Noon took a deep breath and began speaking, her voice calm but laced with tension.
"Raeng has a plan to get both Niran and your shares, Chak.
Here's how it goes: I'm supposed to call Niran and tell him to come to the company because the boss requested it. When he arrives, Raeng will already be there and will take him to the meeting room. There, you're supposed to sign over the shares to Raeng. The idea is that you'll believe signing the document is the only way to get Niran back. But even after you sign, you won't get him back. Raeng will take him anyway."
She paused. "Then Raeng will blackmail you for ransom. Once he gets the money, he claims he'll release Niran."
When she finished, silence fell over the room.
Chak turned to me, his voice steady but cold. "Call Taeng. I want him here."
I nodded, but before I could move, Kit stepped forward. "I'll call him," he said and left the room quickly.
I stood up and walked over to Noon. Her eyes looked tired, weighed down with guilt and fear.
"You know," I said gently, "love finds you when you least expect it when you're not looking for it."
She looked up at me, her voice shaky. "Do you really think so?"
"I know " I said with a smile and then glanced at Chak. I walked over to him and leaned against his shoulder for a moment just long enough to show I was by his side.
Around twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" Kit called out enthusiastically and ran toward the door.
I whispered to Chak, "Someone's a little too excited."
When Taeng walked in, his eyes scanned the room with surprise. "What's going on here?"
Chak stood up. "We'll explain everything. Right now, we need to focus on putting together a plan to take Raeng down once and for all."
We all moved to the dining area and sat around the table. Chak stood at the head like a true leader calm, sharp, and ready.
"We need a flawless plan," he began. "Everyone here has a role, and if we want to defeat Raeng, we have to stick to it. He's dangerous, and this may be our only shot."
His eyes gleamed with a mix of determination and fury.
"Noon, you'll call Niran and tell him exactly when to come to the company just as Raeng instructed. You'll wait for him at the entrance."
Noon nodded. "Understood."
"Taeng, you'll go with her posing as a delivery guy. When Raeng shows up, you'll bump into him and attach a listening device to his clothes. Then you'll all you, Noon, Niran, and Raeng — get in the elevator. Samchai will go with you as backup."
"And after that?" Taeng asked.
"You'll head to Kit's office and wait there. Stay alert in case anything goes wrong."
"Samchai," Chak continued, "you'll go to find Rattan and the two of you will call the police."
Chak drew in a deep breath, then added:
"In the meeting room, I'll sign a fake contract handing over the shares. Meanwhile, we'll have all the evidence photos, recordings, documents. Once the police arrive, we'll lay it all out in front of Raeng."
We looked around the table. No one spoke. But the silence said everything.
"Go home and rest," Chak said, his voice calm but firm. "Tomorrow will be a busy day for all of you."
Samchai looked at Noon, who was standing a little awkwardly. "Are you coming with me and Rattan? I can drive you home."
"I can... thank you, Samchai," Noon said quietly.
"Goodbye, see you tomorrow," Rattan added.
Samchai then looked at Chak and said seriously, "I'll make sure both of you are safe. I promise."
Chak nodded and calmly replied, "I trust you."
Noon then stepped towards me. There was a hint of sadness and guilt in her eyes. "I'm sorry again, Niran... for all the trouble I caused you. I hope you can forgive me someday."
I could sense her words were sincere. I nodded at her and gave a small smile. "I've already forgiven you, because you decided to tell the truth and cooperate with us."
Then, I leaned in closer and whispered, "Can you send me a picture of Chak? I'd really like to have one."
For the first time in a long while, she smiled genuinely. Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"I'll send them to you. And then I'll delete all the pictures, I promise."
"Deal," I replied with a smile.
At that moment, I felt Chak's gaze. I turned around and caught him watching me. He stepped closer and said to Noon, "When you send Niran the pictures... I want to know and see which ones."
"Deal," she said without hesitation. "Goodbye." And with that, she left with Rattan and Samchai.
The room fell silent, and now only the four of us remained.
"Anyone hungry?" Taeng asked, stretching his neck.
"I am!" Kit immediately volunteered and stood up from the couch.
"Come help me so we can get dinner ready quickly," Taeng said with a smile.
"Sure!" Kit responded eagerly. They both headed for the kitchen, and Kit seemed excited to be near him.
I stepped outside to the garden. The air was fresh, evening coolness. On the table, my sketchbook was waiting for me. As I grabbed it, I heard familiar footsteps. Chak.
When I turned around, he quietly took the sketchbook from my hands and opened it to today's drawing.
"You've drawn something really beautiful," he said softly.
"Thanks," I whispered back, but my heart was racing.
Suddenly, he embraced me. Gently, sincerely.
"I'm sorry, I promised you we'd spend the whole afternoon together..."
"Don't worry," I said. "There will be more opportunities."
He smiled. That smile the kind you rarely see, but remember forever.
Then, Kit's voice echoed from the kitchen: "Come, let's set the table!"
"Let's go," I said.
"Just a moment," Chak whispered and hugged me a little tighter.
When we got inside, I took the sketchbook to my art room and carefully placed it on my desk. Then, I went to the kitchen and helped Chak set the table.
Finally, when we sat down for dinner, the room was filled with a pleasant silence. Kit and Taeng exchanged glances now and then, and I occasionally noticed Kit giving a small smile when Taeng was close by.
At that moment, I knew — even though we still had a long fight ahead with Raeng, something beautiful was already building between us.