Hold me close and we'll just leave it all behind

this place is reserved for only you and I

Vegas and Pete entered the chamber, their footsteps echoing off the cold, concrete floor. The atmosphere was thick with tension. Vegas approached the cage, his expression unreadable.

"Good evening uncle," Vegas said coolly. "I'm sure your lap dogs have been treating you well."

Korn met his gaze with defiance. "You won't get anything from us."

Vegas' eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that."

Pete, standing by a table filled with various tools, picked up a metal rod. He twirled it in his hand with a casual menace before approaching the cage and passing the rod to Vegas. Atin flinched as the rod came closer, though he tried to stay stoic.

They started with Atin, applying the rod to his side with a methodical pressure. Atin's face tightened, but he remained silent, his resolve unbroken.

"Pete, you insolent child!" Atin screamt with the nth blow, "How dare you treat your father like this?"

Pete's patience wore thin. He leaned closer screaming, "You NEVER were my father, neither will you ever be. You weren't my father when you hit us. You weren't my father when you forced ma. You weren't my father when you came home drunk and broke objects hitting yaai. You were never my father." Grabbing the rod, he struck a hit at his knees, a blood curdling scream following.

Gun's face showed signs of strain. "We are not talking."

Vegas' hands were steady but his face betrayed a hint of frustration. He grabbed a wrench from the table and approached Gun. "Let's see how long you can hold out father."

Gun's smirk began to crumble as Vegas applied pressure with the wrench on the wounded areas. The old man's attempts to hold back his cries grew weaker with each passing moment.

"Don't worry father, I'm sure we'll give you more bruises to cry for. Though I'm sure Soran must have given you plenty in the past few days," Kim walked into the basement looking over at Korn. His gaze softened slightly, but he remained firm. "We don't want to do this forever. Just tell us what we need to know."

Kim swiftly forwarded a hammer to Vegas who smiled sinisterly before approaching Atin. The two looked like unstoppable monsters for a moment, as Atin hurriedly screamt staring at the hammer, "I'll speak, I will tell everything."

—------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reminiscence

Korn, Gun, and Atin had been inseparable since childhood, their bond forged in the halls of the Theerapanyakul mansion, where Atin's grandmother worked as a maid. They attended the same elite school, their days filled with laughter and mischief. Then, Nampheung arrived, the daughter of one of Korn and Gun's father's mistresses. She quickly became part of their tight-knit group, and the four formed an unbreakable bond.

However, everything changed when they entered high school and discovered the dark truth behind the Theerapanyakul wealth: a vast drug operation that intertwined with the lives of powerful politicians and corrupt officials. The revelation struck a chord, igniting tensions that had been simmering beneath the surface.

Korn, with his relentless thirst for knowledge, began to dig deeper into the family business. He unearthed secrets that would shatter their friendship. One afternoon, he lured Atin to an alley behind their school, desperate to share what he'd learned.

"How could you even think I'd drug Gun?" Atin exploded, anger and hurt flashing in his eyes. "He's your brother!"

That confrontation marked the beginning of a bitter rivalry between Korn and Atin. Terrified of the fallout, Atin pulled away, while Korn grew increasingly obsessed with taking control of the drug ring.

Gun, though younger, became a key player in this dangerous game. Hungry for power, he manipulated Atin, fanning the flames of distrust between the friends. "We need to gather evidence against him and expose his lies," he urged Atin, framing Korn as the true enemy.