Chaos never moved quietly.
Not in Bangkok.
And definitely not when the Chaiyana syndicate was involved.
Phum didn't need to see the danger to know what it was.
The sound of running feet… the panic in their voices… the crash of metal hitting concrete — it all formed a picture in his mind immediately.
Someone was being chased.
And the people doing the chasing were his enemies.
A small gang that had recently tried stealing from one of his warehouses.
They failed.
They ran.
But tonight, they were desperate enough to return — and desperate men did stupid things.
Natee swallowed, standing close enough that Phum could feel the warmth of his breath against his back.
"W-What's happening…?" Natee whispered.
Phum's voice dropped low.
"People who did something stupid are running from people who want them dead."
Natee's eyes widened.
He held his books tighter.
Before Phum could move, a shadow stumbled into the alley — a man clutching his shoulder, blood staining his shirt. He wasn't running toward help… he was running from something that terrified him more.
The moment he saw Phum, he froze.
"Boss…?" the man croaked, eyes wide with recognition and fear.
Natee blinked.
Boss?
The man's voice shook.
"I didn't know you were here… I swear—"
Phum didn't say a word.
He just stared — cold, sharp, unreadable.
The kind of stare that made grown men crumble.
The man gulped and fled in the opposite direction, tripping over himself to get away.
Natee stared at Phum's back, realization creeping in.
This man wasn't normal.
He wasn't just handsome.
He wasn't just mysterious.
He was someone whose presence could freeze people's blood.
Before Natee could speak, more footsteps thundered into the alley.
Five men appeared.
Rough. Angry. Armed with metal rods and tattoos crawling up their necks.
They stopped the moment they saw Phum.
"Chi—Chaiyana…?!" one of them choked out.
Their faces went pale.
The leader dropped his weapon immediately.
"S-sorry! We didn't know this was your territory—!"
Phum tilted his head slightly.
That alone made all five men take a step back.
"You're making too much noise," Phum said quietly.
Natee shivered.
Phum didn't yell.
He didn't threaten.
He didn't even raise a hand.
But the way he spoke…
Like his voice was a blade wrapped in silk…
It was enough to terrify them.
One of the men tried to speak.
"W-We were just chasing a thief—"
"And now you're disturbing me," Phum interrupted calmly.
The leader swallowed.
"S-Sorry. We'll leave—"
"Wait."
Phum's voice sharpened.
Every man stopped breathing.
Behind him, Natee felt every hair on his body rise.
Phum's tone shifted, cold and dangerous:
"You ran past me twice tonight. That means you're sloppy."
The men trembled.
"But I'm in a good mood," Phum added slowly. "So I'll let you walk away."
The relief on their faces was instant.
"But…"
Phum turned slightly, just enough for them to glimpse Natee behind him.
"If any of you come near this alley again tonight…"
His eyes darkened.
"I'll reconsider my kindness."
The men nodded so fast their necks almost snapped before running out of the alley like their lives depended on it.
Silence filled the space they left behind.
Just the two of them now.
Natee exhaled shakily, his knees weak.
He had just witnessed something terrifying, something unreal.
But what scared him more wasn't the gang.
It was the man standing in front of him.
Natee's voice trembled.
"Phum… who… exactly are you?"
Phum didn't answer.
He turned to Natee slowly, shadows sliding across his sharp features, making him look even more dangerous… and even more breathtaking.
"Go home, Natee," Phum said quietly. "It's not safe anymore."
Natee nodded.
But something inside him twisted.
A strange mix of fear… and something warm he didn't understand yet.
He stepped backward, ready to leave—
But before he took his second step, a faint click echoed from the rooftop above.
Phum's eyes snapped upward instantly.
Too late.
A red laser dot appeared—
right on Natee's chest.
Natee froze.
Phum's breath stopped.
"Move," he said sharply.
But Natee was too shocked to react.
And then—
BANG.
A gunshot exploded through the night.