SWEET

CHAPTER 17

It happened too fast.

Kim never even saw it coming.

One moment he and Porchay were leaving a café, the next there was a hand, a cloth, dizziness—darkness.

Porchay woke up tied to a chair.

So did Kim.

They were in different corners,in the same room,same smell of damp concrete and alcohol.

“…Phi?” Porchay whispered.

“I’m here,” Kim answered immediately. “Don’t move.”

Then ,
Clap. Clap. Clap.

Pete stepped out of the shadows, smiling.

“Wow. Still protecting each other. Cute.”

Porchay’s blood ran cold. “Pete… what are you doing?”

“Ending something,” Pete said lightly. Then he raised his phone. “I already called Vegas.”

Vegas almost crashed the car getting there.

When he arrived, Pete was waiting, gun in hand, grinning like a madman.

Inside, Kim and Porchay were tied up, slightly bruised but atleast they were alive.
For now.

“Pick one,” Pete said cheerfully. “Save one. Kill the other. If you don’t choose… I’ll kill both.”

Vegas’ breath shook.
“No.”

Pete tilted his head. “No?”

“I’m not choosing.”

Pete laughed. “Then you’re choosing both to die.”

Vegas stepped forward. “I love them both.”

Pete burst out laughing. “That’s what makes this fun.”

Vegas tried to talk. Slowly. Carefully.Trying to reason with Pete.
“You don’t want this. This won’t fix anything.”

Pete’s eyes were shining. “I don’t want fixing. I want to see you break.”

“You left me,” Pete continued. “So now I get to decide what you lose.”

Vegas’ voice cracked. “If you want someone to die… take me.”

Silence.

Pete froze.
"What?"

"Let them go," Vegas said.“Take me instead.”

For the first time, Pete looked genuinely shaken.
“You’d die for them?”

“Yes.”

“You’d die for two people?”

“Yes.”

Pete stared at him like he was seeing a stranger.

“…You never loved me like that.”

Vegas said nothing.

Then Pete let out a loud,ugly, broken laughter.

“So what?” he said, raising the gun. “So what if you love them? I’m the one with the gun. I can shoot you. I can shoot them. I can shoot all three of you if I want.”

He pointed it at Kim.

Then at Porchay.

Then at Vegas.

“You don’t get a happy ending just because you have a heart now.”

Vegas moved.

Not fast.