Falling for Danger (GEMINIFOURTH)

Chapter 5: The Rival

The calm that followed their argument was short-lived. The mansion, once a refuge, now felt more like a prison, each room echoing with unspoken fears and unresolved tensions. The news of their heist had rippled through the underworld like a shockwave, and it wasn't long before the consequences began to surface.

Sathit had taken the bait. But rather than striking back directly, he played a more insidious game—one that would tear at the foundation of Gemini and Fourth's relationship. His weapon of choice was Prasit, a rival crime lord with a reputation for ruthlessness and manipulation.

Prasit was everything Sathit needed in a pawn: cunning, influential, and utterly devoid of scruples. He operated in the shadows, with fingers in every illicit business in Bangkok. And now, his sights were set on Gemini and Fourth.

The first encounter came unexpectedly. Fourth was alone, wandering the bustling streets of Bangkok in an attempt to clear his mind. The noise of the city, the crowds, and the chaos were a welcome distraction from the tension back at the mansion. He found himself in a small café, nursing a strong Thai coffee when Prasit slid into the seat across from him.

"Fourth, isn't it?" Prasit's voice was smooth, almost too friendly. He wore a crisp suit, his appearance immaculate, but there was something about him that set Fourth's nerves on edge.

Fourth tensed, his hand instinctively moving toward the knife hidden beneath his jacket. "Who's asking?"

"Relax," Prasit said with a disarming smile. "I'm not here to cause trouble. In fact, I'm here to help."

"Help?" Fourth repeated, his skepticism clear. "I don't even know who you are."

"Prasit," the man introduced himself, extending a hand that Fourth didn't take. "You may have heard of me. Let's just say I'm a concerned party, someone who doesn't want to see good people get hurt."

Fourth's eyes narrowed. He had indeed heard of Prasit, and none of it was good. "What do you want?"

Prasit leaned back in his chair, his gaze never leaving Fourth's. "I want to offer you a choice. A way out, if you will. You see, Gemini... he's on a path that only leads to one place. And I'm sure you've noticed it too. He's obsessed, consumed by this need for revenge. It's going to destroy him—and you along with him."

Fourth's jaw tightened. "You don't know anything about us."

"Don't I?" Prasit's smile widened, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I know enough to see that you're struggling, torn between your love for Gemini and the life he's dragging you into. And I also know that Sathit won't stop until he's finished what he started. But I can offer you something better. Safety, power, and most importantly, freedom."

Fourth stared at Prasit, trying to read the man's intentions. He couldn't deny that the words struck a chord. The doubts that had been gnawing at him for weeks now flared up in full force. But he also knew that Prasit was playing a dangerous game—one that could easily end in betrayal.

"What's the catch?" Fourth asked, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him.

"No catch," Prasit replied smoothly. "All I ask is that you consider your options. You don't have to decide now, but think about what you really want. Is it this life of constant danger, always looking over your shoulder? Or is it something more stable, something that allows you to live without fear?"

Fourth was silent, his mind racing. Prasit's offer was tempting, dangerously so. But it also felt like a trap—a way to drive a wedge between him and Gemini, to tear them apart from the inside.

"I'll think about it," Fourth said finally, his voice guarded.

"That's all I ask," Prasit replied, standing up and smoothing down his suit. "I'll be in touch. Take care of yourself, Fourth. You deserve better."

With that, Prasit left, disappearing into the crowd as quickly as he had appeared. Fourth sat there for a long moment, his coffee forgotten, the weight of the encounter pressing down on him like a lead blanket.

When he returned to the mansion, he didn't mention Prasit to Gemini. At least, not right away. He told himself it was because he needed time to process, to figure out what Prasit's true game was. But deep down, he knew it was because of the doubts Prasit had planted in his mind—doubts that had been growing ever since the heist.

Days passed, and Prasit's words lingered like a shadow over Fourth. He found himself questioning Gemini's every move, every decision. Was Prasit right? Was Gemini's obsession with Sathit going to lead them both to ruin? And if it was, what was he supposed to do about it?

The tension between them, already simmering, began to boil over. Every conversation felt like a potential argument, every silence heavy with unspoken fears. Fourth could see the toll it was taking on Gemini as well—his normally sharp focus seemed scattered, his moods swinging from intense anger to brooding silence.

It all came to a head one night when Gemini noticed Fourth's growing distance. They were in the kitchen, the air thick with the smell of dinner that neither of them had touched. Gemini, pacing back and forth, finally stopped and turned to Fourth, his eyes dark with frustration.

"What's going on with you?" Gemini demanded, his voice sharp. "You've been different lately. Distracted. If there's something you're not telling me, now's the time."

Fourth hesitated, the weight of his secret pressing down on him. He knew this moment was inevitable, but it didn't make it any easier.

"I met someone," Fourth said slowly, watching Gemini's expression shift from confusion to suspicion. "Prasit. He approached me a few days ago."

Gemini's eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "What did he want?"

"To plant doubts," Fourth admitted, his voice thick with emotion. "He said... he said you're on a path that's going to destroy us. That Sathit won't stop until we're both dead. And he offered me a way out."

For a moment, the room was silent. Then, in a flash, Gemini's anger erupted. He slammed his fist onto the table, the sound echoing through the mansion.

"And what did you say?" Gemini growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Are you considering it? Are you thinking about leaving?"

Fourth flinched at the intensity of Gemini's reaction, but he forced himself to stay calm. "I'm not leaving you, Gem. But... I can't deny that what he said got to me. I'm scared. Scared that this revenge is consuming you, that it's going to tear us apart."

Gemini's anger seemed to drain away as quickly as it had come, leaving behind a raw vulnerability that Fourth rarely saw. He moved closer, reaching out to cup Fourth's face in his hands, his touch gentle despite the fire in his eyes.

"Fourth," Gemini said softly, his voice trembling. "I know this is hard. I know I've dragged you into a mess that's bigger than both of us. But I need you to trust me. I need you to believe that we can make it through this."

Fourth's heart ached at the desperation in Gemini's voice. He wanted to believe, more than anything, that their love was strong enough to survive whatever came their way. But the doubts still lingered, gnawing at the edges of his resolve.

"I'm with you, Gem," Fourth whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "But we need to be careful. Prasit's trying to tear us apart, and if we're not careful, he might succeed."

Gemini nodded, his grip on Fourth tightening. "I won't let that happen. I promise."

But as they stood there, holding each other in the dim light of the kitchen, both men knew that promises were fragile things. And with Prasit's shadow looming over them, the cracks in their relationship were beginning to show.

The game they were playing had just become more dangerous, and the stakes had never been higher.