Where Shadows Meet & Hearts Collide

02 : A Nameless Memory

Vegas, ensconced in the plush backseat of his milky-white Bentley, sped through the neon-lit streets of Bangkok. His bodyguard, Nop, navigated the chaotic cityscape with practiced ease, but Vegas's mind was far from the present. He was captivated by a fleeting memory-a memory of someone who had inexplicably lodged themselves in his thoughts.

"Nop," he snapped, his voice laced with a sudden, sharp curiosity. Nop, ever vigilant, snapped his head around, his eyes flickering with concern.

"Yes, Khun Vegas?" Nop replied, his voice a steady counterpoint to Vegas's agitation.

"The man earlier, beside Kinn...who was he? I had never seen him before." Vegas's curt question hung in the air holding the weight of a challenge, daring Nop to navigate the maze of faces Kinn had encountered without a flicker of uncertainty.

Nop's brow furrowed slightly. "You mean Porsche, Khun Vegas? He's a new bodyguard in the main family." he replied, his tone measured.

The name sent a ripple through Vegas, but it didn't quite match the enigmatic figure he witnessed earlier. "Porsche..." he murmured, testing the name on his tongue. It felt foreign, failing to capture the essence of the captivating man.

"Should I look into him, Khun?" Nop offered, his gaze flickering between the road and the mirror.

Vegas hesitated. The allure of information was undeniable, but the thought of giving this stranger any power over him was unsettling. The mere memory of their brief encounter had already ignited an unfamiliar longing, a feeling he didn't like to admit.

"No." Vegas shoved the question down curtly, burying it deep beneath. His gaze darted away from Nop, getting lost in the blur of street lights streaking through the window. "It's not that important." The words tasted bitter on his tongue, a stark contrast to the sweetness of the memory he couldn't shake.

He knew, with a prickle of unease that this wasn't just any lie. It was a denial that scraped against a truth he desperately wanted to suppress, a truth that threatened to crack the carefully constructed facade he presented to the world.

🦔⛓

"Khun Vegas, it's me."

The sharp rap of knuckles on Vegas's office door followed by Nop's voice shattered Vegas's laser focus on his phone.

"Come in, Nop." Vegas permitted, his voice clipped as he set his phone face down. Impatience crackled in the air as Vegas awaited Nop's presence and the information he'd requested the prior day.

"Good evening, Khun Vegas. I procured everything you requested." Nop announced triumphantly, placing a thick, dark blue file on the desk in front of Vegas.

Vegas received it with zero words, leaving Nop wanting for a more effusive response. It wasn't unusual for Vegas to be undemonstrative, but Nop couldn't help but expect a sliver of appreciation. After all, Nop had pulled an all-nighter to compile this comprehensive data, so a little compliment would have been nice.

Nop watched intently as Vegas flipped through the pages, his sharp eyes devouring the contents. A furrow creased Vegas's brow as he reached the file's cover, a name clear against the dark blue surface. Nop couldn't quite fathom his boss's motives regarding this newcomer in the main family, but a gnawing suspicion told him Vegas wasn't after something innocent.

Less than twenty-four hours had passed since the encounter at the event, yet the image of the captivating man still refused to fade from Vegas's mind. "A little information wouldn't hurt." Vegas reasoned with himself. So, he'd promptly tasked Nop to gather as much information as possible. Nop had certainly delivered, considering the tight timeframe. The file contained a trove of information, some of it potentially sensitive, that even the main family might not be privy to. The only missing piece was a visual-a photograph of the man.

Vegas slammed the file shut, his gaze lingering on the cover one last time.

Name : Porsche Pachara Kittisawasd

Vegas still couldn't understand why the name failed to resonate with the persona he saw. Not just the name; even the information within didn't seem to reconcile with the face he'd seen. Yet, he pushed the thought aside. Because right now, the name was secondary, but the man himself was the prize. A sudden feverish itch gnawed at Vegas's insides, an urgent need to see Porsche. However, Porsche was in a place currently out of reach.

"Do we have any upcoming meetings scheduled with the Main Family this week?" Vegas inquired, attempting to mask his hopeful undertone.

"No, Khun Vegas," Nop replied, the simple answer extinguishing the embers of Vegas's hope.

Damn it. Why does nothing ever work in my favor?

This thought was a common occurrence in Vegas's mind. For him who thought that he was born with misfortune, even the minor inconveniences always felt like the universe conspiring against him. When in reality, Vegas was luckier than he realized.

The silence was disturbed as Vegas's phone buzzed discreetly. He picked up the phone with a languid drawl, smirking slyly at the caller ID, before raising the phone to his ear.

"To what pleasure do I owe this call, Kinn?" Vegas drawled sarcastically, pure annoyance lacing his voice. He leaned back in his chair, the entire conversation lasting barely a minute, Vegas remaining silent throughout.

"Sure," he finally said, feigning nonchalance. Yet inside, a thrill coursed through him. He couldn't recall the last time a visit to the main family filled him with such anticipation. Hanging up, Vegas offered Nop a nod, a silent explanation that spoke volumes to the experienced bodyguard.

"I'll prepare everything, Khun Vegas," he acknowledged with a bow before exiting, leaving Vegas alone with his bubbling excitement. Vegas was so excited that he couldn't help the little tug at the corner of his lips.

Maybe his luck wasn't as abysmal as he often perceived.