"We must go," Taeng said as he approached me.
He scanned my face for a second.
"Are you okay?" he asked, worry evident in his eyes.
"I am," I replied.
"You don't look it," he said.
"I'm fine, Taeng. Really," I insisted.
"Let's go."
When we reached the hotel's entrance, almost everyone had already gathered.
Everyone… except Chak.
Where is he? I wondered.
I stood there silently when I began to notice — the stares.
Some of my colleagues were eyeing me, whispering to each other before quickly turning away when I met their gaze.
My chest tightened slightly.
Then he finally arrived.
Chak.
The moment I saw him, I felt my skin warm. I blushed — without wanting to.
Too late.
I know he noticed.
His gaze stayed on me for just a second. Controlled. Precise.
But enough.
Then he addressed the whole team, his expression shifting back into its professional mask.
"We're going on a city tour," he said calmly.
A few minutes later, the tour guide arrived, welcoming everyone with a wide smile and introducing himself.
The group slowly started to move, chatter filling the air as excitement grew among the team.
Just a I was about to follow, Chak turned his head slightly.
"Niran," he called.
I looked up at him.
"We need to talk," he said, his voice low, meant only for me.
For a brief second, my heart leaped.
"Yes, sir," I replied calmly, meeting his gaze.
Then I stepped toward him, leaving the group behind as they started walking ahead.
We slowed our steps, letting the team walk ahead of us until there was a comfortable gap between us.
Chak glanced at me, his expression tightening with concern.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
"I am," I replied. "Really."
He hesitated, then said softly, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you earlier… from Lun. I wanted to. But I didn't want him to find out about us."
"It's okay," I told him.
"I knew you wanted to. I could see it in your eyes."
His gaze softened.
He lowered his voice even more.
"I wanted to hold you in front of everyone," he admitted.
"And never let you go."
My breath caught.
"Then come to my room later," he continued, barely above a whisper.
"So we can make up for the time we lost."
"Okay," I said, nodding.
"And… thank you for being with me."
For a moment, we just walked in silence, side by side, close enough to feel each other's presence — even if the world couldn't know yet.
Chak and I slowed down, falling a little behind the rest of the group.
Walking beside him, I felt the warmth and love he gave me — something quiet, steady, but strong. Just being near him made me feel safe.
"Chak," I said softly, a playful note entering my voice.
"Are you going to fire me now that you know I'm gay?"
He stopped for half a step and looked at me, his eyes full of conviction.
"I will never fire you, my love," Chak said without hesitation.
I smiled.
"I knew you wouldn't," I replied, then continued more seriously.
"But Amara said you don't like gay people… and that you would fire me."
Chak exhaled slowly.
"I didn't like them," he admitted.
"Not until I met you, artist."
I looked at him, surprised.
"You showed me what love really means," he continued quietly.
"Why would I fire you… when I'm gay too?"
"Just… in secret."
My heart skipped.
"Let's go back to the others," I said, my voice barely steady.
We picked up our pace and caught up with the group.
"I'll go join the others," I whispered to him as we walked.
"Alright," Chak replied softly, watching me with eyes full of unspoken love.
I joined Taeng and Non.
Taeng leaned closer and whispered, "Did you talk with your boyfriend?"
I simply nodded.
When the tour guide announced, "You're free to explore the city on your own for a while," the group slowly scattered.
That's when Amara and Pim walked up to us.
"So," Pim asked casually, "what did the boss say?"
What should I tell her? I thought to myself.
"He said—" I started.
Before I could finish, a familiar voice spoke from behind me.
"That I'll think about whether I should fire you," Chak said calmly.
"But I know you'll be punished."
Punished? My heart skipped again.
"What kind?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"I don't know yet," he replied evenly.
"Sir, please don't fire him," Amara said quickly.
At that moment, Anamarija stepped closer.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Your brother wants to fire Niran," Non said bluntly.
"Fire him?" Anamarija repeated, looking between Chak and me in surprise.
"Why?"
Chak stepped closer to her and whispered something into her ear.
"Oh," Anamarija said.
Her eyes lit up instantly.
She looked from Chak to me, then smiled softly — knowingly.
"Enough," Chak said firmly, turning to the team.
Silence fell immediately.
"If you wish, you can start your overtime today," he added, his gaze deliberately shifting to me.
"I'd rather not," I said quickly.
Chak raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Then come to my room later," he said calmly.
"For your punishment. You'll start today."
Amara and Pim exchanged a look.
"Sir," Amara said carefully, trying not to smile,
"but we already planned to watch dramas tonight. Could you postpone the punishment?"
"No," Chak replied without hesitation.
"I won't."
Then he looked directly at me.
"Niran," he continued, his voice low and commanding,
"right after the city tour. My room."
"Yes, sir," I answered.
I lifted my eyes to his — and for a brief moment, everything changed.
The cold, distant CEO was gone.
His eyes were soft. Warm. Full of quiet affection meant only for me.
But the second his gaze shifted back to the others, the warmth disappeared.
His expression hardened.
Cold. Controlled.
The CEO again.
And only I knew what was hidden beneath it.
I lowered my gaze, letting my shoulders drop slightly.
"Yes, sir," I said quietly, forcing my voice to sound defeated.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Amara bite her lip, clearly feeling sorry for me.
Pim frowned.
"That's… tough," she muttered.
I nodded slowly, as if I were accepting my fate.
Inside, though, I was perfectly calm.
Because I knew Chak.
He wouldn't punish me.
Not like that.
This wasn't about control.
It was about closeness.
Chak's eyes stayed on me for a second longer than necessary.
There it was.
That barely noticeable softness — the one only I seemed to catch.
His gaze slid briefly to my lips.
Just a heartbeat.
Enough to tell me everything.
You're playing along, his eyes said.
Good.
I suppressed a smile.
When I finally looked up at him again, I made sure my expression stayed serious.
"I'll be ready," I added obediently.
Chak cleared his throat and turned back to the group, his face once again cold and unreadable.
But as he walked away, he passed close enough to me to murmur, so quietly no one else could hear—
"Clever artist."
My heart skipped.
I stayed exactly where I was, head slightly bowed, looking like a man awaiting punishment.
While in reality…
I was counting the minutes.
After the tour ended, I lingered for a moment, then slowly said my goodbyes.
I kept my head lowered, shoulders slightly slumped, playing my role perfectly.
"See you later," I whispered to Amara, Pim, Non, and Taeng.
They watched me go with mixed expressions — sympathy, curiosity, and more than a little concern.
I walked down the hallway alone.
Each step toward Chak's room felt heavier than the last, at least on the outside.
Inside, I was calm.
Certain.
I stopped in front of his door and knocked.
The door opened almost immediately.
Chak stood there, his expression cold — distant, sharp, unmistakably the CEO.
But the moment his eyes fell on me…
Everything changed.
The ice melted.
Warmth flooded his gaze, softening his features in a way no one else ever got to see.
His shoulders relaxed.
His jaw unclenched.
Before either of us could speak, footsteps approached.
Anamarija appeared in the hallway, pausing when she saw us standing there.
She raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips.
"So," she asked quietly, glancing between us,
"what's the punishment?"
Chak didn't look away from me when he answered.
"Our time."
Something bright flashed in his eyes — not cold, not controlled.
Alive.
Anamarija smiled wider.
"Well then," she said softly,
"enjoy it."
She gave us a knowing look and disappeared into her room.
Chak stepped aside, opening the door wider.
"Come in," he said gently.
I crossed the threshold.
The door closed behind me with a soft click.
There was no one left to watch us.
The moment I stepped inside, Chak closed the door behind me.
Before I could say a word, his arms wrapped around me.
Firm. Protective.
I let out a quiet breath as he pulled me close and pressed a soft kiss to my lips — slow, reassuring, full of everything he hadn't been able to show in front of the others.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
I nodded against his shoulder.
Then he leaned back just enough to look at me properly.
"So," he said gently, eyes searching mine,
"how did you like your gift?"
My face instantly heated up.
"Gift?" I repeated, pretending for half a second that I didn't know.
And then my mind betrayed me.
The sheer gray shirt.
The condom.
I swallowed.
"…Creative," I said honestly.
His eyebrow lifted slightly.
"Creative?"
I nodded, embarrassed.
"Yes. Very."
He watched me carefully, then spoke again, slower.
"About the gift," he said, lowering his voice,
"I'm not ready for that yet."
He blinked.
"Ready for what?" he asked.
"You know," I said quietly, avoiding his eyes.
He tilted his head, genuinely confused.
"You mean the shirt?" he asked.
"Do you not like it?"
"I do," I admitted quickly.
"It's beautiful. Just… very open. You can see too much."
I hesitated, then added softly,
"I wouldn't want to wear it around our coworkers."
Chak smiled faintly.
"You won't," he said calmly.
"You'll only wear it when we're alone."
I frowned slightly.
"…Alone?"
"Yes," he replied smoothly.
"On the yacht."
I stared at him.
"On the yacht?" I repeated.
He nodded.
"We're having dinner there tomorrow night."
My heart skipped.
"Oh," I said quietly.
"And… what about that thing?" I asked after a pause.
"That thing ?" Chak repeated.
I finally met his eyes.
"The condom,
Chak."
He froze.
"…What condom?"
His expression was pure confusion — no teasing, no pretending.
For a second, we just stared at each other.
His ears turned slightly red.