– Pete’s POV
I’m currently lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying my best to fall asleep. I’ve got nothing to do today—no missions, no guard duty. I’m on forced rest.
Khun No’s orders.
He said, “You stay in your room. Don’t even think about stepping outside until the meeting’s over.”
So here I am. Trapped.
I toss and turn for a while, kicking my blanket off in frustration. It’s no use. I can’t sleep. My body feels restless, and my thoughts are going in circles. So, I sit up and look around the room, my eyes landing on the set of outfits Khun No had left for me earlier.
He’d said something like, “This dress deserves a cute person. It suits you.”
At the time, I rolled my eyes. But now...
Curiosity wins.
I stand and walk over to the hanger, fingers brushing against the fabric of a sleek black dress. It’s bold. The kind of dress that practically whispers trouble. It's backless, sleeveless, and... so damn exposed.
But... why not?
I slip it on, and for a moment, I feel awkward. It barely covers anything. I feel naked.
And yet... I look in the mirror and blink.
Okay... okay, I swear to God—this dress is criminally sexy. On me.
My curves are subtle, but the silver body chain that links from my neck to my waist highlights everything beautifully. Every little move I make causes the chain to shimmer and sway.
I laugh softly. “Damn, Khun No’s got taste.”
Out of boredom (and a little curiosity), I grab the small makeup kit from the vanity and do a little makeup. Nothing too heavy—just eyeliner, a bit of gloss, and a soft shimmer on my cheeks. The reflection in the mirror doesn’t look like Pete the bodyguard.
It looks like someone else. Someone a little dangerous.
I’m smiling at my own reflection when suddenly—
“HELP!!”
A scream?
I snap out of it and rush out the door, instincts kicking in. I don’t even think about what I’m wearing as I dash into the hallway.
A young, cute boy is sprinting toward me, eyes wide in panic. He skids to a stop the moment he sees me—eyes flicking up and down like he’s trying to figure out if I’m real.
Before I can ask what’s going on, Khun No charges around the corner after him, his hand outstretched. The poor kid yelps again and tries to run, but Khun No easily pushes him aside—gently, of course—and grabs my shoulders instead.
And then he freezes.
His eyes widen. His mouth drops slightly.
He stares at me like I’m a ghost, or an angel.
“Where is Pete?” he says, dead serious. “You… you’re not Pete. You’re an angel.”
He steps back slowly, scanning me from head to toe like I’m some masterpiece in a gallery.
I feel my cheeks burn. “Khun No… stop it.”
I feel so embarrassed right now.
Khun No is still complimenting me like I'm a showpiece on display. His smile proud, his eyes sparkling like he's won some kind of prize.
Then suddenly, that kid-who was just screaming a second ago-points at me and blurts out, "Who the hell are you? I've never seen you before."
I blink, awkwardly trying to fix the silver chain around my waist. "Uhm... I'm Pete-"
But before I could finish, Khun No cut me off with his usual annoyed tone. "He's my child. Got a problem with that, Macau?"
Macau? Wait.
That is Khun Macau?
That little devil? The one Khun No always called "cute and beautiful at the same time"?
I looked at him again and yeah... okay, he is kind of cute. But still.
Before the two could start arguing like father and son, footsteps echoed down the hall.
Khun No turned, and a second later, Kinn walked into the room.
"Why is Macau screa-" He stopped.
His eyes landed on me.
And just like that-he froze.
His eyes scanned me slowly, from my bare shoulders, down the black dress that barely covered my thighs, to the silver chain hugging my waist.
I wanted to disappear.
"Pete looks beautiful, doesn't he?" Khun No said proudly, almost smug.
Kinn said nothing. He just kept staring. Like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Khun No snapped his fingers. "Kinn. Kinn. Stop staring at my child."
Kinn finally blinked and said, "Pete... this dress looks good on you."
My face heated up. I looked down, shy. I hadn't expected all this attention.
But just as I opened my mouth to say anything, another voice echoed sharply-
"What the hell is going on here?! Macau, are you okay? Did Khun No hurt you again?"
I looked up.
And time slowed.
A man stood there like he stepped straight out of a dream. Tall. Stunning. Like a Greek god. Eyes sharp, voice firm, presence impossible to ignore.
He rushed to Macau first, checking him quickly with a worried glance. But once he saw Macau was fine...
He looked up.
And his eyes found me.
His gaze locked onto mine for a split second-and then it dropped.
From my face, down my neck, across my chest, tracing the silver chain, following the curves the dress barely hid. Head to toe.
And that's when I felt it.
Hot.
Embarrassed. Flustered. A little dizzy.
Like I wasn't supposed to be here. Like I shouldn't be seen like this.
"Vegas," Khun No said coldly. "Why are you here? And stop staring at him."
Vegas.
That's Vegas Theerapanyakul?
The man I was told to stay far away from? The one Khun No told me was dangerous, manipulative, and never to trust?
Fate really doesn't like me, huh?
But instead of answering Khun No, Vegas tilted his head and looked at me again.
And then asked, "Who is he?"
I opened my mouth, but again, Khun No beat me to it.
"He's my child. That's all you need to know."
Vegas raised a brow. "You've been hiding this kind of person in your house?"
Khun No's face twitched. Annoyed. Protective.
"Don't get any ideas. He's my bodyguard. And he's dangerous."
Vegas stepped a little closer, eyes still on me. "Your bodyguard?" He let out a low chuckle. "Interesting."
He looked me over again and said, "He does look dangerous."
My face burned.
Then he added with a smirk, "I think your lovely bodyguard needs a bodyguard of his own."
Khun No stepped in sharply. "Don't worry about him, Vegas. Mind your own business."
But Vegas... he wasn't looking at Khun No anymore.
His eyes were still on me.
And I couldn't look away.
---
