Be Mine, Baby✅

Chapter 18

War had dragged himself to work on Friday evening after yet another stressful quiz week. It had been almost two weeks since he had spoken to Yin, and he was almost relieved that he hadn't seen him again. For if he did, War wasn't sure how his heart would've taken it.

As War walked into the store, he was surprised to find it very quiet. Only the voice and laughter of Khun Niran coming from the lounge, and also a lady's voice? He wondered who that could be. He walked up to Ray, who was already there.

"Why is everyone so quiet?" He asked.

"I don't know. I just got here a few minutes ago. Looks like we have a visitor. But I'm not sure who it is..." Ray said as he curiously looked at the door of the lounge.

"Shhh... they're coming!" Another employee signaled everyone to go about their work.

Ray pulled War away just as the door opened, but War couldn't move when he saw a beautiful aged woman whose voice he heard before, walking out with Khun Niran. Immediately, War could tell who she was. The way the shape of their facial features were similar. He had seen her only through photos and on television interviews. She was poised and elegant in her gestures and movement.

Khun Chantana Wong.

She was Khun Niran's daughter.

And Yin's mother.

War was surprised at the sudden eye contact, even more, when Chantana began to head his way. With panic running through him, War tried his best to compose himself in front of the woman. Yin's mother always looked dignified and elegant. Even more, now that she was standing right in front of him. A small unreadable smile on her face.

"Would you mind for some tea with me, Wanarat?"

And he couldn't refuse her.

He was a bit surprised again that she knew his name. He hadn't even expected her to even acknowledge him in the first place. It was tense and nerve-racking, to sit in a secluded room with the mother of your ex-lover whom you haven't been formally introduced to.

The whole time, from when she asked him until he sat with hot tea in front of him, War wondered what Chantana would tell him. He didn't even know whether Chantana knew about their past relationship. Many plausible thoughts were running in his mind. With stomach-churning and a head filled with running thoughts, War patiently waited for her to say something.

And his suspicions were wrong.

Instead of sharp hurtful words to drive him away or questions, Chantana, who sat in front of him with a cup of tea in her hand, began to tell him about Yin as a child. Like a mother who was recalling fond memories of her child.

She told him how when he was young, Yin was always by his father's side every time the elder wasn't working. How he grew up following his footsteps. That it was Yin's dream since he was young to be like his father.

Calmly, she told him how her son's aspiration was to successfully run their conglomerate the moment he understood who he was, and what was his worth. How he went to unimaginable lengths to slowly climb to where he was now.

And as she spoke, War understood every word she said. Because the man he fell in love with, was how his mother described. Even until now, everything that Yin was doing was for his father and his goal. And though it was slightly bitter to admit, she was right. Still, he didn't understand why she was telling him this.

"I reckon you knew the situation we were in." War nodded slowly.

"We were lucky that the company didn't face any severe damages. And that we were able to succeed in solving the problem. My son was capable of everything, yet there were things even he couldn't do." She paused as she overlapped her hands on the table with grace before her gaze fell on him. Her eyes weren't condescending, instead, they were regretful, and War felt even colder as restlessness began to brew under her chest. Because then, she seemed to falter before she composed herself again.