...
"Lun," I breathed out.
"What are you doing here?"
"I work here," he replied with that smug tone of his. "Isn't it obvious?"
The moment he spoke, I felt Chak's energy shift—calm turning into something sharp and frozen.
All the staff on the pier began whispering, their eyes flicking nervously between Chak and Lun.
Then Chak slowly removed his sunglasses.
His eyes… ice-cold.
Dangerous.
A warning without a single word spoken.
"Who are you?" Chak asked, his voice low and deadly.
But Lun didn't hear it—
or worse, he didn't grasp who he was talking to.
He stepped closer to me, placed a hand on my shoulder, and said casually:
"I'm Niran's boyfriend."
Before I could move, he leaned in and kissed my cheek.
"Ex-boyfriend," I corrected loudly, making sure everyone heard it.
Lun looked at me for a long moment, puzzled, almost uncomfortable.
"You've changed, Niran," he said quietly, as if he couldn't recognize the person standing in front of him.
What he didn't realize was simple:
He had no idea who he was dealing with.
I felt movement behind me.
Chak didn't step forward.
Didn't say a word.
He only placed his hand—quietly, discreetly—on the small of my back.
Warm. Steady.
A silent claim no one else was supposed to notice.
But Lun noticed.
His eyes narrowed for a second before he turned back to me, forcing a smile.
"Niran… do you have time?" he asked lightly.
"I could show you around the resort. Everything. We haven't seen each other in so long."
I opened my mouth to answer—
because no, I didn't have time, and the last thing I wanted was a tour with him.
But Chak didn't let me speak.
His hand pressed slightly against my back as he stepped half a pace closer.
"He has work," Chak said coldly, cutting Lun off before I could even breathe out a syllable.
The tone wasn't loud.
But it was final.
Like a door slamming shut.
Lun blinked, clearly thrown off.
He still had no idea who he was challenging.
Lun's eyes landed on Taeng, and his whole face brightened.
"Taeng!" he exclaimed, already stepping forward with open arms for a hug.
But before he could even reach him, Kit moved first—smooth, fast, and absolutely intentional.
He slid in front of Taeng like a shield.
Lun blinked, confused.
"I'm… sorry. I didn't recognize you," he said awkwardly.
Clearly, Lun had no idea who Kit was.
Kit lifted his chin just slightly.
"You don't need to," he replied, voice calm but sharp enough to cut through the humid air.
The tension thickened.
I decided to break it.
"Why aren't you in Phuket?" I asked Lun.
"What happened to the job there?"
Lun flashed a proud smile.
"I got a better offer here. More money, better schedule… I've been working here for a week already."
Behind me, Chak's hand tightened on my back—subtle but protective, his fingers pressing lightly against my spine.
Lun leaned in suddenly, bringing his lips close to my ear so only I could hear:
"I missed you… and you seem even more attractive than before."
My breath caught.
Before I could even react, I felt it—
Chak's energy snapped.
Cold.
Explosive.
Dangerous.
I turned my head slightly.
Chak was staring at Lun with a look so icy it could freeze salt water—jaw clenched, eyes narrowed, teeth pressing together like he was trying not to speak.
Everyone around us noticed.
Kit stiffened.
Taeng swallowed hard.
Even Lun hesitated, sensing something was wrong… even if he still had no idea who he had just provoked.
And Chak…
He took one slow, controlled step closer.
The kind of step that made the entire team fall silent.
—and something sliced into the tension like a blade.
Lun turned.
Anamarija stood there—perfect posture, cool expression, eyes narrowed just enough to warn him she was already done with his attitude.
She glanced at the suitcases beside us and then back at Lun.
"Since you're so full of energy," she continued smoothly,
"why don't you carry our luggage?"
Lun blinked at her, confused.
"…Me? Why?"
She didn't even hesitate.
"Because Niran can't."
Lun frowned. "Why not?"
Anamarija let out a perfectly acted sigh and placed a hand on her hip.
"He fell," she lied effortlessly.
"He twisted his back a little. So unless you want to watch him struggle…"
She pointed at the suitcases.
"…be useful."
My eyes widened slightly, and I shot her a look.
But she only gave me a tiny, secret smile.
Play along.
Lun turned back to me instantly, panic slipping into his voice.
"Niran—are you okay? Did you really fall? Why didn't you tell me?"
Before I could answer, Anamarija stepped between us like a protective wall.
"He's fine. I said he's fine."
Her smile sharpened.
"But the suitcases? They're not going to carry themselves."
The staff around us held their breath.
Lun reluctantly grabbed two suitcases, still eyeing Anamarija like he couldn't figure her out.
Then he made a mistake.
A big one.
He smirked.
"Wait, I saw you. You were on TV yesterday. You're his—" he pointed to Chak,
"—half-sister. Now I see why you're like that," Lun said under his breath.
"Pretty face, but you talk too much."
Every person on the pier froze.
Anamarija didn't flinch.
Didn't blink.
She stepped closer—calm, elegant, terrifying.
Her voice turned icy:
"Say one more thing," she murmured,
"and I'll personally throw you into the sea."
Lun's face drained of color.
Somchai, who had been silently watching, leaned slightly toward Lun and whispered:
"Don't test her."
But Lun—stupid, stubborn—forced a laugh.
"Oh, come on, what's she going to do? She's just—"
Anamarija cut him off with a stare so cold even Chak glanced at her.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Lun," she called sweetly,
"you have no idea who you're dealing with."
Somchai straightened.
"Nobody here jokes with Miss Anamarija."
Lun swallowed hard.
Some of Lun's co-workers came and whispered something in his ear.
He looked at Chak and Anamarija and gave them a nervous smile.
Even the staff looked terrified—because seeing both Chak and Anamarija in a dangerous mood at the same time was… a lot.
Kit whispered to Taeng:
"She's worse than Chak."
Taeng whispered back:
"…I know."
Lun hurriedly grabbed more suitcases, stumbling slightly.
"Chak, where are we exactly?" Anamarija asked, looking at him with calm in her eyes now.
"Koh Samui," he said calmly.
"We need to hurry up."
As we started walking toward the resort, Anamarija shot me a sideways glance—mischievous, proud, protective.
I whispered to her,
"Why did you lie about me falling?"
She smirked.
"Because it's the fastest way to get him away from you."
Then quietly,
"And because he's annoying."
Behind us, Lun struggled to keep up, panting under the weight of the luggage.
The entire group walked in stunned silence, still processing what they just witnessed:
Chak's icy anger…
Anamarija's lethal elegance…
And Lun being destroyed without a single shout.
No one dared to say a word.
A little farther from the pier, a whole line of minibuses was waiting for us—six, maybe seven of them. Clean, white, perfectly aligned. The drivers stood beside them in matching uniforms, hands behind their backs, ready.
Chak checked something on his phone, then lifted his head.
"Go," he said calmly.
"We'll see you there."
No explanation—but everyone understood.
Amara, Pim, Non, Taeng, and I were guided toward one of the vans.
Anamarija, Chak, and Kit headed toward another parked slightly behind the others.
Just as I stepped forward to get inside, I felt it.
That look.
My footsteps slowed as I glanced to the side.
Chak stood by his van, one hand in his pocket, the breeze tugging lightly at his shirt… and he was watching me from a distance.
Not angry.
Not possessive.
Just… attentive.
Focused in a way only he could be—quiet, protective, controlled.
When our eyes met, he didn't look away.
There was a tiny tension in his expression—subtle, soft—like a silent I'm here.
For a moment, I almost stopped walking.
Taeng nudged me with his elbow.
"Bro… you going in, or are you planning to stare at Chak for another minute?"
I didn't answer—just breathed out and stepped inside the van.
As the door slid shut behind me, I caught one last glimpse through the tinted glass…
Chak turning his head as Anamarija asked him something, Kit leaning casually against their van—all three of them moving with a calm confidence that made them look like they were on their own mission.
Then the door closed completely.
But that look?
It stayed with me.
Pim exhaled loudly.
"WHAT was that?"
Non nodded quickly. "That… that was terrifying. First Chak, then her… I thought Lun was going to faint."
Taeng leaned over me, eyes still wide.
"For real, bro. I've never seen them like that at the same time."
Amara, who was seated in front of us, turned around in her seat with a gentle smile.
"I think," she said softly, "that she is actually very nice."
We all blinked at her.
Pim tilted her head. "Nice? After what we saw?"
Amara laughed lightly.
"Yes. She just… protects the people she cares about. And she did it in a really elegant way."
I exchanged a glance with Taeng.
Both of us nodded at the same time.
"She is nice," I said. "Very nice, actually. Just… don't provoke her."
Taeng snorted.
"Or you'll end up flying into the ocean."
Everyone laughed—finally releasing the tension we'd been carrying since the pier.
Pim leaned forward suddenly.
"Okay, but—WHAT were you two actually doing on the yacht before all that drama started?"
All eyes turned to me.
Uh-oh.
Taeng grinned.
"Tell them, Niran."
I sighed dramatically.
"It's not that interesting…"
Pim gasped.
"You were alone with her on Chak's yacht. Don't you dare say it wasn't interesting."
I lifted my hands in surrender.
"We were making snacks," I said.
"And fresh juice. And cleaning the floors."
The entire van fell silent.
Then Non blinked.
"…That's it?"
"That's it," I repeated.
Taeng leaned closer and whispered loudly,
"He's telling the truth. I was there too. They were laughing. It was boring, honestly. If there was any secret drama, I'd know."
Amara smiled warmly.
"That sounds exactly like her."
Pim shook her head, disappointed.
"Ugh, I expected something more dramatic."
"You already got drama," Taeng laughed.
"Did you not see Chak's face? Bro almost turned Lun into ice cubes."
Everyone nodded, murmuring in agreement.
The driver pulled onto the main road toward the resort, tropical trees passing by the windows, warm wind sneaking through the vents.
For the first time since we arrived on Koh Samui, the mood inside the van felt light, warm, safe.
Pim leaned back with a dreamy sigh.
"Well… if this is how our trip starts, I'm scared to know what the next few days will bring."
Taeng nudged me quietly.
"You okay?" he whispered.
I looked out the window—the ocean glittering, the sky opening wide above us—and nodded with a small smile.
"Yeah," I said softly.
"Better than okay."