You're Mine, I'm Yours II

Part 8

3 days later ;

The early afternoon sun filtered through the curtains of Khaotung's bedroom, casting a warm, dappled light across the room. The space was a sanctuary of organized chaos-books and papers scattered across the desk, a half-open suitcase on the floor from a recent trip, and his bed unmade as if he had just rolled out of it. Khaotung sat at his desk, absorbed in whatever was on his laptop screen, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Without warning, the door to his room burst open with a loud bang, and Khaotung's sister, Khanna, strode in as if she owned the place. She didn't bother knocking-she never did. Her entrance was a whirlwind of energy, her high heels clicking on the wooden floor as she marched over to him.

Khaotung didn't even look up. He rolled his eyes, his annoyance palpable. "Ever heard of knocking, Khanna?" he drawled, his tone dripping with irritation.

Khanna, unfazed, flopped down onto the edge of his bed, crossing her legs with a dramatic flourish. "Oh, please. It's not like you have anything worth hiding," she retorted, smirking as she glanced around his room, deliberately ignoring his glare.

Khaotung sighed, finally tearing his gaze from the screen to give her a withering look. "What do you want, Khanna? I'm busy."

"Busy doing what, exactly?" she shot back, raising an eyebrow. "Brooding over your sad little life?"

Khaotung scowled. "You're not exactly helping, you know. Now, why are you here?"

Khanna rolled her eyes at his tone, her expression turning smug. "We're going to the Castiglione family's estate for lunch. They've invited us."

Khaotung's frown deepened. "And how exactly does that concern me? I have no interest in playing nice with those people."

Khanna leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "It concerns you because Father requested that we both go. It's a business thing, you know, like every other boring event we're dragged to."

Khaotung let out a groan, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. "Of course it's for business. It's always for business. Can't they go without us for once?"

Khanna smirked, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "Father thinks it's important that we make an appearance. And besides," she added with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "the Castiglione family has a son, and they want him to meet me."

Khaotung scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "And you're just thrilled about that, aren't you?"

"Why not?" Khanna replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "I wouldn't mind meeting an Italian man with a fortune to his name. And it won't kill you to go with me for a few hours. You might actually enjoy it-make some connections, pretend to be a decent human being for once."

Khaotung shot her a withering glare. "I'd rather gouge my eyes out. I have zero interest in mingling with those entitled snobs."

Khanna rolled her eyes, clearly unfazed by his hostility. "Oh, grow up, Khao. This is what we do. We play the game, we make the connections, and we ensure the family's position. You can't keep hiding in your room forever."

"I'm not hiding," Khaotung snapped, pushing away from his desk and standing up, his frustration evident. "I just have better things to do than waste my time at some pretentious lunch with people I don't care about."