I don't know why I hugged you last night, I whispered to him. Maybe I just wanted you to stay with me, to not go anywhere.
Chak looked at me and after a few moments said,
"I wouldn't leave you at night, especially when I saw how scared you were. Don't worry, everything will be alright. I won't let Raeng hurt you."
Chak turned around and left the room. I was left alone with my thoughts.
Does Chak have a plan to stand up to Raeng so he won't get to me?
What if it doesn't work?
What if Raeng gets me instead?
I headed toward the hallway. When I got there, Chak was already putting on his shoes.
"Be careful," I quietly told him.
"I will. I'll be back soon," he said, looking at me, then walked out the front door.
I followed him outside and watched him walk to the car. When he drove off, I went back into the house and sat on the couch. Kit and Taeng came over to me.
"Don't worry, Little one. Everything will be fine," Kit said.
"I know," I replied, "but I can't shake off the negative thoughts... What if Raeng gets me instead of Chak's shares?"
"Chak will win, Niran. I know he'll do everything to keep you safe from Raeng," Kit said firmly.
"Kit's right," Taeng added. "How about we watch a movie?"
"Sure," Kit replied.
"Which one?" Kit asked, turning to me.
"I don't mind. You two choose," I said.
Once the movie started, I felt myself slowly drifting off. I didn't even realize when I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was covered with a blanket. Next to me sat Chak, reading a book.
I sat up and asked, "How did it go?"
Chak looked at me and said,
"It was exhausting. Raeng changed his plan. Now he wants both you and the shares—at any cost. He offered me two million baht for you. But I told him he won't get you, no matter what he offers."
Just then, Taeng entered the living room.
"Come, you have to hear this!" he said.
Chak and I got up and headed to his office. As we entered, we heard Rattan's voice talking to Noon.
"Why is the boss so protective of Niran?" Noon asked.
"Protective?" Rattan repeated. "That's not true, Noon. The boss doesn't care about anyone, least of all Niran. I don't know what you've been seeing, but our boss is not the type to protect anyone. He hates Niran—for spilling coffee on his shirt and for betraying him."
"And didn't you hear him yesterday, how angry he got after seeing the article?" he added.
"I did," Noon replied.
"Then why do you think he would protect him? He doesn't even like him," Rattan said.
"Do you think the boss will fire Niran?" Noon asked.
"I think he will," Rattan replied. "Now leave me be, I've got work to finish."
I looked at Chak and said,
"Rattan deserves a raise."
"He really does," Kit agreed. "He lied just to protect Niran." Then Kit looked at Chak and added,
"We all know Chak is protecting Niran."
Chak smirked.
"Rattan is just playing the game. Though I have to admit, he's a good actor."
"Do you think he'll figure out who the other spy is? The one who took the photos?" I asked quietly.
"I think he will," Chak replied.
After Kit and Taeng left the room, I playfully said to Chak,
"You're not going to fire me, right?"
"You're such a joker," Chak smiled slightly. "Of course I'm not firing you—unless you *want* me to."
"I'm just kidding," I replied.
"I know," Chak said back.
Just then, his phone rang. He looked at the screen and said,
"It's Samchai."
He answered the call.
"Samchai, what's up?"
"It's not Samchai," said the voice. "It's Rattan."
"Sorry, Rattan. Did you find out anything?" Chak asked.
"I found out who took the photo of you and Niran," Rattan said.
Chak straightened up, his expression hardening. "Who was it?"
There was a short pause.
"It was Noon," Rattan said clearly.
Chak blinked, visibly shocked. "Noon? Are you sure?"
Rattan sighed. "Yes. It started when my phone battery died during a meeting, and I asked Noon if I could borrow hers just for a second to send a document to myself. She handed it over without hesitation, which was her mistake."
Chak leaned in, interested now.
"I noticed a hidden album in her gallery. Out of curiosity, I opened it," Rattan continued. "There were tons of pictures of you—some candid, some zoomed in from across rooms. And then, of course, there were photos of you and Niran together, including the one that got leaked."
Chak frowned. "She's been… collecting photos of me?"
"Yeah. Honestly, it looked like an obsession," Rattan said. "I think she's in love with you, boss. The way those pictures were taken, the way she saved them—it wasn't just spying. It felt personal."
Chak rubbed his forehead. "Unbelievable."
"But that's not all," Rattan added. "I checked her messaging app while I had the chance. There were deleted messages recovered from the cloud—conversations with someone using an encrypted contact name, but I traced the number. It was Raeng's burner phone. They've been in contact for weeks."
Chak's jaw clenched. "Did you copy them?"
"Of course. I sent everything to my own phone before giving hers back. Me and Samchai we are in way now—I'll show you everything in person. The pictures, the messages, even the timestamps. She's been feeding him information for a while."
Chak exhaled deeply, fury simmering beneath his calm expression. "Thank you, Rattan. Be careful on your way here."
"Always, boss. See you soon."
He ended the call and looked at me.
"Noon was spying on us. And she might have feelings for me," he said, still trying to grasp the situation.
"That's… a lot," I whispered.
He nodded. "She handed her phone over so casually, she didn't think Rattan would look that deep. That mistake might cost her more than just a job."
Before I could respond, Kit peeked into the office.
"You two okay?"
Chak nodded. "We found the mole. It was Noon."
Kit's eyes widened. "You're kidding."
"I wish I were," Chak muttered.
Kit entered fully and sat on the edge of the desk.
"What now?"
"I'm not sure yet. But we need a plan. If she suspects we know, she might run—or worse, warn Raeng."
Taeng soon joined us too, holding a tray with four cups of tea.
"I figured we could all use a break," he said with a soft smile.
He handed everyone a cup, then sat beside Kit. The air felt heavy with tension, but Taeng's presence brought a strange comfort.
Chak set his cup down. "We need to be careful from now on. We don't know what else she's done or who else she's working with. For now, no one confronts her. We'll collect more evidence."
I nodded. "So… we just act normal?"
"As normal as possible," Chak said. "Which for you," he added with a small smile, "might be difficult."
I rolled my eyes. "You're one to talk."
Kit laughed quietly. "Glad to see some humor is still alive in this room."
"Humor's what keeps us from falling apart," Taeng said softly.
Silence fell for a few moments. Everyone sipped their tea.
Then Chak turned to me. "How are you holding up?"
I hesitated, then answered honestly, "Scared. Confused. But… not alone."
Chak gave me a warm look, one I rarely saw from him. "You're not alone. I promise you that."
At that moment, the tension in my chest eased just a little.
Taeng stood up. " Kit can you help me with dinner "
Kit nodded. " Of course and stood up
They left the office, and I remained sitting beside Chak.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a second.
"Thank you," I said suddenly.
He opened his eyes. "For what?"
"For choosing me over the money. For protecting me."
Chak looked at me, his gaze intense but soft. "You're worth more than any deal Raeng could offer. Don't ever doubt that."
My cheeks flushed, and I looked away. "You sure know how to say the right things sometimes."
"Only when I mean them," he said quietly.
We sat there in comfortable silence. For the first time in days, I didn't feel like I was drowning in fear.
But I knew the real battle had only just begun.