Serenade in a Coffee Cup

The Bait

The soft hum of city life drifted through the windows as Ling sat at her desk, glancing at the time. Orm was on her way, and Kai would be arriving soon. Tonight's meeting was pivotal. Apinan was still hiding, but that wouldn't last much longer. The clock was ticking, and they needed to make their next move count.

Moments later, there was a knock on the door. Ling opened it to find Orm standing there, a subtle smile on her lips. Behind her, Kai entered quietly, nodding as he made his way to the table.

Orm took a seat next to Ling, her eyes flickering with anticipation. Kai stood by the window, arms crossed, surveying the room. His presence was commanding yet unobtrusive, his sharp mind clearly already whirling with possibilities.

Ling broke the silence first. "Apinan's plan to disappear is predictable. We expected this. But the question is, what's our next move?"

Kai, his voice low and deliberate, chimed in. "We let him think he's in control. The more comfortable he gets, the more reckless he'll become. But we can't wait too long. His resources are vast he could make a move against us if we give him the time."

Orm, who had been quietly contemplating, leaned forward, her voice calm but firm. "What if we don't just let him run? What if we bait him? Use Bright."

Both Kai and Ling turned toward her, intrigued. Ling raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

Orm continued, the wheels of her mind turning. "Bright is desperate. Apinan has abandoned him. He's angry, unhinged. If we get Bright to cooperate even just temporarily we could make it look like Bright is planning to betray Apinan."

Kai nodded slowly, catching on. "Create the illusion that Bright is cutting a deal. Apinan would have no choice but to resurface, to deal with him personally."

"And when he does..." Orm paused for effect, glancing between them both, "we'll be ready. But we don't go in aggressively. We let Apinan walk into his own trap. He'll think he's playing us, but every step he takes will lead him right where we want him."

Ling leaned back in her chair, clearly impressed. "That's... brilliant, Orm. We let him take the bait, and when he feels like he's in control, we dismantle everything."

Kai looked over at Orm, a rare smile crossing his lips. "You're smarter than most give you credit for."

Orm grinned. "Thank you."

They spent the next hour meticulously planning every detail. Bright would need to be handled carefully, kept just unstable enough to convince Apinan that he posed a legitimate threat. Kai would ensure the information about Bright's supposed betrayal reached Apinan's ears at the right time, while Ling would coordinate the final strike.

Later that evening, after their meeting, Ling and Orm made their way to the café. The atmosphere was relaxed, the smell of coffee and baked goods filling the air. The band was already there, sitting around a table, laughing and chatting.

Orm's face lit up when she saw them, her heart warming at the sight of her friends. The band members greeted them with enthusiasm, pulling them into the conversation.

"So," one of the band members, Ingfah, grinned at Orm, "I hear we've got another concert coming up?"

Orm chuckled. "Yeah, it's in the works. I've got a few new songs I've been dying to try out."

Ling watched the exchange with amusement, her hand resting lightly on Orm's arm. The conversation flowed easily between them all, talk of upcoming concerts, memories of past gigs, and playful banter about their rehearsal schedules.

Eclair came by to take their orders, her bright smile matching the lively energy of the group. "You guys are going to kill it at the next concert," she said, excitement evident in her voice.

Orm winked at her. "You better be there. It's going to be wild."

The evening was filled with laughter, light-hearted jokes, and the camaraderie that came from years of working and performing together. But as the night wore on, there was a sense of calm before the storm an awareness that, while this moment was peaceful, chaos was just around the corner.

Bright stood across the street from the café, shrouded in the dim glow of the streetlights. His eyes burned with fury as he watched Ling and Orm through the window, their laughter and casual conversation driving him deeper into his rage. The sound of their happiness seemed to mock him, each smile another stab to his ego. His jaw clenched tightly, fists balled up by his side.

As the night continued, Bright's thoughts grew darker. His mind spiraled, caught between a need for revenge and a bruised sense of betrayal. He whispered to himself, barely audible, "I'll destroy them both. I'll burn everything they've built, and no one will save them." He stared at Orm, feeling the sting of rejection all over again, his twisted obsession with her fueling his anger. In his eyes, she belonged to him. Ling was nothing but an obstacle that needed to be removed.

Just as he was about to take another step forward, a quiet flash of a camera from a nearby alley caught his eye. Instinctively, he pulled back into the shadows, eyes narrowing as he scanned the area for movement. Little did he know, he was caught by Apinan's man. From a concealed position, Apinan's operative had captured photos of Bright lurking outside the café, sending them directly to Apinan.

Meanwhile, back at his secluded hideout, Apinan sat brooding in the dim light of his office. The moment his phone buzzed with a notification, he snatched it up, his eyes widening as he saw the images of Bright standing near the café, fixated on Ling and Orm. His grip tightened around the phone as he muttered under his breath, "So, it's you..."

In a flash, his mind pieced together the events that had led to this mess the exposure, the investigations, the chaos that had turned his empire upside down. And at the root of it all, the man who had once been his accomplice. Bright. Apinan's lips curled into a sneer as the betrayal settled in.

The irony wasn't lost on him. "You, Bright, you brought me to this point," Apinan thought darkly. "You, the weakling who once needed my connections, my power." His rage simmered as he reflected on the events that had unfolded, moments where he had dismissed the idea that two women could be behind it all. "I was ready to turn them into ground meat," he muttered, "and they weren't even the real culprits. But you, Bright... you had a hand in this. You think you can betray me and get away with it?"

Apinan stood abruptly, pacing across the room as the anger surged through him. "That lowlife..." he hissed, "believing that two women could take me down, thinking they'd outsmart me? No... no, this is your mess, Bright. You're the one who opened this door."

His voice rose, filled with venom. "You underestimated me! But it's time we settled this." He slammed his fist on the table, the sound reverberating in the silence of the room. Without hesitation, Apinan barked an order into the phone, his words sharp and decisive. "Find him. Bring him to me."

He took a deep breath, his face twisting into a malicious grin. "It's time for Bright to learn the consequences of crossing me," Apinan thought, a storm of vindictive satisfaction coursing through him. He could picture it already the moment Bright would be dragged before him, helpless, begging for mercy.

"And when he does," Apinan whispered, his voice barely audible, "I'll make sure he pays for every bit of this."

As his men moved swiftly to locate and capture Bright, Apinan sat back in his chair, a chilling calm settling over him. In his mind, everything was falling into place. Bright would be brought to him, and once he had him, the real game would begin.

But as Apinan waited, little did he know that Ling and Orm, along with Kai, were already several steps ahead, pulling strings from behind the scenes, preparing to turn the tables on him once more.

—•

Author's Notes: Hey guys! I hope you're all doing well so far. I want to apologize for not posting as often as usual I was super busy over the weekend. On top of that, I managed to hurt my knee yesterday while hiking, and now I'm struggling with walking. 😅 It definitely hurts, but I'm keeping a positive vibe about it!😭

And of course, today's song recommendation is Tayna Si ai - Marshmallow Remix