The drive was quiet at first.
Chak was driving.
His hands rested steady on the steering wheel, his expression calm—too calm.
I sat beside him.
Anamarija in the back.
The soft hum of the engine filled the silence between us.
Then Anamarija leaned slightly forward.
"Why did your mom suddenly organize a family lunch?" she asked.
Chak didn't take his eyes off the road.
"I don't know," he replied.
A short pause.
Then his grip on the wheel tightened just a little.
"But I do know one thing."
"What?" she asked.
"This isn't a normal family lunch."
I turned my head slightly toward him.
"When it's something casual, we usually know at least a week in advance," he continued.
"This time… she just said it's today."
Silence settled in the car again.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Like we all understood what that meant—
But no one wanted to say it out loud.
Forty-five minutes later—
The car slowed down as we approached a large gated entrance.
The gates opened automatically.
Chak drove inside without hesitation.
The estate came into view.
Elegant.
Massive.
Cold in a way that had nothing to do with temperature.
He parked near the main entrance and turned off the engine.
For a second, none of us moved.
Then Chak stepped out first.
I followed.
Anamarija right behind us.
And the moment our feet touched the ground—
Staff lined near the entrance straightened instantly.
Then—
They bowed.
Perfectly synchronized.
"Welcome home, Master Chak… Miss."
Their voices echoed softly.
I felt my chest tighten.
Beside me, Anamarija gave a slightly nervous smile.
Not used to this.
Not used to being greeted like that.
Chak didn't react.
Like it was completely normal.
Because for him—
It was.
He started walking forward.
We followed.
Step by step.
Up the stairs.
Through the large doors.
And the moment we stepped inside—
The air changed.
Cooler.
Heavier.
Like the house itself knew something we didn't.
Anamarija slowed slightly beside me.
I could feel it.
She felt it too.
This wasn't just a lunch.
And whatever was waiting for us inside—
Was already prepared.
We followed one of the staff members down the long hallway.
The sound of our footsteps echoed softly against the polished floors.
No one spoke.
The closer we got, the tighter something in my chest felt.
Then—
The dining room doors opened.
Inside, the table was already set.
Elegant. Perfect. Too perfect.
Chak's mother was standing near the head of the table.
Waiting.
The moment she saw us—
But instead of going to Chak first—
She walked straight past him.
To Anamarija.
And pulled her into a warm, genuine embrace.
I froze for a second.
Chak did too.
Anamarija blinked, clearly surprised, but slowly returned the hug.
"I'm glad you came," Chak's mother said softly.
Anamarija smiled politely. "Thank you for inviting me."
Only then—
Only after that—
Chak's mother turned to him.
A simple nod.
"Chak."
"Mom."
No hug.
Just acknowledgment.
I felt something shift beside me.
Chak didn't react much.
But as he stepped closer, he leaned slightly toward Anamarija and murmured just loud enough for her to hear—
"You've won her over."
Anamarija didn't turn her head.
But the smallest smile touched her lips.
"I can tell," she whispered back.
We all moved toward the table.
We moved further into the dining room.
And that's when I realized—
We weren't the only ones there.
My steps slowed slightly.
At the table—
Malai was already seated, her posture straight, her expression composed. Beside her sat her husband, calm but observant, and Ton, quietly watching everything like he didn't want to miss a single detail.
On the other side—
Chai leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his gaze sharp.
Torn stood just behind him, one hand resting lightly on the back of Chai's chair, steady… protective.
And then—
My eyes shifted further down the table.
Phalin.
She sat there like nothing had happened.
Elegant.
Perfect.
Untouched.
Her gaze lifted the moment we entered.
And landed directly on me.
Cold.
Sharp.
Certain.
And beside her—
Chak.
Already seated.
Like his place had been decided before we even arrived.
My chest tightened.
Of course.
Of course he would sit next to her.
His wife.
The word burned.
Next to them—
Him.
The same guy from yesterday.
The one who grabbed Anamarija.
The one who tried to kiss her.
My jaw clenched instantly.
I felt the anger rise again, fast and hot.
Across from him—
Anamarija.
She didn't react.
Didn't even look at him.
She simply took her seat like he didn't exist.
Like he wasn't worth even a second of her attention.
But I saw it—
That slight tension in her shoulders.
That controlled calm.
I moved to sit down.
Not next to Chak.
There was no place there.
So I sat a little further away.
Close enough to see him.
Far enough to feel it.
The distance.
Chak didn't look at me immediately.
But I noticed the slight shift in his posture.
The awareness.
He knew.
He always knew.
Phalin adjusted slightly in her chair beside him.
Closer.
Her hand resting lightly on the table near his.
Claiming the space.
Claiming him.
Like a silent message to everyone watching.
He's mine.
The silence at the table wasn't polite.
It wasn't calm.
It was heavy.
Filled with everything from yesterday.
Everything from this morning.
Everything we were all pretending not to see.
Chak's mother slowly looked around the table.
Taking in every face.
Every tension.
Every unspoken truth.
Then she smiled.
Soft.
Controlled.
"Now that everyone is here," she said calmly—
"We can begin."
And the way she said it—
Didn't feel like lunch at all.
It felt like something else entirely.
Something planned.
Something inevitable.
We all took our seats.
The staff moved quietly, placing dishes in front of us with perfect precision.
Plates.
Glasses.
Food arranged like art.
"Let's eat," Chak's mother said calmly.
And just like that—
Lunch began.
For a few minutes, only the sound of cutlery filled the room.
Controlled.
Polite.
Like everyone was pretending this was normal.
Then—
"That's quite a coincidence."
My grip on the fork tightened slightly.
I didn't even need to look to know who it was.
That guy.
His eyes were on Anamarija.
"Seeing you again so soon," he continued, a faint smirk on his lips.
Anamarija didn't even pause while cutting her food.
"Unfortunately," she replied calmly.
A few people at the table went still.
He chuckled lightly.
"Still sharp, I see."
Then he leaned slightly forward.
"Did you think about my offer?"
Now she looked at him.
Directly.
Her expression didn't change.
"My answer is still no."
Simple.
Clear.
Final.
For a brief second, something darker flickered in his eyes.
"We'll see," he said quietly.
I felt irritation spike in my chest.
But before I could react—
Movement beside Chak caught my attention.
Phalin.
She leaned closer to him, her hand sliding into his.
Intertwining their fingers.
Slow.
Intentional.
Her thumb brushed lightly over his skin as she lifted her hand just enough—
So everyone could see the ring.
Her ring.
Their marriage.
Displayed.
Again.
And again.
Like she was reminding the entire table.
Like she was reminding me.
My jaw tightened.
Something sharp twisted in my chest.
Jealousy.
Annoying.
Unwanted.
But there.
She leaned her head slightly toward Chak, saying something softly to him—her tone almost gentle.
Too gentle.
Like she was talking to a child.
Like he belonged to her.
Chak didn't pull his hand away.
But he didn't react much either.
And somehow—
That made it worse.
I looked down at my plate.
Trying to ignore it.
Failing.
---
"Anamarija," Chai suddenly spoke.
She looked up.
"Yes?"
"Do you want to come later and see my son? Singha."
The table went quiet for a second.
Anamarija blinked.
Then looked between Chai… and Torn.
"You have a son?" she asked, clearly surprised.
Torn smiled faintly.
Then, without hesitation, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Chai's hand.
A small gesture.
But full of affection.
Chai didn't pull away.
Didn't even react like it was unusual.
Like it was completely natural.
Which… it was.
I noticed Chak glance at them briefly.
Then he said casually,
"Singha is a lion."
Anamarija nodded slightly.
"That's nice."
A small pause.
Then—
Her expression changed.
She blinked again.
"Wait…"
Her eyes moved back to Chak.
"Lion?"
She repeated it, this time with clear confusion.
The realization slowly hit her.
And for the first time since we arrived—
The tension at the table shifted.
Just a little.
Because for a moment—
Something almost… normal slipped through.
Chai frowned slightly, looking at Anamarija.
"Why are you so surprised?" he asked.
She blinked, still processing.
"I didn't know you could have a lion at home," she replied honestly.
For a second—
Silence.
Then Chak's mother spoke, her tone calm.
"Do you have any pets?" she asked Anamarija.
Anamarija nodded lightly.
"I have a cat."
A small smile touched Chak's lips.
---
The lunch slowly came to an end.
Plates were cleared.
Glasses emptied.
But the tension never fully left the room.
Then—
Chak's mother stood up.
Everyone's attention shifted to her immediately.
She looked around the table, her gaze landing one by one—
"Malai. Chak. Chai. Anamarija. Torn… and Niran."
My chest tightened slightly when she said my name.
"Come with me."
No explanation.
Just a command.
We all stood.
And followed.
---
The doors opened into a massive office.
Elegant.
Cold.
A large glass table stood in the center, reflecting everything above it.
Chak's mother walked in first.
Then stopped.
She gave a small nod.
"Sit."
Anamarija glanced at me for a second, then subtly gestured for me to sit on her left.
I did.
Chak sat on her other side.
The rest followed.
Once we were seated, Chak's mother looked directly at Anamarija.
Her expression calm.
Decided.
"I spoke with your mother yesterday," she said.
"With my mom." she replied.
Anamarija's brows furrowed slightly.
"And she agreed as well." Chak's mom said.
A small pause.
"For what?" Anamarija asked.
At that exact moment—
The door opened.
Someone entered.
A white folder was placed carefully in front of Anamarija.
Chak's mother continued,
"By signing this document… you will officially become part of our family."
A soft pause.
"Even though you already are."
Anamarija looked at the folder.
Then back at her.
"You will keep your Slovenian surname," Chak's mother added calmly, "and simply add Phanprasit."
"What?" Anamarija asked, clearly caught off guard.
"Your mother agreed to this as well."
Silence.
Then—
Slowly—
Anamarija opened the folder.
Her eyes scanned the document.
Chak's mother leaned slightly forward and pointed to a specific line.
"Sign here."
Anamarija hesitated only for a second.
Then she picked up a black pen.
And signed
---
The moment she finished—
Chak's mother clapped her hands twice.
The doors opened.
Staff entered.
Each carrying silver trays.
I frowned slightly.
What now?
Chak's mother stood up.
"Now that you've signed," she said calmly, "you receive this."
She took a black bank card from one of the trays and handed it to Anamarija.
Then a woman stepped forward, bowing deeply.
"I will make sure you never lack anything."
Next—
Suprahom stepped forward, bowing.
"You already know me," he said calmly. "So you know what I'll be doing."
Then a young man stepped forward.
Bowed.
"I'm your driver."
Anamarija blinked.
Processing everything.
Then Chak's mother took an envelope from another tray and handed it to her.
"The code to your penthouse is inside."
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Overwhelming.
Anamarija looked at all of them.
Then gave a polite smile.
Grateful.
But slightly unsure.
She leaned closer to Chak's mother and said quietly,
"I don't know if I need too many people."
Chak's mother smiled gently.
"From this moment you are Anamarija Moric Phansprasit." She said with pride in her voice and gently look Anamarija.
"Morič". Jo je popravila Anamarija.
She straightened.
And looked at all of us.
"I have one more surprise."
Her gaze moved between Malai… Chak… and Chai.
"You've always wondered what it would be like to live without all of this."
A small pause.
"Without staff. Without journalists following your every step."
Her voice softened slightly.
"To be free."
I felt something shift in the room.
Then—
She said it.
"Now you have the perfect opportunity to try."
Everyone went still.
"You will go with her."
Her gaze landed on Anamarija.
"To her country."
A pause.
"To Slovenia."
And just like that—
Everything changed again.