LOVE UNDERCOVER

Chapter 9

MJ will have to forgive them.
It's not like this is the first time the two of them have skipped out on him without explanation. They will deal with him and his questions later.
For now, Thyme and Kavin needed every second of their remaining time to get their stories straight.
Kavin maneuvers the wheel of his Porsche as Thyme tries to pull up any information he has on Olga's Bangkok home.

"In some of these pictures, it seems like she has a basement. Do you think there is any evidence there? Or perhaps that's where her goons hide? Would it be wise for us to bring guns or would that be - "

"Thyme, I think we need to be talking about us now," interrupts Kavin.

Thyme sighs. "Alright. Where do we start?"

"I guess, first rule: no one can know this is fake."

"Not even MJ?"

"If we told MJ the truth he'd have to keep up an act 24/7 and it may endanger his life in the long run. Same thing for anyone else we let in on this ruse."

Thyme sighs. "I am dreading the phone calls once this gets out. There are so many people we'd need to talk to."

"Why would it need to get out? It's one dinner with Olga."

"I thought you were a detective."

"I am."

"Well, Mr Detective, do you not remember how the upper class works? Especially the upper class who are also considered celebrities?"

Kavin groans. Fuck. "Olga will make sure this is covered by the press, won't she?"

"I would not be surprised if the whole staff of Tattler joins us for dinner."

Kavin sighs a long deep sigh. "I guess that means I can't avoid my family anymore."

Thyme looks at Kavin, who was in turn determined to keep looking at the road ahead.

"What happened there anyway? I know Auntie isn't exactly the best mom..."

"Understatement of the century."

"Is your family the reason you left?"

"How is this even important right now?"

"You think no one will ask why you suddenly disappeared and reappeared? I'm pretty sure that's the first question out of Olga's mouth."

Kavin hated this. He didn't want to talk about this at all. Why did life bring him back to this godforsaken country? Why was he forced to explain things he thought he had ran away from already?

Thyme reaches over and gives Kavin's shoulder a soft, quick squeeze. "Lie to me if you have to. If this is not something I should know about, then feed me a lie."

Kavin bites his lip. No, it can't be a lie. Not if reporters and criminals are going to start digging into his past. Maybe though, it didn't have to be the whole truth.

"The truth is, I didn't want to be my mother's pawn anymore. Our mothers are alike, they love their wealth and power so much they are willing to use us to get more."

Thyme involuntarily touches the knife scar he still had just below his ribs. He knows all too well what Kavin was saying. "But our moms have always been like that. What made you go and so suddenly?"

"I left because your father died."

Surprise is an understatement. The shock is written all over Thyme's face. "What?"

"When your father died, you were named as his successor. But that came with a condition."

"I needed to be married," Thyme says matter-of-factly. It was no secret that was part of his father's will.