Eyes on me

009

"How is he coping?" Kim said as he washed off the blood on his hands methodically.

"Not good, Khun Kim." Big whispered sadly, as he cast his gaze downwards, feeling responsible for Porchay's sudden appearance.

"He'll take some time to get used to it." Kim sighed wearily as he dried off his hands. The brunette was certainly not expecting to see Porchay earlier. As Big explained, Porchay was determined to look for him despite the bodyguard's dissuasion so neither Porchay nor Kim could be blamed for this.

"He refuses to eat or speak to anybody." Big said, evidently upset. "Not even to his brother, Khun Porsche."

"I'm working something out." Kim remarked, sitting back down on his office chair. "But now is not a good time to let him go."

"Forgive me for asking but why not, Khun Kim?" Big looked at Kim with confounded eyes.

"Someone's onto us." Kim responded, as he rested his head on his interlaced fingers with his arm resting on the wooden table. He did think of letting Porchay go out of sympathy towards the boy but now that someone was after them, he figures that would be after Porchay too so to have him outside the protection of the Theerapanyakul family was a risky move.

"Are you sure?" Big asked worriedly at the mention of possible threat.

"Pretty much." Kim furrowed his brows. "But I need more information to ascertain who and what their motive is."

"Could it possibly be the minor family?" Big theorized. He knew the minor and major family were at odds with each other so it was possible that the minor family had other malicious intent in mind.

"I doubt so." Kim was quick to reply as he had already thought it through. It was unlikely for Vegas to make his move considering that the head of the minor family, Gun, or Vegas' father had just passed due to an unforeseen cardiac arrest.

Furthermore, unlike his father, Vegas and Macay weren't the sort who craved power or control. They were just unlucky they had such an autocratic and greedy father who had made their lives so miserable with his scheming plots and devious ideas - all so he could watch Korn fall and recover his position as the head of the family.

"If not them...then who else could it be?" Kim heard a befuddled Big ask.

"I don't know." Kim admitted with pressed lips. "Like I said, I need more information to make a conclusion or a suspicion."

"Do you want me to ask around?" Big suggested as he noted the troubled look on the young master's face.

Kim nodded but before Big left, he gave him one more piece of instruction, this time his tone was serious and grave implying that it was of utmost importance.

"And keep an eye on Porchay for me. He is not to leave the mansion without strict surveillance."

—

"Porchay, please have your dinner. You have not had anything since yesterday." Pete called anxiously from the other side of the door, but as always, there was no answer.

Porchay sat alone in his room, resting his back against the foot of the bed. He was still in shock of what had happened as he nibbled on his lips nervously. This was not supposed to happen. Mafia families do not exist and yet, here he was not only acquainted with the son of an established mafia head, but his brother was married into the family.

"Porchay." Pete called out to the boy when he received no response. He sighed, upset and a little worried because Porchay had skipped his meals.

"Let me do it." Porsche, who had stopped by his brother's room, offered to take the tray from Pete and the bodyguard happily obliged. He figured Porchay might be more willing to talk to his older brother than anyone else at this point.

"Porchay. Can we have a chat please?" Porsche asked as he stood outside the door alone after Pete left to finish some other tasks of his.

Porchay hesitated when he heard his brother's voice through the door. He got up and walked towards the locked door with tentative steps.

"I just want to check how you are feeling. I know things have not...been the easiest for you and I completely understand if you want to leave this family, or even me."

Porchay felt his heart ache as he heard the sadness permeating through brother's voice. It wasn't Porsche's fault to begin with...it was just the fact that he concealed Kinn's identity that made him feel a little betrayed. After all, the two brothers shared everything with each other.

"I can explain everything." Porsche insisted. "If you would just let me."

It was a good few seconds of painful silence when the door finally unlocked, and through the hinge, Porsche could tell his brother looked miserable. His eyes were puffy from all the crying, his lips pale and cracked at the edges, and his face was visibly more frail than he was a few days ago.

Porchay allowed his brother in reluctantly, and when he did, he shut the door behind and locked it to make sure no one else could come in. He was only comfortable speaking to his brother at the current state and not even Kim could make him change his mind.

Porsche sat the tray down on the floor which carried a piping hot bowl of chicken porridge. Then, he took a seat next to his brother in front of the bed, his legs crossed.

"I am sorry." Porsche apologized with deep regret in his eyes. "I should not have hidden things from you but I was just afraid that you might not be able to accept."

Porchay listened attentively, as he watched the tears well up in his brother's eyes.

"But I now realize how foolish I am because eventually, the choice of wanting to accept or not is yours and by withholding information from you, I am robbing you of that autonomy." Porsche croaked, as he reached out for his brother's hands.

"If you are uncomfortable by all of this, I...I can leave and we will go back to how our life was before, without any of this."

Porchay's heart throbbed painfully against his chest as his vision started to get hazy too, as his eyes swam with tears. He did think about asking Porsche to leave the Theerapanyakul family and return back to their parent's house but now, seeing the misery in his brother's eyes because that would mean having to leave Kinn too, his heart broke into a million pieces.

Porchay held onto his brother's hand tight. "Phi...I know you love Phi Kinn very much. Asking you to leave his family would mean losing him too."

It was only then did Porsche allow his tears to fall as Porchay had noticed his older brother had been suppressing his tears earlier.

"I- I love you Phi so I o-only want the best for you." Porchay croaked, his voice breaking as he tried his best to hold his tears in. "I'm sorry if I have been giving you a lot of pressure."

"No, no." Porsche was quick to brush off his brother's apology. "It's never your fault. If anything, it's mine and you shouldn't have to feel sorry about it."

Porchay sobbed harder as shame overtook him. He had been so selfish. He felt his brother wrapping his arms around him, giving him a comforting embrace as he cried against his brother's chest.

"Things will get better." Porsche whispered as he rubbed his hands on his brother's back in soothing circles.

"I promise."