I stared at him, then let out a small, nervous laugh.
"There was one in my toiletry bag," I said quietly.
"I thought… it was part of the gift."
Chak blinked once.
Then twice.
Slowly, he exhaled.
"…Wait," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"That wasn't… I didn't put that there."
I frowned.
"You didn't?"
He shook his head immediately.
"No. I swear."
A beat of silence passed between us.
Then something seemed to click in his mind.
"…The maid," he murmured.
Before I could ask anything else, Chak turned and walked straight into the bathroom.
I followed him without thinking.
He opened his own toiletry bag.
And froze.
For a second, he just stared.
Then he pulled it out.
Another condom.
He looked at it.
Then at me.
"…There's one here too," he said, clearly embarrassed now.
I covered my mouth, half in shock, half trying not to laugh.
"So it really wasn't you," I said softly.
"No," he replied quickly.
"This is a misunderstanding. A very awkward one."
His ears turned a deeper shade of red.
Chak pulled out his phone immediately.
"I'll fix this," he said firmly.
He stepped aside and made a quick call, lowering his voice.
"Hi."
"…Why are there condoms in our toiletry bags? I told you to get shirts, not those."
I couldn't hear the reply, but I saw his expression change — from confusion, to realization… then to reluctant acceptance.
He sighed.
"…I see."
"…For safety?"
"…No, it's fine. Thank you."
He ended the call and turned back to me.
"She thought it would be… considerate," he said, clearly trying to stay composed.
"Just in case."
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"Oh," I said quietly.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The tension shifted — lighter now, softer.
Chak stepped closer to me.
"I'm glad you told me," he said gently.
"And I want you to know something."
He lifted my chin just enough for me to meet his eyes.
"There's no rush," he continued.
"We won't do anything until we're both ready."
My chest tightened — not with fear, but with warmth.
"I know," I whispered.
"And… thank you."
He wrapped his arms around me again, pulling me close.
This time, the hug was slow.
Safe.
Unquestioning.
I rested my forehead against his shoulder.
"I was scared for a moment," I admitted softly.
"Not because of you… but because I thought we would do it and I'm not ready yet."
Chak's hand moved gently over my back.
"Niran," he said quietly.
"You trusted your feelings. That's enough."
"I'm happy that we told each other we are not ready.
When we both are, we'll tell each other."
I looked at him and just nodded.
He pulled back slightly and smiled — not the CEO's smile, not the controlled one.
The real one.
"Now," he added softly,
"how about we forget about misunderstandings for tonight?"
I nodded.
"Just… us?"
"Just us," he confirmed.
Outside, the resort was alive with laughter and distant voices.
Inside the room, everything was quiet.
And for the first time since Lun's shout…
I felt completely at peace.
---
The balcony doors were open, letting the warm evening air drift inside.
Chak's room had a small private pool right beside the balcony, the water glowing softly under hidden lights.
We sat on the edge, shoes forgotten somewhere behind us, our feet dipped into the cool water.
I leaned back without thinking, resting my head against Chak's shoulder.
He stiffened for half a second — then relaxed, his arm settling naturally around me.
"Better?" he asked quietly.
I nodded, watching the ripples around our feet.
"Much."
For a while, we just stayed like that, listening to the distant sounds of the resort — laughter, music, life continuing somewhere far away.
"Chak," I said softly.
"Yes?"
"Would it be okay if I go watch dramas later with them?" I asked, almost cautiously.
"I don't want them to suspect anything."
He chuckled under his breath.
"Of course," he said.
"I'm not keeping you locked in here."
I smiled, relieved.
Then his voice lowered.
"But," he added, tilting his head slightly so his lips were close to my ear,
"you'll come sleep in my room afterward."
I looked up at him.
"…Secretly?"
His eyes gleamed with warmth and mischief at the same time.
"Secretly," he confirmed.
"After everyone's asleep."
My heart skipped.
I nodded, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I will."
Chak squeezed my hand gently.
"Good," he said.
"Then enjoy your dramas."
I leaned back against him again, closing my eyes for a moment.
---
Ten minutes later.
"We need to go to dinner," he said with a calm voice.
"I want to," I said, looking at him.
"But at the same time, I don't want to go. I want to be with you."
"Tomorrow on the yacht, we will spend our time together," Chak said, starting to stroke my hair.
I got up and wiped my feet with a towel.
Chak slipped on his jacket, his expression returning to its calm, composed CEO mode.
I followed, smoothing my shirt, my heartbeat steady again.
Before heading out, Chak stopped in front of her room and knocked.
"Anamarija," he called.
The door opened almost instantly.
"There you are," she said with a bright smile.
Chak then knocked on the door across the hall.
"Kit."
A moment later, Kit appeared, already grinning like he knew tonight would be interesting.
"Dinner time?" Kit asked.
"Yes," Chak replied.
Anamarija suddenly reached out, hooking her arm through Chak's and taking my hand with her other one.
"Let's go," she said cheerfully.
We walked down the hallway together, laughter echoing softly between us.
For a moment, there was no hierarchy, no titles — just four people enjoying the evening.
---
When we arrived at the restaurant, the atmosphere shifted immediately.
The moment Chak stepped inside, every employee straightened.
One by one, they bowed deeply.
I felt my posture change instinctively, but Anamarija only laughed softly and squeezed our hands.
"Relax," she whispered.
Before we could take another step, an elegant woman approached Anamarija with a warm, respectful smile.
"Good evening, Miss," the woman said politely.
"I'm the hostess," she continued, gesturing gracefully to the side.
She presented a selection of silver trays arranged neatly — beautifully plated European dishes, rich colors and delicate aromas filling the air.
"This way, please," the hostess added.
Rattan followed her closely behind, attentive and silent, his presence calm and professional as always.
The hostess led us toward a long table near the open side of the restaurant, where warm lights blended with the night breeze from the sea.
"Please, enjoy," she said politely before stepping aside.
Anamarija squeezed my hand once more before letting go.
"I'll be right back," she said lightly.
I nodded and turned toward the table where Taeng, Non, Amara, Noon and Pim were already seated.
---
"Finally," Non said as soon as he saw me.
"I thought the CEO had kidnapped you."
"I survived," I replied with a small smile.
I took a plate from the nearby station and served myself slowly — grilled fish, pasta, a little salad.
My appetite had returned, quietly but surely.
When I sat down between Taeng and Amara, the chair felt oddly comforting.
"There you are," Taeng said, relief clear in his voice.
"You okay now?"
"I am," I said honestly.
"Better."
Amara leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand, eyes sharp and curious.
"So," she said quietly,
"what punishment did you get?"
Pim paused mid-bite.
Non straightened immediately.
I sighed, shaking my head.
"Our boss is a monster," I said flatly.
Non choked on his drink.
Taeng snorted.
"That bad?" Pim asked.
"He gave me several folders," I continued.
"Documents. Contracts. I have to translate everything into English."
Amara winced.
"Okay, yeah. That's cruel."
"But," I added quickly, lifting my fork,
"he said I'm allowed to come watch dramas with you."
Non blinked.
"Allowed?"
I shrugged.
"Conditional freedom."
Taeng laughed softly.
"Classic CEO logic."
Amara studied me for a second longer.
"And you're really okay with that?"
I nodded.
"Yeah."
Pim nudged my arm gently.
"Then eat properly," she said.
"You look like you've had an emotional workout today."
I smiled and took another bite.
---
The noise of the restaurant, the soft music, the laughter around our table — it grounded me.
For the first time that evening, I felt like myself again.
And even though Chak wasn't sitting with us, I could still feel his presence somewhere nearby.
Not watching.
Not controlling.
Just… there.
I had just taken another bite when a familiar presence appeared beside the table.
"Mind if I join?" Anamarija asked lightly.
We all looked up.
She stood there with her plate, elegant as ever, a soft smile on her lips.
"Of course," Amara said immediately, pulling her chair back.
"Sit with us."
Anamarija laughed quietly and took the empty seat across from me.
"Thanks," she said.
"I needed a break from formal conversations."
Non raised an eyebrow.
"Too boring?"
"Too polite," she corrected.
"Everyone keeps calling me Miss."
Pim smiled.
"Welcome to our side, then."
Anamarija glanced around the table, then her gaze settled on me.
"You look better," she said gently.
"Much better than earlier."
I nodded.
"I feel better."
Her eyes flicked briefly toward the other side of the restaurant — where Chak was seated with a few executives — then back to me.
"Good," she said softly.
"That's important."
Taeng watched the exchange with quiet curiosity but said nothing.
Amara leaned in again.
"So," she asked,
"is the punishment really that bad?"
Anamarija tilted her head, pretending to think.
"Well," she said thoughtfully,
"it depends on your definition of bad."
Non groaned.
"That sounds dangerous."
I smiled faintly and focused on my plate.
"It's manageable," I said.
"I'll survive."
Anamarija's lips twitched, as if she knew exactly how much of that was true.
She lifted her glass slightly.
"To surviving CEOs," she said lightly.
"And dramatic coworkers," Pim added.
We clinked glasses softly.
---
The conversation drifted to lighter topics — dramas, upcoming projects, travel stories.
Laughter came more easily now, the tension from earlier fading into the background.
Every now and then, I felt it.
A glance.
Not obvious.
Not intrusive.
Just Chak's eyes finding mine across the room for a brief second before looking away again.
No one noticed.
No one suspected.
I stayed with them longer than I thought I would, laughing, listening, pretending everything was normal.
And maybe — for that moment — it really was.
Because beneath the table, my phone vibrated once.
A single message.
Chak:
Don't forget. After everyone sleeps. Love you, your Monster
My heart skipped.
I slipped the phone back into my pocket without replying.
I didn't need to.
Across the restaurant, Chak lifted his glass slightly — just enough for me to see.
And I smiled into my food, already counting the hours.