Accidentally Married

42. Possessive

Sainam let out a soft chuckle as she approached, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "It's a good thing I already knew you two were married," she teased. "Otherwise, I would have thought you were Siamese twins, given how glued you are to each other."

Nai stiffened at her words, a faint flush creeping up his neck. He wasn't easily embarrassed, but something about being called out so openly made him feel self-conscious. 

Without thinking, he reached out and gave Zo a light pinch on the waist.

Zo jerked in surprise, yelping quietly before turning to glare at Nai, his lips pressing into a pout. "Why did you pinch me?" he asked, feigning innocence.

Nai simply raised an eyebrow at him before shifting his attention back to Sainam.

Zo huffed but didn't argue further. His attention quickly drifted back to his self-appointed task for the night—keeping Nai as far away as possible from all the people who were eyeing his husband like he was a prize to be won.

From the moment the party had started, Zo had been glued to Nai's side, arms wrapped securely around his husband's waist. He refused to move away, sending sharp glares at anyone who dared to approach Nai with less-than-innocent intentions. 

It was shamelessly possessive, but Zo didn't care. He knew how many people had their eyes on Nai. He wasn't about to let them get any ideas.

Not that Nai was any better. Though he wasn't as openly aggressive as Zo, he had his own way of dealing with anyone trying to flirt with his husband. 

Every time someone approached Zo with a flirty smile, Nai would level them with a cold, unreadable gaze. That was usually enough to send them scurrying away before they even got a word out.

Zo caught Nai doing it several times throughout the evening, and each time, his heart swelled with warmth. He wasn't the only possessive one here.

Just then, Nai turned back to Sainam and gestured toward a young man standing beside him. "This is Sak," he introduced. "He is my Nong."

"Swadee Khrab," Sak greeted Sainam with a polite wai, his smile warm yet reserved.

Sainam's eyes widened slightly before a slow, delighted smile spread across her face. "Oh wow," she mused, looking Sak up and down with interest. "You are so cute—and tall."

Sak laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thank you, P' Sainam."

She nodded approvingly. "And you are well-mannered, too. No wonder Sailub likes you."

At the mention of that name, Sak's smile faltered, only for a brief second—but it was enough for Nai to notice.

Still, Sak quickly recovered and forced his lips back into a polite smile. 

Sainam reached for his hand, tugging him along. "Come on, I will introduce you to my husband and some others."

Sak shot a quick glance at Nai, almost as if silently asking for help, but Nai merely watched as Sainam whisked him away.

A frown creased Nai's brows as he turned back to Zo. "What did she mean by that?" he asked. "'No wonder Sailub likes Sak'?"

Zo's entire body stiffened. His mind raced as he struggled to come up with a plausible excuse. He could not let Nai find out the truth—at least, not yet.

"I don't know," Zo lied, keeping his expression as neutral as possible. "Maybe she was just teasing?"

Nai studied him for a long moment, clearly unconvinced. He didn't push the matter, but Zo could tell the gears in his head were already turning.

Ever since he threw Sak a welcome-home party and Sailub showed up uninvited, Nai had a gut feeling that something was going on. The Wongsrisai brothers weren't the type to randomly appear at parties they had no business attending. There had to be a reason behind it.

He didn't know what it was yet—but he would find out.

For now, however, he let the topic rest and reached for his drink, taking a slow sip as he scanned the crowd. That was when his gaze landed on Jui.

The usually lively and sociable Jui was sitting alone at the farthest corner of the party, looking as though he was actively trying to disappear into the background. 

Nai frowned. This was unlike Jui, who thrived in social gatherings.

Without a word, Nai set his glass down and turned to Zo. "Hia, I am going to go check on Jui."

Zo pouted immediately. "Can I come too?"

Nai sighed but didn't argue. He made his way toward Jui, Zo trailing right behind him.

As they approached, Jui seemed startled to see them. He blinked up at Nai, looking almost as if he hadn't expected anyone to notice his existence.

"You told me you weren't coming to the party," Nai said, taking a seat beside him. Zo quickly plopped down on Jui's other side. "What changed?"

Jui let out a small sigh and offered a half-smile. "I styled Khun Sainam for the event. She invited me personally, and I didn't want to be rude by declining."

It was a reasonable enough explanation, but Nai could sense there was more to the story. He glanced at Jui, noting the tension in his shoulders and the way his fingers kept restlessly tapping against his knee.

"You have been sitting here alone all night," Nai observed. "Are you okay?"

Jui hesitated. He could feel Zo watching him curiously, and the last thing he wanted was to explain the real reason he was keeping a low profile.

His gaze briefly flickered across the crowd, where his family—his parents, his uncle, his aunt, his older brother, and his cousins—were mingling with the other guests. Just the sight of them made his stomach twist unpleasantly.

It wasn't just Saifah he had been avoiding tonight.

Jui had cut ties with his family years ago. The thought of crossing paths with them now, in a public setting no less, was enough to make his skin crawl. He knew they would cause a scene if they saw him, and he didn't want to be the reason the entire party's atmosphere soured.

So, he hid.

Still, he had no intention of explaining any of this to Nai and Zo. Instead, he sighed and pressed his fingers to his temple. "I have a headache," he lied smoothly.

Nai didn't look convinced, but he didn't push the issue either. Instead, he settled into his seat beside Jui and motioned for Zo to sit still.

Zo, however, leaned in closer, his brows knitting together in concern. "Do you want me to get you some medicine?"

Jui smiled faintly. "No, it's alright. It will go away on its own."

Zo nodded but didn't seem fully reassured.

For a while, the three of them simply sat there, a quiet bubble of calm amid the lively party. Nai sipped his drink thoughtfully, his mind still swirling with unspoken suspicions, while Zo kept sneaking glances at Jui, as if trying to figure out what he wasn't saying.

Jui, on the other hand, simply stared ahead, willing the night to pass without any unwanted confrontations.

And so, they sat in silence—three men lost in their own thoughts.