The moment we stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted completely, the warm glow of lights reflecting off polished surfaces, quiet music threading through conversations, and the constant movement of people creating a kind of controlled chaos that felt both elegant and suffocating at the same time.
I stayed in step behind Chak, just enough to maintain the image, my posture straight, my expression neutral, my attention sharp, even though part of me was still aware of him in a way that had nothing to do with work.
He greeted people as we moved through the space, his presence commanding without effort, every interaction measured, precise, while I followed quietly, observing, remembering faces, names, details—playing my role perfectly.
But I still felt it.
That faint unease.
Not as strong as before.
But not gone either.
My eyes moved subtly through the crowd, scanning without making it obvious, the earlier message still sitting somewhere in the back of my mind, refusing to be ignored.
"You're doing it again," Chak said quietly, without looking at me.
My gaze shifted to him immediately.
"I'm not," I replied just as quietly.
A small pause.
"You are," he said, calm as ever.
I exhaled softly, forcing my focus forward again.
"I'm just being careful."
"That's my job," he answered.
I almost smiled at that.
Almost.
We stopped near one of the main displays, where a few familiar faces gathered, and Chak engaged in conversation again, his tone smooth, controlled, effortless, while I stood slightly to the side, present but not intrusive.
That's when I felt it.
That same feeling.
Stronger this time.
My gaze shifted instinctively.
Across the room.
Through the moving crowd.
And for a brief second—
I thought I saw someone.
Standing still.
Watching.
But the moment I tried to focus—
they were gone.
Like they had never been there at all.
My fingers tightened slightly around the folder I was holding, my breath catching just enough for me to notice it.
"Niran."
His voice.
Low.
Close.
Grounding.
I hadn't even realized he had stepped closer.
"I saw someone," I murmured, barely moving my lips.
"Where?"
I tilted my head just slightly, indicating the direction without making it obvious.
"There."
Chak didn't turn immediately.
Of course he didn't.
He never reacted without thinking first.
But I felt the shift in him.
Subtle.
Sharp.
Then, after a second, he glanced in that direction—casual, controlled, nothing that would draw attention.
When he looked back at me, his expression hadn't changed.
But his eyes had.
"Stay close," he said quietly.
I nodded.
No argument this time.
Because now—
it didn't feel like just a feeling anymore.
After a while, I stepped slightly away from Chak, just enough to not draw attention, using the flow of people as a natural cover before making my way toward one of the long tables set along the side of the room.
Chocolate.
Rows and rows of it.
Different shapes, colors, textures—dark, milk, filled, glazed—more variety than I had expected, each piece arranged perfectly like it was meant to be admired before being tasted.
For a moment, I just stood there, taking it in.
Then I reached for a plate.
"Finally escaped?" a familiar voice said behind me.
I turned immediately.
"Taeng."
A small, genuine smile appeared before I could stop it.
We greeted each other quickly, easy, natural, like nothing had changed.
"You're late," I said lightly.
He shrugged.
"Kit and I got held up," he replied. "You know how he is."
I huffed a quiet breath, already nodding as I picked up a few pieces of chocolate and placed them on my plate, while Taeng did the same beside me.
We moved along the table slowly, choosing without much thought, just talking.
"It's crowded," he added, glancing around.
"It always is," I said.
Once we had enough, we stepped slightly aside, making space for others, and I picked up one piece without really paying attention to what it was.
I placed it in my mouth.
And paused.
It melted almost instantly.
Smooth.
Rich.
But the flavor—
I couldn't even place it.
"I don't even know what this is," I said, slightly amused, looking at the piece in my hand.
Taeng laughed quietly.
"That's the point, I think."
Before I could answer, a server approached and handed each of us a glass of wine, the deep color catching the light as I took it, nodding in thanks.
Taeng lifted his glass slightly, glancing at me with a knowing look.
"Do you remember last time we drank?" he asked.
I let out a soft breath.
"Oh, I remember."
Too well.
"I just know I leaned on some guy," I continued, shaking my head slightly, a faint smile forming, "and kept telling him how good-looking he was."
Taeng laughed under his breath.
"That sounds like you."
"I also remember he didn't let me drink anymore," I added, my tone softer now, more thoughtful. "And then… he picked me up and carried me somewhere."
I paused for a second.
"And the next morning, I woke up in his apartment. Wearing his clothes. He wasn't there."
Taeng raised an eyebrow slightly, listening more closely now.
"There was a note," I continued, almost amused by it even now. "'Breakfast is in the kitchen. I changed you into my clothes—you can keep them. Clean up after yourself. And never drink alcohol again.'"
Taeng laughed properly at that.
"That's cold."
I smiled faintly.
"It was… something."
He took a small sip of his wine before speaking again.
"Well,I have the same experience" he said, still amused, " he took me back to our apartment that night. Stayed with me until I woke up. Made breakfast."
I blinked once.
"And then left before I could even ask his name."
We looked at each other for a second.
Then both let out a quiet breath, almost at the same time.
"Sounds like the two different persons," I said.
"Definitely," Taeng replied.
There was a small pause.
Then he lifted his glass slightly.
"To mysterious saviors."
I huffed a quiet laugh and raised mine as well.
"To them."
Our glasses touched softly.
And we both took a sip.
While Taeng and I were still drifting through old memories, laughing a little too easily and talking a little too freely, I kept watching Chak out of the corner of my eye, following the way he moved through conversations with businessmen, calm and composed as always, completely in control of every word, every gesture.
And then, without really noticing when it happened, something shifted.
The tension.
The unease.
It didn't disappear completely—but it faded, softened, like it had been pushed further away by the warmth settling through me.
We moved back toward the table again, picking more chocolate without thinking too much about it, and Taeng suddenly let out a quiet laugh, his smile wider now, a little less controlled.
"I think I'm getting drunk," he said, amused.
I huffed out a small laugh, shaking my head.
"Me too," I admitted, glancing at him with a grin that came easier than it should have.
It felt… light.
Too light.
That's when they joined us.
Kit first.
Then Chak.
I straightened slightly out of instinct, but before I could say anything, Chak reached for one of the chocolates from the table and placed it in his mouth, his expression unreadable for a second as he tasted it.
Then he looked at us.
"Are you two… eating chocolate with alcohol?" he asked calmly.
I blinked once.
"No," I said immediately.
At the same time, Taeng frowned slightly, then turned back toward the table.
"Wait—where did we even take these from?"
He stepped closer, scanning the small labels, and then leaned in, squinting slightly before pointing at a tiny line of text barely visible on the side.
"There," he said.
I moved closer too.
And there it was.
With alcohol.
Written so small it was almost ridiculous.
I let out a quiet breath.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
Taeng laughed under his breath.
"Well… that explains a lot."
I glanced at Chak, just for a second.
He was already looking at me.
And somehow—
I knew he had noticed everything.
Taeng was still laughing under his breath, clearly more affected than he wanted to admit, while I just stood there for a second, staring at the tray like it had personally betrayed me, the warmth in my body now making a lot more sense than it should have.
Kit watched us both, then glanced at Chak with a look that said he had already made up his mind.
"We should take them," he said simply. "Both of them."
There was no teasing in his voice.
Just… certainty.
Taeng lifted his glass slightly.
"I'm fine," he protested, though the slight sway in his stance immediately proved otherwise.
"I can see that," Kit replied dryly.
I let out a quiet breath, rubbing the back of my neck.
"It's not that bad," I added, though even to me it sounded less convincing than I intended.
Chak didn't answer right away.
His gaze moved between us once, assessing, calculating, the way it always did.
Then it settled.
Decision made.
"We're leaving," he said calmly.
Not a suggestion.
Taeng looked like he wanted to argue for exactly half a second.
Then he gave up.
"Okay… maybe that's not a bad idea," he muttered.
Kit just shook his head slightly, amused.
"I'll handle things here," he said, already stepping back. "Go."
Chak gave a small nod.
Then his attention shifted to me again.
"Come," he said quietly.
And even in that moment—
even slightly dizzy, slightly unfocused—
I didn't hesitate.