They sat on the couch after dinner.
Closer now.
Not touching — but close enough to feel each other's warmth.
The house was quiet, filled only with the soft hum of the ceiling fan.
Pete took a slow breath, his fingers curling slightly in his lap.
"I've wanted to say something for a long time."
Vegas turned toward him, not rushing him.
Just there.
Pete inhaled again.
"I liked you the first day I saw you."
Vegas blinked, caught off guard.
"You walked into the café like nothing could touch you," Pete continued softly. "I thought you were arrogant." A small smile tugged at his lips. "And... kind of terrifying."
"I am arrogant," Vegas said under his breath, almost smiling.
Pete ignored that.
"But I couldn't stop looking at you."
This time, Vegas didn't joke.
Didn't deflect.
He just listened.
"And then I found out about... your past."
Pete didn't say the name.
He didn't need to.
Vegas's jaw shifted slightly.
"Kinn told me. Porsche filled in the rest."
Vegas gave a small nod.
"When I heard what happened..." Pete's voice softened, steadier now.
"I didn't think you were weak."
Vegas's jaw tightened.
Vegas's fingers twitched against his knee.
"I thought you were hurt."
Something in Vegas stilled at that.
Pete finally looked at him fully.
"I didn't fall for you because I felt bad," he said. "I fell for you because even broken... you still stood your ground."
Silence settled between them.
Not uncomfortable.
Just heavy with truth.
Vegas leaned back slightly, gaze drifting past Pete, like looking at him directly cost too much.
"Navi cheated," he said.
A pause.
"With Aiaoon."
His voice stayed low.
Controlled.
"They worked together. Model and photographer. Always around each other."
A small breath.
"I told myself it was normal."
Silence settled between them.
Vegas continued.
"I found out at a shoot."
"I wasn't supposed to be there," Vegas continued. "It ended early. I thought I'd surprise him."
A faint, bitter curve touched his lips.
"That was my first mistake."
The air shifted — colder now.
YOU ARE READING
From Frost to Flame
Tiểu Thuyết ChungVegas Theerapanyakul is wealthy, powerful, cold as ice, and haunted by a past betrayal that left him wary of love. When Pete Phongsakorn, a hopeful and warm-hearted architecture student, steps into his world, sparks fly-but not the kind that ignites...
