Me and Thee & Calm down Mr Rome Special.

Wake Up Call Special #9

"What the hell happened?"

 

Mok looked up as his partner walked up beside him, his expression even darker than before. Mok offered a faint smile, though the tension in his eyes mirrored the other man's.

 

"Just a little disagreement."

 

"Yeah, right. I've never seen Peach lose it like that before." Rome crossed his arms, frowning, clearly irritated at being left in the dark. "And you. I've never seen you that angry either."

 

Mok's lips still carried that small, unreadable smile, but his gaze was cold enough to send a chill through the air. He turned his attention back to the woman curled up on the sofa, her shoulders hunched as if trying to disappear.

 

"She seems to know Peach's mother."

 

Rome's expression hardened in an instant. His gaze locked onto Neera, sharp and merciless. The Arseny family was a mafia dynasty. Anyone who got close, especially to one of their own, was thoroughly investigated. Background checks, history, connections, everything had to be scrutinised. Betrayal wasn't something they could afford. So, Rome knew Peach's family situation well.

 

"Who the hell is she?"

 

"Neera Pearce is a daughter of the Pearce family, the same Pearces who were business partners with the Arsenys five years ago. But they had internal problems, couldn't keep up with their payments, and eventually, the whole thing fell apart." 

 

Mok answered evenly, nodding toward the woman. "Back then, the Pearce patriarch sent his daughter to be Thee's 'companion' for a month or two. She didn't last long before she bailed."

 

Before Theerakit met Peachayarat, he'd had plenty of flings—lovers who came and went, some sent by others, some of his own choosing. But none had ever lasted. None had ever truly reached him. Most had ended up scared, retreating before things could get serious. And Neera had been one of them.

 

"And what does that woman have to do with all this?"

 

Mok shot his partner a dry, unimpressed look. He knew exactly what 'that woman' meant. Rome was referring to both Neera and the other woman in the situation, lumping them together as one problem. And he also knew Rome damn well remembered her name. He was just too pissed off to bother using it. Honestly, the fact that he wasn't swearing up a storm like he used to was already a massive improvement. 

 

"Malee, Peach's mother, is currently involved with Neera's uncle," Mok said, pausing briefly before tilting his head slightly. "Actually, 'involved' is putting it too nicely. "Mistress' or 'kept woman' would be more accurate."

 

Malee was a weak woman, unable to stand on her own. She always needed someone to lean on. And it didn't matter if that person had nearly beaten her child to death; she still abandoned her own son for the sake of another man. What Peach didn't know was that after he and his brother ran away, Mali's life didn't turn out the way she had expected.

 

That man, the one she chose over her own child, turned into a full-blown alcoholic. Whenever he came home drunk, he'd beat her black and blue, leaving her broken in every possible way. Eventually, he got arrested. After that, she bounced from one man to another until, somehow, she ended up as the mistress of an older foreigner who had come to Thailand for a 'good time.'

 

None of them had wanted to know any of this. But once Thee got serious about Peach and learned about his past, the mafia heir quietly ordered an investigation. They didn't care about Mali's history, but anything that could come back to hurt Peach, no matter how small, was a risk they weren't willing to take.

 

Mok let out a tired sigh, his voice laced with frustration. "Last time I heard, she was trying to track Peach down. We had our people block her at every step. Never thought she'd end up crossing paths with Neera Pearce of all people."

 

"I told you we should've gotten rid of her," Rome muttered, irritation clear in his voice. 

 

"Being soft-hearted is exactly why this kind of mess keeps happening." Mok exhaled heavily.

 

"You really need to stop making violence your go-to solution."

 

Rome turned away, feigning indifference. His former secretary just let out a chuckle before shifting his attention back to the woman on the couch. First things first, he needed to deal with this woman's delusions.

 

Mok stepped forward, his face cold and unreadable, his voice devoid of any warmth. 

 

"Miss Neera, I suggest you turn around and leave. And don't meddle with our people again."

 

Neera lifted her gaze, her crystal-blue eyes shimmering with a mix of fear and desperate hope.

 

"Why? I only spoke the truth! I just want to help someone who's been deceived!" She shot back, tilting her chin defiantly. Despite her bravado, the second she met the eyes of the man standing behind Mok, the one radiating pure menace, she felt a violent shiver run through her spine. "How dare you!"

 

Mok let out a long sigh, tightening his grip on Rome's arm before he could lunge forward. 

 

"And what makes you so sure Peach is the one being deceived?" he asked, his voice calm but cutting. "Are you certain you're not the one being played?"

 

They might be part of the mafia, powerful and deeply connected in the underworld, but that didn't mean they could do whatever they pleased. The world had changed. There were eyes on them both in the dark and the light, waiting for any excuse to strike. If they abused their power too openly, they'd only invite unnecessary trouble.

 

"What... Do you mean?" Neera murmured, almost as if the words had slipped out before she could stop them. For the first time, doubt crept into her thoughts. The sheer certainty she'd clung to the belief that she was doing the right thing suddenly wavered.

 

"Mr Thee was never into men before. And now, out of nowhere, he suddenly has two kids? That photographer has to be a pawn someone Thee is using as a cover for his real lover." 

 

Neera's voice dropped to a whisper, as if trying to convince herself. "And that photographer? He's not a good person. He abandoned his own mother, left her to struggle for money, so much so that she had no choice but to become my uncle's mistress. Aunt Malee has suffered so much... and that ungrateful bastard just threw her away like she was nothing!"

 

Her uncle had always been a womaniser. No matter where his work took him, he'd pick up a new mistress along the way. After divorcing his legal wife, he had gotten even worse, bringing them home like trophies. Neera had seen countless women come and go. She never cared. Her family was wealthy. If her uncle wanted to collect women, that was his business. It didn't affect her until the day he brought Malee in.

 

Aunt Malee was a middle-aged Thai woman who had followed Neera's uncle to Europe. Her English was shaky at best, but she managed to get by. Timid and unassuming, she never caused trouble and often cooked for everyone in the household. Neera, having developed a deep love for Thai food, ended up talking to her quite often. 

 

Malee once confided that she had two children, children who had abandoned her. Struggling in poverty, they had run away and never looked back. Even now, when they had made something of themselves, rich, successful, well-known-her attempts to reach out to them were met with silence.

 

As she spoke, she wept, dabbing at her eyes with the corner of her apron. The sheer sorrow in her voice made Neera waver, and in that moment, she made up her mind she would help Malee, no matter what. And when she found out that Malee's son had supposedly been deceived by Thee, manipulated into selling his body and soul, making a fortune as the pretend lover of a Russian mafia boss, Neera knew she had to do something. She had to make that photographer wake up and see the truth.

 

"This is a private matter between the two of them. It's not my place to say anything."

 

Mok's voice was devoid of warmth, as cold and sharp as ice. Neera looked up, startled. The moment she met his jet-black, lifeless eyes, she flinched. Whatever words she had prepared evaporated in her throat.

 

"There's one thing you should remember, and remember well," Mok continued, his tone cutting. "Thee and Peach love each other. No one's being used. And Peach cherishes his family. Are you so sure the people on your side are good guys? If they were, tell me, what kind of child would willingly run away from their mother and never look back?"

 

"Then..."

 

Then what was all of this? Had she misunderstood everything?

 

"You should take a good look at your own family before you go around pointing fingers at others," Mok said bluntly. "Like Peach told you, who are you to decide how others should live their lives? You have no idea what they've been through."

 

With that, Mok gave a curt nod and walked away. Rome, who had been standing behind him like an ever-watchful bodyguard, threw a final glance at Neera. His gaze was sharp, laced with a clear, silent warning. Then, without another word, he turned and followed his lover. Neera remained frozen in place. Her mind was blank, but a creeping sense of unease settled deep in her chest. Had she made a terrible mistake?

 

Mok walked out of the café, with Rome following closely behind, his face still twisted in a scowl, radiating a stormy, almost menacing aura. Fortunately, the day's shoot had wrapped up early, and most people had already packed up and left. The tension from that confrontation with the woman hadn't drawn too much attention.

 

Mok glanced at his lover and let out a quiet sigh. "Rome, weren't we supposed to keep a low profile here?" Rome shrugged, utterly unconcerned. "Not my fault. She's the one who decided to raise her voice at you. No way I was letting that slide."

 

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Mok's lips, washing away the last of his irritation. 

 

"That woman was just a civilian. If you get too aggressive, it won't be good for your image." Rome scoffed, looking even more annoyed. 

 

"Like I give a damn about my image. Woman, old man, whoever it is, it doesn't matter. Anyone who lays a hand on my people is fair game."

 

Mok's smirk widened slightly. He turned his face away so Rome wouldn't see just how amused he was. "If that's the case, my workload is about to skyrocket."

 

"And that is exactly why I'm holding back."

 

Oh. So this was him holding back. Mok let out a soft chuckle under his breath, choosing not to argue further. He walked on, letting his lover, who doubled as his boss, grumble to himself the entire way. By the time they reached the hotel, the elevator doors slid open on their floor, revealing Thee standing in front of their suite, arms crossed over his chest.

 

Mok straightened instinctively, his easy demeanour vanishing as his lips pressed into a firm, neutral line. Even Rome, who usually carried himself with an air of nonchalance, squared his shoulders and clasped his hands behind his back, suddenly looking all business. It had been a long time since they'd seen Thee in this kind of mood.

 

"How's Peach?" Mok asked cautiously.

 

"Asleep. Probably exhausted," Thee replied, his sharp, smoke-grey eyes cutting through the silence as he scrutinised his former secretary. 

 

"Now, tell me, what the hell is going on?"

 

Mok exhaled quietly, already feeling a twinge of sympathy for that woman. Now that Thee had caught wind of this, there was no way it would end smoothly.

 

"Kian, this is exactly why you're too easy to mess with," Rome sighed dramatically, strolling forward to slap a hand on his older brother's shoulder. "Come on, let's take this inside. I'll fill you in."

 

Theerakit let out a heavy sigh. "Your room. Peach is sleeping."

 

Rome grinned, tossing a smug wink in Mok’s direction, before sauntering off. Mak could only sigh in resignation and follow along. Dealing with Rome alone was exhausting enough. Now that Thee was involved? Well, he could only offer his condolences to that poor woman.