I walked quietly down the hallway, my steps soft against the carpet.
Anamarija's room was behind me now.
Chak's room was directly across from it.
Perfect.
"Good night," I whispered to Taeng before we split at the corner.
"Good night," he replied, his voice light, knowing.
I stopped in front of Chak's door and knocked once.
Almost immediately, the door opened.
Chak stood there, and the moment his eyes landed on me, his smile spread—wide, unguarded, real.
He reached out without hesitation, grabbed my hand, pulled me inside, and closed the door behind us.
Then he kissed me.
Slow. Certain.
"Finally," he murmured against my lips.
I laughed softly, resting my forehead against his.
"I couldn't fool her" I admitted.
"She knew immediately why I stayed."
Chak chuckled.
"She's smart," he said simply.
He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close, grounding.
"Come," he whispered. "Let's sleep."
He handed me a soft T-shirt and a pair of shorts.
"Wear these."
I changed quickly, the room dim and quiet, the world finally far away. When we lay down, Chak pulled me against his chest, one arm around my waist, his breathing steady.
I fell asleep like that.
Safe.
Wanted.
Home.
—
The next morning.
A loud knock jolted me awake.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Chak stiffened beside me.
"Hide," he whispered urgently.
Before I could ask anything, he gently pushed me toward the bathroom. I slipped inside, heart pounding, just as he opened the door.
From behind the door, I heard Non's voice—panicked, breathless.
"Boss! Something's wrong!"
"What," Chak replied flatly.
"Taeng and Niran are gone," Non blurted out.
"They're not in our room. They disappeared."
My breath caught.
"I don't care," Chak said calmly.
"And I don't know where they are."
There was a pause.
Kit stepped out, hair slightly messy, clearly just woken up.
"What's going on?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
Non turned to him immediately.
"Taeng and Niran are missing. Do you know where they went?"
Kit blinked once.
Then shrugged.
"No idea," he said honestly.
"They weren't with me."
Then another door opened across the hall.
"What's going on?" Anamarija asked, her voice calm but curious.
Non repeated it, faster now.
"Taeng and Niran are missing. They weren't in our room."
Anamarija hummed thoughtfully.
"Oh," she said.
"They slept in my room."
"What?" Non gasped.
"They told me last night," she continued smoothly,
"that they were going to some hill today."
"A hill?" Non repeated, confused.
I pressed my hand over my mouth in the bathroom, biting back a laugh.
Outside, Chak stayed silent.
And behind the locked door, hidden and smiling—
I knew exactly how smart Anamarija really was.
Non went quiet for a second.
"A… hill?" he repeated slowly, like the word itself might explain everything.
"Yes," Anamarija said easily.
"Some viewpoint. Sunrise. Very poetic."
"But—" Non hesitated. "Why didn't they tell anyone?"
"They did," she replied calmly.
"Just not you."
There was a pause.
I could almost picture Non blinking rapidly, trying to process it.
"Well," he muttered, "that's… suspicious."
"It's healthy," Anamarija corrected.
"Fresh air. Exercise."
"It's good for health."
From behind the door, I pressed my forehead lightly against the cool surface, shoulders shaking with silent laughter.
Chak cleared his throat.
"If that's all," he said evenly,
"I have work."
"Oh—right," Non said quickly. "Sorry for bothering you."
Footsteps retreated down the hallway.
Another door closed.
Silence.
A second passed.
Then Chak locked the door.
I stepped out of the bathroom slowly.
The moment our eyes met, he broke.
He laughed—quiet but real—running a hand through his hair.
"A hill," he said, shaking his head.
"Seriously."
I laughed too, the tension finally dissolving.
"She saved us," I said.
"Completely."
"She always does," Chak replied fondly.
He walked over and pulled me into his arms, pressing a soft kiss to my hair.
"Still early," he murmured.
"Stay."
I nodded without hesitation, curling back against him.
Outside, the resort was waking up—voices, movement, life continuing as usual.
Inside Chak's room, the world remained ours a little longer.
Hidden.
Safe.
And smiling.
I stayed curled against him, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing, letting the last traces of panic fade from my body.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
The silence wasn't awkward—it was full. Comfortable. The kind that only exists when words aren't necessary.
Chak's fingers traced slow, absent patterns along my arm, grounding me even more. His chin rested lightly against my temple.
"You scared?" he asked quietly.
I shook my head against his chest.
"Not really," I admitted. "Just… startled."
He hummed softly.
"I won't let anything happen," he said, calm and certain, like it was a fact rather than a promise.
I tilted my head up to look at him.
"I know."
His gaze softened, dark eyes searching my face as if committing the moment to memory. Then he leaned down and kissed me again—gentler this time, lingering, unhurried.
No urgency.
No fear.
Just us.
"You know," I murmured after a moment, "if Non finds out the truth, he might actually faint."
Chak let out a quiet laugh.
"I'd pay to see that."
I smiled, brushing my thumb over his collarbone.
"You have the best sister."
"I already know," he said without hesitation.
"I'm glad she's my sister"
That didn't surprise me.
"She supports us. Our love." I said.
"And she already saved us."Chak replied. "She really likes us".
I exhaled slowly, the last of my worries easing.
"I like her," I said honestly.
"So do I," he said. "She's family."
The word warmed me in a way I hadn't expected.
Family.
We stayed like that until the sunlight shifted higher, spilling softly across the bed, painting his room in gold. Somewhere outside, laughter echoed, doors opened and closed, the day fully beginning.
Eventually, Chak glanced at the clock.
"We should get up soon," he said reluctantly.
I sighed dramatically but nodded.
"I know."
Still, neither of us moved.
He smiled at that, pressing his forehead to mine.
"Just a few more minutes," he whispered.
And in those stolen minutes—hidden from the world, wrapped in warmth and quiet—I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, we didn't have to hide forever.
I eventually slipped out of Chak's arms and stood, stretching quietly.
"I should go," I said softly.
He nodded, understanding, and handed me my clothes. I changed quickly, stealing one last look at him before heading for the door.
"See you later," he murmured, brushing his thumb over my knuckles.
I smiled. And kissed his cheek.
"Later."
Carefully, I stepped out into the hallway.
Taeng was already there, leaning casually against the wall like he'd been waiting forever—and also like he hadn't slept in his boyfriend's room either.
"You alive?" he asked lightly.
"Barely," I replied, smirking.
We walked side by side toward Anamarija's room. The hallway felt strangely normal now, like nothing dramatic had happened at all.
Taeng knocked.
A moment later, the door opened.
Anamarija stood there, perfectly composed, arms crossed loosely, one eyebrow already lifted as if she'd been expecting us.
"Yes?" she said.
Taeng and I spoke at the same time.
"Thank you."
She smiled—slow, knowing.
"I hope you enjoyed the hill," she said calmly.
Taeng and I exchanged a look.
Just one second.
Then we both looked back at her and answered together, half-laughing,
"We did."
Anamarija stepped aside, letting us pass with a small nod.
"Good," she said. "It's important to enjoy the view."
As the door closed behind us, Taeng leaned closer and muttered,
"She's amazing."
I laughed under my breath.
"She's brilliant."
And somehow, for the first time in a long while, the secret didn't feel so heavy anymore.
We headed toward the dining area, the quiet of the hallway slowly replaced by voices and the soft clatter of plates. The scent of coffee and warm food filled the air, instantly reminding me how hungry I was.
Taeng stretched his arms above his head.
"I could eat everything," he said.
"I believe that," I replied, smiling.
We stepped into the breakfast area together—and almost immediately, Non spotted us.
His eyes widened.
"There you are!" he said, hurrying over. "Where did you two go this morning?"
Taeng and I shared a quick glance.
"To the hill," Taeng said smoothly.
Non leaned closer, clearly curious.
"So?" he asked. "How was it?"
I took a plate, pretending to think seriously for a moment, then answered at the same time as Taeng.
"Interesting."
Non frowned.
"Interesting… how?"
Taeng shrugged.
"Fresh air."
I nodded.
"Nice view."
Non stared at us, unconvinced.
"…Right," he said slowly.
As he walked away shaking his head, Taeng leaned in and whispered,
"If he asks one more question, I'm changing countries."
I laughed, reaching for my coffee, and for once, the morning felt light—full of secrets, stolen glances, and the quiet thrill of getting away with it.
I took a sip of coffee, the warmth spreading through me, and finally allowed myself to relax. Across the room, I caught Chak's gaze for just a second.
Nothing obvious.
Nothing careless.
Just a brief look.
But it was enough.
His eyes softened, the corner of his mouth lifting ever so slightly before he turned back to Kit, as if nothing had happened. Still, my heart skipped, just like it always did.
Taeng noticed.
"You're smiling," he murmured, reaching for some fruit.
"Am I?" I asked, forcing my expression neutral.
"Yes," he said dryly. "You look like someone who definitely didn't just wake up alone."
I nudged him with my elbow.
"Eat your breakfast."
Kit laughed from the other side of the table.
"Did I miss something?"
"No," Taeng and I said at the same time.
That only made Kit raise an eyebrow.
Non returned with a full plate and sat down heavily.
"So," he began again, clearly not ready to drop it, "you two really went to see the sunrise?"
"Yes," I replied calmly. "Very early."
Taeng nodded.
"Painfully early."
Non studied our faces, then sighed.
"I don't get you two."
"That's okay," I said. "You're not supposed to."
Across the room, Chak stood up, adjusting his jacket.
"We're heading out," he said to the group.
My chest tightened instinctively.
"Already?" Anamarija asked.
He nodded.
"Work."
Her gaze flicked briefly to me, just for a second—long enough for a silent understanding to pass between us.
"Of course," she said evenly.
As Chak walked past our table, his hand brushed the back of my chair.
So quick no one could notice.
But I felt it.
A promise.
A reminder.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.