Kinn POV
I sat on the couch with my legs crossed, playing with the gun in my hand while I stared at the ornate dragon carved into the door. I found myself waiting in anticipation for a certain someone, a person that I had been hunting and toying with.
“He has arrived,” one of my subordinates informed me.
Not long after that, the door opened and revealed a tall figure standing in the doorway. The tattoo on his arm stood out so blatantly underneath his white shirt that I couldn’t help but glance at it while his eyes scanned the room before he walked in and stared at me furiously.
“Sit down!” Big ordered him to sit on the sofa in front of him.
“…” The room was silent as no one spoke, not even me. Porsche continued to stare at me as I looked him in the eye, not backing down, unwilling to give any sign of weakness.
“What the hell do you want?” Porsche asked me in an icy tone. His usual look of confidence now looked wary, full of suspicion that I hadn’t seen before. He glanced briefly at the bodyguard who was wearing a black mask. His face clearly looked uneasy as if frightened by the masked man.
“I told you earlier. I want you to come and work for me,” I said without blinking an eye.
As soon as I had finished speaking, Porsche’s rough voice filled the room.
“I will not work for you!”
“Hmm, you seem to be more stubborn than I thought.” I laughed as I observed his attitude and scrutinized his behavior. Porsche came across as an aggressive and stubborn individual, but really, he was a person who tried to look tough while hiding what he was really feeling deep inside. On top of that, he seemed to be unwilling to interact with new people. I may only have been in my mid-twenties, but I had been through a lot. The things that I had been through had not only helped shape me into someone who could accurately identify a person’s weaknesses, but had also given me the knowledge of how to deal with such a person.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
“Oh, and what have I done to you?” I asked while trying to suppress a smile.
“You are harassing the people around me, preventing me from working, and you continuously hunt me down to work for you.”
“Go on.”
“You have also caused chaos at the place I work and threatened Jade so that she had no choice but to fire me, leaving me without a job. You and your men also attacked the wrong person, knowing that it wasn’t me. How ridiculous!”
“Oh, you mean that person named Jom. I meant to teach you a lesson so that no one would dare to trick me in the future,” I said as I continued to look at him.
“You need to stop bothering the people around me!”
“If I hadn’t done that, would you be standing here in front of me right now?” I asked. Porsche looked like he was becoming increasingly impatient. This was good because then he would join in my game without even realizing it. When dealing with someone like Porsche, if you tried to go up against him using your strength, he would never give up, and you would have to fight with all your heart. But if you used the method of targeting the people around him, he would soon be backed into a corner, just like he was now.
Don’t tell me that I’m a bad person. I had personally tried to negotiate with him, but he refused to listen. If I hadn’t run into problems recently, there was no way I could have held these many cards to my advantage in the negotiation between us. This stubborn person had always liked opposing me, so I had to make it clear that he was dealing with the wrong person.
“Why should I? Why do you want me to work for you so badly?” Porsche asked angrily.
“Because someone like me always gets what I want.”
At the end of my sentence, I smiled. He also stared at me a little. I knew I sounded arrogant, but it was true. While I was growing up in my home, my father had connections all the way up to government level, so I grew up comfortably. So, if I wanted something, everyone went out of their way to get it for me. Even if what I wanted was hard to get and required effort, the challenge only added to my interest in owning it. Like now.
“And why should I follow your wishes?”
“Let me ask you. If you offend someone like me, what do you think will happen to you?”
“Who do you think you are, doing whatever you want and speaking so arrogantly?” Porsche asked and suddenly got up from the couch.
All my bodyguards moved to surround him until he stopped and looked around. His eyes were terrified before being slammed back onto the couch seat. It didn’t matter how strong he was. If he tried to take on my ten bodyguards who surrounded him, it was only natural that he would be afraid. Because this was my turf and I had the upper hand, he didn’t dare lash out recklessly.
“Porsche, I know people like you don’t like being forced. But since you are such a talented person, I wanted to negotiate and reach an agreement.” I changed my position by leaning forward and placing my hands on my legs, showing that I was being serious.
“I won’t do it,” he said, still taking in a loud voice.
“You guys go out of the room first,” I said, sending my subordinates away because after they left, I would discuss the details of my offer with him. I did not want my subordinates to know because they would feel there was inequality.
“But Khun Kinn—” Big protested, but I immediately looked at him with fierce eyes, not letting him finish. Before he left the room, Big pointed at Porsche’s face and yelled,
“Hey, you! If you do anything to hurt Khun Kinn, I will definitely kill you!”
Porsche was getting frustrated. He raised his leg to kick the couch nearby, chasing my other subordinates and shouting curses.
“Whatever, like you and your sandbags* can touch me!” He scoffed, making Big look away as he shut the door.
*Taunting about Bigs weight/size.
“Hey, I really like your courage,” I said while shaking my head.
“I’ll say it again—I really want you to work for me. Just tell me how much you want.” I thought this would be easier for him to accept as Porsche needed the money.
“One million per month. Can you pay me that?” I watched him say with a smile. He really is something.
“Ha ha, you’re funny! What do you have to offer, based on the current situation?”
“It is based on reality. You want me to work for you so badly, so I think a million a month makes sense. Soccer players make up to ten million, so I guess one million is accurate.” He changed his sitting position to a more relaxed one, leaning back on the sofa comfortably.
Pfft, so he thinks he is in control now…
“But you’re not a soccer player. You’re probably thinking that you can work for me for a month, redeem your house and then ignore me after that,” I said knowingly, and he turned to look at me, his face dropping. I was not surprised by his expression. I could read him like a book. You can’t mess with me!
“Then I won’t do it.”
“I wonder, with a paycheck of three hundred and fifty a day at your tavern, when are you going to be able to raise enough money to take your house back, hmmm? Ten years? Forty years? I can’t even count it.” Game. Set. Match. I already felt like I had won. Porsche had no other options left.
“I have my own way!” He rushed into the garden.
“Your way. Oh, really?” I smirked and phoned my subordinates, who were already in front of the new liquor store where Porsche worked.
“Do it now,” I ordered someone on the other end of the phone. Hearing that, Porsche looked at me with curiosity.
*T/N These two ... seriously… both dominant and stubborn... give no quarter… it is going to get chaotic for sure.
“What are you going to do?”
“Just wait and see,” I said, standing up, walking to the table, and tapping the coffee machine quietly as I glanced at the clock. Inside the room there was complete silence. I just looked at his back with a smile. He was sitting in the same place, but then he looked at his cellphone screen.
Rrrr. [Porsche’s phone rings]
“Yes, P’Q?”
“Porsche, you’re fired!” The sound was so loud that I could hear it from across the room. He smiled bitterly before getting up. His face looked angry, and his body trembled. Those ferocious eyes stared at me, and I smiled back at him.
“Shit, Kinn!” he yelled as he threw his cell phone at me. I did not avoid it, so the solid object hit my forehead so hard that I felt blood trickle down. I was terribly angry now, enough that I rushed toward him. I quickly stepped toward him before using one hand to grab tightly around his neck and push his body against the wall. He seemed surprised and caught off guard by what I had just done. He tried to wiggle out from under my hand, but I could tell that my emotions were so out of control that I had more energy than usual.
“I have been speaking to you politely!” I said in a deep voice. I did not know how angry I looked as he looked at me. When our eyes met, the hand that was trying to push mine away and wriggle out of my grip stilled. When I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes, I loosened my grip but did not let go.
“Cough, cough.”
“If you hadn’t manipulated things and made fun of me, I wouldn’t be so angry with you.”
“What did I do?”
*T/N: Omg Porsche… seriously
“You pretended to be someone else, beat me, and bit my neck until you drew blood. You also actively avoided me. I swore to myself that I did not want to use this method at all, but you have tested my patience. From the first time I looked for you at the university and the club where you worked, I was unable to find someone named Jom. Plus, it hurt my pride when I have not even done anything wrong to you.”
“I don’t regret doing that. And you can’t expect me to do what you want, damn it!”
My frustration was only getting worse. Before I could stop myself, I unconsciously lifted his body up against the wall until his feet were off the ground. The spit on my face made me even angrier. I didn’t even notice when Porsche tried to get my hand to release him because he was choking from the pressure am applying. I really wanted to kill the person in front of me as soon as his spit ran down my cheek. I had to wipe it off with my free hand.
“Since I was born, no one has ever treated me like this!” I gritted my teeth tightly. My hand that was holding him trembled as I squeezed tighter until his neck was almost crushed.
“Khun Kinn! Khun Kinn, let him go!” I didn’t know when they entered the room. P’Chan came in and took hold of my hand while other underlings held on to me until I let him go. Porsche’s body fell to the ground. I could hear the sound of gasping that brought air to his lungs, along with a cough so loud it seemed like he was really going to die.
“What the hell are you doing!” Father’s voice came from behind. I yanked my arm out from my employee’s grip and looked away.
“Are you alright?” P’Chan asked Porsche, and I heard him lifting Porsche to sit back on the sofa.
“Pho let you approach him to ask him to be your bodyguard, not to kill him!”
“Go over there and calm the hell down. Pho will take over from here.”
-Porsche POV-
I took a deep breath, still shocked by what had just happened. The expression of the person looking at me terrified me because I had never seen such a look before. The horrid gaze of that terrifying angel of death scared me so much that I could not even move. It was as if everything around me stood still. I could only look on, shocked, when I saw the person in front of me turning into a different person from the one I knew.
I was carried by someone to sit on the couch. A tingling sensation in my neck replaced the fear I had felt. I could feel discomfort and pain when I tried to breathe normally. It was like I was drowning and dying at the same time.
“I don’t know what has happened between you and Kinn, but I’m sorry about what just happened.” A deep voice made me look away. My consciousness felt like it would drift away. I still could not understand the current situation. All I knew at that time was that a quiet and scary middle-aged man was sitting in front of me.
“Drink this first.”
I did not hesitate to take the drink because I kept coughing until my mouth was dry from trying to breathe. I closed my eyes briefly as the cold water flowed down my throat and relieved my discomfort.
“I’ve heard you don’t want to work for me.” I lifted my head to look at the figure of the man in front of me again as he spoke. It seemed like he was the most powerful judging from the way he sat, spoke, and acted respectably. I guessed that this was Kinn’s dad.
“No, I don’t,” I answered, struggling to talk with a hoarse voice.
“Why?” he asked immediately.
“I don’t want to complicate my own life. It’s too risky, and I don’t want to mess my life up.” Now that my perspective of Kinn had changed, I didn’t even want to think about it.
“Your life has been under threat from the first time you saved Kinn. Do you think that the other party will not look for you like Kinn did? I think they will do even more,” he said in a calm tone, looking at me carefully.
“What do you mean?” I asked. Why was my life in danger? What might the other party do to me? When I thought about it, my life had become a chaotic mess, and it was all because of Kinn.
“A skilled fighter like you, who won a fight against the top boxers from all over the country? Of course, they would never let you go.” I didn’t even know who or what he was talking about. Who would never let me go? Even so, I knew he was trying to convince me.
“No. I still won’t do it.”
“I heard you are Athie’s nephew, right? If you agree, his life will be safe.”
“I don’t care about him, go ahead and kill him. If you are trying to convince me with this method, you can forget about it because it won’t work.”
“Your life is this bad, and yet you still don’t appreciate my offer.” He pulled his hand back onto the sofa in a relaxed manner. I remembered what had started all of this and the people who brought me to this place—it was all because of Uncle Athie and Kinn!
“If you will excuse me, I will get going now. Please tell Kinn not to threaten the people around me again.”
But the words I heard next made me look back quickly.
“Even if Kinn’s people don’t do it, someone else will. You will have to face even tougher problems. I heard you have a younger brother?”
“Don’t drag my brother into this!" I answered in a stiff voice, looking at the old man’s face.
“No, I wouldn’t do something like that.”
“…”
He had a very distinctive laugh, like Kinn’s, which made me believe that what he was telling me was true.
“But if you agree to work for me, I will pay you fifty thousand a month. It will make both of your lives comfortable. Or do you want your brother to have a hard life?” His words that seemed oppressive were at odds with the soft way that he looked at me. His eyes were hard to read, leaving me feeling conflicted.
“It’s because I don’t want my brother to be sad and alone that I don’t want to work for you,” I said honestly. Because even though I was not at fault, I, and the people around me were always facing conflict because of this.
“A skilled fighter like you won’t die so easily. Now you should think about how to make your brother’s life better. Before thinking about life and death, I want to make you another offer. If you agree, I promise to take good care of you and your brother. I will make sure nothing bad happens to him, and I will send him to graduate school.”
“…”
I don’t understand, why is his offer is bigger than before? Why do these people want me so badly? Is it really just because I have a good foundation in self-defense and fighting skills?
“Accept the offer, because I really want you to work for me. Or is there something you want more?” He opened his hands as if I could ask for anything.
“My house! I want my parent’s house back,” I replied because I knew that it would be difficult and nearly impossible to pay it back. I was not sure why I said that, but his response surprised me.
“Yes, I can return it to you right now if you agree to work for me.”
“…” I could hardly believe my ears. My demand was easily accepted by a man who seemed intimidating but had kind eyes. If I was not mistaken, I thought he seemed very fond of me, which differed from his personality.
“Do you want anything else?”
“My salary shouldn’t be fifty thousand. I am asking my pay to be one hundred thousand baht a month.” I wanted to reconfirm that I could ask for what I wanted and to forget at that moment that I was being coaxed.
“Wow. That’s expensive. Would you accept eighty thousand?” he asked with a laugh.
“…” I closed my mouth. The tense atmosphere that had been full of worry at first transformed into a calm atmosphere. I came to think that this man in front of me was like my own father—a person who had good feelings, a polite manner of speech, and a kind look in his eyes. The image of my father and brother flashed across my mind. I once promised in front of my father’s body that I would take care of my younger brother and would not make it difficult for him. But now I didn’t even have my father’s house.
I became suspicious of what he had said and looked into the eyes of the guards as they looked at me threateningly. As I began to think of my needs, I knew I needed to negotiate some more.
“I must be their leader.” The bodyguard in charge prepared to open his mouth, but Kinn’s father stopped him.
“Ha-ha, it was destined to be like that.”
The bastard was getting even angrier. I lifted the corners of my mouth slightly at him. How can I not take satisfaction from this victory?
“And I am not going to wear that crazy suit either! I am going to wear normal clothes.”
“What type of job do you think this is? A bodyguard or a company president? Hahaha, I like it.” He pointed at me and laughed really loud.
I finally felt at ease, so I raised my eyebrows to ask back,
“So, can I do it like that?”
“Yes, but only when inside the house. When outside, I want everyone to look the same because it won’t look good.”
“Mm. Like now, right?”
Then I remembered something. Being a bodyguard meant being Kinn’s bodyguard, right?
“What if Kinn kills me?”
“I definitely won’t let him do that.”
“How can I trust that you will keep your promises about keeping my brother safe and about my house?”
“Hmm. You should already know the kind of person I am. Until now, I have never hurt my dignity by not keeping my promises. What else can I say?” he answered in a firm, stern voice. This was not the same as seizing my house. He seemed more trustworthy than Kinn.
“…” I was still thinking about everything, trying to find contradictions that would let me reject this job.
“If your brother’s comfort and safety come at the cost of your life, it is very risky. So do it now.”
“I need time to think.” I would take some time to think things through. Right now, I was confused. I did not want to accept this job, but I was very tempted by his new offer. I missed seeing a Che who could eat and live comfortably. But then the image of crying that day repeatedly swirled in my head, making the decision even more difficult.
“When can you provide me an answer?” A dark voice asked, before I even made up my mind, I realized another aspect. Even though I can’t count on my uncle in this, he is still the person who my father loved.
“I need to ask for one more thing.”
He gestured for me to continue.
“If I agree, can you give me some time, ah, can you delay the repayment of the debt?” The man in front of me smiled before nodding his head.
“Certainly,” he said.
“Tomorrow… tomorrow, I will give my answer.”
After that conversation ended, I headed back home on my motorbike as questions kept swirling around in my brain. What should I do? The choice I make will be the changing point in my life. If I agree, my brother will have a better life. Ah, I will be relieved to see him living stress-free. But if I answer no, maybe I can find a new job and save up to reclaim the house. Admittedly, if I decided that, my brother’s relationship with Athie and with me would go through challenging times, but for the price of peace of mind.
Which option should I choose?
…
..
.
[Conversation between Khun Korn and Chan]
“Why are you giving him so much? He is too demanding. Just take the offer away. Great people aren’t always what they seem to be.”
“At first, I thought like that. Yes, it may be difficult. I don’t want him to become a serious nuisance.”
“So, why did you act like that?”
“Because I know whose son Porsche is.”
T/N
Kinn’s father knows Porsche’s dad…
Were Porsche’s parents just importers of luxury cars and business people?
Did they die in a normal car accident???
The mystery deepens…...