perplexed at the sudden request, but like good friends, they accepted. When Kongphop arrived, the two were vastly shocked at the state he was in. His face was sickly pale, and his eyes were blood-shot and blank. Despite their attempts to know what happened, Kongphop stubbornly refused to say a word about it. He also made them promised not to tell anyone that he was staying in their apartment. Prem, however, was so curious, he texted Knott, asking him whether something had happened between Kongphop and Arthit. But all Knott had said was that Kongphop had left them in the morning to resolve a family emergency.

During the past two days, Kongphop was brooding and silent most of the time, only uttering a few clipped words when it's absolutely necessary. His cellphone, Wad noticed, was shut down all of the time since he arrived. Kongphop only called someone once on the night of his arrival before he shut it down again. The following day, he went out for around an hour, but when he returned, his condition was worse, but still, he refused to utter a word about it.

"Kong," Wad spoke. "Aren't you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Kongphop sighed. "I'm not in the mood to speak about it, Wad," he said. "Please, don't ask."

"I'm worried about you, Kong!" Wad said. "You can trust me with your troubles."

Kongphop just sighed in response.

The two heard the apartment's door unlocked before it opened and Prem entered followed by Knott. Kongphop tensed upon seeing the bulky man with Prem.

"So, you've been hiding here for the past two days," Knott remarked casually as he sat in front of Kongphop. Wad and Prem had left them alone in the living room per Knott's request. "Arthit is worried dead about you. He caused P'Kiet and me a significant headache."

Kongphop looked up at Knott with an unreadable expression on his face. "I needed some quiet time to think by myself," he said at last.

"About your mother?" Knott asked, causing Kongphop to widen his eyes in surprise.

"How did you know?"

"Arthit told me the day you left. He knew that your mother had some connection to his assault from the beginning," Knott said. "That's why he refused to report what happened to the police. He didn't want to hurt you."

Kongphop closed his eyes as his heart clenched painfully inside his chest. "How do you know that I'm here because of my mother?" he asked.

"Prem told me that you're moping here," Knott replied. "and P'Kiet told me that your mother was arrested due to her connection to the case. It wasn't hard to connect the dots."

"Does P'Arthit know about my mother's arrest?" Kongphop asked.

"No," Knott replied. "He's devastated as it is. So, tell me what you plan to do?" he asked, staring pointedly at Kongphop. "Are you going to end things with Arthit as he's expecting?"

Kongphop gave Knott a meaningful determined look.

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Kerkkrai entered the villa with a heavy heart. Returning home had become a dreaded and heavy task since his wife was accused of inciting crime. Though their lawyer had managed to bail her out, she was put under house arrest until the time of the trial. Police officers were guarding the house around the clock.

Their eldest son-in-law hadn't wasted time to pass what happened to his wife, who passed it to her sister and her husband. Everyone had arrived at the villa as soon as Kerkkrai reached it on the day of his wife's arrest. They kept arguing and debating about the matter, how they should deal with it and its consequences on their family for hours. Kerkkrai was glad that Kongphop wasn't present that time, or else he would have probably strangled Aat to death.

Kerkkrai shook his head, not wishing to remember the past two days. He was tired and fed up as it is.

"You're back," the cold voice of Waen snapped him from his reverie as he entered his bedroom.

"Yes," he said dully before he took off his jacket while Waen watched him with penetrating eyes.

"Where is Kongphop?" she asked. "I've tried calling him, but his phone is off."

"I don't know," Kerkkrai replied. "I haven't talked to him since he ran out of the police station that day. I don't blame him, though. He's was quite shocked."

Waen huffed in annoyance. "I can't believe that my husband and son are thinking so poorly of me!" she grumbled.

"Waen, you paid a man to destroy a young man's life!" Kerkkrai snapped. "Why can't you realize the severity of your action?"

"How many times do I have to tell you?!" She snapped back. "I didn't tell Onruang to kidnap or rape that man!"

"So, you paid him to break up the relationship between our son and the person he loved!" the man retorted. "As far as I'm concerned, this is the same as if you paid him to rape Mr Arthit! It was a cruel thing to do, Waen! And our son will not forgive you!" Without waiting for a reply, Kerkkrai left the room, slamming the door behind him.

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Kiet watched Arthit with genuine concern as the younger man sat on the floor, trying to solve a 1000-pieces jigsaw of the Rama VIII Bridge since dinnertime. The officer was starting to worry about his charge because Arthit had been in a gloomy mood since Kongphop's sudden disappearance two days ago. He became depressed, moody and reticent. His bleak aura alone was enough to smother the entire room.

Siriporn and Knott were remarkably relaxed about the whole matter, giving Arthit some space and distance to deal with his melancholy. They silently listened to his grumbles without any comments and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. Though, they did keep a sharp eye on him at the same time in case he tried to do something drastic.

Kiet sighed, wishing Knott was here. He wasn't good at talking to low-spirited people or at cheering them up at all.

He was about to open his mouth to say something when they heard some knocks on the door of the room, followed by the door being moved from its place to make way.

"Good evening," Both men looked up in surprise as Kongphop followed by Knott entered the room.

Arthit quickly jumped to his feet as his boyfriend approached him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Kong!" He exclaimed breathlessly. "I was worried about you. Knott said that your phone had been switched off for the past two days. What happened? Did you resolve your family emergency?"

Kongphop, who was silent the whole time, resisted a smile that was threatening to popup at his boyfriend's worrywart behaviour. It made him both happy and sad at the same time, knowing that he was about to ruin his P'Arthit's mood.

Sensing that their two friends needed privacy, Kiet and Knott left the room quietly.

'It's up to you now, N'Kongphop. Don't mess things up!' Knott thought to himself as he took a last glance at the couple before he closed the door behind him.

"Kongphop," Arthit said as he realized that the younger man hadn't answer any of his questions. "what's wrong?"

Kongphop rose his hand and cupped Arthit's soft cheek tenderly as his eyes glinted with evident sadness. "We need to talk, P'," he said in a soft tone. "We need to be open and frank with each other."

Arthit's heart clenched in fear, but he nodded his head, nevertheless. His earlier excitement faded away in front of the somberness that shrouded the atmosphere around them. Nodding, Arthit sat on the edge of the bed and waited silently as Kongphop joined him.

"P'," Kongphop began as he took his lover's hands into his and squeezed them gently. "My mother was arrested on the charge of inciting Mr Onruang to do what he had done to you."—Arthit's body tensed underneath Kongphop's touch upon hearing this— "And P'Knott said that you knew about this from the beginning, that's why you refused to report what happened to the police. Is that true?"

Arthit closed his eyes as a tear escaped and slid down his cheek before he nodded his head. "I did," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to get hurt, Kongphop."

"How did you know that my mother was involved?" Kongphop asked.

Arthit took a deep breath before he freed his hands from the other man's warm grip and stood up. He was still hesitant to say a word about this matter. Knowing that his mother was involved in this mess was terrible enough for Kongphop. Arthit couldn't imagine what the effects of the entire truth would be on the younger man.

"P'," Kongphop said sharply as he stood up as well. "Tell me how you know that my mother was behind your kidnapping?"

"During my captivity," Arthit said slowly. "Mr Onruang taunted me about getting what I deserve for too stubborn."—a soft sob tore itself from between Arthit's lips, and his body started to shake like a leaf— "He said that what's happening to me was a punishment because I refused to accept...your mother's offer."

"What offer?" Kongphop breathed. Arthit, however, couldn't reply as sobs began to escape his lips consecutively.

"P'Arthit, what offer?" the younger man asked sharply as he forcefully turned around the weeping man to face him.

"Few days before the incident," Arthit said between his sobs. "Your mother came to my company,"

FLASHBACK

Arthit waved goodbye to Earth and Todd before he turned around to walk to his apartment when he heard someone calling his name. Looking in the voice's direction, he saw a familiar man in a grey suit approaching him with long strides.

'What is his name again?' Arthit asked himself as he recognized the man as one of Mr Kerkkrai's secretaries whom he had met in Suthiluck villa.

"Mr Rojnapat," Benz called again as he approached. "I'm Benz Onruang, Sir. We met before few times in Suthiluck villa."

"Yes, Mr Onruang," Arthit waied. "Nice to see you again."

"Mrs Suthiluck is in that car over there," —Benz pointed at a waiting Limousine— "She wants to talk to you about an important matter."

Arthit frowned but nodded before he followed Benz to the waiting car.

"Good afternoon, Mom," he said as he waied respectfully. "How are you?"

Waen shot him a dislike look. "I don't recall allowing you to call me, 'Mom', Mr Rojnapat," she said.

Arthit stared at her, stunned at her hostile tone before he nodded his head. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Mr Rojnapat, I came here for a specific reason," Waen began. "My son is deeply infatuated with you. However, we all know that this relationship has no future, especially for Kongphop, who is supposed to inherit his father's place as the CEO of the company and as head of the Suthiluck family." —Arthit felt his heart clenched painfully at the woman's harsh cold words, but he didn't let it show on his face— "As the such, he's expected to marry someone who would uphold his social status even uplift it and provide him with children who carry on the Suthiluck's blood. Things that you're unable to provide for him!" Waen paused for a few moments as if she was giving him time to digest her words before she continued. "Of course, Kongphop wouldn't understand all of these concerns. He's stubborn and would do whatever he wants, mindless of its consequences, or what others would think. So, I'm here to ask you to end this relationship, if you truly love him and want him to succeed in his life."—she opened her handbag and took out a piece of paper— "This is an open cheque," she said as she presented the cheque to Arthit. "You can write the amount you like in exchange for leaving my son's life forever."

Arthit stared at the piece of paper, feeling anger erupting inside of him like an active volcano. Who does she think he is? Who does she think she is?

Kongphop's mother or not, she was insulting him by assuming that she could put a price on his love.

He would've gladly sacrificed his love if it was for the sake of Kongphop's future. He would've understood Mrs Suthiluck's concerns and may be agreed to let go of Kongphop if she showed a little respect to the feelings that bonded them. But his lover's mother was assuming that his feelings were too cheap, they could be easily bought with money. She was not only insulting him and his feelings but also insulting all the happy memories that he had shared with Kongphop for over four years.

Reached out his hand, he grabbed the cheque before he tore the paper into tiny pieces in front of her eyes. He looked up at her with pride shining in his eyes.

"Have a good day, Ma'am," he said tonelessly before he waied and left the car, slamming the door behind him.

END OF FLASHBACK

Kongphop's body tensed as he listened to his crying lover's story. He couldn't have imagined in a million years that his own mother could steep so low.

"Why didn't you tell me about this when it happened?" he asked his lover in a sharp tone. "Why, P'?"

"How could I?" Arthit snapped as he shrugged Kongphop's hands off him. "How could I tell you that your mother tried to buy my love with money?" —he glared at the younger man with teary eyes— "Would you have believed me if I told you anyway?" he asked sarcastically. "I don't think so!"

Kongphop bit his lower lip in regret as he watched Arthit's tears slid uncontrollably down his cheeks. True, he couldn't believe it now, let alone at that time. But his lover wouldn't have lied about something such as this. He knew the older man too well to accuse him of lying about such matter.

Arthit tried to control his tears, but he failed. He had expected such thing to happen sooner or later, but now that it was happening, he couldn't deal with it in the same he had practised. He didn't want to lose Kongphop, but he was confident that this situation could only end with his lover walking out of the room and out of his life forever.

Suddenly, Arthit felt a pair of strong arms engulfing him and pulling him towards a warm, muscular chest. Burying his face into the crook of his lover's neck, Arthit cried even harder as he prayed to Heaven not to make him lose his lover again.

Kongphop, on the other hand, was struggling with another set of emotions. He was shocked, angry, and disgusted. He was shocked at his mother's behaviour and at the same time angry and appalled. He couldn't believe that she was able to do such a thing to him and his lover, so he had asked Gun to arrange an interview with Benz so he could confirm the man's accusation. During the short meeting, the secretary was obnoxious and offensive in his replies, but not direct. He kept beating around the bush until Kongphop was fed up. The only thing that Benz was clear about was that his mother did pay him a million baht when he managed to remove Arthit from his life.

Kongphop bit his lower lip as his determination to go through his decision increased to another level. He would make sure that none would hurt his beloved again.

He waited patiently until Arthit's crying subsided before he guided them both to the bed where he made them sit facing each other.

"P'," Kongphop began as he cupped Arthit's face and forced him to look at him in the eyes. "I love you, and I want to stay by your side, but what happened had shocked me to the core. It was because of our relationship that you've been hurt so much." —tears flooded down Kongphop's eyes as he spoke— "Not to mention that it was my own mother who had put you through such a horrible experience."

"Kongphop—"

"Please, P'Arthit, let me continue," Kongphop interrupted before Arthit could say a word. "I want us to be together," he said. "But I don't want what happened to you to be repeated. You're in your father's house now and surrounded with friends who would always protect you, but this won't last forever. If we're going to stay together, I have to be sure that you're safe. I can't live my life, fearing that something like this would happen to you again. I need to know where you are and what you're doing at all times so that I can be at ease." —Kongphop inhaled sharply, knowing that what he was about to say was utterly unfair, but he couldn't find any alternative— "P', I'm giving you a choice now. If we are going to be together, you have to let me do whatever it takes to ensure that you are safe without defiance, arguments, or objections. I want you to promise to do whatever I see fit to ensure your safety and my peace. I may sound overassertive and dictatorial, but this is the only I can guarantee your safety and be with you." —Kongphop let out a sob as he struggled to continue— "I feel like locking you in a place where no one would have the opportunity to hurt you. I know it's not fair, but it's the only solution I can think of. P', be positive that I will gladly lock myself in prison with you if it means your safety!"

Arthit listened attentively to Kongphop, feeling as if knives were piercing his heart and soul with every word his lover uttered. He had never imagined that it would come a time when their love would be a curse rather than a blessing. Kongphop was asking him to willingly surrender himself to his lover's will and simply submit to whatever the younger man decided if he wanted them to be together. Arthit didn't know what to make of this proposal or its implications on their relationship in the future, but Kongphop's tears indicated that the younger man foresaw a time where Arthit could be forced into something he wouldn't want. He understood entirely that Kongphop was asking for total power over his life to ease the fear that was growing inside of him. He understood that the younger man was trying to overcome the shock of knowing that his mother was behind everything. And he was 100% sure that the younger man had only asked such request after thoroughly analyzing its consequences.

A hot tear slid down Arthit's cheek before he looked up at Kongphop with trusting eyes.

"I'm too willing to lock myself in prison if it means staying by your side," he whispered.

Letting out a pained sob, Kongphop pulled Arthit closer and hugged like his life was depending on it.

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The next morning,

The first thing that Kongphop saw when he opened his eyes in the morning was the beautiful sight of his Arthit, sleeping peacefully by his side. Rising into a sitting position, he watched with admiration the beautiful smooth features of the sleeping man and noted with a heavy heart the faint traces of tears Arthit had shed last night because of him. Knowing that the past two days must've been hard on Arthit and since the older man had cried himself to sleep, Kongphop decided to let him sleep to his heart content.

"I promise you, P', no one is going to hurt you again," he whispered before leaning down and placing a soft peck on Arthit's forehead. He climbed down the bed and headed to the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, Kongphop stared at his reflection and let out a tired sigh. He was exhausted both physically and mentally from everything that took place in the past four days. Yet, he still had to face his mother soon. His hands clutched into tight fists at the thought of what she had done to his lover. He couldn't comprehend how anyone could do such a thing to anybody, regardless of their reasons. His parents had always been direct with him and sisters when they disapprove of anything. But his mother had resorted to scheming and deceit instead of confronting him, nearly causing the death of the person he loved as a result.

Kongphop took several deep breaths, trying to douse the anger that filled his soul. He had to be calm and practical so that he could handle this situation wisely.

'Just be detached,' he told himself. 'Be calm and level-headed, and you will manage to go through with your plan! P'Arthit had trusted you with his life; you must prove that you're worthy of his trust!'

With that in mind, Kongphop started to clean himself before changing his clothes to begin his day.

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Kerkkrai had just reached his office when his phone rang. He quickly picked it up after seeing his son's name flashing on the screen.

"Kong!" he exclaimed anxiously. "How are you, Son? Where have you been? Why your phone was switched off?"

"I'm fine, Dad," Kongphop replied in a calm tone as soon as his father stopped bombarding him with questions. "I just needed some time on my own. I'm sorry that I made you worry about me."

Kerkkrai let out a relieved sigh. "Kongphop, we need to talk," he said. "Your mother has been resealed on bail. All of us must sit and discuss this matter together."

"I'll come home tonight, Dad," Kongphop said.

Kerkkrai frowned at the lifeless tone of his son but decided not to dwell on it too much. He could only imagine what Kongphop was going through as a result of the shocking discovery of Waen's involvement. Kongphop was always a cheerful person but could also become cold and distant when necessary.

"Alright, Son," the older man said. "Take care of yourself until then."

"Same to you, Dad." With that, the line was cut off.

Kerkkrai let out a tired sigh. Though he was the one who asked Kongphop to come, he was dreading the upcoming meeting between his wife and his son.

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Phet let a deep tired sigh as he reviewed the pile of reports in front of him. He had been working past the regular working hours on a case and following the updates of his son's case with Gun at the same time for four days. He barely saw Arthit a handful of times for a few minutes in the past days, let alone talk to him. Phet was grateful for the presence of Siriporn, Knott and Kiet to keep his son's company.

Phet was anxious about Arthit's state when Gun informed him of what happened in the police station with the Suthilucks. His worries shot sky-high when Siriporn told him that Kongphop hadn't returned to the house for two days. He actually felt a little bit relieved when he learned that the young man had returned home last night, but since he came late and left early in the morning, he hadn't got the time to speak with Kongphop. Phet sighed.

"P'! P'!" The detective snapped from his reverie at Gun's voice.

The young detective was standing in front of him with a worried expression on his face.

"Gun? When did you come in?" Phet asked.

"I knocked the door, but you didn't answer P'," Gun replied as he took a seat in front of Phet's desk. "You look so tired."

Phet let out a soft snort. "What do you want, Gun?" he asked with a tired tone.

"I've come to tell you about the results of my investigations," the young detective replied. "I think it's time to present the case to the prosecution department."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Gun replied. "Mr Onruang and Yu's men have already confessed to their crimes so they will be accused of kidnapping and rape. Ms Jaturapattarapong, Mr Onruang's fiancé, has confessed to her role in facilitating the luring of your son to the cabin by suggesting the change of the entertainment spot and sending messages to your son using Mr Kongphop's phone. The driver and Mr Wad are our witnesses."

"What about Mrs Suthiluck?" Phet asked. "Are you going to press any charges against her?"

"I could, but other than Mr Onruang's word against her, we don't have any proof. Any good lawyer could argue that his accusation is simply due to a grudge."

"And the cheque?"

"Mrs Suthiluck admits that she gave that cheque to Mr Onruang but only as a reward for breaking up the relationship between her son and yours. She denies planning to kidnap and rape him."—Gun paused as if he was gathering his courage to say something before continuing— "but perhaps your son can help us!"

"I doubt he'll agree," Phet replied flatly.

"I know, but I was hoping you or Mr Kongphop would convince him," Gun said. "Your son may be able to help us clear this predicament and clarify whether Mrs Suthiluck was the mastermind behind his assault or not?"

Phet sighed deeply. "I'll try to talk to him and Mr Kongphop about it," he said flatly. "Any update on Yu?"

"I'm afraid not," Gun replied. "The police had searched your area but without any results."

Phet let out a profoundly disappointed sigh. "Listen, postpone sending the case to the prosecution department for until next week," he said. "I'll see what I can do with Arthit meanwhile."

"As you wish, P'."

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Arthit let out a soft laugh as Knott tried desperately to make his partner understand in the Charades game while Kiet was wildly guessing the name of the movie.

Kongphop, Kiet, and Knott and he were in the living room playing Charades while Siriporn took the role of the referee.

"Time!" Siriporn announced, gaining disappointing yells from Knott and Kiet.

"Honestly, P'Kiet!" Knott complained. "It's Crime King!"

"Hey! It's not my fault that you can't mime the words correctly!" Kiet protested.

"Actually, P'," Arthit said. "Kongphop and I have managed to guess it correctly."

Kiet huffed in annoyance as Kongphop concurred with his lover.

"Okay, boys, the score is 20 to 15 for Arthit/Kongphop team!" Siriporn announced, gaining a cheer from Kongphop and Arthit while Kiet and Knott sulked.

Suddenly, Arthit and Kongphop found themselves alone as their company dispersed. Arthit looked at his lover, studying him carefully. He had woken up a little before midday to find his bed empty. He almost had a heart attack if Kongphop hadn't entered the room at that moment to check on him. Arthit was relieved to know that his lover was back to him, but he wanted to talk to Kongphop about what last night. However, the younger man subtly averted the subject altogether. Arthit wasn't a fool, and he could read Kongphop's eyes easily. His lover was hiding a very troubling matter but refused to share it. And though, he had been showering Arthit with love and attention all day long, his eyes spoke of great distress.

Trying to lift his lover's spirit, Arthit suggested a Charade game during lunch, and everyone agreed. They did have a good time, but the sorrow that glinted in Kongphop's eyes never left them.

"Kong," he spoke. "How about we go outside?"

The younger man raised an eyebrow but nodded his head, nevertheless. The two men went outside and sat on the swing in silence for a few moments before Arthit spoke.

"Kongphop, is there something bothering you?" he asked, looking directly into the other man's eyes before he averted his eyes. "I know that I promised not to defy you," he continued softly. "But that doesn't mean that you would hide things from me. I mean I can still listen to your problems and...give you advise if you wish?"

Kongphop smiled slightly at Arthit's shy proposal. Even in the darkest most serious moments, his boyfriend could be so innocent and adorable. The young man contemplated whether he should tell his lover of what was bothering him or not.

"I'm going home tonight to confront my mother," he said in a bitter tone. "I need to understand what's going on."

Arthit lowered his head in response. This was precisely what he had feared would happen. He hadn't wanted to put Kongphop in this situation from the start. He hadn't wanted Kongphop to be put in a position where he would have to choose between him and his mother.

"I'm sorry, Kong," he whispered.

Kongphop gazed at his lover's sorrowful expression for a couple of moments before he reached out and lifted Arthit's face. Without saying a word, he pressed his lips against Arthit's rosy ones with all the love he felt for the other man.

"Don't be, P'Arthit," he whispered as he broke off the kiss. "You've done nothing wrong."

Overwhelmed by the amount of love he was seeing in his lover's eyes, Arthit closed the distance between their face and sealed their lips together once more.

Unknown to the two lovers and to the police officers who were protecting the house, Yu was watching them via a binocular, with unspeakable fury.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Kongphop took a deep breath as he stood in front of the villa's door, bracing himself for the assembly that was waiting for him inside. He had been dreading this moment for the whole day, but he knew that he wouldn't get any answers by remaining in his place.

'Well, time to face the firing squad,' he thought to himself as he took another deep breath before he entered the house.

When he entered, he found his sisters, their husbands and the family lawyer sitting in the living room. His sisters looked at him with eyes full of sadness, sympathy and remorse while his eldest brother-in-law simply averted his gaze away. His second brother-in-law looked uncertain of how he should act around him.

Saying a quick greeting, Kongphop looked at his eldest sister, Kaew. "Where are Dad and Mom, P'Kaew?" he asked.

"Upstairs in their room," she replied.

Nodding, he hurriedly headed to the stairs, not wishing to linger in the living room any longer.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

"Come in,"

Kongphop opened the door as soon as he heard his father's voice, permitting him to enter. He found his parents sitting in the mini living room of their suite, with grim expressions on their faces.

"Good evening, Dad, Mom," he greeted.

"So, you still remember that I'm your mom?" Waen said.

"Waen!" Kerkkrai warned, giving his wife a sharp look but she refused to acknowledge it. Instead, she looked at her son as he stood by the door, silently observing her with clouded eyes.

"I can never forget that you are my mother," Kongphop said eventually in a solemn tone. "It's a fact I cannot change. Just as I cannot change the fact that you've deeply wounded me."

"Wounded you?" Waen asked sarcastically. "I was trying to save you and your future from definite destruction."

"By destroying another man's life?!" Kongphop snapped.

"Watch your tone, young man!" Waen said sharply as she stood up. "I didn't do anything to destroy that man's life, but I surely wanted to stop him from destroying yours!"

"How?" Kongphop retorted. "By kidnap and rape?!"

"I didn't tell that idiot Onruang to do such a thing!" Waen protested. "I just told him to remove that man from your life! I can't be blamed if that idiot turned out to be a pervert!"

"First, you tried to buy P'Arthit with money," Kongphophe hissed. "But when that didn't work, you gave money to that man who ruined P'Arthit's life!"

"What are talking about, Kong?" Kerkkrai asked. "What do you mean by tried to buy Mr Arthit with money?"

"Mom tried to give money to P'Arthit in exchange for leaving me," Kongphop spat, giving his mother an angry look.

"Did you really try that, Waen?" Kerkkrai asked, shocked.

"I had to try," Waen replied with an unsympathetic tone. "I wanted that man out of my son's life, one way or another!"

"If you didn't want me to date P'Arthit, why didn't you say so from the beginning?" Kongphop asked sharply. "You hadn't shown any objection when I told you about my relationship."

"Because you wouldn't have listened to me, even if I tried!" Waen yelled angrily. "You were so determined to marry that man, nothing I said would've changed your mind." —she huffed in annoyance— "So, he was the one who had to disappear from your life. I told that idiot Onruang to do whatever it takes to ensure that that man is out of your life forever because I wanted to protect you! I wanted to see you succeed in life! I wanted to see you married to a woman from a respectful family who would make you happy and give birth to your children!"

Kongphop stared at his mother, with tears sliding down his cheeks, unable to believe what he was hearing. No matter how much she tried to explain the reason behind her actions, nothing could justify all the pain that his lover had to go through. He couldn't comprehend the reason why Arthit had to go through such a terrible plight!

Taking a deep breath, Kongphop wiped his tears and pulled himself together. "You could've talked to me when I first told you about my relationship. We could've discussed it. I would've made you see what P'Arthit really meant to me," he said in a cold tone. "But by what you've done, you not only ruined my boyfriend's life but mine as well." Without waiting for a reply, Kongphop left the room and the house.

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Kongphop reached Arthit's house at the same time as Phet. Climbing down the car, the young man quietly waied to the detective before he turned around to enter the house.

"Wait," Phet spoke, halting Kongphop before he entered. "I need to talk to you about something important."

"What is it?"

"It's about Arthit," Phet replied. "I need you to help me in persuading him. Let's go to my office and talk more."

Kongphop nodded in response.

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To Be Continued...

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Glossary:

Kaew: (F.) Gem

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Hope you like the chapter.

Stay safe.