Win walked away from the dining table, his steps heavy but measured, each one carried weight of something he wasn't ready to unpack. He returned to the couch where Mike was waiting, documents now forgotten on the coffee table. Mike wasn't looking at them anymore. His eyes followed Win's every movement.
The moment Win sat down, Mike leaned in slightly, voice low. What happened?
Win didn't answer right away. His gaze remained fixed on the edge of the table, fingers threading together like he was holding back something sharp.
Mike tried again, softer this time. With King, I mean. He looks like he cried all night.
Win exhaled a slow and exhausted breath. His shoulders sagged and for a moment, he didn't look like the calm, in-control man everyone believed him to be. He looked like someone falling apart in silence.
"I messed up," Win said finally, his voice hoarse. I saw him yesterday with someone. A guy. I thought he was flirting. And I lost it.
Mike's brow furrowed. Did you fight again?
I didn't hit him, Win said quickly, defensive even though no one accused him. But I said things I've said before. Things I promised I'd stop saying.
Mike's eyes narrowed, but he didn't jump to judgment. So you brought it up again?
Win nodded slowly. There was a pause, thick with disappointment.
You keep saying you love him like a brother, Mike said after a beat, but do you even see him for who he is?
"I do," Win snapped, but it came out more like a whisper. He rubbed a hand over his face. God, I do. That's the problem. I see him, and I want to protect him from the wrong things.
Mike didn't look up from the glass of water he was holding, but his words cut through the silence like a blade.
It's time you stop lying to yourself, Win.
Win stiffened where he sat, eyes flickering toward the dining room where King sat eating in silence. The weight of those words hit hard.
You keep saying you're trying to protect him, Mike continued calmly, but the truth is, you love him more than a brother should.
Win snapped his head around, voice sharp, low, defensive. "What are you saying?"
Mike finally turned to him, his expression unreadable but steady.
Win, you love him. And you're scared because deep down, you think he only sees you as a brother. Or worse just a friend.
That's why you keep trying to change him and explode when someone else looks at him. You're afraid someone's going to take him away, someone who can love him out loud. Someone who's not afraid to be seen.
Win's jaw clenched, face tightening with something between panic and anger. Lower your voice, he hissed, eyes flicking again toward King. You're talking nonsense.
Mike didn't flinch. "Am I?"
I have a girlfriend, Win said stiffly. She's coming back from abroad in a few weeks. I don't know what story you're trying to create here, but it's not real.
But what? Mike leaned in, eyes narrowing. Does she even know how close you and King are? That he sleeps under your roof? You cook for him, fight over him, decide who's allowed to talk to him and watch him like he's the only thing that matters to you.
Win swallowed hard. King is like a brother to me. I was asked to protect him. His mom, and my mom both told me to look after him. That's what I've been doing.
Mike exhaled slowly, shaking his head. You're not looking after him anymore, Win. You're suffocating him. The boy's turning twenty-four in a few weeks. He's not a kid. He deserves to live, love and choose.
Win went quiet, eyes falling to his hands.
Let him date who he wants, Mike said, Let him breathe. That's what real love looks like.
A silence settled between them.
Win didn't argue.
Because deep down, beneath every excuse, he knew Mike was right.
The air in the living room had shifted. After the heavy conversation about King, Mike gave Win a look equal parts disappointment and brotherly concern but said nothing more.
Instead, he reached for the stack of documents on the table. "Alright," Mike muttered, flipping through a few pages, back to work. The final draft of the ZacTech proposal is in. Their CEO is expecting a response by the end of the week.
Win's jaw constricted, the tension in his shoulders lingering as he grabbed the next page. Did legal go through the liability clauses again? I don't want to sign anything that leaves us exposed to delays on their end.
"They did," Mike nodded. But there's a tricky clause buried in paragraph nine, if they breach deadlines, we technically can't penalize them unless it's proven to cause direct financial loss. That's a loophole they can hide behind.
Win's brows furrowed. Unacceptable. If we're investing seven figures upfront, we need leverage. They either amend that clause or we pull out.
Mike glanced up. You sure? This deal could double our quarterly profits. We're projecting a 38% increase if the merger happens.
I don't care, Win said firmly. If it's not airtight, it's not happening. I won't risk our reputation on shaky legal ground.
There was a pause just long enough for the weight of Win's words to land. Then Mike leaned back, arms crossing.
You know, he said slowly, it's funny how you're so damn precise when it comes to contracts, but when it comes to your feelings…
Win shot him a glare. We're not doing this again.
I'm just saying, Mike added with a smirk, if you dared to be half as honest with King as you are in a boardroom, maybe you'd stop walking around like a bomb about to go off.
Win ignored the jab and tapped the contract with a pen. Call the legal team. Tell them if ZacTech doesn't agree to a revision by Friday, we'll consider a secondary bidder.
Got it, boss, Mike said, lips twitching.
Still, he couldn't help but mumble under his breath, Can revise contracts, but not your heart.
Win heard it. He just didn't respond.
Because deep down, Mike was right and that truth was harder to face than any business negotiation.
Just as Mike stood to make the call to legal, the sudden chime of the front doorbell sliced through the room.
Win's eyes darted to the hallway. Who the hell is that? he asked, his voice sharp and guarded.
"I'll get it," King said quickly, already standing from the dining table. His voice was calm, but inside, his heart was racing. He didn't expect anyone.
He padded to the door, pressing his palm to the handle and the moment it cracked open, there she was.
Charlotte.
She didn't wait to be invited in.
King, she exclaimed, pushing the door open wider. Where the hell have you been? I've been calling you, do you even check your phone anymore? What kind of ghost friend are you?
Her eyes drifted up, slowly finding his face, and then stopped, her whole expression changed.
What the hell she hissed, eyes narrowing in instant rage. Who did this to you? Was it him? I swear if Win dared to lay a hand on you…
Shhh… Charlotte. King panicked, grabbing her wrist and slapping a hand over her mouth. Win's here. He's inside.
Her eyes widened. What?
Before she could say another word, King dragged her into the house and rushed her up the stairs, their footsteps thudding quickly on the hardwood as they vanished around the corner.
Back in the living room, Win glanced over his shoulder.
He'd heard the door open. He'd heard a voice a familiar one but couldn't make out the words.
Mike, casually scrolling through emails, raised an eyebrow.
Win's lips pressed into a line. He set the document down slowly.
Upstairs, King yanked Charlotte into his room and shut the door behind them, locking it just in case. She immediately rounded on him, arms crossed and eyes blazing.
Why didn't you tell me he was here? She whispered harshly.
You didn't give me a chance, King replied, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. And you were yelling. What if he heard?
Let him hear, she snapped. Your face looks like you cried all night, and don't lie. I've seen that look before. What did he do this time?
King sighed and sank onto the edge of his bed, hands covering his face. It's complicated.
Charlotte crouched in front of him, her tone softening. King… You don't have to live like this. You don't have to keep forgiving someone who's hurting you just because you love him.
I know, he whispered. But it's not that simple.
So, tell me what exactly happened, Charlotte demanded, her tone sharp with urgency. And don't you dare leave out a single detail? I mean it.
King let out a small, reluctant smile, then pulled out his phone. It's about this guy, he said, tapping on his screen.
He turned the phone to show her a picture from Instagram James.
Charlotte's eyes widened. Her lips parted, and within seconds, her whole face lit up. "Oh my God," she gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. He is so fine.
Who is he?
Where did you meet him?
What happened?
Tell me everything I'm dying over here.