Miles stepped closer and asked gently, "Kai, are you okay? Did Rico threaten you?"
Kai shook his head. "He didn't threaten me. I truly like him… and he loves me."
Miles looked stunned. "Kai, I don't know what you're thinking… but why are you hurting Bast like this?"
Kai's eyes were red....he looked away..
Ethan walked into the room, sensing the tension. "Miles, I think we should go home. Kai needs rest."
Miles turned back to Kai, hugging him tightly. "I'm always with you, no matter what you choose, Kai."
Kai took a shaky breath. "Thanks… One day, you'll understand the truth."
With that, Miles and Ethan left the room.
Bast, without a word, walked to his bedroom and locked the door.
Kai lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling as fresh tears slid down his cheeks. His heart ached, but he kept it all inside.
Meanwhile, Bast sat in the bathtub, still dressed, his shirt unbuttoned and clinging to his skin. The wine bottle lay beside him, nearly empty. He closed his eyes, but the tears continued falling—his eyes red as if bleeding.
His mind replayed Kai's hug over and over, trying to understand what changed. Why… why did you do this, Kai?
The next morning, Kai opened his eyes. They were swollen and red from all the crying. His phone buzzed repeatedly on the nightstand. When he finally looked, there were 17 missed calls from Rico.
He sighed and answered.
"Why are you calling me so much?" Kai asked, his voice tired.
Rico's tone was gentle. "Kai, honey, we're in a relationship now, and you're asking why I'd call? I'm coming in five minutes to pick you up."
"I can go by myself," Kai mumbled.
Rico chuckled lightly. "Don't be a stubborn kid. Just get ready—we'll eat breakfast together. You have to try my favorite restaurant."
Kai took a deep breath. "Fine. I'll go get ready."
"Good," Rico replied with a smile in his voice. "See you in five."
Kai stood up and made his way to the shower. After getting dressed for college, he paused at his bedroom door. His chest tightened—he wasn't ready to face Bast. Still, he gathered his courage and opened the door. The hallway was quiet.
As he descended the stairs, he spotted Bast sitting at the table, calmly sipping coffee and reviewing some files. Kai quietly made his way to the door, hoping to slip out unnoticed.
But Bast's cold voice stopped him.
"Where are you going, Kai?"
Kai turned around slowly. "To college."
Bast raised a brow. "Without breakfast?"
"I already have plans," Kai replied firmly.
Bast stood up, walking toward him.
"I said I have plans to eat with Rico!" Kai repeated, stepping back.
But Bast grabbed his wrist and led him to the table. "Sit down."
Kai resisted. "What are you doing?"
"I'm your dad," Bast said bitterly. "And I'm trying to be a perfect one. Aren't you happy with this kind of relationship?"
Kai didn't respond. He sat stiffly, sipping some water and avoiding Bast's eyes. Still, he kept glancing at him—his heart confused, his feelings tangled.
Bast's eyes remained cold and tired.
Suddenly, Kai's phone rang again. Before he could answer, Bast snatched it and cut the call.
"What the hell are you doing?" Kai snapped. "Rico came to pick me up!"
Kai stood quickly, but Bast followed and seized his wrist again.
"Let's go to college," Bast said, his voice low. "Like usual."
Kai's eyes widened in disbelief. "You can't just—"
But Bast didn't listen. He dragged Kai to the car.
Outside, Rico was waiting. He froze at the sight of them.
Bast met his gaze with a deadly stare as he forced Kai into the car.
"What are you doing, Mr. Sebastian?" Rico asked, stepping forward. "Kai and I have plans."
Bast's voice turned sharp and dangerous. "If you value your life, don't show up again."
Then, without another word, Bast got in the car and drove off, leaving Rico behind in silence.
Kai and Bast arrived at the college in silence. The entire drive, Kai stared out the window, while Bast's eyes remained cold and distant, yet laced with quiet sadness.
As soon as they stopped, Kai opened the car door and stepped out without saying a word. He started walking toward the college gate when suddenly, Bast reached out and gently grabbed his hand.
He patted Kai's head softly.
"I'll pick you up after college," Bast said, his voice low but tender.
Kai froze. His heart stung, melting just a little from the warmth in that simple gesture.
Why does he always confuse me like this…? Kai wondered silently, turning his gaze away.
Without another word, Bast got back in the car and drove off, leaving Kai standing at the gate with a storm of emotions swirling inside him.
Rico sat comfortably in his office chair, swirling the wine in his glass. He turned to his secretary and asked, "What's the update?"
"Yes, sir," the secretary replied, handing over a file. "These are all the details about Mr. Jun— I mean, Mr. Jeff."
Rico smirked sharply. "Jeff… That name suits him well."
The secretary continued, "Jeff is the closest secretary to Mr. Sebastian. He's worked for him for the past two years and is extremely loyal."
Rico leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing. He's interesting....
—
At the Vaughn Corporation, the atmosphere was tense. Bast's fury hung thick in the air, making the entire staff nervous. Whispers floated around.
"Mr. Sebastian looks furious today."
"We don't know what happened, but he's in a really bad mood…"
Ethan overheard the murmurs as he walked through the hallway. Without knocking, he entered Bast's office. Bast was buried in files, his jaw tight with frustration.
"Hey, Bast," Ethan said casually.
Bast didn't even look up. "I want to talk to you about the deal."
Ethan walked over, sat in the chair across from him, and closed the file in front of Bast. "Do you really think overworking yourself will hide the pain you're carrying inside?"
Bast slowly looked up, eyes cold. "I'm just trying to be normal."
"Is that so?" Ethan leaned forward. "Are you really giving up on Kai?"
"Who said I gave up on him?" Bast snapped, standing and walking over to the window.
Ethan crossed his arms. "Then what are you planning now?"
Bast stared out at the city skyline, voice calm but heavy. "I know Rico well. He's doing all this for revenge."
"Revenge?" Ethan frowned. "You never did anything wrong to him. He's the one who cheated on you. What kind of revenge does he want?"
Bast took a deep breath and looked at Ethan, his voice low and heavy. "You deserve to know the truth…"
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "What truth?"
Bast hesitated for a moment, then spoke, "When Kai turned fourteen… Rico started noticing something. He noticed that I was interested in Kai… but not in a fatherly way. It was something else. Something deeper… like love."
Ethan's eyes widened slightly, but he stayed silent, letting Bast continue.
"I started falling for Kai," Bast admitted. "One night, Rico and I were at a club. I had drunk too much. Rico hugged me and said, 'Let's go to the house.' I smiled and said, 'Okay, baby.'"
Bast let out a bitter chuckle, his eyes clouded with old memories. "Rico said, 'You never called me baby before.' And I smiled and answered, 'You're my little cute baby, Kai… I'm really in love with you.'"
Ethan's jaw dropped. "You said that… to Rico?"
Bast nodded slowly. "His smile faded. He was confused. He asked me again what I meant, but I passed out before I could fix my words."
"The next morning," Bast continued, "Rico told me to divorce Jennifer and leave the kid. He wanted me to choose him over everything. But I refused."
He clenched his fists. "After that, I tried to control myself. Tried to keep my distance from Kai. But the more I pushed him away… the more I felt drawn to him."
Ethan exhaled, shocked but listening.
"And then… one day, I found out Rico was cheating on me," Bast said coldly. "That was the end of our relationship. But in Rico's mind, I left him because of Kai."
He turned to Ethan, pain deep in his eyes. "And that night… when I was completely broken, drowning in guilt and confusion… Kai hugged me."
His voice softened.
"That warmth… the way he held me… it guaranteed what I had been trying to deny. I didn't just care for Kai. I was in love with him."
Ethan poured some water and handed a glass to Bast. "So that's why he came back… for revenge?"
Bast shook his head slowly. "Nope. He came back to steal Kai from me."
Ethan leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "Then why are Kai and Rico suddenly dating?"
Bast clenched his jaw. "I really need to find that out…"
Ethan took a sip of his water and said thoughtfully, "That's why you never hurt Rico… I always wondered why you let him live so freely after everything he did to you."
He looked directly at Bast. "You live in guilt… but you didn't do anything wrong. You just followed your heart—your heart that always belonged to Kai."
That hit Bast hard. He lowered himself onto the chair, silent for a long moment.
_____________
Eden and Miles chatted casually about their studies, while Kai sat silently, lost in thought. Eden glanced over and asked, "Miles, are you free tomorrow?"
Miles nodded. "Yeah, I've got no plans for the weekend."
Eden smiled. "Great. If you're free, let's go watch a movie together."
Kai stayed quiet, staring at nothing.
Miles turned to him with concern. "Kai, are you okay? What are you thinking about?"
Kai replied softly, "I'm fine." He leaned back in his chair, eyes distant. His mind drifted to the memory of when he and Bast had once planned a weekend date together. The thought stabbed at his chest, and he closed his eyes to block it out.
Eden stood up. "Alright, if you're free, just let me know, Miles. I'm going to find Henny." He waved and left.
Miles looked at Kai seriously. "Kai, listen to me. Please tell me the truth. I know you don't like Rico… and I know you love Bast—more than you're admitting."
Kai's eyes welled up with tears. "I know…"
Miles gently grabbed his hands. "Then please, just tell me what's really going on."
Kai hesitated, then finally opened up. He told Miles everything—how Rico had come back, what he'd said, how he told Kai about Bast's past, how Bast used to date Rico and supposedly cheated on Kai's mother.
When Kai finished, Miles sat frozen in shock. "No," he whispered. "Bast… Bast isn't like that. He couldn't have done that."
Miles said firmly, "That's why you're acting like Rico's boyfriend?"
Kai slowly nodded.
Miles sighed. "Kai… you need to find out the truth first. Talk to Bast. Ask him why he did what Rico claimed."
Kai looked down, his chest heavy with doubt. He sighed deeply and took a long breath.
Just then, Miles' phone rang. He stood up and answered the call, stepping a little away. Kai lowered his head onto the table, his heart aching. He whispered to himself, "I miss Mom… and Dad. I can't even remember what my father's face looked like…"
On the call, Miles spoke with urgency. "Ethan, I need to tell you something. It's about Kai… and Rico. Rico manipulated him. He told Kai things about Bast—about their past—that made him turn away from Bast. He's playing a game, Ethan… and Kai's stuck in the middle."
Ethan said on the phone, "I'm coming to pick you and Kai up. We need to talk—and Kai needs to hear the truth."
Miles nodded, even though Ethan couldn't see him. "Okay," he said and hung up.
He walked back over to Kai, who looked completely lost in thought. His eyes were distant, his mind clearly somewhere far away.
Miles gently said, "Kai, let's go grab some lunch."
Kai shook his head. "Nope. I'm not hungry."
But Miles wasn't backing down. "Come on. I'm starving—and you need to eat something."