"Khun Phat."
Petra froze.
Standing before her was Naphatsorn Sivakan, the woman she had seen with Rafah on the night of the fundraising gala.
Naphatsorn smiled faintly. Her sharp eyes swept over Petra from head to toe while she slowly swung the empty coffee cup in her hand, making sure Petra saw it clearly, before letting it drop onto the table in front of her with a hard clatter.
"Oops... sorry. It slipped."
Tharin shot to her feet at once.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?"
Petra quickly reached out and touched her friend's arm, stopping her. She did not want things to escalate. Deep down, she had already guessed this had to be about Rafah.
Naphatsorn shrugged as if she did not care about anyone. Her eyes were full of contempt. She looked at Petra as if Petra were something beneath her, not even someone worthy of conversation. She stepped closer until the scent of her expensive perfume touched Petra's nose, then tilted her face and spoke slowly, deliberately, so only the two of them could hear.
"Don't think you can beat me when it comes to Rafah."
After saying that, Naphatsorn moved as if to leave. The smile on her lips had yet to fade, like someone certain she had already won.
But Petra was no longer willing to let it go.
She stepped after her and grabbed Naphatsorn's arm firmly.
"Wait, Khun Phat."
Naphatsorn froze and turned back. Her ice-cold gaze dropped to her own arm where Petra held it, as if disgusted by something filthy. Then she slowly lifted her eyes to meet Petra's.
Petra stared back without fear.
Her eyes were so cold and still that Naphatsorn began to waver. Petra spoke slowly, every word clear, each one heavy and firm.
"As for Khun Rafah, I'm not trying to 'win' against anyone. If you think I was the one who approached Khun Rafah first, let me make this clear. You're wrong. The person who has been approaching me from the beginning... is Khun Rafah, and Khun Rafah alone."
Those words made Naphatsorn freeze for a moment.
Petra took another step closer until there was almost no distance left between them.
"And if you want your friend with benefits, or your temporary bed partner, to stop bothering me... go tell her yourself. Because I'm tired of running away from Khun Rafah too."
When she finished, Naphatsorn stood stunned for a moment before her face gradually flushed red with anger. Her fingertips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to raise her hand and slap Petra. But she knew she could not. Everyone in the café had begun turning to look.
The sight of Naphatsorn, a young woman from high society, standing stiffly with her face burning red with humiliation while Petra simply stood there calmly made it obvious to everyone who had truly lost face.
With no words left to answer, Naphatsorn could only wrench herself away from Petra and Tharin in irritation.
And that was the point when Petra made a decision.
...
In one corner of the restaurant, after Naphatsorn had come to pick a fight with her and Tharin, Petra immediately decided to arrange a meeting with Anya, Rafah's assistant.
"I'm sorry for asking you to meet me so suddenly, Khun Anya. But there's something important I wanted to talk to you about face to face."
Anya gave a faint smile.
"It's all right."
Petra went straight to the point.
"I know the interview content job that the Suphakiat Wildlife Foundation arranged through my senior colleague, then specifically requested me for, was your doing."
Petra spoke in an even voice, but her eyes remained fixed on Anya's face.
"But I don't blame you. I know you were probably just following Khun Rafah's orders."
Anya went still.
"I can't turn down the job you arranged through a senior colleague I'm close to, because I don't want to damage that connection. But before we work together, there's something I'd like you to give Khun Rafah for me."
Petra took out a brown document envelope, neatly packed with papers, and handed it to Anya.
Anya looked at the envelope for only a brief second before lifting her gaze to meet Petra's.
"What is it?"
"My conditions for working with Khun Rafah."
Anya reached out to take the envelope from Petra, but before she could say anything, Petra continued at once.
"And... there's one more thing I need you to tell Khun Rafah. It's about Khun Phat..."
...
Inside Rafah's office, Rafah sat behind her desk, slowly opening the document envelope Anya, her personal assistant, had just delivered, along with the message that Petra had asked her to pass it on.
Rafah pulled out the papers and read through them line by line with calm patience.
Terms of Work Between
The Contractor: Petra Jirathawin
and
The Employer: Rafah Witchakornin
.
The employer is prohibited from touching the contractor without permission. The employer is prohibited from discussing matters unrelated to work. The contractor will work only at the office of the Suphakiat Wildlife Foundation or at locations related to the foundation's premises. The contractor's working hours are from 8:00m. to 5:00 p.m. The employer is kindly requested to handle her personal situation and ensure the person involved does not bother the contractor.
If the employer fails to comply with these conditions, the contractor reserves the right to terminate the job immediately.
.
When she finished reading, Rafah raised an eyebrow slightly. She could understand conditions one through four. Petra clearly did not want to be close to her any more than necessary.
But that last condition...
"What happened? What did Phat do?"
Rafah lifted her eyes from the document and asked Anya, who was waiting in front of her.
"Khun Petra said Khun Phat picked a fight with her and her best friend at a café."
Rafah went still.
A thoughtful look settled across her face for a long while before she gave her trusted assistant an order.
"Anya, set up a meeting for me. I want to speak with Petra and Phat at the same time. Make it as private as possible."
...
That same night, Petra and Tharin stepped into a luxurious French restaurant in Thonglor. The entire restaurant was strangely quiet. Every table was empty. Only Anya stood there, waiting to greet them with a polite expression.
"Whoa... a restaurant this fancy, and no one's here?"
Tharin craned her neck to look around, then lowered her voice and whispered to Petra.
"Did Khun Rafah book the whole place just to impress you, Petra? I don't see anyone."
Petra did not answer. She swept her eyes around the room once more.
The entire restaurant...
There really was no one.
Tharin grinned.
"I'm telling you, when Khun Rafah invited you to dinner, she was asking you on a date. You shouldn't have brought me along, Petra. You dragged me here as your human shield, but judging from the situation, I'm probably the stray dog here. She might have asked you here for a late-night meal... and by meal, I mean you're supper."
Tharin started to step back as if she were about to turn around and leave the restaurant.
"You know what? I think I should go. I don't want to be the third wheel who gets abandoned by her own friend."
Petra immediately grabbed her wrist.
"You're not going anywhere, Tharin. Stay with me. And stop saying Khun Rafah is going to eat me. She's never getting a taste of me."
At that moment, Anya cleared her throat softly, as if reminding them that she was standing right there.
Petra and Tharin immediately gave her awkward smiles.
They had just gossiped about Anya's boss right in front of her.
"Khun Petra, Khun Tharin, this way, please. Khun Rafah is waiting in the VIP room."
...
The door to the VIP dining room was pushed open, and Petra and Tharin stepped inside.
Naphatsorn, who had been about to take a bite of a mushroom tartlet, froze the moment she saw Petra and her best friend. She slammed her knife and fork down onto the plate, her shrill voice bursting out almost immediately.
"Rafah, you invited that Petra bitch and her friend here too? I thought you asked me to dinner because you wanted to make it up to me!"
"Phat."
Rafah's voice dropped low, a short warning sharp enough to silence the room.
"Could you speak appropriately for the setting?"
Petra herself was startled to see Naphatsorn there as well, while Tharin shifted closer to Petra's shoulder in a protective gesture.
Rafah glanced at them both, then gestured calmly toward the chairs on the same side.
"Sit down first."
Petra and Tharin sat down side by side.
Rafah met Petra's eyes for only a brief moment before speaking.
"Since everyone is here, I want to settle this once and for all. This will be the last time I talk about it."
Silence fell over the entire room. Petra straightened her back slightly and kept her breathing steady. Naphatsorn shot Petra a sidelong glare, curled her lip, then turned back to stare at Rafah.
"Phat, I've already told you this before. But maybe I wasn't clear enough. So I'll say it clearly one more time. I want to end our friends-with-benefits arrangement, starting now. And I won't allow you to harass anyone connected to me again, especially Petra."
Everyone froze, especially Naphatsorn.
She sprang up from her chair at once.
"Rafah!"
She shouted Rafah's name, but Rafah ignored the outburst completely.
"That's all I wanted to say today. As for what you did to Petra at the café earlier, I'll consider it a momentary lapse in judgment, Phat. But if it happens again, I'll consider it intentional. And I'll deal with it accordingly."
Naphatsorn exploded.
"Rafah, don't tell me you actually like this bitch. Petra has nothing. She's just some nobody from God knows where, with no family name, no background, nothing. You're choosing her over me? Seriously?"
Rafah gave Naphatsorn a sidelong look.
A warning.
"I've warned you, Phat. One more vulgar word, and I'll have someone drag you out of this room."
Naphatsorn slammed her hand on the table.
Bang!
"No need. I can leave by myself."
But before she stepped through the door, she turned back and left one cutting remark for Petra.
"Congratulations, new favorite. Try to keep that position as long as you can. Because I'm telling you right now, this isn't over."
...
Dinner at the luxurious French restaurant ended in suffocating awkwardness.
After Naphatsorn stormed out of the room, no one touched the food again. Petra excused herself immediately because she had no idea how to act after what had just happened. Tharin quickly got up after her, while Rafah followed them out and offered to drive both of them back to their respective condominiums as an apology for everything, including what Naphatsorn had done.
At first, Petra refused.
But from Tharin's point of view, if Rafah drove them home, at least they would not have to waste money on a taxi or Grab.
"Don't call me cheap, Petra, but just let Khun Rafah drive us home. I want to save the taxi fare. I barely have any freelance work this month. If Khun Rafah gives us a ride, that saves a lot, okay? The fare back to my place alone could buy me fifty or sixty packs of instant noodles."
And that was why now...
Petra was sitting in the passenger seat of Rafah's black Jaguar. Tharin had already been dropped off safely at her condominium, leaving only Petra and Rafah alone in the car.
The late-night streets were quieter than usual. Roadside lights stretched in long lines across the windshield as the car headed toward Petra's condominium.
In the end, Petra, who had been holding in her discomfort throughout the ride, was the first to speak.
"Khun Rafah, be honest with me. Why are you doing all this?"
"Why? Does it bother you?"
"You're not answering my question."
"And if I answer you, will that satisfy you?"
"Khun Rafah, stop answering my questions with more questions."
"And why can't I?"
"Khun Rafah!"
Petra called Rafah's name in frustration. She fell silent for a long moment before finally deciding to let everything she had been holding back spill out.
"I'm going to be honest with you, Khun Rafah. Ever since I met you, my life has been a mess. I don't understand what you want. If all you need is someone to sleep with, there are plenty of women out there. Why do you have to keep bothering me?"
Rafah did not argue back.
She switched on the turn signal and pulled the car over to the shoulder of the road before speaking to Petra.
"Because I'm interested in you, Petra."
Rafah's voice was clear.
Her words made Petra go still. Then Petra shook her head faintly, not believing her in the slightest.
"Khun Rafah, do I need to repeat what you said to me that night? You may be beautiful, charming, and impressive to everyone else. Yes, I admit that much. But your behavior says the complete opposite. After that dinner at your penthouse, whatever image I had of you was gone. In my eyes, you're crude, rude, and honestly, you're not really interested in me. You just want to get me into bed. There's nothing special about that."
Rafah went silent.
No one had ever dared speak to her so harshly before.
Her sharp eyes lowered, as if she were trying to gather her words. Then she lifted them and looked Petra straight in the eye.
"I admit it... at first, I only wanted to have you. But it's not like that anymore. When I say I'm interested, I mean I'm truly interested in you."
Petra smiled coldly, her eyes glinting with mockery.
"What could someone like me possibly have that would interest you, Khun Rafah Witchakornin?"
She deliberately emphasized Rafah's full name, every syllable clear and sharp.
And all of it...
Petra meant as sarcasm.
.
.
Hojicha Writer
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