BOUND BY SECRETS

Santa’s POV____

The next morning, Santa sat across from Perth in a quiet government office. The ink was barely dry on the marriage certificate before the realization truly hit him.

He was married.

To someone he barely knew.

Yet, instead of panic, an odd sense of security settled in his chest.

He glanced at Perth, who was busy signing the final document with an expression so calm it was unsettling.

Why did he feel… safe?

Perth placed the pen down and looked at him. “It’s done.”

They returned to the Perth's apartment.. They were sitting in silence.

Santa gulped. “Now what?”

“Now,” Perth leaned back, “you go back to your life.”

Santa’s brows furrowed. “How can I...? What about my family? They'll kill me. ”

Perth studied him for a moment before speaking. “You can continue your study as if nothing happened.”

Santa shook his head. “That’s impossible. If I go back to university, Grandpa will find me.” His voice trembled. “And… Title…”

Perth reached out, taking Santa’s cold hands in his warm ones.

“Shhh… calm down.” His voice was deep, reassuring.

“Nothing will happen. Trust me.”

Santa looked into his eyes and, strangely enough, his panic eased.

For the first time in days, he felt a flicker of hope.

Later that night, an unexpected email arrived at the Pongsapak mansion.

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Perth’s POV

Santa was calming down, but Perth knew words alone weren’t enough to protect him.

When he told Santa, "Trust me, I have everything under control," he wasn’t lying.

Because he did.

Late last night, he had sent an email to Niran Pongsapak’s private account—an account not just anyone had access to.

An account that only contained matters so secret, so dangerous, that even the mention of it would make powerful men sweat.

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Niran Pongsapak’s POV

Niran was in his study when the notification popped up.

His hands, steady from decades of experience, suddenly trembled.

That email account… No one was supposed to know about it.

Slowly, he opened the message.

The contents made his blood run cold.

A threat.

A warning.

There were proofs attached—threads leading to secrets he had buried twenty-five years ago.

Secrets that, if exposed, could ruin both the Pongsapak and Jirawit families.

And the message was simple.

To pongsapak's & Jirawit's_____

Do not search for Santa....

Do not interfere....

If you do, the world will know everything...

Niran clenched his fists.

Who the hell was behind this?

And more importantly…

What did they truly want?

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Same Night A call to jirawit's___

Niran sat in his dimly lit office, the email still open on his screen. Without wasting another second, he picked up his phone and dialed Jirawit’s private number.

“Hello, Mr. Niran.” Jirawit’s voice was calm but curious.

“We have a problem.” Niran’s voice was cold.

There was a pause. “What kind of problem?”

“Santa is off-limits. For now.”

Jirawit sucked in a sharp breath. “What? Why?”

“I received a threat. Someone knows too much. If we push any further, they will expose everything.”

For the first time, Jirawit felt something he never had before. Fear.

He had always thought he was in control. That Santa was within his grasp. But now… someone out there was playing a game far bigger than he had imagined.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked cautiously.

“Close this matter for now. And keep Title in check.”

Jirawit exhaled slowly. “I understand.”

But his grip on the phone tightened...

---

The Next Morning Pongsapak Mansion______

The air was thick with tension at the breakfast table.

Niran sat at the head, silently sipping his tea while the others exchanged uneasy glances.

Santa was missing.

No one had spoken about it openly yet, but the weight of his absence was suffocating.

Finally, Niran set his cup down and spoke in his usual commanding tone.

“Don’t search for Santa.”

The entire table stilled.

Praew’s eyes widened in disbelief. Tong slammed his hand on the table.

Joss, who had been sitting quietly, finally spoke. “But—”

“No.” Niran’s sharp voice cut through the room.

“I said don’t search. And I want no more questions or discussions.”

Silence.

Complete, stunned silence.

Joss gritted his teeth, but one look at niran’s expression told him there was no room for argument.

Praew, Tong, and Emmy all exchanged glances, but no one dared to question him further.

Santa was gone.

And for the first time, it seemed like no one was allowed to bring him back.

To be continued...