Hi everyone,

How are you doing? I hope that you're all fine and well. 😘😘

I'm sorry for not updating sooner. But you all know how difficult these days are 🙍🏻‍♀️🙍🏻‍♀️

Well, here is a new chapter. I hope you like it!

Tomorrow is Krist&Singto Live Fan Meeting ^^ I hope all of you have tickets!

Special thanks to @Seren_dipitous 😍and @yodacapos 😍for their valuable help in writing this chapter. I wouldn't have made it without them ^^

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

Your votes, comments and reviews are always appreciated.

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Wednesday morning,

The first thing that he saw when he opened his eyes was a clean white ceiling and a bright white light. Kongphop blinked his eyes, trying to remember what happened to him and where he could be when Yu's ugly face flashed in front of his eyes.

"P'Arthit!" Kongphop gasped as he tried to rise suddenly, but a great pain shot through his entire body, preventing him from moving. Taking several deep breaths, he waited until his initial panic, and the pain of his body subsided before he checked his surroundings. A soft smile graced his face when he saw Arthit sleeping peacefully beside him. His P's was sitting on a chair by his side with his head resting on the bed, snoring softly in his sleep.

Kongphop's right arm was bandaged and secured to his chest with a sling; thus, he used his left elbow to gently rise into a sitting position, careful in the while not to make any sound and wake up his sleeping boyfriend. He was thirsty and wanted to drink, but when he tried to reach out for a glass of water to quench his thirst, he couldn't reach the glass. Finding no other option, he called the other man.

"P'Arthit! P'Arthit! Wake up!"

Arthit groaned softly, refusing to wake up. "Five more minutes," he mumbled softly.

"P'," Kongphop called as loud as his sore throat allowed. "Wake up. I'm thirsty!"

As soon as his sleepy brain registered what had been said, Arthit's eyes snapped open.

"Kong, you're awake!" he exclaimed as he straightened up. "How are you? Are you okay? Are you in pain?"

"I'm thirsty, P'," Kongphop replied in a raspy voice.

After helping his boyfriend to drink, Arthit called a nurse and asked for a doctor.

"How are you feeling?" the older man asked as he returned to his seat by the bed.

"I'm fine," Kongphop replied. "Shouldn't you be wearing a mask in the hospital?"

Arthit shot him an annoyed glare but said nothing. It wasn't a good time for Kongphop to fuss over him.

Smiling, Kongphop asked what day it was, and Arthit replied that it was Wednesday.

The younger man frowned. He had been out for three days!

An uneasy silence hovered over them for a while. Both wanted to say so many things, but neither dared to begin.

Kongphop, for one, wanted to know what happened after he had passed out, but he didn't know how to bring the matter up. His P' was here with him, which meant that they had been rescued from that maniac, but at what cost?

Observing his lover closely, the younger man scowled, noting the dark shadow underneath the former's eyes. Arthit must not have been sleeping or eating properly for the past three days. In fact, he looked even worse than Kongphop himself. Kongphop bit his lower lip, fighting his desire to ask of what happened in fear that his questions would have unwanted effects on his lover. After all, the last thing he wanted to happen was for his lover to become hysterical or relapse in any way.

Arthit looked at Kongphop with doubtful eyes, wondering if he should tell the other man about what had happened or not. A slight shiver ran down his spine at the mere thought of that day. He had successfully blocked any thoughts or memories that even remotely related to that incident in the past three days, focusing all his thoughts and feelings on his injured boyfriend. However, he was sure, at the same time, that he would have to face them at some point, whether he liked it or not.

'Better later rather than sooner!' he thought grimly to himself as he stole another glance at Kongphop. No, he certainly wasn't going to be the one to bring this matter up, even if his life was depending on it!

Luckily, the heavy silence that nearly suffocated the two had ended when the doctor and a nurse entered to check on Kongphop.

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Phet almost jumped from his seat when a file was dropped in front of his desk suddenly. His mind was too occupied with many things; he failed to notice when someone entered his office and stood in front of him. Phet sighed, feeling as if his brain would explode at any moment. Looking up, he saw Gun standing in front of him with a broad smile on his face.

"What do you want?" the older detective asked with a huff.

"And good morning to you, P'. This is Mr Onruang's full confession," Gun said with a smug tone. "He broke down into pieces when I told him that Yu is dead...not to mention when he saw the pictures from the morgue. I finished this report last night."

Phet's face darkened at the mention of Yu, but he didn't comment. Instead, he opened the file and skimmed through it.

"What is the summery?" he asked as he closed the file. "I don't seem to be able to focus."

"Well, according to Onruang, he asked Yu to help him scare your son away from Mr Kongphop. Their original plan was to kidnap and threaten him into leaving his boyfriend. But Yu, after stalking your son for a while, suggested a minor change in their plan." —Gun seemed to hesitate a little as he gave Phet a pointed look— "Most likely, he decided to rape N'Arthit when he realized that he is your son."

Phet let out a deep breath as he nodded brokenly. He wouldn't put it past Yu to seek revenge in that way. He had, after all, disfigured him when he almost caught him four years ago.

"What else?" Phet asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

"Well, Onruang said that he didn't want to go that far at the beginning, but in the end, he agreed. He also admitted that he had specifically chosen Mr Kessara as N'Arthit's driver because he wasn't an exemplary employee and would be easy to handle if he caused problems."

"Which he had eventually!" Phet commented sarcastically.

"And they knew how to deal with him indeed," Gun completed.

"And what about Yu's men?" Phet asked. "What was their role?"

"Nothing much," Gun replied. "Yu had invited them as a mean to coax them back into his circle. Remember that his gang was breaking up, and this was an attempt to show them that he was still the boss who cared about their pleasure!"

"And what about Mrs Suthiluck?"

"Onruang had confessed that Mrs Suthiluck doesn't know anything about the nature of his plan, but he said that aside from his promised reward, he had asked her for money as extra expenses to pay Yu."

Phet raised an eyebrow. "Pay Yu?"

"Yes," Gun replied. "Onruang said that he told her that he's in need for some extra money to execute his plans."

"How much did she pay?" Phet asked.

"According to Onruang, she paid 1 million."

"Where is she now?" Phet asked.

"She's under house arrest," Gun answered. "I'd like to interrogate her once more, though. She confessed already that she had paid I million to Onruang as a reward, but this is new. I want to confront her with Onruang and his fiancée once more before I write her final indictment."

Phet just nodded in response.

"How is Kiet doing?" The older man asked after a few moments of silence.

"He regained his consciousness last night," Gun replied. "I'll go today to take his testimony."

"And Mr Kongphop?"

"His doctor has just informed me that he had woken up," Gun replied. "I'll give him one day to catch his breath before I interview him."

"And what about Arthit? Have you talked to him?"

"Not yet," Gun said. "But once I'm done with N'Kongphop, I think that N'Arthit will surely cooperate."

"Can N'Arthit's interview be done at home?"

"Of course," Gun said. "I don't see why not."

"I'll arrange for Arthit's interview myself then," Phet said. "Siriporn should be present as well."

Nodding his head, Gun excused himself and left.

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It took all of Kongphop's willpower not to smile as Arthit spoon-fed him his lunch. He glanced at Siriporn, who also was trying hard not to laugh. Arthit was purposely avoiding looking at him straight in the eyes as he continued to feed him.

After the doctor's departure and after Arthit stopped fussing over him, they talked about trivial matters such as Arthit's new phone and other random things until lunch arrived, along with Siriporn.

As the food was put in front of Kongphop, a problem presented itself. How could Kongphop eat with one bandaged limb and the other wedged with a needle?

Siriporn nonchalantly suggested that Arthit should feed his boyfriend like a good wifey, gaining a protest and a deadly glare from Arthit. But in the end, the older man found no other alternative than feeding his boyfriend himself.

"Thank you, P'Arthit," Kongphop said as he was done eating.

"Don't get used to it!" Arthit grumbled as he stood up, removing the tray from in front of the younger man.

"Well," Siriporn said amusedly. "Since you finish your lunch, I think I'll get to work. Oon," she addressed Arthit. "Would you mind giving us some privacy?"

Arthit pouted but left the room.

"So," Siriporn said, looking directly at the man in front of her. "How do you feel?"

"I'm feeling fine, P'," Kongphop replied.

"Are you sure?" the psychiatrist asked. "What you've been through can be very traumatizing."

Kongphop sighed deeply. "I haven't got the time to process it yet," he admitted. "I'm afraid to ask P'Arthit about what happened after I passed out because I don't want him to relapse."

Siriporn's expression hardened upon hearing this. She was herself very worried about Arthit, but since he had been focusing on Kongphop for the past three days, she let it slide. She was simply biding her time until she got her hands on him. Shaking her head, she focused her attention on Kongphop.

"Arthit is another matter altogether," She said. "You should focus on yourself now."

Kongphop frowned at her response but decided not to dwell on it. "Do you know what happened to that man?" he asked.

"He's dead," Siriporn replied. "But I don't know any details."

"I see," Kongphop said tastelessly. "And do you know what happened to P'Kiet?"

"He's alright," Siriporn replied. "According to P'Phet, that gangster was too eager to find Arthit; he didn't make sure that Kiet was truly dead after he shot him."

"That's a relief," Kongphop said with a sigh of relief.

"Enough of your questions," Siriporn said. "and let's talk about you, young man!"

The two talked for a while when suddenly they heard loud voices near the door. Kongphop frowned, recognizing his mother's voice.

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Arthit sat on the floor next to Kongphop's room, leaning his head on the wall behind him. He had been in the hospital by his boyfriend's side for three days, but he was suddenly feeling tired. His father, Siriporn and Knott had been nagging him to return home and take a short break, but he stubbornly refused, fearing that Kongphop would wake up and not find him around. Plus, he feared that his mind would wander to unpleasant memories once he was back in his bedroom. Arthit shuddered at the thought before he forced his train of thoughts elsewhere. He mustn't think such thoughts now. Fortunately, his phone pinged and snapped him from his thoughts.

Looking at the device, he read his father's message before replying. His father had given him the new phone on the morning following the incident, saying that he would feel more at ease if Arthit had a phone of his own. Arthit was happy to finally have a phone, though he really wished if he had his old one because it contained lots of precious pictures. During the past three days, his father kept messaging and sometimes calling him, almost every hour, just to make sure he was fine. However, this morning, his father uncharacteristically asked about Kongphop. Arthit wasn't sure if his father was genuinely worried about his boyfriend's health or he had another motive, but Arthit couldn't help feeling happy at the gesture.

"Mr Arthit,"

Arthit looked up and saw Kerkkrai and his wife standing near him.

"Mr and Mrs Suthiluck," he said as he quickly stood up and waied at them. "Welcome."

He was shocked to see Mrs Suthiluck here since she was under house arrest. But then he noticed a police officer trailing behind them and understood that Mrs Suthiluck must have been granted a special leave to visit her son. Arthit also saw Kongphop's older sisters standing nearby.

"How is Kongphop?" Kerkkrai asked. "The doctor said that he had regained his consciousness."

"And how do you expect him to be after being shot?!" Mrs Suthiluck snapped before Arthit could reply. The woman glared daggers at the young man standing in front of her. "I can't believe the level of your audacity! After everything that happened because of you—"

"Waen!" Kerkkrai cut off his wife. "That's enough!"

"No, it's not enough apparently," she retorted at her husband before turning her attention to Arthit. "What a shameless man! You broke up our family, scandalized our reputation, and now you almost killed Kongphop. Yet, you still have the nerve to stand in front of us like this! Why are you even here?"

"Mom, please!" Kaew and Kik begged their mother to stop but with no success.

"I will n—" she began, but her words died in her throat when she noticed the way Arthit was glaring at her with weary bloodshot eyes.

Arthit could feel his rage bubbling beneath his skin with every word the older woman spouted. He wasn't sure whether it was because the lack of proper sleep or the recent trauma he had gone through, or perhaps it was the fact that the love of his life was resting meters away after being on death's doorstep, or maybe it was all of it combined. Still, there was a tremendous amount of fury that was swelling inside of him and was about to erupt. His entire body was shaking due to the anger he was currently feeling.

"Mrs Suthiluck," he spoke in a cold, solemn voice as he locked his eyes into hers. "I'm here because I'm Kongpob's boyfriend. If he didn't want me by his side, he would have said it a long time ago." —his hands trembled, his heart pounded fanatically against his ribs, and his entire body shook— "As for your accusations of me breaking up your family, of ruining your reputation and almost killing Kongphop, I wasn't the one who paid a gangster to kidnap and rape me in your family cabin."

SLAP!

"Waen!" Kerkkrai hissed, holding his wife from her shoulder and forced her to face. "You've gone too far!"

"Haven't you heard him?" she protested.

"Enough! I don't want to hear another word from you, or I'll send you back home with the police officer!" he threatened.

Waen stared at her husband with fear for the first time in her life. It wasn't his threat that scared her, but his entire being, which suddenly became formidable and terrifying. It was the first time in her life that she saw her husband angry like this.

Meanwhile, Arthit's entire body had become paralyzed; one hand touched his cheek, which was still stinging from Mrs Suthiluck's palm, while the other was clutched into a tight fist. Words of reprimanding gathered on the tip of his tongue, but he tried to hold himself as much as he could. He kept reminding himself that this woman was his lover's mother and to disrespect her was to disrespect both Mr Suthiluck and Kongphop, who didn't deserve that. Suddenly, a hand on his shoulder snapped him from his thoughts. Looking up, he saw Kerkkrai looking at him apologetically. Before anyone could say a word, the door opened, and a grim-faced Siriporn appeared from behind.

"N'Kong wishes to see you," she said, looking in the general direction of Kongphop's parents before she made way for the couple to enter.

Silently, the couple followed by their daughters entered the room, leaving Siriporn and Arthit alone.

Without saying a word, the psychiatrist neared Arthit and took him in her arms.

Arthit buried his face into the groove of Siriporn's neck, feeling exhausted. At that moment, all he wanted was to be snuggled in a warm bed and sleep.

"Why don't you go home, Oon?" Siriporn suggested as if sensing his desire.

"But Kongphop—"

"His family is here now," Siriporn interrupted. "You've been here for three days. You need to rest."

Arthit pulled away and looked at her with hesitant eyes. He was torn between his body's need to rest and between his heart's desire to remain by Kongphop's side.

"You'll be of little use to Kongphop if you collapsed here, Oon," Siriporn reasoned. "You need to rest. Call N'Knott and ask him to come and pick you up."

Biting his lower lip, Arthit thought of his options before he nodded and called his friend as Siriporn had suggested.

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Kongphop showed no emotion as he observed his parents and sisters entering his room. Siriporn and he had heard the entire exchange between his mother and Arthit before he asked the psychiatrist to call in his parents. Listening to the exchange, Kongphop knew that it was time to put his foot down and make his choice. It was time that he must draw the lines he wanted others to respect.

"How are you now, Kongphop?" his father asked as he sat beside his bed.

"I'm fine," Kongphop replied before he looked at his mother. "Why are you here?" he asked, surprising everyone in the room.

Waen's eyes widened in disbelief at her son. "I'm your mother," she said. "how could I not be here by your side when you're hurt?"

He stared at her with blank eyes for a couple of moments. "Then why didn't I see you by my side when I woke up?"

"I am under house arrest if you recall," Waen replied bitterly. "That detective didn't allow me to come to the hospital. Your father had to beg him for a long time before he allowed me to leave the house today. And still, he had a policeman following me like a commen criminal."

"Oh, and why are you under house arrest?" The young man asked casually.

Kerkkrai, Kaew and Kik exchanged worried glances at the strange conversation, feeling that it wouldn't end well, but at the same time, they were at a loss of how to stop it before it developed into an ugly situation. None of them wanted to upset Kongphop in his injured condition, but at the same time, feared the outcome of this exchange. All they could do was to pray that Waen wouldn't say something that would agitate Kongphop.

"You ask why?" Waen, oblivious to her husband and daughters, scoffed. "It's because of your so-called boyfriend, of course! He's adamant—"

"Don't!" Kongphop interrupted her with an angry warning tone. "Don't say one word against P'Arthit! I will not allow you to insult him in front of me again!"

"He's the reason behind EVERYTHING that is happening to us!" Waen snapped. "For goodness' sake, you almost got killed because of him!"

Kongphop's face darkened at his mother's words. "He's not the reason why I was almost got killed," he spat venomously. "You're the one who had caused this!" —Waen's face paled upon hearing this. Her son's malicious and vile tone paired with shocking accusation cut through her heart like a sharp sword— "You're the one who gave money to that ungrateful Onruang to 'remove P'Arthit from my life'," Kongphop continued, mindless of the effects of his words on the older woman. It was if the dam that was holding back all of his pain and bitterness had finally been destroyed and nothing could stop in front of the flood of his rage. "You didn't care how he would do it as long as your wish was fulfilled. Onruang had hired a wanted criminal to complete the mission you've charged him with. And he had allowed him into our property, our company and our lives so he could follow your orders through and be worthy of your so-ever generous reward! This is your doing, Mother! That criminal attacked me because he saw me as a stumbling block in his way to P'Arthit! I wouldn't blame P'Arthit for what happened to me; because that gangster wouldn't have known him if you hadn't instigated Onruang to come between my boyfriend and me!"

By the end of his speech, Kongphop's face was red, and his breaths were fast and shallow.

A heavy silence hung over the room as the Suthiluck family stared dumbfounded at their youngest member. None of them expected his wild reaction, though it was understandable.

Waen, in particular, was astonished. She had never spared a thought of what Onruang had to do to remove Arthit from her son's life, nor she really cared. She was so happy that her son finally was free of the man's presence even to wonder why he had ended their relationship so suddenly. Waen looked at her son and felt guilty at the thought that she had a hand in his injury. She wanted to kill Onruang for associating their family with a wanted criminal who at the end, shot her son. "I didn't intend for matters to reach this far," she tried to explain. "I was trying to protect your future!"

"My future is with P'Arthit," Kongphop said firmly. "and no one else!"

Waen glared at her son, feeling humiliated. It was clear that she had lost this war to that man and her son had chosen him over her. But she wasn't the type that would admit defeat, and certainly not to someone like her son's so-called lover!

"In that case," she said as she stood up. "there nothing else to talk about then." With that, she left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Sighing deeply, Kerkkrai stood up and wished his son a speedy recovery before he followed his wife. Kongphop's sisters, on the other hand, decided to stay with their brother.

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Knott stared curiously at his friend as they stood by Kongphop's room, waiting. Despite his evident weariness, Arthit insisted that he wouldn't leave without informing Kongphop of his departure in person. Thus, the two had been waiting for Kongphop's family to leave. Siriporn had gone a long time ago, but not before she emphasized on Knott to take Arthit straight home and make sure that he got a good rest.

As they waited, the bulky man noticed the angry red mark on his friend's face, but when he asked about it, Arthit simply shrugged and refused to answer. The two men's attention was soon drawn to the room in front of them from which they could hear a heated discussion. Arthit's expression hardened as the argument between Kongphop and his mother accelerated. While Knott frowned, finally realizing what Arthit was afraid of all this time. This couldn't end well between Kongphop and his mother.

The door finally opened, and Mrs Suthiluck appeared. She sent a cold glare in Arthit's direction before she marched down the corridor, followed by her husband.

Arthit sighed before he entered Kongphop's room with Knott tagging along. Both were a little worried about Kongphop's state after such confrontation with his mother, but the younger man seemed to be alright.

"P'Arthit," Kongphop called as he saw Arthit entering his room followed by Knott. "P'Knott."

"How are you, Nong?" the bulky man asked before he looked at the two women in the room and waied at them.

"I'm fine, P'," Kongphop replied. "These are my sisters, P'Kaew and P'Kik,"—looking at his sisters, he introduced his former senior to them— "This is P'Knott. He's P'Arthit's friend and was my senior in college."

"Kong, are you okay?" Arthit asked as everyone was done with the introductions. "I need to go home. I-I'm feeling a little bit tired and—"

"It's alright, P'," Kongphop cut off with a smile. "I'll be alright. My sisters were just telling me that they wish to keep me company tonight."

Arthit nodded before he looked at Kongphop's sisters and thanked them for their help. He wasn't sure how to behave around them, but neither of them was rude to him, nor they seemed to blame him for anything.

"P', what's wrong with your cheek?" Kongphop asked as he noticed Arthit's red cheek when the older man turned his face.

"What?" Arthit asked, a little surprised by the question; his hand involuntarily touched his cheek.

"Your cheek, P'," Kongphop repeated darkly. "Why is it red?"

"Umm..." —Arthit hesitated to answer as his eyes flew to the direction of Kongphop's sisters— "It' s—It's nothing," he said.

Kongphop shot his lover a stern look before he looked at his sisters.

"It was mother, wasn't it?" he asked the two women. "Did she strike him?"

"Kongphop, you're mistaken! It was—" Arthit couldn't complete his sentence as the younger man's glare directed at him forced him to swallow whatever he was going to say. It was useless to explain anything now that his lover had seen his red cheek. His lover was smart and had a sharp eye for everything around him; that's why when he entered, Arthit was careful not to show his cheek to the younger man, until he forgot and looked at the direction of Kongphop's sister and thus, exposing the check that Mrs Suthiluck had slapped.

"Don't lie to me, P'," Kongphop said in an angry tone that none of the presence had ever heard the younger man speak with before. "This is her doing, isn't it?"

Knott frowned at the boldness of his junior and Arthit's docility. In normal circumstances, the ever-polite junior would never talk in such tone to any of his elders, let alone Arthit. And Arthit would never have tolerated such rudeness from a junior. Knott felt that something was going between the two that none of them had told him about.

Sensing his lover's anger, Arthit sighed. "It was nothing, Kong," he said quietly. "I—I shouldn't have said what I had said to her."

Kongphop felt his rage rising to new levels as he heard his lover, trying to excuse his mother's behaviour again. Despite everything she had done, the other man was still trying to defend her actions!

Taking a deep breath, Kongphop decided not to prolong this conversation. Otherwise, he might end up hurting Arthit. Besides, he didn't want his sisters nor Knott to raise any questions about him and Arthit. As for his mother, he already had a plan on how to deal with her and anyone who would try to come between him and his lover. Initially, he had decided to wait until the case was over, but now, desperate times require drastic measures. It seemed that he must start executing his plan as soon as he was discharged from the hospital.

"Go home and rest, P'," he finally said with an emotionless tone.

Arthit looked at him with hesitation for a couple of moments before he nodded his head in complete surrender.

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The trip to Arthit's house was shrouded in a heavy silence. Neither Knott nor Arthit said a word to each other since the moment they left Kongphop's room. The bulky man stole a glance at the man sitting next to him in the passenger seat. Arthit was pressing a cold pad they'd bought from the pharmacy on his cheek to reduce the redness. Kongphop's mother had a strong hand and good health, Knott concluded, judging from the mark her hand had left on his friend's fair cheek. The bulky man had many questions in his mind, but Arthit didn't seem to be in the mood for answering any inquiries.

As they neared the house, both noticed much to their surprise that Phet's car was parked in the garage.

"Knott," Arthit spoke suddenly. "don't tell Dad about what happened in the hospital."

Knott snorted. "What do you expect me to tell him when I don't know anything to begin with?" he asked sarcastically. "Anyhow," he continued after a short pause. "He will surely notice your red cheek and ask you about it. So, how are you going to explain it?"

"I don't know," Arthit whispered in reply.

"Why did she slap you anyway?" Knott asked casually as he parked the car in front of the house.

"Don't ask, Knott," Arthit said before leaving the car.

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Phet was sitting in the living room when Arthit and Knott entered the house. The older man didn't seem surprised to see them, which meant that Siriporn had probably informed him already of their return.

"What happened to your face?" Phet asked, noticing at once his son's red cheek. "Who slapped you?"

"It's nothing, Dad," Arthit said in a tired tone. "Think none of it."

Phet frowned before he glanced at Knott, who shrugged and shook his head, indicating that he didn't know anything. The detective had a distinct feeling that the pair were hiding something from him but decided not to press it for the time being.

"How is Mr Kongphop?" he asked.

"He's fine," Arthit replied. "I' m—P'Siri said that I should come home and rest a little since Kongphop has awakened. And I probably should take some change of clothes for Kongphop and myself."

"You're returning to the hospital?"

"Tomorrow," Arthit replied. "I'll go to the hospital tomorrow."

Phet nodded. "Your room is all cleaned up already. And I fixed the door as well, but I won't give you the keys." –Phet narrowed his eyes, observing his son carefully— "Will it be okay for you to be sleeping there?"

A slight shudder ran down Arthit's spine at the mention of his room. Suddenly, that place had become a source of horror instead of comfort and security.

Phet sighed. Siriporn had warned him that what happened would cause a relapse in Arthit's process in his therapy but for how much it had yet to be determined. She asked him to observe Arthit and inform her of everything he noticed. Well, for starters, his son was clearly afraid to stay in his room.

"You can sleep in my room," he offered. "I'll bring you some clothes."

Arthit hesitated a little upon hearing his father's offer but eventually nodded in agreement. He wasn't ready to enter his bedroom and face the ghosts of that day yet; so, sleeping in his parents' room was his only option.

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Kongphop let out a deep sigh as he stared absentmindedly into space ahead of him, completely lost in his own thoughts. Kaew shook her head as she observed her brother with worry written all over her face.

After the departure of Arthit and his friend, Kongphop had questioned her and Kik about what had happened between their mother and Arthit in front of his room. Not wanting to upset their brother any further, they tried to dodge answering the question at first, but upon his persistence, they had no choice but to tell him the truth. To say that he was upset would be a vast understatement. Neither of them had seen their brother this angry before. Kaew was, expressly, worried because she feared that this would widen the gap between Kongphop and their mother.

The oldest of the Suthiluck's daughters racked her brain, trying to break the heavy silence that enveloped them since then. Her sister, unable to bear the gloomy atmosphere, had excused herself and left.

"Kongphop," Kaew spoke eventually. "We need to talk."

"There is nothing else to talk about, P'," Kongphop said solemnly, repeating his mother's final words.

He had a clear view of what he was ought to do. He realized that he was standing on eggshells and had to navigate through tricky waters with an uncertain future, but he, as a businessman, had learned how to balance between two odds, and this was what he intended to do.

"I need to know what you are up to?" Kaew insisted. "I don't want our family to fall apart. I agree that Mom had wronged both you and N'Arthit, but at the same time, I don't want to lose either my mom or my brother!"

Kongphop looked blankly at his sister for a couple of moments. "Don't worry, P'," he said flatly. "You won't lose either. I know my duties as a son of this family very well, and at the same time, I know how to protect the man I love."

Kaew looked at her brother with worried eyes as his words made her frightened more than comforted. "What—"

Her question was interrupted by several knocks on the door.

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It was almost dinnertime when Arthit opened his eyes. He was too exhausted; he had drifted into a deep sleep the moment he had placed his head on the pillow. Sleeping in his parents' bed felt so good. It reminded him of the days when he used to sleep nestled in his mother's arms. He felt warm, loved, safe, and secured. Arthit realized that only in the arms of his parents and Kongphop, he could have feelings. He also realized that because he wanted to continue to feel that way, he had to be strong and fight fiercely to remain by Kongphop's side.

Arthit let out a soft groan as he stretched his limbs before rising. He saw Knott dozing on a couch nearby with a comic book in his lap. After washing up, Arthit sat on the bed, watching his sleeping friend until a mischievous idea crossed his mind. Picking up a pillow, he threw it at Knott.

"AH!" Knott jerked from his sleep. "What the hell? Arthit!"

Arthit laughed. "Wake up," he said teasingly. "What are you doing in my parents' room, anyway?"

"What else?" Knott snapped. "Watching over you, you ungrateful brat!"

"Well, I'm awake now, so let's go downstairs."

"Alright! Alright!" Knott said grumpily as he stood up and headed to the bathroom while Arthit started to make up the bed.

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After dinner, Phet asked Arthit if they could talk privately for a moment. Though he nodded in agreement, Arthit felt a little apprehensive. His father's facial expression was grim and solemn. Not a good sign!

"Arthit," the older man began as the two sat in Phet's office. "We need to talk about your relationship with Mr Kongphop."

"What about it?" Arthit asked.

"Are sure you want to be with him, Son, after all that happened?" Phet questioned.

"Kongphop has nothing to do with what happened, Dad," Arthit said.

"I know but his mother's involvement—"

"Dad, please," Arthit interrupted. "Don't make Kongphop bear the sins of his mother. He didn't know—"

"Arthit, let me finish," Phet said, interposing his son. "Oon, A relationship is not a bond between two people only. In our society, it's a bond between two families as well. And his mother's involvement in your case will surely create discomfort and tension between you and the rest of his family. You are aware, of course, that Mr Kongphop's family has its reputation and influence in the country. When your case is sent to court, and Mrs Suthiluck's involvement becomes public, many of the Suthiluck family may resent you for causing them a scandal and may try to hurt you. Your life with your boyfriend will not be as easy as it was before. He may have to distance himself from his family and friends as a result, or you two may fall apart because of it. In either way, you'll end up with heartache."—Phet let out a deep sigh— "I don't want you to get hurt again, my son."

Tears slid uncontrollably down Arthit's fair cheeks. He knew that his father's words carried a lot of truth in them, but his foolish heart still wanted to remain by Kongphop's side. He had tried living away from Kongphop for over a year, but it wasn't living at all. He needed the younger man in his life like he needed air to breathe. But Kongphop had already fallen out with his mother because of their relationship, would he be ready to fall out with the rest of his family?

Why was their love causing problems for everyone?

Couldn't they be selfish for once and refuse to sacrifice their love, regardless of the consequences?

Sensing his son's dilemma, Phet sighed deeply.

"Oon," he said. "All I'm asking you is to talk with your boyfriend about this matter. Ask him if he was willing to go through a possible fallout with his family for your sake or not. Talk about the difficulties that you two may face together and ask yourselves if you're willing to bear them for the sake of your love. Then decide what you see best. I will always support you, Son. And I will always be near, to hold you if you ever fall."

Looking up at his father, Arthit nodded his head before he buried himself in his father's warm embrace.

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The next morning, Kongphop wasn't surprised to see Phet and Gun entering his hospital room. It didn't need a genius to figure that the police would visit him sooner or later to ask him about the attack. In fact, he was expecting this visit yesterday. His sister left the room as the two detectives entered, giving them some privacy.

"Good Morning, Nong," Gun greeted as he and Phet took a seat. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, P'," Kongphop replied.

"Well Nong," Gun said. "we're here to ask about what happened in P'Phet's house that day."

"I have nothing much to say, P'," Kongphop replied. "P'Arthit and I were in his bedroom when that man barged in, raising his gun at our faces. He said that he had come to take P'Arthit away and when I stood in his way, he shot me. This is the last thing I can clearly remember."

Gun nodded his head in response.

"That man said that he had gotten rid of P'Kiet," Kongphop said hesitantly. "But P'Siri said that he had survived. Is that true?"

"Yes," Gun replied. "Just like your wound, his wasn't fatal. He had managed to give me a missed call before he passed out. I tried to call him back, but when he didn't answer, I guessed that something wrong must have happened. So, I came with P'Phet and a couple of officers. We managed to reach in time before he could run away."

"What a relief," Kongphop said, letting out a relieved sigh. "Is he truly dead?"

"Yes," Gun replied. "His body turned into Swiss cheese, thanks to P'Phet. I'll show you some pictures if you want."

"No, thank you," Kongphop said. "The truth is I was afraid to ask P'Arthit about what happened since I don't know what that man did to him after I passed out."

"Well, you'll be glad to know that N'Arthit didn't give in so easily," Gun said with a smile. "He even gave Yu a good kick in the balls!"

Phet cleared his throat upon hearing that, reminding the detective that he was still present.

Smiling cheekily at the older man, Gun continued with some other questions before he wrapped up and excused himself, leaving Kongphop and Phet alone.

"We need to talk about Arthit," the old detective spoke for the first time since he had entered the room. "and the fate of your relationship."

"What do you mean by the fate of our relationship?" Kongphop asked, feeling dread filling his soul. This sentence was never a good beginning for any conversation with his lover's father.

"What I meant is since you know now that your mother is involved with Arthit's case, what are planning to do in regards of your relationship with Arthit," Phet said bluntly. He wasn't going to beat around the bush and would never allow Kongphop to do so either. He was here to get a straight answer from the man regarding his son's situation. "I hope you realized that a relationship with him would not be as easy as you've thought."

"I know that," Kongphop replied solemnly. "And I also know that I would go to extreme lengths to protect P'Arthit with my life."

Phet snorted in reply. "Protect him? My son is not a damsel in distress who you can heroically rescue," Phet argued. "You tried to stand in front of a gun, and it landed you in a hospital. You must understand the situation you're in. You're the heir of a family that has money, power, connections and social influence. They must have some high expectations for you and your future. It was your flesh and blood who was behind everything that happened to Arthit, don't you think it could happen again? I don't want my son to be dragged into a complicated life of conspiracies and struggle for power."

Kongphop stared silently at Phet for a few moments before he sighed. "I do realize all of that," he said. "I also realize that I too have the power and influence which I can use to protect the one I love. I admit that I was naïve when I thought that the path of my relationship was an easy one. But rest assured that I will not make the same mistake again. No one will ever harm P'Arthit again. I won't allow it. What happened will not be repeated."

"What about your mother?" Phet asked. "Don't you see the awkwardness that being with my son would create in your family?"

"My family is my problem to solve, Mr Rojnapat. I can deal with them," Kongphop replied with a cold tone. "And P'Arthit will not have any touching points with them at all, I assure."

Phet stared deeply into Kongphop's eyes before he averted his gaze, scoffing. "For your sake, I hope you know what you're doing.," he said as he stood up. "Because this time around if my Arthit got even a tiny scratch, I will take him where you will not be able to find him." Without waiting for a reply, the detective left.

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To Be Continued...

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I know it's only a filler chapter, but still, I hope you liked it.

See you all in the Fan Meeting tomorrow. 😘😘