Nightfall had arrived, and the van carrying the unwilling Chang and Id had been attacked by bandits multiple tis. Fortunately, the van was bulletproof, preventing the bandits from harming its occupants. Despite their best efforts to overturn the vehicle, the skilled driver managed to evade disaster each ti. The van eventually entered the First Agricultural Zone of the country, an area filled with fields and orchards. Most of the land was owned by local farrs who were part of the Farrs' Association, though so plots had been acquired by investors who hired locals to manage the cultivation and harvest.
One such plot was Sai Natee Farm, owned by Infinity Group. The company employed locals from the area to tend to the crops, most of whom were the farm's original workers. Infinity Group rarely intervened in the farm's internal operations, instead hiring the heir of the farm's previous owner as the farm manager. The manager was given autonomy to oversee all matters as long as the farm's financial results were reported to the company every month.
However, this arrangent did not sit well with Thankhun, the heir in question. He had not been present when the farm fell into financial ruin and was sold off at auction, allowing investors to bid on it. Regardless of the reasons behind its downfall, the current state of affairs filled Thankhun with deep resentnt. He blad Pichaya for it all. Pichaya, with his endless discussions about business growth, had convinced Thankhun's father to delve into ventures he was ill-prepared for. When failure struck and bankruptcy lood, Pichaya stepped in to purchase everything—including Sai Natee Farm.
Thankhun believed it was all part of a plan, a sche orchestrated by Pichaya Rattanaruangrit from the beginning to claim Sai Natee Farm for himself. He blad himself for ever trusting Pichaya, for being swayed by the bright smile of the little girl Pichaya had used as bait. She had lured him away, giving Pichaya the chance to manipulate his father. In the end, the farm was stolen from them. The more Thankhun thought about it, the angrier he beca. The more he rembered the girl's smile, the more it pained him. But he vowed not to falter. He was determined to reclaim Sai Natee Farm, no matter what it took. He would not allow himself to be swayed again—even if it ant losing that smile forever.
"Boss, our n called to report that their van had entered the First Agricultural Zone. It should arrive here by midnight,"
Thankhun's aide inford him. The young man stood on the balcony of a farmhouse, gazing out at Sai Natee Farm under the night sky.
"Have you prepared a room for our special guest? I don't want them standing out in the cold night air for long,"
Thankhun replied without looking back, his eyes distant, contemplative.
"Yes, sir. Everything is ready. However, the guest isn't alone,"
the aide added cautiously. Thankhun frowned and turned to face him, his voice sharp.
"What do you an?"
"Well, when we brought in Miss Chayarin, her companion held onto her tightly. No one could pry him from her, so we had to bring him along too,"
the aide explained nervously.
"Who is he? If he's that clingy, cut his arms off and throw him out of the van!"
Thankhun snapped, his irritation evident.
"We can't do that, sir. You specifically instructed us to avoid bloodshed. Besides, the boy is the son of an important figure. If we do as you say, this will escalate into a much bigger problem,"
the aide protested, startled by Thankhun's sudden outburst. Thankhun had repeatedly emphasized that no harm was to co to anyone, yet now he seed ready to disregard those orders entirely just to get rid of an uninvited guest.
"An important figure, whose child is he?"
Thankhun demanded curiously.
"The son of Henrius Chadler, the British Ambassador to Thailand. His na is Idsara Chadler, the ambassador's eldest son. He was involved in the previous kidnapping incident, where he and his friends disrupted the attempt to abduct Miss Chayarin. From what I've observed, he seems to have a strong interest in Miss Chayarin,"
The aide explained. Thankhun's expression darkened slightly before he turned back to the view of Sai Natee Farm, speaking reluctantly.
"In that case, prepare a room for him as well. I don't want any disruptions, but I also won't let a single ddleso brat ruin everything I've planned."
"Understood,"
the aide replied before walking away.
Thankhun let out a heavy sigh and sank onto a nearby bench. What was wrong with him? Was he jealous? Jealous because he had heard another man was close to her? That soone else was protecting and taking care of her, and not him—and never could be him. He had cast aside his own heart to reclaim sothing far more important: what his father had spent his entire life building, the very thing that had severed all ties between him and her. Raising a hand to cover his mouth, Thankhun furrowed his thick brows in pain. He was hurting deeply and struggling to suppress it.
.....
At Petchklao Ho, a command center to track down the culprits behind Chang's abduction had been set up. Aunt Im nearly fainted when she received the terrible news from Moddang. She wept uncontrollably, cursing the kidnappers over and over. Amy and k sat nearby, silently watching the bodyguards and Special Protection Unit as they worked. At that mont, the team was holding a eting to determine who might be responsible for the kidnapping.
"This isn't an easy case. Chayarin Rattanaruangrit, the only daughter of the billionaire businessman Pichaya Rattanaruangrit, has been kidnapped countless tis in the past. Her father even hired elite bodyguards from our unit to protect her. And yet, you two still managed to fail your duties this badly?"
The head of the Special Protection Unit berated the two young n assigned as Chang's personal bodyguards.
"We take full responsibility for what happened. It's entirely our fault for not keeping a close enough watch over her,"
one of the guards, known as 16, admitted with a remorseful expression.
"Fine. I'll set your failure aside for now. What's most important is finding out who kidnapped Miss Chayarin. Any leads yet?"
the team leader asked, turning to the investigative unit working on computers to uncover potential suspects. One of the investigators paused, then handed a stack of freshly printed docunts to the leader.
"We've narrowed down the list of possible suspects to just a few. The others either lack sufficient motive or stand to gain more from the reorganization of Infinity Group that Mr. Pichaya recently implented. Many smaller players have backed off from attempting kidnappings because they lack the resources or influence. There are four main suspects. The first is reported to have been in Japan for a eting with Mr. Pichaya but has made suspicious communications back to Thailand several tis. The second continues to work as usual at an Infinity Group subsidiary in Myanmar. He has a history of disputes with Mr. Pichaya that almost escalated into a full-blown falling-out, though the situation was later resolved."
"The third suspect once had close ties to Miss Chayarin's family. They own a farm and orchard in the First Agricultural Zone called Sai Natee Farm. However, Infinity Group later took over all operations and hired the forr owner's son to manage the farm. Since then, their once-close relationship appears to have grown distant. The fourth suspect is currently on leave but hasn't traveled anywhere. Instead, they've been isolating themselves in their residence."
"The third suspect used to have close ties with this family? Investigate their history thoroughly, especially the third one. Find out where they are now. From what I see, there's very little information about them after they turned twenty years old."
The team leader reviewed the profiles of all four suspects before instructing the investigative unit to dig deeper.
At that mont, a report ca in stating that no suspicious vehicles had passed through any of the checkpoints set up along the main highways leading out of the area. This news caused Moddang, Amy, and k to grow increasingly anxious. Even the team leader frowned deeply in frustration. He strode over to the large table displaying a digital map, studying the locations of the police checkpoints along the major routes that led out of the city. Despite these efforts, not a single suspicious vehicle had been spotted.
anwhile, a car arrived and parked in front of Petchklao Ho. One of the guards approached to investigate and discovered it was the car of Ambassador Henrius Chadler, Id's father. The ambassador had traveled discreetly with only two close aides. Once the gates to the mansion were opened to let him in, he walked straight toward the command center, his face grave.
Ambassador Henrius spoke with the leader of the Special Protection Unit, inquiring about updates on the investigation into the culprits and the whereabouts of his son and Chang, who had been kidnapped. Afterward, he approached k and Amy.
"Why don't you two go ho? If there's any progress, you'll be inford right away. Staying here doesn't help anything. It's better for you to rest, and it'll put your parents at ease as well,"
Henrius suggested gently. k and Amy exchanged glances and nodded, realizing their presence was of little help.
Ambassador Henrius watched as the two left the mansion. Once they were gone, he turned to Moddang, who was pouring tea for him.
"The master of this house isn't here, is he?"
"No, sir. He's attending a eting abroad, but he's on his way back. I believe he'll arrive in two or three hours,"
Moddang replied somberly.
"That child. What an unfortunate life. To be the target of kidnappings so many tis, she must never have experienced the freedom of a normal child,"
Henrius remarked, starting a conversation. Moddang's eyes welled with tears as she spoke about Chang's misfortunes.
"Yes, sir. But the young miss is strong. She'll survive this and co back safely, I'm sure of it. And with Master Id by her side, I believe he'll protect her and help her escape,"
she said with conviction, wiping tears from her eyes.
"You believe my son can protect her?"
Henrius asked, intrigued.
"Yes, sir. Master Id has saved her once before. He's very capable—he even knocked out the assailants, making the young miss smile again,"
Moddang replied, her spirits lifting at the mory of Chang's smile. Henrius was surprised to hear that his son had protected a girl. On the outside, Id did not seem like soone who could protect anyone. Smiling faintly, Henrius realized that the young miss of Petchklao Ho might hold a special place in his son's heart. Despite his concerns, he could not help but feel a sense of pride. Perhaps, after this ordeal, Id might introduce the young lady to him formally.
The van arrived at the entrance of Sai Natee Farm. Both Chang and Id began to regain consciousness, prompting the driver to hasten to their destination. The vehicle finally ca to a stop in front of a large wooden house. The two were forcibly dragged out of the van. Chang looked around, feeling a strange sense of familiarity with the surroundings. Her gaze fell on an old wooden bench in front of the house, and a vague mory surfaced. She recalled sitting there with a kind, warm-hearted man.
"This place… "
"You've arrived, I see,"
a familiar voice greeted them. Chang turned toward the source of the voice and froze. It was a voice she had not heard in years but still recognized.
"You're… Uncle Khun,"
she whispered in disbelief, staring at the man standing just a few steps away. Though ti had passed and they had not seen each other since that day (which she had dreamt about earlier), Chang recognized him instantly. In his eyes, she could still see the sa warmth that had comforted her all those years ago.
"Hey. Been a while, hasn't it?"
Thankhun's voice was cold as he greeted her. Chang looked at the man she had called Uncle Khun. For a mont, her eyes were filled with confusion, but it was not long before they shifted into sothing sharper and more determined.
"Why?"
The question was short and firm. Id, observing quietly, could tell that these two knew each other—and quite well, judging by the flicker of disappointnt he had seen in Chang's expression.
"Because of your father. He's the reason we're eting like this. But never mind that. For now, I think you both should rest. It's been a long journey. We'll talk tomorrow,"
Thankhun said curtly, cutting off the conversation and turning to walk away.
"I've had enough rest. Right now, I need to know the truth. Why are you doing this? What did my father do to you? And what did I ever do to you?"
Chang called out, her voice loud and firm. Thankhun stopped in his tracks, then slowly turned back to face her. For a fleeting mont, an almost gentle smile crossed his face, but it quickly gave way to his usual coldness.
"This farm. Your father stole this farm from . The farm my father spent his entire life building. He poured every ounce of his strength into it, only for your father to co and take it away!"
His words carried a surge of anger he could not suppress, no matter how hard he tried. Whenever the subject of Sai Natee Farm ca up, it always broke through his composure.
"What?"
Chang's expression was one of shock. She had no idea what had happened to Sai Natee Farm, nor what had happened to Thankhun—the man who had been her childhood first love. All she knew was that he had left to study abroad and never reached out again, to the point that she had nearly forgotten him. The only thing she rembered was the happy tis they had spent playing together in the orchard.
Chang's stunned face caused a flicker of guilt in Thankhun. He quickly ordered his n to escort Chang and Id to the rooms that had been prepared for them. They were separated and locked in adjacent rooms. Id began shouting for Chang. He was worried that she might be hard if they were apart, but his cries provoked the n who had brought them. The n, in black descended on him, beating him until he fell silent.
"Id! Id, are you okay? What did they do to you? Why aren't you saying anything?"
Chang banged on the wall separating their rooms. Id sat up slowly, wincing as he dragged himself closer to the wall. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sighed before answering her.
"I'm fine. Just a bit sore. How about you? Are you okay?"
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