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Chapter Text

---

The crystal chandelier above the ceremonial hall cast a cold, sterile glow over rows of stiff suits and forced smiles. Silk-draped chairs, silver petals, and wine-red carpets looked perfect - elegant and soulless.

Just like the bride standing at the altar.

*Orm Khornaphat* didn't move a muscle. Her hands were clasped neatly in front of her white lace gown - not out of grace, but habit. Control. Discipline. She had been taught since childhood that emotions were for the weak. That love was noise. That silence was power.

But even silence was wearing thin now.

The clock struck *4:18 PM*.

She was three minutes late.

Orm's jaw tensed. Her father sat in the front row, expression unreadable behind his gold-framed glasses. The guests whispered behind gloved hands.

Where was she?

Suddenly-

The grand oak doors burst open.

In walked *Ling Ling Kwong* - no veil, no heels, no apologies.

She was dressed in a black tailored suit, loose white shirt unbuttoned just low enough to tempt scandal. A silver chain glinted at her neck. Tattoos curled over her left hand. She looked like she'd just rolled out of a boxing ring and decided to crash a gala.

Orm's brows lifted - barely - but it was the equivalent of a gasp from anyone else.

Ling walked down the aisle slowly, confidently, her eyes fixed on Orm with a spark that dared her to flinch.

"I figured," Ling said, voice smooth as whiskey, "you'd appreciate a little suspense on your big day."

Orm didn't answer. She simply extended her hand - not in welcome, but instruction.

"Sign the contract," she said coolly.

Ling tilted her head. "No warm welcome? No 'I do'? You wound me, darling."

"Don't call me that."

"Noted." Ling took the pen and signed the marriage papers with a flourish. "But I reserve the right to call you whatever I want in bed."

Orm's lips twitched. "You're assuming there'll be a bed to share."

Their signatures were inked, their fate sealed.

The officiant, clearly uncomfortable, cleared his throat. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you-"

"Let's skip to the part where we leave," Orm interrupted, already walking off the stage.

Ling chuckled softly. "Well, Mrs. Khornaphat, I must say-marrying you might actually be fun."

---

The ride to the Khornaphat estate was silent.

Orm sat with perfect posture in the black town car, her phone in hand, but not typing. Ling lounged opposite, legs slightly spread, one arm draped across the back seat like she owned it.

"You're quiet," Ling said, glancing at her. "Not even a 'thanks for showing up'?"

"You were late."

"I like to make an entrance."

"I like punctuality. I also like silence."

Ling smirked. "Opposites attract."

"We're not attracted. We're contractually bound. For twelve months."

"Plenty of time to make you fall for me."

Orm turned her head slowly. "You won't."

Ling leaned closer. "Challenge accepted."

---

The Khornaphat estate sat like a fortress - tall iron gates, marble staircases, white-walled halls lined with framed oil portraits of ancestors no one remembered.

Ling whistled low as they entered.

"Wow," she said. "I always imagined marrying rich would come with champagne and screaming in-laws. Not a library that looks like it eats souls."

Orm turned without looking back. "You'll sleep in the west wing. Jet can take the room across the hall."

"Aw. Separate rooms already?" Ling grinned. "And here I thought wedding night meant something special."

Orm stopped at the stairs. "Let's get one thing clear."

Ling raised a brow.

"This is a contract marriage. No touching. No flirting. No appearances beyond what's required. Stay out of my office. Stay out of my room. And stay out of my way."

Ling stepped in close, so close that Orm could smell her perfume - smoke and citrus.

"You can't seriously expect me not to flirt," she whispered. "It's my coping mechanism."

Orm met her gaze, steady and cold. "Then find a new one."

Ling clicked her tongue. "You're going to be so fun to break."

---

Later that night, Orm stood in front of the bathroom mirror, wiping off her makeup in practiced, sharp movements.

The wedding had gone off without a hitch - on the surface. But something was wrong. Off. She could feel it like static in the air.

Ling wasn't who she expected.

Her file had said "independent businesswoman, owner of a private security agency." Orm had assumed dull, polite, manageable.

Instead, she got swagger. Smirks. Secrets.

And she hated secrets.

She stared at herself.

You agreed to this, she reminded herself.

Because it protects the company. Because the scandal needed to die. Because your father said so.

She exhaled slowly, then turned off the light.

---

Down the hall, Ling sat on the bed in her room, a laptop open, screen flickering with encrypted files.

Jet appeared at the door, chewing gum. "You really married the Ice Queen?"

Ling smirked without looking up. "Legally, yes. Emotionally? She's still suing me in her mind."

Jet sat on the floor. "You gonna tell her?"

"No."

"You think she's part of what happened to Mom?"

"I don't know. But her father is."

Jet fell silent.

After a while, Ling closed the laptop and stared out the window at the moonlit garden.

"She doesn't trust me," she said softly. "That's good."

Jet frowned. "Why?"

"Because when she finally does... it'll hurt more when I leave."

---

Orm lay awake that night, eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

In her mind, she replayed the way Ling had smiled - too confident. Too calm. Like she already knew how this game would end.

But Orm had played with fire before.

And fire always burns out.

---

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

The sunlight poured through the arched windows of the Khornaphat estate like an uninvited guest. Everything about the house screamed cold elegance: marble floors, muted tones, and walls that echoed with emptiness.

Ling leaned against the kitchen island in a T-shirt and joggers, flipping through a bowl of cereal like it was classified intel.

She looked perfectly out of place - and perfectly unbothered.

Orm walked in, dressed immaculately in navy silk slacks and a white blouse. Hair tied into a flawless bun, not a strand out of place. She paused for a moment, taking in the chaotic image of her "wife" eating breakfast with one foot on the chair.

Ling didn't even look up. "Morning, Mrs. Khornaphat."

Orm's jaw tightened. "You're in my kitchen."

"I live here now, don't I?" Ling glanced up with a wink. "Thought I'd get cozy."

Orm walked past her, pulling open a drawer and retrieving her green tea tin like it was ritual.

"Let's set some things straight," she said calmly.

Ling munched her cereal. "Oh, this'll be fun."

---

They sat at the dining table, a long polished slab of dark walnut that seated twelve - though only two were ever present.

Orm placed a thin printed sheet between them.

Ling blinked. "You made a rule sheet?"

Orm didn't smile. "These are the boundaries of this arrangement."

Ling picked it up dramatically. "'No entering the east wing.' Is that where you keep your secrets? Or your soul?"

Orm ignored her. "You may come to public events with me when requested. You'll be compensated monthly for your appearance."

"Wow, such romance."

"No physical intimacy is required or expected. In fact, it's discouraged."

Ling raised her brows. "That's a shame."

Orm's voice remained level. "This is not a romance. This is reputation management."

Ling leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes locked on Orm's.

"Say whatever you want, ice princess. But the way you looked at me last night? You felt it."

Orm didn't blink. "What I felt was regret."

Ling grinned. "Keep telling yourself that."

---

Later that day, Orm's office door shut with a clean, satisfying click. She sat behind her massive black desk, clicking through emails. Business partners, scandal control, press management. Everything was spinning faster than she liked - but at least inside her domain, she had control.

Until a notification popped up:
*\[Security breach detected - Main Wi-Fi access point]*

Orm's eyes narrowed.

She tapped into the feed and accessed internal camera logs.

There it was: footage of *Ling in the hallway last night*, pacing near the east wing - the restricted area.

And pausing, deliberately, in front of her private study.

Orm's lips thinned. She picked up her phone.

---

Ling was lounging on the library couch when Orm stormed in.

"No knocking? Tsk," Ling said without looking up from her book.

Orm threw a flash drive on the table in front of her.

"You accessed restricted halls."

Ling finally looked up, smirking. "I was just exploring my new castle."

"This isn't a playground."

"You keep saying that, but I'm having so much fun."

Orm stepped closer. "Break my rules again and you'll be removed from this house."

Ling stood, suddenly serious. "You think you scare me?"

"I think I should."

Ling's smile returned - slower, darker this time. "You don't. Not even a little."

For a moment, they stood chest-to-chest. The air between them thick with challenge.

Then Orm turned and walked away without another word.

Ling exhaled - barely. Her fingers twitched at her side.

She hadn't expected the CEO to have surveillance that sharp.

Orm wasn't just cold - she was dangerous when cornered.

And maybe that's why Ling didn't mind getting closer.

---

That night, Orm lay in bed, staring at the ceiling again.

Twice now, she'd let her temper slip. Twice, Ling had pushed a boundary and lived to smirk about it.

But there was something worse than the smirks.

It was how her heart beat just a little too loud when Ling leaned in.

Orm had spent years mastering her silence. Her stillness. Her composure.

And now someone had arrived in her life like a lit match tossed into a room soaked in gasoline.

Orm hated fire.

Because fire made things impossible to control.

---

** [ End of Chapter ] **

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

The charity gala glittered in white marble and golden chandeliers - a ballroom of Thailand's richest and most ruthless. Cameras flashed like lightning, and yet all eyes turned when **Orm Khornaphat** entered. Elegant. Untouchable.

Ling walked half a step behind her, smirking in an ink-black suit with no tie, chest partially exposed. Like a wolf among glass.

Orm barely acknowledged her presence.
"Smile," she whispered through clenched teeth.
Ling leaned close. "You're asking me to fake it? Thought that was your specialty."

Orm's jaw tightened, but she said nothing. Not here. Not in front of everyone.

---

#### 📸 *Paparazzi Chaos*

The flashbulbs exploded as the so-called "newlyweds" stepped onto the main stage. Orm kept her arm tense at her side. Ling, of course, looped her hand around Orm's waist.

"What are you-?"
"Relax, darling wife. They want a show, don't they?" Ling purred near her ear. "Let's give them something worth selling."

Orm didn't pull away. Couldn't. Cameras were watching.

But when Ling rested her chin lightly on Orm's shoulder during a group photo, she felt it - the tiny shiver that ran down Orm's spine.

---

#### 🥂 *The Past Returns*

An hour in, as Orm stood talking to a board member, a woman approached - tall, striking, and too familiar.

"Orm," the woman said sweetly. "It's been a long time."

Orm froze.

Ling's eyes sharpened.

"Sara," Orm said flatly.

"Oh? The famous *Sara*?" Ling strolled up, voice laced with poison-dipped honey. "You're even prettier than I imagined."

Sara smiled. "And you must be the... contract wife."

Orm's breath caught.

Ling tilted her head. "Is that what she told you?" She took a slow sip of champagne, then set the glass down and stepped closer to Orm, her arm circling possessively around her waist. "Because she tells me other things. In bed."

Orm's eyes snapped toward Ling - a warning flare.

Sara laughed awkwardly and left. But not before brushing her fingers lightly over Orm's arm.

Big mistake.

Ling grabbed Orm's wrist immediately after. "Did you sleep with her?" she demanded under her breath.

Orm jerked her hand away. "That's none of your business."

Ling's voice dropped, low and dangerous. "Everything about you is my business now."

---

#### 💥 *Back at the Car*

The ride home was silent - until it wasn't.

"Jealousy doesn't suit you," Orm said, staring out the window.

Ling let out a short laugh. "That woman touched what's mine."

Orm turned. "I'm not yours."

Ling's grin faded. "Not yet."

Their eyes locked - and for one breathless moment, it felt like they were both standing too close to fire.

---

#### 🖥️ *Back at the Mansion - Jet Texts*

As they stepped into the mansion, Orm headed toward her office. Ling stayed behind, checking her phone.

**\[JET]: u better watch Orm. her past's messy. I found something weird. talk later.**

Ling's jaw clenched. Her playful smirk gone.

She looked down the hall toward Orm's closed office door.

Orm might be cold.

But Ling? Ling was fire - and fire always burns what it touches.

---

**[ End of Chapter ]**

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

### 🔥 Bonus Chapter :
" Ling's Private Thoughts "

---

#### 📍Scene: Right after Sara leaves the gala

> (Not spoken aloud - just Ling watching Orm)

> She's standing too close to her past.
> Too calm. Too polite. Is that the version of her she gave Sara too? The perfect, polished CEO with an ice spine?
> No. No one else gets that look in her eyes when I call her mine.
> No one else makes her flinch like I do.
> She doesn't know it yet, but I'll be the one to burn down whatever pieces of her are still loyal to people like that.
> Even if I have to scorch myself with her.

---

#### 📍Scene: In the car, Orm tells Ling she's not hers

> (Orm looks out the window, trying to act distant - Ling watches her reflection in the glass)

> She thinks she can freeze me out. Pretend that what just happened didn't light a fuse between us.
> I don't care if this marriage was fake.
> That body beside me in bed is real. That pulse beneath her throat when I touch her - that's real.
> She can keep her rules. I'll break them all.
> Because if I can't have her heart... I'll take everything else she tries to hide.

---

#### 📍Scene: At the mansion, after Jet texts her

> (Ling stands outside Orm's locked office)

> She's hiding something. And not just from the world - from herself.
> She walks around like no one can touch her, like no one has ever gotten under her skin.
> But she let me in. For a second. Tonight.
> And that's all I need.
> She won't say it, but I already own something no one else has ever seen.
> Her fear. Her weakness. Her attention.
> She's not mine yet. But she will be.
> Even if I have to destroy everything that came before me.

---
*[ End of Bonus Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

The storm hits just after midnight.

Thunder roared above the Khornaphat estate as heavy rain slammed against the floor-to-ceiling windows. The power flickered twice. Then everything went black.

Orm stood still in her study, her hands frozen over documents she hadn't truly been reading. Only the faint blue glow of her laptop remained-before even that, too, died.

Silence. Then footsteps.

Not hers.

She didn't move. "Jet?" she called out cautiously.

"Nope," came a voice behind her, low and smug. "Wrong sibling."

Lightning cracked - just enough to illuminate Ling Ling Kwong leaning against the doorframe in that black silk tank top and loose slacks, looking like she belonged in chaos.

"Why are you always around during power failures?" Orm snapped, not turning.

"Maybe I *am* the failure," Ling said with a smirk, stepping closer, boots soft on the carpet. "Or maybe you just like seeing me in the dark."

Orm turned around slowly. "You're supposed to be on the east wing."

"I was," Ling said, now directly in front of her. "But your security sucks. I tripped two sensors just for fun."

Orm's nostrils flared. "You find this amusing?"

"I find *you* amusing." Ling leaned in, her breath warm. "All that elegance, all that distance-and yet here you are, stuck in the dark, standing still like a princess cursed by a blackout."

"I don't have time for games-"

"But you have time for me," Ling interrupted, softly.

A flash of lightning lit up the tension between them. Orm's breath hitched.

Ling stepped closer. "Do you always breathe like that when someone's this near? Or is it just me?"

Orm held her ground. "You're delusional if you think I'd be flustered by you."

"Oh, sweetheart," Ling whispered, voice dipped in honey and war, "you already are."

Another clap of thunder. This time, Orm stepped back-only to bump against her desk.

Ling didn't follow. She just smiled, slow and lethal.

"You should get used to this," she added. "Because we're going to keep crashing into each other... until one of us burns."

Orm's mouth parted, a retort poised-but then her phone buzzed. She glanced down.

**\[JET KWONG: security loop glitched. someone else tripped camera at back gate. check it.]**

Orm frowned. "Your brother just texted me."

Ling blinked. "Wait-you have Jet's number?"

"Apparently, he has mine. Uninvited."

Ling chuckled. "You'll like him. He's worse than me."

"Doubtful," Orm muttered.

Just then, a flashlight beam swept across the hallway. Ling turned her head. "Jet?"

The boy appeared in the doorway, hoodie up, silver laptop in one hand and a half-eaten energy bar in the other.

"You broke the kitchen lock," Orm said flatly.

He grinned. "Hi, CEO Ice Queen. I'm Jet. I break things. Like passwords. Cameras. And sometimes, people's trust."

Orm blinked. "Charming."

Ling clapped her hands. "He takes after me."

Jet slid onto the leather couch like it was his. "Anyway, I saw a blip. Someone else might've come through the east perimeter twenty minutes ago. Thought you'd wanna know."

Orm's sharp eyes snapped to Ling. "You said you were the only one."

Ling looked genuinely confused now. "I was. If someone else's here... they're not mine."

"Maybe they're watching you," Jet muttered. "Or both of you. Wouldn't be the first time."

Orm's jaw tightened. "That's not possible. This place is locked tighter than-"

Jet tapped his laptop and turned the screen toward them.

Static. Then a fuzzy figure darting past the back gate, blurry but real.

Lightning flashed again. Orm's spine stiffened.

"I'll have my guards do a sweep," she said.

"No," Ling said suddenly. "Let me."

Orm turned. "You?"

"I used to chase worse than this in heels and smoke." Ling gave her a look. "Let me handle it. You stay put."

"I'm not helpless."

"No," Ling said, stepping closer again. "But you're *mine*. And I don't share when someone's trying to hurt what's mine."

Orm froze. Her heartbeat thundered louder than the storm.

"You don't get to say that," she whispered.

"I already did," Ling replied, brushing past her with a wink. "Touché."

---

**[ End of Chapter ]**

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

Bonus Chapter :
Orm's POV : "The Ice That Cracked"*

---

Orm shut the door behind Ling.

The hallway was still humming with Jet's lazy whistling and the low buzz of security chatter, but in her study, it was silent again. Dark. Except for the soft flicker of emergency lights casting ghostly blue shadows across the floor.

Her hands gripped the edge of her desk.

She hated storms.

Not because of the rain, or the power outages.

Because storms reminded her she couldn't control everything.

And Ling Kwong was exactly that - a walking, grinning, chaos-born hurricane wrapped in swagger and cigarette smoke. The kind of danger you didn't see coming until your walls cracked open.

Orm exhaled sharply, trying to slow her breathing.

That woman had stepped close. Too close. Not just physically - emotionally. Teasing her, reading her, touching nerves that hadn't flinched in years.

> "You're mine. And I don't share."

Who the hell says that during a potential security breach?

She did.

Ling said it like it was a fact. Not a flirt. Not a joke. A *claim*.

And worse - for a second, just a second - Orm hadn't hated it.

She looked down at her own hand. It was trembling. She quickly clenched it into a fist.

"No," she whispered to herself. "Not her. Never her."

Ling was reckless. Unpredictable. Dangerous.

Orm had spent twenty-five years building control, layers of ice thicker than bulletproof glass. She couldn't afford cracks. Not for someone who came into her life on a contract.

But even as she said it, her gaze fell to the hallway where Ling had walked off into the dark, shoulders squared like she owned the night.

And Orm - for the first time - felt something terrifying curl inside her chest.

Warmth.

---

**[ End of Bonus Chapter ]**

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

Orm didn't like silence.
She only trusted it when she could control it.

But tonight, her house felt *too* silent.

She moved through the marble hallway barefoot, passing the dim-lit portraits of Khornaphat ancestors. Her steps were soundless, her expression still. But her mind was running, scanning - she could feel something was off.

The security logs showed the door to her **private office** had opened at 12:41 AM. Closed at 12:43.

No one had permission but her.

Her fingers hovered over the sensor pad as she reached the office.

Inside, the lights were off. But something was different.

The chair was turned slightly.

A file had been moved 3 inches to the left - she remembered where she'd placed it. That wasn't forgetfulness. That was *someone's hand*.

Orm turned sharply-

And found **Ling** leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window, bathed in moonlight, holding one of Orm's hard drives like it was a game console.

Ling's lips curved, slow and lazy.

> "You're late to your own party, CEO."

---

"Put that down," Orm said coldly, stepping inside.

Ling flipped the drive in her hand once, twice, like she was weighing it.

> "You should change your encryption. It only took me three tries."

"Who gave you clearance?"

> "What clearance? I live here now, remember?" Her smile sharpened. "And wives don't knock."

Orm crossed the room in three sharp steps and snatched the drive from her hand.

Ling didn't flinch. She just tilted her head, eyes lingering on Orm's tight jaw.

> "You're hiding something," Ling said quietly. "But worse-*someone's watching you*."

Orm froze. "What did you say?"

Ling turned to the wall where a framed abstract painting hung. She pulled it aside.

Behind it, where no one had ever been allowed to see - a small black **bug** sat in the corner, blinking green.

Orm's chest went still.

> "That's not yours," Ling said. "And it's not mine."

---

For once, Orm couldn't speak.

She *had* swept the office recently. Or thought she had. But this wasn't some cheap bug - this was military-grade. Hidden deep, only detectable by someone *expecting to find it.*

> "You're too perfect," Ling said. "You think control makes you safe. But control just makes you blind."

Orm turned slowly. "How long have you known?"

> "Since the day I got here. The glitch in your elevator system wasn't an accident. Someone's tapping you."

"And you didn't tell me?"

> "I didn't trust you." Ling shrugged. "Still don't. But this... this is bigger than your ego."

Orm stepped forward, eyes sharp. "Who are you really?"

Ling smiled again, but it was a tired one this time. The kind that came from too many secrets and not enough sleep.

> "Someone who's been in deeper shadows than this."

She brushed past Orm and stopped at the door. Paused.

> "Lock your doors better," Ling said without turning. "Next time it won't be me walking in."

And then she was gone.

Leaving Orm alone - and finally, truly, *scared.*

---

**[ End of Chapter ]**

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

It was close to midnight when Orm stepped into the underground parking lot beneath Khornaphat Tower.

The echo of her heels was the only sound.

Her driver had been called off earlier due to "security system maintenance." Strange. But Orm didn't wait for anyone - she hated delays more than danger.

She moved with elegance, her black heels clicking over the concrete. Sleek, poised, alert. Until her sixth sense - the one built from boardrooms and betrayals - flared.

She wasn't alone.

---

A figure stepped from the shadows behind the silver pillar.

Black hoodie. Mask. Gloved hands.

Too close.

Orm turned-

> "What do you-"

He lunged.

She staggered back as the man rushed forward with a stun baton raised - no time to scream, no time to reach for her clutch-

And then-

*Crack.*

A shadow collided with him from the side like a goddamn storm.

It was *Ling.*

Hair loose, in a leather jacket, fists already flying.

She grabbed the attacker by the collar, slammed him hard against the pillar.

Once. Twice.

He grunted. Tried to swing.

*Mistake.*

Ling ducked, drove her knee into his stomach, then smashed his hand against the wall until the baton clattered to the ground.

She didn't stop.

Her fist landed on his jaw. Again. And again. Blood spattered the pillar.

> "You think," Ling hissed between punches, "you can touch her?"

Orm stood frozen, heart thudding.

It wasn't just that Ling was violent.

It was the way she looked like she belonged in the violence - like it was second nature.

Like she'd kill this man if Orm didn't speak.

> "Ling." Her voice cracked.

Ling stopped. Barely.

The man was unconscious. Bleeding.

Ling turned to face Orm - chest heaving, knuckles red.

> "You alright?"

Orm nodded, slowly. Her gaze dropped to Ling's hand - torn skin, shaking from adrenaline.

> "You're hurt," she said quietly.

Ling blinked, like she hadn't noticed.

> "Doesn't matter."

---

They stood in silence, the car park now echoing only with breathing and distant traffic.

Ling looked down at the attacker's body, then back at Orm.

> "You walk around thinking your name protects you. It doesn't."

> "That wasn't random," Orm whispered. "Someone sent him."

Ling nodded.

> "They're escalating."

Orm stepped closer, lowering her voice.

> "Why do you care?"

Ling's jaw tensed. Her voice dropped low, firm.

> "Because you're still my wife. For now."

Orm's breath caught.

There was something in the way Ling said it - not teasing, not sarcastic.

Possessive. Fierce. Unapologetically hers.

---

Ling looked down at her bloody hand, then back at Orm.

> "You're going to need a new security team. Your father's probably the one who hired this clown."

Orm blinked. "What?"

Ling didn't elaborate.

She just wiped her hand on her jacket, pulled her phone, and made a quick call in Thai.

> "Clean-up. Lower level. One target, not fatal. Bring gloves."

Then she ended the call and looked at Orm again.

Softer this time.

> "Let's get you out of here."

Orm hesitated... then followed her.

---

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

Orm stood in her private study, sleeves rolled up, staring out at the rain-soaked Bangkok skyline. The city glittered under the storm, alive and unbothered - unlike her.

Behind her, Ling was lounging in the leather chair like she owned it. One leg propped, her black boots muddy from the earlier fight. She was nursing a beer she didn't ask permission to open.

> "You should get your hand stitched," Orm said flatly, not turning around.

> "You should get a real security team," Ling shot back, unfazed.

Orm turned.

> "Why did you follow me?"

Ling shrugged. "Call it a wife's instinct."

That word again. Wife.

Spoken so casually by a woman who didn't believe in love, didn't believe in anything but chaos and impulse - and yet there she was, bruised knuckles and calm fire, still watching over Orm like she meant it.

---

> "You don't have to protect me," Orm said, pacing toward her desk. "We both know this marriage is just paper. Transactional."

> "Right," Ling murmured. "Except paper doesn't bleed."

Orm flinched at the line.

Ling stood up, slowly. Closed the distance between them.

> "You want this arrangement to stay clean and cold, fine," Ling said. "But don't act like someone didn't just try to kill you. This thing isn't safe anymore."

Orm hesitated. For the first time, she wasn't sure if she was angry, scared, or... grateful.

> "So what are you proposing?" she asked.

Ling smiled. "That depends. What's your offer?"

---

Orm pulled a document from the drawer. Simple. Official. Another contract.

> "Protect me. For one year. Keep me alive, and you'll be free."

Ling raised an eyebrow.

> "I'm already not free, sweetheart."

> "You'll get enough money to disappear," Orm replied. "New ID, clean records. A fresh start."

Ling laughed. But it didn't reach her eyes.

> "You think I'm in this for money?"

Orm hesitated.

> "No," she admitted. "But I think you're here for revenge."

Ling's playful smile cracked. Just for a second.

Orm pressed on.

> "I don't know what exactly you're hiding, or what you want from my family. But I know you're not just some street fighter with expensive taste."

Ling stepped closer until they were nearly chest to chest.

> "You want me to stay and protect you?" she said, voice low. "Say please."

Orm blinked. Her spine straightened.

> "I don't beg."

> "Exactly," Ling said, leaning in with a smirk. "That's why I'm still interested."

---

They stared at each other for a long moment.

Then Ling reached for a pen, signed the new agreement without even reading it.

> "One year," she said. "I'll keep you breathing."

> "And after that?" Orm asked.

Ling leaned back.

> "We'll see if I still want to leave."

---

Orm watched her walk out of the room like it was her palace now.

But she didn't know-
Ling wasn't the only one digging into secrets.

Because behind that new contract, Orm had slipped a second copy into a different folder - the one tied to her father's confidential archives.

> If Ling was hiding something... Orm would find out.

---

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

The ballroom shimmered with crystal chandeliers and judgmental eyes. It was another charity event — another night of fake smiles, stale wine, and forced elegance.

Ling hated these things.

She stood by the open bar, black suit sharp, tie loosened just enough to break protocol. She scanned the crowd once, bored — until she saw *her.*

Orm descended the stairs like a storm wrapped in silk.

Her hair, usually pulled back, was loose. Waves of jet-black spilled past her collarbones. But it wasn’t her hair that made Ling pause.

It was the *dress.*

Red. Deep, rich crimson. The color of blood, fire, and defiance.

She never wore red.

---

Orm’s eyes met hers across the ballroom. Ling didn’t move. Didn’t smile. Didn’t blink.

And still—Orm’s steps faltered.

---

> “Did hell freeze over,” Ling murmured as Orm approached, “or did you wear that for me?”

Orm rolled her eyes. “It was the only one left in my size.”

> “Lie again,” Ling whispered. “See what happens.”

Orm’s cheeks colored — faint, quick, then gone.

---

They walked in together.

Everyone stared.

Paparazzi snapped photos. Some whispered. Others speculated.

> "Newlyweds, right?"
> "Arranged."
> "But look at the way she looks at her..."

---

At their table, Ling leaned back in her seat.

> “If you’re trying to distract me from your secrets,” she said, “it’s working.”

> “I didn’t ask for your attention.”

> “And yet you have all of it.”

Orm scoffed. But she sipped her wine faster than usual.

---

A man approached their table — smug, rich, reeking of old money and cologne.

> “Khun Khornaphat,” he said, bowing slightly. “A pleasure, as always.”

Orm stood politely. Ling did not.

> “And this must be… your bodyguard?”

Ling smiled slowly. “Wife.”

The man blinked. Awkward silence. Then a forced laugh.

> “Of course. Right. How… progressive.”

Orm didn’t correct him. But she didn’t smile either.

When he left, Ling leaned over.

> “You let people assume you’re still single?”

Orm’s jaw tightened.

> “You let people think you’re dangerous.”

> “Because I am,” Ling said, and let her fingers brush over Orm’s on the table.

> “And I’m married,” Orm said coldly — but she didn’t move her hand away.

---

Later, during speeches, Ling noticed something else.

Orm wasn’t just beautiful tonight.

She looked *vulnerable*.

She smiled too long. Her shoulders were too tight. She was *performing.*

Something was wrong.

---

When the event ended, Orm stepped outside first.

Ling followed, catching up near the parked car.

> “You wore red for a reason,” she said quietly. “What’s the message?”

Orm glanced over her shoulder. “Red is for war, not romance.”

> “Then why do I feel like you’re running from something?”

Orm stopped walking.

> “Because you don’t know when to shut up.”

> “And you don’t know how to ask for help,” Ling said, stepping closer. “But I’m here anyway.”

Orm’s breath hitched.

> “You shouldn’t be.”

> “But I am.”

---

The silence between them was thick. Like something about to shatter.

Ling reached up — slowly — and tucked a strand of Orm’s hair behind her ear.

> “You smile like it hurts,” she whispered.

Orm closed her eyes. Just for a second.

> “It does.”

And then she opened the door and got in the car — alone.

---

**[ End of Chapter ]**

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

The mansion was quiet — too quiet.

Ling came home late, her jacket damp from the storm, her steps unusually soft as she slipped inside. Orm wasn’t in the living room. The lights were off.

But one door was open.

The study.

---

Inside, Orm sat on the floor in a sea of paper files — her father’s archives. She looked up briefly, unsurprised.

> “Jet gave me your spare key,” Ling said. “Should’ve known you'd be digging through ghosts.”

> “I’m not afraid of them,” Orm replied.

> “You should be.”

---

Ling walked in and crouched beside her. She wasn’t here to fight tonight.

She reached for one of the folders — then froze.

The name on the top:

> *Operation LANTERN — Mei Kwong*

---

> “Where did you get this?” Ling’s voice dropped.

Orm hesitated. “It was hidden. In a locked drawer. I don’t even know what most of this means.”

But Ling did.

She’d seen that stamp before. The day her world ended.

---

> *FLASHBACK – Bangkok, 17 Years Ago*

Rain poured down like bullets.

Mei Kwong — beautiful, sharp-eyed, deadly — handed little Ling a compass with trembling fingers.

> “Run,” she whispered. “Hide. Don’t turn back.”

The building behind them exploded in flames.

Gunfire. Screams. Her mother’s blood on Ling’s face.

---

> *BACK TO PRESENT*

Ling stumbled backward, dropping the file.

Orm stood quickly. “What did you see?”

Ling didn’t answer — she walked to the wall, breathing hard, pressing her forehead to the cold glass.

> “She wasn’t a criminal,” Ling said. “She was trying to expose corruption inside Khornaphat Corp.”

> “You think my father—?”

> “I know he had her killed.”

---

A pause.

Orm stepped closer — carefully. “That’s why you agreed to the marriage?”

Ling turned, eyes burning.

> “Why else would I marry someone like you?”

The words were sharp. But they hurt both of them.

---

Orm’s face twisted — not with anger, but pain.

She looked at the documents again.

> “I didn’t know.”

> “You should’ve.”

> “He never told me anything.”

> “You still let him own you.”

Orm’s voice cracked:

> “You think I wanted any of this?”

Ling took a step forward — inches between them.

> “I think you’re so used to being cold, you forgot what it means to bleed.”

And for the first time since they met — Orm’s eyes filled with tears.

---

She turned away, shoulders shaking. Ling should’ve left.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she whispered, “I didn’t want to fall for you.”

Orm didn’t look back. “Then why does it feel like you already did?”

---

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

—

The door slammed open.

Orm looked up from her laptop, startled, just in time to see Ling stumble into the foyer, blood on her temple, a split lip, and one sleeve of her leather jacket torn to shreds.

> “What happened?” Orm’s voice rose, shocked — *worried* — as she stood.

> “Bad people. Worse timing,” Ling muttered, wiping her brow.

> “You were fighting again?” Orm snapped. “You think you’re invincible?”

> “I *was* winning.”

Her smirk faltered when her knees buckled.

Orm rushed forward, catching her before she hit the ground.

> “Idiot,” Orm whispered, breathless.

> “Takes one to marry one.”

—

### ❄️ 15 Minutes Later

Orm guided Ling into the guest bathroom and sat her on the edge of the tub. The silence was thick — heavy with something unsaid.

Ling winced as Orm tugged the jacket off her shoulder.

Underneath, the skin was bruised purple. A gash ran from her collarbone to mid-arm.

> “You need stitches.”

> “I need whiskey.”

Orm gave her a sharp look. Then, without a word, she left — returning with a first aid kit and a bottle of antiseptic. She knelt in front of Ling, hair tied back now, sleeves rolled up.

It was strangely intimate.

> “I can do it myself—”

> “Shut up,” Orm cut in.

> “Bossy.”

> “Bleeding.”

—

Orm cleaned the wound gently, but her jaw was tight, her movements controlled.

> “What were you doing?” she asked quietly.

> “Checking out a lead on the mole.”

Orm looked up. “Alone?”

Ling shrugged with her one good shoulder. “Jet’s too valuable to risk.”

> “And you’re not?”

> “Not really.”

That made Orm pause.

—

She reached for the bandages without saying a word, but her fingers trembled slightly. Ling noticed.

> “Hey,” Ling said softly. “I’m not trying to die. Just trying to find the truth.”

> “You don’t have to bleed for it.”

> “Someone has to.”

Orm pressed the gauze harder than necessary. Ling hissed.

> “That’s for being reckless,” Orm muttered.

> “Careful, CEO. You’re starting to sound like you *care*.”

Orm didn’t answer.

—

When she finished, Orm sat back on her heels.

Ling was watching her. Still. Quiet. Something vulnerable in her eyes — and for once, no teasing in her mouth.

> “Thank you,” Ling said softly.

Orm looked away. “It’s just first aid.”

> “Still.”

The silence wrapped around them, slow and charged.

Then Ling leaned closer, eyes searching Orm’s.

> “Why are you really helping me?”

> “Because…” Orm’s voice dropped. “Because seeing you hurt makes it hard to breathe.”

—

Ling’s smile faded.

And then — **Orm kissed her.**

—

No warning. No careful build-up.

Just soft, sudden pressure against Ling’s mouth. Hesitant, but real.

Ling froze — not because she didn’t want it. Because she *did*.

Because it wasn’t supposed to feel this warm.

It wasn’t supposed to feel like... home.

—

Orm pulled away a second later, eyes wide, lips parted.

> “I—I shouldn’t have—”

But Ling’s hand caught her wrist.

She didn’t pull her back. She didn’t speak.

She just… looked at her. For a long time.

> “You kiss like it’s the end of the world,” Ling murmured.

> “Maybe it is,” Orm whispered.

—

They didn’t kiss again.

But neither of them moved.

They sat like that on the bathroom floor — too close, hearts too loud.

The world outside was full of war.

But in that moment, it was just them.

Two women who weren’t supposed to fall.
Falling anyway.

—

### ☕ Later that Night

Orm sat in her office, replaying the kiss in her mind.

She touched her lips once, fingers trembling.

> *She’s dangerous,* Orm thought.
> *But I can’t stay away.*

In the guest room, Ling lay awake, staring at the ceiling.

The pain in her arm had faded.

But the way Orm had looked at her — *that* she couldn’t forget.

> *She kissed me like I mattered.*
> *That’s worse than any wound.*

—

**[ End of Chapter ]**

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

—

🌒 Midnight
Orm jolted awake to the sound of a soft ping.

Another email.

She reached for her phone, half-asleep — but what she read snapped her fully alert.

YOU LOOKED BEAUTIFUL BLEEDING IN THAT PARKING LOT.

Attached was a photo: her car, from two nights ago. Smashed side mirror. Her blood on the pavement.

Her breath caught.

Another ping.

TELL YOUR WIFE TO STAY OUT OF MY WAY.

—

💻 Jet’s Room – 1:10 AM
Ling stormed into her brother’s makeshift tech den. Jet was already half-awake, sipping energy drink like it was water.

“They’re escalating,” she muttered, tossing Orm’s phone on the desk.

Jet whistled. “Creepy font. Blood references. All-caps. Yep, stalker vibes confirmed.”

“Trace it.”

“Already did. Bounced through six dummy servers. Whoever this is… they’re smart.”

“Smarter than you?”

Jet grinned. “Not a chance.”

—

☕ Kitchen – 3:40 AM
Ling sat on the marble counter, swinging her legs idly as Orm entered.

Orm looked tired — but not scared.

She never looked scared.

“Your friend’s getting bolder,” Ling said quietly.

Orm poured coffee with a shaky hand.

“Do you think it’s the mole?”

“Either that,” Ling replied, “or someone who knows how to hide in plain sight.”

“Should I involve the police?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Ling slid off the counter and walked up to her — closer than necessary.

“Because cops leak. And if this stalker’s already inside your company… you’ll be feeding him your next move.”

Orm stared at her. “So what should I do?”

Ling smirked. “Trust me.”

Orm hesitated. Then, she nodded.

“Okay.”

—

📎 Later That Morning
At Khornaphat Corp HQ, Orm moved like ice: calm, cold, flawless.

But inside, she was shaken.

She passed Tasha in the hallway — her loyal secretary. But this time, Tasha didn’t meet her eyes.

Ling noticed.

“That’s twice she’s avoided you,” Ling whispered under her breath.

“She’s under stress. We all are.”

“That’s not stress,” Ling said. “That’s guilt.”

Orm frowned. “You don’t even know her.”

“I know liars,” Ling replied coolly. “I used to be one.”

—

📷 Surveillance Room – 1:45 PM
Jet showed Ling the footage.

“Tasha accessed your office files last Tuesday. At midnight.”

Ling narrowed her eyes.

“Why would a secretary need the CEO’s hard-drive logs?”

“No clue. But she also called a burner number registered to an alias tied to Anucha.”

Ling cursed softly.

“Still think she’s just stressed?” Jet teased.

“She’s going to make a move soon,” Ling muttered. “And we’ll be watching.”

—

🥂 Charity Event – That Night
Another function. Another smile.

Orm wore deep navy this time — elegant, guarded.

Ling arrived beside her in a sharp black tux-style suit. No tie, just undone buttons and a grin that could cut steel.

“We’re pretending to be happy tonight, right?” Ling whispered.

“No,” Orm replied. “We’re pretending not to be hunted.”

—

Midway through the night, Orm felt it.

The stare.

She turned slowly — and spotted a man with a drink watching her from the balcony. Unblinking.

As she took a step toward him, Ling grabbed her wrist.

“Don’t,” Ling said under her breath. “He wants you to chase him.”

“He sent the email.”

“I know. Let me handle this.”

Orm stared at her for a moment, then gave the smallest nod.

—

🍷 Balcony – 11:10 PM
Ling stepped outside, hands in her pockets.

The man stood still, sipping red wine like it was blood.

“You’re the dog, right?” he said. “The one protecting the ice queen.”

“More of a wolf, actually,” Ling replied calmly. “And you’re about five seconds from finding out why that’s bad.”

“She doesn’t belong to you.”

“No,” Ling said. “But I belong to her.”

And then she moved — fast, brutal.

She slammed him into the wall, whispered something in Thai he didn’t understand, and when she pulled away, he was pale with fear.

“Tell your boss,” Ling said, “next time I won’t let you walk away.”

—

🛏️ Back Home – 12:30 AM
Orm sat on the edge of the bed. She looked up when Ling entered, still tense.

“Is it over?” Orm asked.

“For tonight.”

Orm lowered her eyes.

“Why do you keep doing this? I know you didn’t marry me for love. I know you’re hiding things. So why stay?”

Ling didn’t speak at first.

Then she walked up slowly, knelt in front of Orm, and took her hands.

“Because someone is hunting you. And I can’t stand the thought of them getting to you before I do.”

Orm blinked. “That’s… not comforting.”

“It’s not meant to be.”

A beat.

Then Orm surprised her — reaching out to gently touch the side of Ling’s face.

“I trust you,” she said softly. “I don’t know why. But I do.”

Ling’s voice dropped. “Then don’t tell anyone about the emails. Not yet. Not even your board.”

Orm nodded slowly.

Their fingers stayed laced longer than necessary.

—

**[ End of Chapter ]**

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---
🌤️ Morning - The Kitchen
Orm stepped into the kitchen to find Ling already there - barefoot, bruised, and humming off-key while flipping eggs.

"You're cooking?" Orm asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I'm playing housewife." Ling smirked. "Thought I'd wear an apron too, maybe some heels, spice things up."

"Please don't."

"Why, scared you'll like it?"

Orm sat on the barstool, shaking her head - but her lips twitched.

Almost a smile, Ling noted. Getting closer.

-

🍵 Ling set down a cup of tea.
"Chamomile," she said. "Jet says it helps CEOs fake peace of mind."

Orm blinked. "You're thoughtful today."

"Don't tell anyone. It ruins my reputation."

They ate in near silence - the comfortable kind. Ling glanced at her occasionally, studying the tension in Orm's shoulders, the bruised fatigue under her eyes.

"Bad dreams?" Ling asked quietly.

Orm hesitated. "Yes."

"About the stalker?"

"No. About my father."

-

🥀 Flashback Revealed (in Orm's Dialogue)
"He didn't raise me to lead. He raised me to win."

"There's a difference?"

"Winning means destroying anyone who blocks your path. Even if they're family."

Ling listened quietly.

"He made me into a weapon," Orm added. "But forgot to teach me how to... feel."

Ling's voice was low.

"You're not a weapon, Orm. You're a woman they're scared of because you survived them."

A long pause.

Orm stared into her tea.

"Why are you really here, Ling? You didn't marry me for love. You don't care about money. So why?"

Ling didn't answer right away.

"Because I know what it's like," she finally said, "to be taught survival instead of kindness."

Their eyes met.

And in that gaze, something cracked open - raw and real.

"I protect what's mine," Ling whispered. "Even if it wasn't mine to begin with."

-

🧣 Later - Living Room
Orm was curled on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. She watched Ling pace while talking to Jet on the phone.

"No, I don't want guards. I want shadows. Cameras. Movement tracking."
"Yes, Jet, she's not allowed to die. Obviously."
"No, I'm not being emotional-shut up."

Orm chuckled quietly. "You're possessive."

"Damn right I am," Ling said. "You're expensive."

"So I'm an investment?"

"A dangerous one."

Ling plopped down beside her, and for a second, they just breathed.

"I meant what I said," Orm said softly. "Last night."

Ling tilted her head.

"I do trust you."

"Even if I lie?"

"Even if you burn everything down."

A pause.

"Because for the first time in years," Orm whispered, "I don't feel alone."

Ling went still.

"Don't say that," she said. "I don't deserve that kind of honesty."

Orm reached over and gently touched Ling's wrist.

"Maybe not. But you're getting it anyway."

-

🌙 Night - Ling's Room
Ling sat on her bed, shirt half-unbuttoned, staring at her old phone. A picture lit the screen - one of her as a teen, standing between two women with blurred faces.

"I'm getting too close," she muttered. "I was supposed to destroy this empire. Not fall for its queen."

She shut the screen off.

And whispered into the dark,

"Don't make me choose between revenge and her."

Because she already knew - if it came down to it...

She wouldn't choose revenge.

Not anymore.

-

**[ End of Chapter ]**

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

Orm had barely stepped out of the building when she noticed it.

Her driver's side mirror was angled differently. The window? Clean - too clean, like it had been wiped. She paused, eyes narrowing. The late afternoon sun cast jagged shadows across the parking lot. Silent. Still. Waiting.

Something was off.

She reached for the door, her fingers brushing metal, when she saw it - a single blood-red lily lying on the passenger seat.

Not a bouquet.

Just one.

Wrapped in black string.

Her throat tightened.

No note. No explanation. Just the flower and the knowledge that someone had gotten this close to her again.

She didn't scream. She didn't panic.

Orm Khornaphat didn't do fear - she turned it into silence.

But when Ling got the call five minutes later, her voice wasn't quiet. Not even close.

---

The door slammed so hard the marble vase in the hallway cracked.

Ling stormed into Orm's penthouse, eyes burning, fists clenched.

"Where is it?" she snapped.

Orm, still in her suit, raised an eyebrow from the couch. "You mean the flower or my self-control?"

Ling marched toward her, holding up a photo Jet had just sent - a shot of the lily sitting neatly on the car seat.

"That's not a warning," she growled. "That's a message. A personal one."

Orm set her tablet down. "I'm aware."

"No. You're not. If I hadn't sent Jet to bug your car this week, you would've driven off with that thing sitting right next to you."

"Ling, calm down."

"I am calm," Ling hissed. "This is me calm. You don't want to see me scared."

Orm's eyes softened - not with pity, but with something warmer. Almost... protective.

"I'm not afraid, Ling."

Ling stepped closer. "Maybe you should be."

They were close now. Ling could feel the heat rising off her own skin, the rage clawing behind her ribs. But underneath it was something far worse - fear. Deep, ancient, drowning fear. Because someone was playing a game with Orm's life, and Ling didn't know the rules yet.

And losing Orm - the idea of it - was starting to feel personal.

---

Jet's voice crackled through the intercom. "Uh, hate to interrupt your bonding moment, but we've got a bigger problem."

"Speak," Ling snapped.

"I just traced another signal. There's a listening device. In Orm's office. It's active."

Orm stiffened. "In my office? You mean-"

"I mean someone's been hearing everything," Jet said. "Meetings. Calls. Conversations with Ling. They're listening."

"Shut it down," Ling ordered. "Scramble every trace. And don't breathe a word of this to anyone, not even my mother."

"Already on it."

The line went dead.

Orm looked like she'd just been slapped.

Ling watched her.

"You okay?" she asked, softer now.

Orm nodded slowly. "This isn't just business anymore."

"No," Ling agreed. "It's war."

---

That night, they didn't go to their separate rooms.

They didn't say why.

Orm just stood in the hallway, hand on the doorknob to Ling's room, then turned and walked in.

Ling was already sitting on the edge of the bed, back to the door, holding her old phone again. When she heard footsteps, she didn't move - just asked, quietly, "Trouble sleeping?"

Orm answered by sitting beside her.

"Do you always shake when you're angry?" Orm asked after a moment.

"I only shake when I care," Ling said.

Orm stared at her. "Then you must be terrified."

Ling gave a broken sort of laugh, rubbing her face.

"I'm not supposed to be," she whispered. "I was raised to be the bad guy. The wildcard. The wolf they couldn't leash."

"Raised by who?"

Ling hesitated. She looked at Orm. Really looked.

And said, "By someone who never cared if I lived or died, as long as I got the job done."

Orm didn't say anything. Just leaned her shoulder into Ling's, gently.

They stayed like that for a long time. Not touching beyond that - just leaning into each other, breathing in sync.

---

Around midnight, Ling finally spoke again.

"If anything happens to you," she said quietly, "I will burn down every corner of this city to find them."

Orm turned to her.

"You really mean that."

"I do."

Orm studied her, eyes searching. "You don't even know if you like me yet."

Ling smiled faintly. "Doesn't matter."

"Why?"

Ling met her gaze, slow and steady. "Because I already know I can't stand the thought of you being hurt."

A long silence stretched between them.

Then, Orm reached out - not with the usual cold command she showed the world - but with something softer, trembling.

She took Ling's hand and said, "Then stay. Just for tonight."

Ling nodded.

And this time, when she climbed into bed beside Orm, she didn't flirt. Didn't tease.

She just wrapped an arm around her waist, buried her face in Orm's shoulder, and held her like she was the only thing in the world worth surviving for.

---

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

### *Bonus Scene – "The Ice Never Cried"*

---

The city hummed far below the glass windows of the penthouse, lights blinking like nervous thoughts in the dark. Orm Khornaphat sat on the floor, barefoot, a silk robe pooling around her legs like spilled wine. The office across the hall, her usual place of retreat, stood cold and unopened.

Tonight, she didn’t want logic. She wanted quiet.

But it wasn’t quiet inside her.

She held the red lily in her hand — the same one that had been left in her car earlier. Wrapped now in a paper towel to keep the dark ribbon from touching her skin. She hated how beautiful it looked. How delicate. How intentional. Whoever left it knew exactly what they were doing.

Orm could still feel Ling’s voice in her veins. “You’re not just a CEO. You’re a target.”
And worse: “No one touches what’s mine.”

No one had ever said that about her — not like that. Not with such rage. Such heat. Like she was something sacred.

She glanced over her shoulder. The hallway outside her bedroom was empty, though she knew Ling was awake. Probably sitting near the entrance, gun in reach. She’d offered to sleep on the couch — not because she wanted distance, but because Orm had looked too rattled to be near anyone.

Orm hadn’t refused. But she hadn’t agreed either.

She leaned her head back against the cool marble of the wall, closing her eyes.

A memory stirred. A forgotten one.

Her father’s voice — sharp, practiced — echoing in the vast Khornaphat estate when she was just ten.

> “Crying is for the weak, Orm. Ice doesn’t bend. It doesn’t break. It freezes everything that dares touch it.”

And she had believed him. Had repeated that mantra through every heartbreak, every betrayal, every sleepless night she spent building an empire just to earn his reluctant nod.

But tonight...

Tonight she wasn’t made of ice.

Because tonight, someone had broken into her world not with threats — but with a flower. And that had terrified her more than bullets ever could.

She pressed the heel of her hand to her chest. It hurt. God, it ached. The weight of her mask. The cracking beneath.

Orm stood slowly, walked to the bathroom, and turned on the tap. Cold water gushed into the sink, and she let her fingers drown in it, her breathing slow and tight.

Then, a voice.

Not outside — inside the mirror.

> “You never wanted ice, did you?”

Her reflection stared back. Pale. Composed. Hollow. Not the woman Ling saw.

The knock on her door was so soft it barely existed.

“Orm?” came Ling’s voice. No teasing. Just low concern.

Orm didn’t answer.

The door opened anyway.

Ling stepped in, barefoot, hair loose for once — no weapons, no walls. Just her. She didn’t approach. Just waited.

Orm met her gaze through the mirror.

“I was taught that crying made you weak,” she said softly, voice almost unfamiliar to her own ears.

Ling’s expression didn’t shift. She just walked forward and reached out — but not for Orm’s hand. For the lily. She took it gently, tossed it into the trash, and closed the lid with finality.

Then she said, “Your father lied.”

Just that. And it was enough.

Orm inhaled shakily.

Ling stepped closer.

This time, when her arms went around Orm’s waist, the CEO didn’t pull away.

She leaned in.

And let her forehead press against Ling’s shoulder.

The tears didn’t come in waves. They came quietly — like frost melting after a long winter. A single drop. Then another. Then stillness.

Ling didn’t speak. She just held her.

Like fire.

---

*[ End of Bonus Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

### 🕯 6:45 AM — The Calm Before the Storm

The morning was unusually quiet.

Orm sat in the sun-drenched kitchen, stirring her black coffee slowly, staring out the window but seeing nothing. Her fingers tapped the rim of the porcelain cup, rhythmic, controlled — except her mind wasn’t.

Ling walked in, barefoot, still in one of Orm’s oversized shirts. It looked dangerously good on her. Messy hair. Sleepy eyes. But she was already alert — too alert.

> “Jet’s call woke me up,” she said, skipping the greeting. “Check your phone.”

Orm reached over. Her inbox had exploded.

*Subject: LEAKED DOCUMENTS SHOW ORMPHA CORP'S SECRET INVESTMENTS*

> And right there, front page: a classified report about Khornaphat Corp investing in questionable offshore accounts… forged with Orm’s digital signature.

Her blood ran cold.

---

### 📎 7:05 AM — Private Office

> “How the hell did this get out?” Orm’s voice cracked as she scanned the document.

Ling leaned against the desk, arms crossed. Her voice was calm.

> “It wasn’t a random breach. This was planned.”

> “Planned by who?”

Ling raised an eyebrow.

> “We both know the answer.”

Orm clenched her jaw. “Tasha’s been with me for six years. She was with my father before that.”

> “Exactly.”

> “That doesn’t make her guilty.”

> “It makes her trained.”

A pause. The silence crackled like static between them.

> “So what now?” Orm asked finally.

Ling smirked, slow and dangerous.

> “Now we play her game. And beat her at it.”

---

### 🕶 9:30 AM — Khornaphat Corp HQ, Floor 47

Tasha looked polished as ever — high ponytail, red lipstick, navy pencil skirt. She greeted Orm like usual, as if the press hadn’t just started bleeding scandal.

> “Morning, ma’am. Your 10 AM board meeting’s confirmed. Shall I prep the slides—?”

> “Don’t bother,” Orm said flatly. “We’ll be talking about something else.”

Ling appeared beside her, all black blazer and subtle fire in her eyes.

> “Hello, Tasha,” Ling said. “Sleep well?”

Tasha blinked. “Fine, thank you.”

> “No nightmares?”

Tasha’s smile froze just slightly — barely a twitch.

> “None worth remembering.”

> “Interesting,” Ling said smoothly. “Mine involved rats crawling into expensive places.”

She held Tasha’s gaze just long enough to unsettle her — then walked away.

Orm followed, but not before she noticed the flicker of something in her secretary’s expression.

*Guilt. Or fear. Or both.*

---

### 🐍 11:10 AM — Jet’s Safe Lab

Jet spun his chair, holding up two photos side by side. Both featured digital logins to Orm’s corporate account — same user, same timestamp, *different IPs*.

> “She cloned your credentials,” Jet said. “Sloppy work, though. The signature didn’t encrypt right.”

> “So it wasn’t Orm,” Ling confirmed.

> “Not even close. But whoever did it wanted to frame her for corporate laundering.”

> “Why now?” Orm asked, arms folded.

Jet shrugged. “Pressure’s rising. Maybe they think you’re slipping. Or maybe you’re just in their way now.”

Ling leaned over Jet’s shoulder, voice low.

> “Send a false leak. Something juicy but fake.”

Jet’s eyes lit up. “Ah. Classic bait.”

> “We’ll see who takes it.”

---

### 🍽 1:30 PM — Private Lunch in the Executive Lounge

Orm sat across from Ling, barely touching her food. Her walls were up again — cold, elegant, distant.

> “You think I’m too soft,” she said suddenly.

Ling tilted her head. “You’re not soft.”

> “Then what?”

> “You’ve spent your whole life protecting a family that wouldn’t take a bullet for you.”

Orm stared at her. “And you think you would?”

Silence.

Then Ling looked her dead in the eye.

> “Without hesitation.”

Orm’s breath hitched — just slightly.

Then, as if on cue, a message pinged on Orm’s private tablet.

A reply to the bait email Jet had sent.

> From: *[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])*
> Subject: Re: Need confirmation. Uploading tonight.

---

### 🧨 6:00 PM — The Trap is Set

Jet and Ling sat together, eyes on multiple screens. Orm was pacing behind them, sharp heels echoing off the tile.

> “She’s accessing the fake server,” Jet confirmed.

> “Good girl,” Ling muttered.

> “Still want me to lock her out?” Jet asked.

> “No,” Ling said. “Let her finish. Then send the trigger.”

> “And after?”

Ling cracked her knuckles.

> “We’ll invite her for a private dinner.”

Orm turned.

> “You’re really going to confront her over wine?”

> “No,” Ling said. “Over truth.”

---

### 🥂 8:30 PM — The Private Rooftop

The night was breezy, warm. Ling arranged the table. Orm wore a silk navy blouse, loose hair, no jewelry. She looked disarmed — but her eyes were steel.

Tasha arrived, poised as ever. But her smile was too wide.

> “Thank you for inviting me,” she said.

Ling poured the wine. “Oh, you earned it.”

Dinner passed in small talk. Orm said little.

And then — the bomb.

> “The fake file you uploaded earlier tonight,” Ling said, slicing her steak, “led us straight to a burner account funded by Anucha’s shell company.”

Tasha froze.

> “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

> “Try again,” Orm said sharply. “Or I’ll call the board right now.”

Tasha stood, defiant.

> “You don’t have proof.”

Jet’s voice crackled from Ling’s phone speaker, sitting face-down on the table.

> “We have everything.”

Tasha’s expression shifted — from poise to panic.

> “You don’t understand—” she began.

> “You betrayed her,” Ling said, standing now. “You sold her out for scraps of power. And now you’ll watch it all burn.”

Orm’s voice was ice.

> “You’re fired. And you’ll hear from our legal team by morning.”

Tasha fled — rattled, broken, exposed.

---

### 🌒 11:00 PM — Back in the Penthouse

Orm stood on the balcony, silent.

Ling approached slowly, hands in her coat pockets.

> “You okay?” she asked.

Orm turned.

> “No.”

A beat.

> “But I’m glad you were there.”

Ling stepped closer. “I told you. You’re not alone anymore.”

Orm didn’t answer with words.

She reached for Ling’s hand. Twined their fingers together.

They stood like that, under the city lights, not speaking — just holding on.

---

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

### 🔥 8:00 AM — Morning Headlines

Orm sat in her office, pale and wordless as Jet’s screen filled with news articles.

> *"ORMPHAPHAT HEIRESS LINKED TO LAUNDERING RING — TIES TO CRIMINAL SYNDICATE EXPOSED"*

Photos of her. Doctored images. Red lines connecting her to Anucha, to black money.

> “They’re burying you in fiction,” Jet muttered, fingers flying across the keyboard. “Fake interviews, edited photos, even made-up employee quotes.”

Orm barely blinked.

Ling stood behind her, hands in her pockets, her entire posture ready to strike.

> “He moved faster than we thought,” she muttered.

> “Anucha?” Orm asked. Her voice cracked.

> “This is how he works. Firebomb the name, then come for the blood.”

Orm’s fists clenched.

> “How long do I have?”

Ling looked at her — really looked. At the dark circles under her eyes. The glassy calm masking the storm inside her.

> “Less than 24 hours. He’s not just killing your image. He’s planning something physical.”

Orm stared at the floor.

> “Let him come.”

Ling stepped forward.

> “No,” she said. “I won’t let him touch you.”

> “Why? You still haven’t told me why you’re doing this. Why stay? Why protect me?”

Ling knelt beside her slowly, one hand resting on Orm’s thigh.

> “Because I know what it’s like to be hunted by a man who thinks the world belongs to him. And I know what it means to have no one left to fight for you.”

Orm’s eyes flickered with something sharp — grief or recognition.

> “And because I want to be the one who walks into fire with you. Not behind. Not in front. With you.”

They stared at each other. Something shifted.

Something irreversible.

---

### 🪩 10:30 AM — Khornaphat Corp, Lobby

Orm descended the elevator, surrounded by stiff silence.

People stared.

Some whispered.

Ling trailed a step behind, black leather jacket, no smile, eyes locked on everyone’s hands — their movements, their phones, their intentions.

> “This isn’t a workplace anymore,” she muttered. “It’s a stage.”

Orm didn't respond. Her spine was straight. Her face — blank perfection.

But her hands were trembling.

---

### 🔒 11:00 AM — Orm’s Office

As soon as the door shut, Ling grabbed her wrist gently.

> “You’re shaking.”

> “I’m fine.”

> “Orm.”

That stopped her.

> “Don’t lie to me,” Ling said. “Not when it’s this loud.”

Orm let out a breath. Her eyes were glossy now, but she didn’t let them fall.

> “Do you know what it’s like to build something from the ground up just to watch men try to take it because they hate how you don’t flinch?”

> “Yes,” Ling said softly. “I do.”

They stood in silence. Then Orm stepped closer.

> “Then stay close today.”

Ling’s voice dropped.

> “I wasn’t planning to leave.”

---

### ⚠ 2:45 PM — The Attack

Jet’s voice crackled through Ling’s earpiece.

> “Ling. You need to move. Now.”

> “What is it?”

> “Orm’s car was rerouted by a fake GPS signal. They’re not heading toward the board. They’re heading toward—shit—an abandoned warehouse near the docks.”

Ling was already running.

> “I told her not to go alone,” she growled. “Get me the coordinates.”

Jet did.

Ling didn’t wait for backup.

---

### 🚨 3:10 PM — The Warehouse

Rain started to fall. Hard.

Inside the rusted building, Orm stood surrounded — four men in dark jackets. Not police. Not random criminals. *Anucha’s private dogs.*

> “Ms. Khornaphat,” one of them said. “We just want you to sign a little correction notice. Admit your guilt. Step down quietly.”

Orm stood tall, wet hair sticking to her cheeks.

> “I’d rather bleed.”

> “That can be arranged.”

She braced for the blow.

But it never landed.

Because suddenly — like a shadow made of teeth — *Ling was there.*

She moved with savage precision — one, two, three men down before they could even react. Steel baton. Silent fury.

The last man tried to grab Orm.

*Wrong move.*

Ling slammed him against the metal pillar and didn’t stop until he dropped like a sack of regret.

Orm was still frozen, breathing hard, hands shaking.

Ling rushed to her.

> “You okay?”

> “You—how did you—”

Ling was bleeding. A deep gash on her cheek. A split lip.

But she smiled.

> “Told you. Not letting him touch you.”

Orm stared at her like she was seeing her for the first time.

Then, suddenly, she swayed.

Ling caught her mid-fall.

---

### 🛏 4:10 PM — Safehouse

Ling laid her gently on the mattress. Her jacket was soaked. Her lip bled freely. But all she looked at was Orm.

Orm sat up slowly.

> “I’m fine,” she whispered.

> “You almost weren’t,” Ling snapped. “Don’t say that.”

Orm reached forward and gently touched Ling’s cut lip.

> “You got hurt.”

> “Better me than you.”

A long pause.

> “Why do you keep doing this?” Orm asked, voice breaking.

Ling sat beside her, finally letting herself exhale.

> “Because I wasn’t there when someone else needed saving. And I swore I’d never let that happen again.”

> “Who?”

Ling looked away.

> “Someone I loved. Someone I failed.”

> “Are you trying to make up for it with me?”

> “No,” Ling said. “I’m trying not to fall in love with you the same way I did with her — too late.”

Orm blinked.

> “And are you?”

Ling’s voice cracked.

> “I already have.”

A beat.

Then Orm leaned forward.

Slowly.

And kissed her.

Not soft. Not desperate.

*Real.*

---

### 🌙 6:00 PM — Later

They sat together on the floor.

Orm curled against Ling, both of them bruised, bloodied, but breathing.

> “If we lose everything,” Orm whispered, “would you still stay?”

Ling kissed her temple.

> “Even if you have nothing left... you’ll still have me.”

Orm nodded.

> “Then let it all burn.”

---

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

❤ Bonus Chapter –
" After the Kiss "

---

🛏 Safehouse Bedroom — 3:12 AM
Orm sat at the edge of the bed, her chest still rising and falling faster than she liked. Ling stood at the door for a moment longer, as if trying to calm something feral inside her. Then she moved—slowly, like approaching a wounded animal.

“You're shaking,” Ling said softly.

“No, I’m not,” Orm muttered. “I’m... cold.”

Ling stepped closer, her voice low.

“Lie to anyone else. Not to me.”

Orm didn't reply.

Instead, she reached down to take off her heels with trembling fingers. The adrenaline had faded, but the kiss lingered—burning under her skin.

Ling crouched down, gently touching Orm’s ankle. Orm flinched.

“Bruised?” Ling asked.

“It’s fine.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re okay.”

There was silence between them, thick and taut. Ling didn’t look up, just removed both heels carefully, placing them aside. Then she stood—and pulled Orm’s jacket down her shoulders, moving slowly, as if giving her the chance to say no.

Orm didn’t.

“You kiss me like you want me,” Orm whispered.

“I do.”

“But you don’t trust me.”

Ling exhaled through her nose.

“That’s because I want you too much.”

That admission hit like a match dropped in gasoline.

Orm stood, suddenly inches away.

“Then tell me why you're here, Ling. The truth. What aren’t you saying?”

Ling's gaze darkened—not angry, but scared. Her hands hovered just above Orm’s waist, trembling faintly.

“Because if I tell you,” she said, voice barely a breath, “you’ll stop looking at me like that.”

Orm’s voice was firmer now. “Like what?”

“Like I’m someone you could love.”

Orm’s heart thudded.

Then, without warning, Ling leaned in again—not for a kiss, but to press her forehead against Orm’s, their bodies barely touching, breath mingling.

“If I had met you under different circumstances...” Ling whispered, “...I would’ve worshipped you.”

Orm’s eyes burned.

“Then why do you keep pulling away?”

Ling pulled back. Her voice broke, just a little.

“Because I’m not the hero in this story, Orm.”

Then she turned—walked to the door—and paused.

“Sleep. Tomorrow, everything changes.”

And then she was gone.

Orm stood there, hands clenched, unsure whether she wanted to scream, cry, or chase her down the hallway.

Instead, she sat back on the bed—and whispered into the dark:

“Too late. I already do.”

---

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

—

🌤 Morning — Safehouse Kitchen
The sunlight was too soft for the storm brewing inside.

Orm moved quietly, spooning coffee into the filter, her eyes scanning the window like a soldier waiting for war.

Ling hadn't come back to the bedroom last night.

She hadn’t even texted.

But Orm didn’t chase her this time. No—this time, she was done being the one kept in the dark.

“You only run from what you're afraid to face,” Orm murmured to herself.

And right now, she was done letting Ling hide.

🔍 Jet’s Lab — 9:20 AM
“You’re early,” Jet said, spinning in his chair. “Usually takes two blackmail threats and a dead body to get you here.”

“Funny,” Orm replied, dropping her phone on his desk. “I want to know what Ling’s hiding.”

Jet blinked.

“You're serious?”

Orm’s voice was steady, but her eyes gleamed like glass just before it shattered.

“She knows who’s behind the stalker. She knows why he’s targeting me. And she knows exactly how deep this goes. But she keeps... shielding me instead of letting me in.”

Jet scratched his head.

“She’s scared.”

“Of what? Me?”

Jet looked up.

“Of losing you.”

🔥 Training Room — 11:47 AM
The thudding sounds of fists against sand echoed through the safehouse.

Ling was alone—gloved hands punching into the heavy bag with vicious rhythm. Her tank top clung to her skin, and sweat glistened down her spine.

She didn’t notice Orm until the door clicked shut behind her.

Orm stood still, arms folded, watching silently.

Ling paused.

“Came to spar?”

“No,” Orm said. “I came to fight.”

That made Ling turn—really look.

Orm's tone was too calm. Her face, too still.

“You kissed me. You held me. And then you vanished like I meant nothing.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it?” Orm stepped forward, gaze sharp. “Tell me the truth, Ling. Why did you really agree to this marriage?”

Ling pulled off her gloves slowly, eyes unreadable.

“I gave you an answer.”

“And I didn’t believe it.”

Orm’s voice cracked.

“You know who's behind this. The stalker. The threats. My family. Your past. You’re threading all of it together and you won’t tell me. Why?”

“Because the minute you know,” Ling said quietly, “you’ll realize marrying me was the biggest mistake of your life.”

A silence fell.

Orm’s expression didn’t shift.

“Then let it be my mistake.”

Ling blinked.

“What?”

Orm walked up, slow and fearless, until they were toe-to-toe.

“I’m not made of glass. I don’t need protection. I need honesty. So stop shielding me like I’m a porcelain doll.”

“I’m trying to keep you alive.”

“You don’t get to make that choice alone.”

Orm reached out—and placed her palm flat against Ling’s chest.

“You think I don’t see the war inside you? I do. I feel it, every time you touch me like you’re afraid I’ll disappear.”

Ling closed her eyes. Her voice came out hoarse.

“There are things I’ve done... things you won’t forgive.”

“Try me.”

💾 Flashback File – Unlocked
That night, Ling gave her the file.

A USB drive. No words. Just a look that said: You asked. Don’t hate me for answering.

Orm watched it in silence.

Surveillance footage. Audio. Transcripts. From years ago.

Her father. A hidden syndicate.

And Ling—barely 19—breaking into a warehouse, saving a little girl, torching the place. A name whispered over and over: “Project Kharma.”

A list of names. Bribes. Deaths. Her father’s signature at the bottom of a leaked contract.

Orm didn’t cry.

But when the video ended, she whispered:

“So that’s why you married me.”

Ling nodded.

“To get to your father.”

“And now?”

Ling met her gaze, raw and trembling.

“Now... I don’t know.”

Orm stood.

“Then decide.”

Ling flinched.

Orm stepped close, tilting her chin up.

“Decide if I’m just collateral damage... or someone you want to burn the world with.”

Ling whispered:

“I want you.”

Orm leaned in, brushing her lips over Ling’s—

But stopped.

“Then earn me.”

She walked out, leaving Ling stunned, breathless, and suddenly terrified that maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t the one holding the power anymore.

---

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

Bonus Chapter – “Before the Fall”

—

### ❄ Present Day — 2:21 AM

*Location: Ling & Orm’s Penthouse*

Jet was bruised. Not badly — just a faint line on his cheekbone, a rip on his hoodie — but Ice made him sit anyway.

She dabbed disinfectant gently, her fingers far too soft for someone with eyes so cold.

> “You let them get too close,” she said.

> “What can I say?” Jet smirked. “I like living on the edge.”

Ice didn’t laugh. She never did. But her hand lingered a second too long on his jaw before she pulled back.

> “You think this is a game?”

> “No,” Jet said, tone shifting. “But it was a trap. And Ling walked into it blind.”

> “Not blind,” Ice murmured. “Willing.”

He looked at her, sharp. “What do you mean?”

Ice didn’t answer.

She stood, walked to the window, and stared into the dark skyline.

> “There are things about your sister even you don’t know, Jet.”

> “Like what?”

> “Like how far she’s already fallen.”

—

### 🔥 Flashback — 6 Years Ago

*Location: Bangkok Slums – Abandoned Shrine*

The rain was relentless. It dripped through the cracks in the roof and down Ling’s spine.

She was twenty-three. Bare-knuckled. Bloody. Alone.

And she was about to make a deal with the devil.

A man in a pale suit entered the shrine. He didn’t give a name. Just a folder — and a warning.

> “You want revenge? You want to burn the Khornaphats from the inside?”

> “What’s the cost?” Ling asked.

He smiled.

> “You.”

Inside the folder was a single photo: a young Orm, barely 19, shaking hands with foreign investors.

Beautiful. Composed. Completely unaware that she was being marked.

> “Become what she trusts,” he said. “And when the time is right — gut her world.”

Ling stared at the photo.

She didn't flinch. But her hands trembled slightly as she nodded.

> “Fine.”

She signed the contract in red ink. Her blood. His terms.

And from that moment on, she was no longer just Ling Kwong.

She was a weapon. A spy. A traitor with a target.

Orm Khornaphat.

—

### 🧊 Back to Present – 2:32 AM

Jet stood frozen as Ice finally turned to him.

> “Ling didn’t just marry Orm for a fake deal. Or for business. There was someone else pulling strings long before this.”

> “Who?” Jet demanded.

Ice stared at him — her lips parted, as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

> “She made a deal,” she whispered. “And if Orm finds out...”

Jet swallowed hard. “It’ll destroy her.”

> “It might destroy both of them.”

Suddenly, the lights flickered.

Jet’s laptop pinged.

A new file. An untraceable source. No sender ID.

He opened it — and froze.

Video footage. From six years ago.

Ling. In the shrine. Signing the deal.

Orm’s photo in the frame.

Jet’s blood ran cold.

> “We have to stop this,” he said.

Ice touched his shoulder — not gently, not sweetly, but urgently.

> “No. We have to control this. Or Orm will be the one that bleeds.”

—

### 🥶 Cut To: Orm’s Office – The Next Morning

Orm sat stiffly behind her desk, eyes rimmed with exhaustion.

She didn’t know yet.

Didn’t know that someone she was starting to trust — maybe even care for — had once signed up to destroy her.

But the storm was coming.

And when it hit, nothing between them would be the same again.

—

*[ End of Bonus Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

—

### ☁ Morning Fog – Khornaphat Mansion, Private Study

Orm stood before her father, the USB drive clutched tightly in her hand.

He didn’t flinch as she slid it onto the table.

> “I know what you did,” she said quietly.

> “You don’t know anything,” her father replied, folding his arms. “You’re still a child playing at being queen.”

> “You sent Ling after me. Didn't you?”

Silence.

His jaw ticked. That was all the confirmation she needed.

> “You ruined every relationship I ever had,” Orm whispered. “Even this fake one—this one that started as a lie—I started to believe in. And now it’s rotten too.”

Her father said nothing. But his smirk was cruel.

> “The moment you showed weakness,” he said, “you lost.”

Orm's hands trembled.

But her voice was ice.

> “Then let’s see how weak I really am.”

She picked up the USB. “You underestimated me once. Don’t do it again.”

Then she turned and walked out — and for the first time, her father looked afraid.

---

### 🕳 Elsewhere — Abandoned Warehouse, Ling’s Old World

Ling sat alone on the floor, knees up, smoking a clove cigarette she hadn’t touched in years.

Jet’s voice echoed through the burner phone.

> “Someone sent her the video.”

> “I know,” Ling said flatly.

> “She hasn’t watched it yet. But it’s in her inbox.”

> “I said I know.”

Jet’s voice broke slightly. “Ling… once she sees what you did—”

> “What I did,” Ling snapped, “was keep her alive. Everything else is just noise.”

A pause.

> “So what are you going to do?” Jet asked softly.

Ling exhaled smoke and stared at the ashes falling into her lap.

> “Finish what I started.”

---

### 🥀 Evening – Orm’s Penthouse

Orm sat at her desk in silence.

The laptop was open. The email stared back.

*Subject:* Ling Kwong’s Deal — The Truth You Never Knew.

She hovered over it. Her fingers shook.

She clicked.

And watched.

Ling. Bloodied. Younger. Beautiful but hollow-eyed. Sitting with a strange man in a shrine. Signing something.

Then the man slid a photo across the table.

Orm’s photo.

> “Become what she trusts. Then destroy her.”

Orm didn’t move.

She didn’t breathe.

She watched the whole video without flinching. Then closed the laptop. Stood up.

Walked to the window.

And cried — not like a CEO, not like a Khornaphat.

Just a girl betrayed by the only person she ever let close.

---

### 🌩 Rainstorm – Later That Night

The door opened without warning.

Ling stood there, soaked to the bone, no umbrella, no umbrella excuses.

> “You saw it,” she said simply.

Orm turned slowly, her face unreadable.

> “Yes.”

Silence.

Rain pounding outside.

> “I didn’t mean for it to go this far,” Ling said.

Orm laughed — a bitter, cracked sound. “You didn’t mean to make me fall for you?”

> “I meant to protect you.”

> “You meant to gut me.”

Ling stepped forward. “I changed. Everything changed.”

Orm’s voice broke. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Ling lowered her eyes. “Because I didn’t want to lose the only real thing I ever had.”

Orm stared at her, trembling with rage and heartbreak.

> “Get out.”

Ling flinched. “Orm—”

> “GET OUT.”

Ling didn’t move.

> “You want to finish what you started?” Orm hissed. “Then finish it. But do it from a distance.”

The door slammed behind her.

---

### 🩹 Aftermath — Jet’s Apartment

Ling crashed on Jet’s couch, bloody knuckles, bruised soul.

Ice handed her a cold pack wordlessly.

Jet just looked at her, devastated.

> “So that’s it?” he asked. “You’re letting her go?”

> “I never had her to begin with,” Ling muttered.

> “She’ll hate you forever.”

Ling’s eyes burned. “I’d rather she hate me than bury her.”

Ice finally spoke.

> “You’re not the only one with secrets.”

Jet and Ling looked up.

> “There’s another player in this game. Someone who wanted that video to be seen.”

> “The man in the video?” Jet asked.

> “No,” Ice said. “Someone worse. Someone who wants Orm shattered.”

Ling’s eyes sharpened.

> “Then I’m going to stop hiding. I’m going to war.”

---

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

—

### 📢 *Khornaphat Corp — 11:00 AM | Press Conference*

Orm stood at the podium, pristine in a pearl white blazer, black heels, and a silence more lethal than any scandal.

Behind her: the board.

In front: journalists like sharks with perfume.

She took a breath, the mic clicked on.

> “I’ll speak now. And only once.”

Whispers died. Silence rose.

> “The rumors are partially true,” she said, her voice calm. “I married under contract. For stability. For corporate alliances. For protection.”

Gasps rippled.

> “But I did not plan… everything else that followed.”

Her voice cracked slightly.

She closed her eyes for a half-second.

Then opened them. Cold again.

> “Khornaphat Corp will not collapse because of private decisions. And anyone targeting my safety — or my name — will be dealt with legally.”

A camera shutter clicked.

But then… she faltered.

A split-second.

She stared at the crowd.

At nothing.

At the memory of Ling’s voice.

> “You deserve someone who protects your name without needing to use it.”

Her throat tightened. Her hand shook.

And suddenly—

Orm turned. Mid-sentence.

And walked off stage.

The press lost it.

Orm barely made it into the hallway before she slumped against the wall, heart racing.

Tasha ran after her, but stopped short when she saw her face.

Tears — silent and furious — had begun to fall.

> “Ma’am—”

Orm shook her head.

> “Cancel everything today. Just—cancel it all.”

She walked away before she broke down in front of her board.

---

### 🏍 *Meanwhile — Ling’s Side of the City, 1:24 PM*

The old bar had burned down years ago.

But Ling still recognized the alley.

She crouched near a rusted pipe, pulling out the photo Ice had sent her: Orm’s stalker on a motorbike, talking to a man with a cobra tattoo on his neck.

Ling knew that tattoo.

> “Panun,” she whispered. “I should’ve killed you the first time.”

She lit a cigarette. But didn’t smoke it.

Just stared into the flame.

Until a sound behind her.

Knife flick.

She turned — fast — and blocked the blade with her arm.

Panun grinned.

> “You came home.”

> “You’ve been stalking her?” Ling growled. “You really wanna die twice?”

He laughed. “You think this is about her? I’m here for you, ghost girl.”

> “Leave her out of it.”

> “Too late. She’s bait now. And baby—your leash is showing.”

Before he could stab again, Ling pulled a hidden pistol from her waistband and fired near his foot.

He froze.

> “Next one’s between your teeth,” she said coldly.

Panun smirked and backed away, tossing her a burner phone.

> “Use this. Call the number saved. Or she dies next.”

And then he disappeared into the smog.

Ling looked down at the phone.

The saved contact simply said: *"Snake Handler."*

Her hands trembled.

---

### 🕰 *That Evening – Orm’s Apartment*

The silence in the penthouse felt… wrong.

Orm stared at the piano. The untouched wine glass. The empty space where Ling used to toss her jacket, her knives, her presence.

She felt like a ghost in her own home.

Her phone buzzed.

A text from an unknown number:

> We both lost her. Now you lose something else. Check your office, Princess.

Orm’s eyes widened.

She called Tasha instantly. “Is security still active?”

> “Yes, but—ma’am, there was a breach on Floor 23. We’re reviewing now.”

Orm’s voice turned sharp. “Don’t review. Lock it down.”

—

### 🖥 *Jet’s Hideout — 9:30 PM*

Jet zoomed in on the footage. His jaw clenched.

> “Ling—this isn’t just about the stalker anymore. Someone planted a device in Orm’s office.”

Ling’s voice was steel. “What kind?”

> “Cyanide mist trigger. Under her chair.”

Ling didn’t blink.

> “Can you disable it?”

> “Already did. But this was a message, not a murder attempt.”

> “Meaning?”

Jet turned to her, serious now.

> “They want her scared. Alone. Vulnerable.”

> “She already is,” Ling whispered.

—

### 💔 *Later That Night – Rooftop Scene*

Orm stood on the rooftop, arms folded against the wind. Her hair loose. Her composure shattered.

She didn’t hear Ling approach — not until the familiar voice murmured from the shadows:

> “You look like you're about to jump.”

Orm flinched. Turned.

Ling stepped into the light, bruised and burned from the day's chase — but eyes soft.

> “Why are you here?” Orm asked, voice broken.

> “To tell you everything. No more lies.”

> “Too late.”

Ling stepped closer anyway.

> “Panun was my shadow for years. I thought I’d buried him. He’s the one who set this all in motion — my deal with your father, my fake identity, all of it.”

Orm said nothing.

> “He’s coming for you next,” Ling said softly. “Unless I kill him first.”

> “And if I let you back in,” Orm whispered, “what then? You lie again? You protect me into a cage?”

Ling’s voice cracked.

> “I don’t want to own you. I want to deserve you.”

Silence.

Then—

Orm stepped forward. Slowly.

Put a hand on Ling’s chest. Felt her heartbeat.

> “You said once you couldn’t stand the thought of someone getting to me before you did.”

> “Yeah.”

> “Then prove it.”

She handed Ling a flash drive.

> “My father’s next move. It’s encrypted. But you’re smart. Figure it out. Stop them. And maybe... maybe I’ll forgive you.”

Ling took it.

> “Not good enough?” she asked.

Orm’s lips twitched.

> “Nothing ever is with you. That’s what makes it real.”

—

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

—

### 🌑 2:12 AM – Hidden Safehouse, Outskirts of Bangkok

The storm outside rattled the tin roof, but inside, the silence was louder.

Ling shoved the door shut behind them, locking all four bolts with mechanical precision.

Orm didn’t say a word as she stepped into the dusty space — bare walls, a mattress on the floor, flickering emergency light. No windows. No distractions.

Just them.

And too many unsaid things hanging like knives in the air.

> “This is where you disappear when things get bad?” Orm asked softly, brushing dust from her sleeve.

Ling didn’t answer. She was already checking her guns, her backup phone, the perimeter.

> “You still think I can’t take care of myself?” Orm added.

This time, Ling turned. Eyes dark. Voice low.

> “I think someone tried to poison your lungs two hours ago. So yeah, I’m not in the mood for pride.”

Orm’s jaw clenched. But she didn’t move.

Ling finally sighed. “Sorry. I just—I saw your chair, and—”

Her voice cracked.

> “I thought I’d lost you.”

Those five words pulled the air out of Orm’s lungs.

She sat down slowly on the edge of the mattress, looking at her hands.

> “You didn’t,” she whispered. “But you almost did.”

Ling nodded. Quiet.

The silence stretched.

Then, Orm asked what had been burning in both of them since the rooftop:

> “Do you want me… or just want to save me?”

Ling stepped closer. One slow step. Then another.

> “I want to burn with you,” she said. “And I want to be the one you choose — not the one who hides behind a gun.”

Orm’s breath caught.

She looked up.

And whatever control either of them had been clinging to — snapped.

---

### 🔥 2:31 AM — The Fire Begins

The storm had swallowed the city whole.
Every drop of rain on the tin roof above them sounded like a heartbeat trying to outrun itself.

Ling dropped her jacket. No hesitation.

The fabric landing softly on the concrete floor.

Orm’s eyes followed the motion — sharp, searching — like she was watching a fuse burn.

Orm stood up — slow, elegant, dangerous.

> “No more lies,” she whispered.

> “No more walls,” Ling replied.

They stood there, inches apart, caught in the gravity of everything they’d buried for months.

Their mouths met hard — not soft or sweet, but urgent. Months of silence, of stares, of wanting without permission — all exploded in one brutal kiss.

Orm gripped Ling’s shirt, yanked her closer, and bit her bottom lip just enough to draw a gasp.

> “You started this,” she breathed. “Don’t you dare stop now.”

Ling shoved her gently back against the wall, eyes half-lidded with hunger.

> “You think I won’t ruin you, Khornaphat?”

> “Try me.”

She did.

Ling kissed her like she was drowning — like Orm was air.

Hands roamed. Heat built. Every layer of control peeled away with each button torn, each bruise kissed. Orm’s blazer hit the floor. Ling’s shirt was half unbuttoned, one sleeve off, tattoos barely visible under dim light.

> “Look at you,” Orm whispered, running a hand over Ling’s chest, eyes blazing. “You think you’re a weapon. But all I see is someone trying not to fall apart.”

Ling grabbed her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist.

> “I fall for you every time you breathe.”

—

Orm pushed her back onto the mattress. Climbed on top. Her long hair cascaded like silk shadows over Ling’s face.

They didn’t speak.

They didn’t need to.

The air between them cracked with silent promises.

Orm traced every scar on Ling’s body — like reading a secret language.

And Ling responded with reverence, with teeth, with fire in her mouth.

Clothes vanished.

The world narrowed.

Orm gasped — the kind that came from surrender, not weakness — when Ling’s fingers slid between her thighs, slow and certain.

She didn’t hide her moans.

Not this time.

> “Say my name,” Ling growled into her neck.

> “Ling—” she gasped, back arching.

> “Again.”

> “Ling.”

It wasn’t just sex.

It was war. Worship. Wild absolution.

Orm kissed the scar under Ling’s collarbone. The one from when she was seventeen. Ling tangled her hands in Orm’s hair and whispered something in Thai that made her shiver.

And when they finally collapsed against each other, bodies damp with sweat and heartbeat in sync, neither said “I love you.”

But both felt it.

So clearly, so violently — it didn’t need to be spoken.

Not yet.

—

### 🌒 3:22 AM — Afterglow

Orm lay against Ling’s chest, eyes half-closed. The storm had quieted outside, but inside, her heart still thundered.

> “You’re not staying, are you?” she asked quietly.

Ling kissed her temple.

> “Just for tonight.”

> “Why not forever?”

Ling froze.

> “Because I still have blood on my hands,”
“Because forever isn’t built for people like me.”
she murmured. “And you deserve to stand in the sun.”

> “I don’t care,” Orm replied.
> “we’ll build our own,”
“I just want to stand beside you.”

Ling looked at her — really looked.

Ling looked down at her — the woman she’d once sworn to protect, now the one she couldn’t imagine surviving without.
Her eyes softened, and for a moment, every wall she’d ever built faltered.

Then buried her face in Orm’s hair.

> “Don’t say that unless you mean it.”

> “I’ve never meant anything more.”

—

They didn’t sleep.

They just stayed.

Wrapped in each other’s shadows.

Waiting for morning.

Two hearts learning to rest.
Two souls wrapped in the soft ache of being seen.

And in that quiet hour before dawn, they didn’t need promises.

Outside, thunder rolled one last time.
Inside, the storm had finally found its calm.

---

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

---

🛏 Early Morning – Safehouse
Orm stirred.

The sheets were tangled around her waist. Her back arched slightly as she inhaled — slow, heavy — as if her body remembered what happened before her mind fully woke up.

And then…

She felt it.

A palm at her waist. Soft fingers idly tracing the curve of her hip.

Ling.

Still here.

Still warm.

Still hers — or at least, pretending to be.

Orm didn’t open her eyes at first. She let herself feel it.

“You’re not asleep,” Ling murmured behind her, lips brushing the nape of her neck.

“Neither are you,” Orm replied, voice low.

Ling chuckled softly, hand now moving lower, trailing fire along the silk edge of Orm’s nightshirt.

“Couldn’t sleep. Someone kept replaying in my head… everything from last night.”

Orm finally turned to face her, cheek against the pillow, hair tousled.

“You make it sound like a strategy session.”

“If it was,” Ling whispered, eyes glinting, “I won.”

Orm’s brow arched. “Cocky.”

“Confident,” Ling corrected, leaning in. “Unless you’d like a rematch.”

She kissed Orm’s collarbone — slow, reverent.

Orm didn’t reply. Instead, she slid a hand into Ling’s hair and tugged her closer. No hesitation this time.

The kiss was deeper now. Less frantic than the night before, but somehow hotter — because now they knew. Now they remembered how they fit.

Ling’s hand slid beneath the sheets, finding skin, tracing her thigh.

Orm gasped softly as fingers explored again — slower, more deliberate this time. Ling was learning her rhythm. Memorizing her.

“You feel different today,” Orm whispered against her lips.

“Different how?”

“Like you’re staying.”

Ling paused.

Something flickered in her eyes — not fear, not quite — but something close to it.

“I am. Until I can't anymore,” she said. “But today? I’m here.”

And then her mouth was on Orm’s again — not to possess, but to worship.

Orm’s breath caught as Ling slid between her thighs again, coaxing heat with the kind of patience that made time irrelevant. She didn’t rush. She didn’t demand. She gave — and gave — until Orm was trembling, until her hands clutched at Ling’s back, until her body gave in again and again under the storm.

This time, Orm didn’t hide her sounds. She didn’t bite her lip or turn away.

She let Ling see her break.

And that, more than anything, undid Ling.

Because this was no longer about dominance.

It was about devotion.

☕ Late Morning – Kitchen
The scent of strong black coffee filled the air.

Orm sat at the counter in Ling’s oversized T-shirt, hair messy, legs curled beneath her. She watched Ling move — bare feet, tattoos on display, lazy confidence in every motion.

“You cook now?” Orm asked.

“Bare minimum. Eggs, toast… pancakes if I’m flirting.”

“Are you flirting?”

Ling smirked. “I already got the girl. This is aftercare.”

Orm blushed faintly — rare and disarming.

Ling slid the plate toward her. “Eat. You need fuel. Last night wasn’t exactly gentle.”

Orm gave her a sharp glance. “It wasn’t rough. It was…”

She trailed off.

Ling tilted her head. “What?”

“It was… real. Like you weren’t pretending.”

Ling didn’t speak at first. She sipped her coffee.

“I wasn’t.”

“Then what are you pretending now?”

Ling sighed. “That I can keep you safe without falling apart.”

“Ling…”

“Don’t. Just eat.”

Orm didn’t.

Instead, she got up and walked over, taking Ling’s hand.

“You don’t have to pretend with me.”

Ling met her eyes.

And for once — for once — didn’t look away.

📱 Interruption – Jet’s Text
[JET]: “Found something. Surveillance log from Anucha’s townhouse. You’re gonna want to see this. ASAP.”

Ling exhaled.

The high was over. Reality had returned.

Orm nodded. “Let’s go.”

But as she turned to leave, Ling grabbed her wrist.

“Wait.”

Orm looked back.

“Last night… this morning… wasn’t just release for me,” Ling said. “It was choice.”

Orm blinked.

“I chose you,” Ling said softly. “Not just the fight. Not just the mission. You.”

And Orm — always composed, always cold — felt her throat tighten.

She didn’t say “I love you.” Not yet.

But she held Ling’s hand all the way to the car.

And that silence said enough.

🔥

---

*[ End of Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜

Chapter Text

Bonus Chapter —
Orm’s POV: “The Storm She Let In”

---

She hadn’t planned for this.

Orm Khornaphat knew how to forecast market collapses, manipulate boardrooms, and silence competitors with a single stare. She knew how to weaponize stillness, how to wear composure like a shield, how to endure being hated without ever once flinching.

But this…

This, she hadn’t prepared for.

Ling — in her bed, in her arms, in her bones — had moved through her like a slow fire. Not devouring. Not consuming. Just… changing.

Orm stared out the car window as the city passed in a blur of rain-washed streets and summer haze. Ling was driving, one hand lazily on the wheel, the other resting near Orm’s thigh — not touching, but close enough to remind her: I was just inside you this morning. I kissed the part of you no one else sees. And you let me.

Orm’s fingers twitched in her lap.

She should feel vulnerable.

Exposed.

She didn’t.

She felt… known.

And it terrified her.

Back at the safehouse, after they’d dressed and Ling handed her a steaming mug of coffee with two sugars (she remembered), Orm had watched her quietly.

There was something about the way Ling moved in her space — like she belonged there, like she didn’t care what Orm saw. That looseness. That freedom.

Orm had always viewed emotional control as currency. Never raise your voice. Never confess weakness. Never love someone more than they love you back.

But Ling didn’t barter affection.

She gave it. Stupidly. Fearlessly.

“I chose you,” she’d said. Right before the car. No games. No conditions.

And Orm had believed her.

That was the problem.

She didn’t believe in love at first sight. She believed in contracts. Arrangements. Leverage.

But whatever had happened last night — the way Ling had touched her like she wasn’t something to conquer but something to protect — that didn’t feel like strategy.

It felt like surrender.

And not hers.

Ling’s.

That was what shook her most.

Ling could have taken whatever she wanted. She had the body, the attitude, the chaos. But instead, she slowed down. She listened. She memorized Orm’s breath and reacted like it was a language she already spoke.

No man had ever looked at her like that.

No one had.

“She doesn’t belong to you.”

That man from the balcony. The stalker’s lackey. The one Ling had scared off with a threat that hadn’t needed weapons.

His words rang louder now.

Because the truth was… Orm didn’t belong to Ling.

But something in her wanted to.

And she didn’t know what to do with that.

What if she’s pretending?
What if this is part of her game?
What if you’re just another job?

But she didn’t believe that.

Not after the way Ling had held her afterwards. Not after the way she’d made tea. Not after the way she hadn’t asked for anything in return.

Orm leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.

“You okay?” Ling’s voice broke the silence, quiet but real.

Orm opened her eyes and turned slightly.

Ling didn’t look like a bodyguard.

She looked like someone trying to stay calm. Like someone waiting to be rejected.

And Orm — the queen of rejection — didn’t want to do that. Not to her.

“I’m okay,” Orm said softly.

“You sure?”

Orm reached over and slid her hand over Ling’s.

“I’m not sure of anything anymore,” she admitted. “But for some reason… I’m not afraid of that.”

Ling looked at her then — eyes sharp but soft at the edges.

“That’s enough for me,” she said.

And Orm believed her.

Again.

🖤 Orm’s Inner Shift:
She doesn’t label her feelings yet — but she knows they’re real.

She realizes she wants to be known, even if it scares her.

Ling isn’t a threat to her control. She’s the one person Orm wants to surrender to — in the quietest, most terrifying way.

---

*[ End of Bonus Chapter ]*

☆ U.A 💜