The atmosphere in the private dining room was lively and filled with joy. Everyone sat around a long table in the center of the room. Soon after, a waiter dressed in a Kimono entered carrying more sake. It was a moment of pure celebration—our team had just succeeded in completing a major project with Japan.
"Khun Dan," one of the team members called out loudly. I turned toward him, curious. "You are an exceptional team leader. I believe the company is very impressed with you. The boss should give you a great reward."
"I agree," another added. "You might even get a promotion. Your performance this year has been nothing short of extraordinary. Even though you're only twenty-six, you're truly masterful at your job. Our company is extremely fortunate."
"Haha, thank you very much," I replied with a smile and a slight bow. I was delighted that such an important and massive project had been completed so smoothly. It was work to which I had devoted myself entirely.
After graduating from Boston, I returned to Thailand with my mother and my twin brother, Duen Nao. Not long after, I managed to secure a permanent job at a trading company. I had been working there for almost four years, achieving excellent results and receiving rapid promotions. Not only was I proud of myself, but my family also said they were proud of me.
"Excuse me, I need to step out for a moment to take a phone call," I told my teammates before leaving the restaurant.
"Why, Duen?"
[Oh, Dan, how's work in Japan? Did your project finish today? Is everything going smoothly?]
I smiled without thinking when I heard Duen's voice. No matter how many years pass, Duen remains my adorable little brother—even though he's actually taller than me.
[When will you return?]
"Maybe… um… in a few days, I suppose. The others said they want to stay and continue traveling in Japan. If I came back early, it would look odd."
[Alright, congratulations on finishing your project. You're truly amazing. I heard you worked exceptionally well this year. If you get promoted again, your salary will surely be very high.] Duen laughed softly.
"Haha, thank you. A promotion would be wonderful."
[Absolutely!]
"Thank you."
[Are you celebrating? Am I interrupting?]
"No, I just stepped out briefly to talk."
[How's the stock market?]
"Good," I answered honestly. "Oh, right. Do you want Nong Loon?"
[okay, okay]
"How many?"
[Just one is enough; more would be a hassle.]
"Alright."
We chatted a little longer before hanging up. Then I remembered that I needed to buy a Nong Loon for Nao. Nong Loon is the blue dinosaur doll that Nao loves to collect—he already has so many at home that there's hardly any space left. I glanced around; the area had grown dim since I'd been so absorbed in my phone call, and before I knew it, I had wandered far from the restaurant. I was about to head back when suddenly I felt dizzy and my vision blurred from a blow to my head.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
"Ahw…" I groaned in pain. A musty odor filled the air, wrinkling my nose. My body felt heavy. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I realized I was chained in a small, square room. I quickly understood the situation. Tiger—Nao's boyfriend and a rather influential gangster—had once sent two men to protect me back in college. If I were caught now, those two would most likely be dead or injured.
I hoped they were only hurt.
I surveyed the room to assess my predicament. My hands and feet were chained in a space about two by three meters in size, resembling a bathroom, with cement walls. I tapped the wall slowly. It wasn't very thick. The room was empty, as if built solely to confine someone. The chains were embedded in the wall. I slowly stood up.
The room was roughly three meters high. Up high there was a small barred window—perhaps so that a prisoner wouldn't faint. The door was made of thick metal, but I couldn't approach it because the chains held me back. I sat back down, lost in thought.
Why had they captured me? For ransom? Interrogation? Revenge for something Tiger had done? Did they know I wasn't Nao? Leaning against the wall, exhausted, I wondered where I was and how long I'd been unconscious. As I lay there, I noticed a small crack in the wall—a little hole. I walked over and peered through it. Suddenly, the metal door burst open with a loud bang. I immediately turned my head.
Two men entered.
"Nao," one of them said as he crouched beside me, grabbing my chin to inspect my face. "I heard you have a twin. Are you Nao?"
I decided not to answer and kept a neutral expression.
"Damn!" he exclaimed, releasing my chin. "The boss said not to touch you until he comes. But… you're really beautiful. Even more than in the photos. If you behave, I'll try to follow the boss's orders."
He stood up and ordered his companion, "Bring food in one hour."
"Alright."
The two men left.
I chose to remain silent, thinking that whether I answered yes or no, they might not believe me and would search for Nao instead. Staying quiet seemed best. If they wanted Nao and assumed I was him, then Nao was safe. I felt a strange relief that it was me who had been captured.
But Nao was always with Tiger—so he was safe. If they learned that I wasn't Nao but his twin, they might have killed me on the spot. Still, I was sure Tiger would come for me soon, since I hadn't heard from his men in charge of my security. Unless those two betrayed him. I didn't think so—we'd been together long enough. But anything could happen.
I refocused on the small hole in the wall—a crack in the corner—and peered through it. I saw another room, much like my own. Were there others who had been captured as well? I was startled to see someone being roughly pushed against a wall, then falling to the floor. Moments later, he was kicked twice in the stomach. Judging by the attacker's shoes, it appeared to be the same man who had spoken to me earlier.
"Not talking?" he shouted as he kicked the man again. "Are you mute? I beat you half to death and you still didn't cry out!" He bent down, pulling the man up by the collar of his shirt. "Doesn't this hurt? Are you even human?"
The beating continued. I wasn't sure if they would notice the crack in the corner and realize I was watching. I felt pity for the man—being mercilessly beaten without so much as a sound—until the attacker grew frustrated. Several times I closed my eyes in fear, and I felt relief when he finally stopped.
Before leaving, he muttered, "He's not human. I've beaten him thoroughly, yet he still hasn't died." Then the metal door closed. I glanced at the man on the floor, now leaning against the wall, his face smeared with blood. I swallowed hard, feeling as if I could hardly breathe. Since they were speaking in Thai, I began to speak in Thai, hoping he would understand.
"Khun…" I whispered, praying they wouldn't overhear me. "Khun…"
There was no response, but I was sure he heard me.
"Are you alright?" I asked anxiously. I didn't know what he'd done to deserve such torture. Perhaps he had committed a serious crime, but… damn, what was I to do? I couldn't stand watching someone suffer like this.
"Sorry—I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry I can't help you. I, too, have been captured."
"How long have you been here? Do you know anything about this place? If we work together, maybe we can escape."
"The blood just won't stop. Stay calm."
I saw him glance at me briefly—he was listening. Didn't he understand Thai? But the men were speaking to him in Thai. I even tried in Japanese and English, but he wouldn't respond.
"It's okay if you don't want to talk. Those people are cruel. Did they bring you here for interrogation?" I pressed, recalling him earlier asking, "Aren't you going to speak?"
"Do they want information? If you speak, will they let you go?"
"You must tell them. Sorry for meddling, but… I mean, you have to choose your life first. It might sound cowardly, but it isn't. Life is about courage."
"I'm sorry," I apologized again, feeling ashamed for interfering in his affairs—I didn't even know his name. "I'm just a stranger, and surely you have your own reasons."
When I fell silent, a heavy stillness descended upon us. Soon after, food was brought in. I ate with difficulty. They wouldn't poison me—it wouldn't serve any purpose. They said the boss had ordered that nothing be done to me until he arrived. Besides, if they wanted to kill me, they could have just shot me in the head instead of poisoning me.
After eating, I leaned back against the wall. I looked up; there was no sunlight—only the dim glow of the room's lights. I noticed the man in the next room. He hadn't even touched his food. I wanted to speak with him, but I decided to remain silent. Nao and Mother always said I was kind and caring. I suppose they are like that too. Maybe it's just a family trait. I thought about many things until I eventually fell asleep.
I woke to screams from the next room. I moved over to the crack in the wall, frowning unconsciously. They were beating him again… From the screams, it appeared the attacker was drunk. After venting his anger, he left the room. I looked at the chained man, worried gnawing at me. Would he die? His injuries looked severe.
"Hey, Khun," I whispered—but I quickly turned away when my door swung open.
The man staggered toward me, clearly intoxicated. He shuffled, crouched, and drew near.
"You're very beautiful. Let me have a taste," he slurred.
I didn't wait to see what he might do next. I shoved him hard, but that only enraged him further, and he charged. I raised my arm and, as he came closer, kicked him in the groin with my knee. He screamed in pain. Without giving him a chance to recover, I tightened the chain around him.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
I ground my teeth and tightened the chain even more, planning to cut off his breath. But then another man entered.
"Damn it!" he yelled, kicking me hard and leaving me stunned. Before I knew it, he hit me again—knocking me to the floor—and kicked my stomach before taking his companion away. "The boss ordered that he must not be killed." I lay there on the floor, clutching my stomach, and it took some time to recover. I really should learn some self-defense—or at least exercise more.
Gasping for breath, I sat up again and noticed the man in the next room, still in the same position. I approached him. "It's been a rough day, hasn't it? Don't worry. If I get out, I'll take you with me."
"What's your name? I'm DanNuea."
"Alright."
I returned to my corner, exhausted and in pain, and soon fell asleep again. I woke when the metal door opened once more. The same man who had first spoken to me entered, looking furious as he beat the two men who had attacked me the previous night.
"What did I say?! Don't touch him! The boss ordered that he be captured without even a scratch. What are you doing? Are you drunk? Are you drunk?!" he yelled and ranted for nearly five minutes before turning toward me. "And you—don't think that just because the boss said nothing would be done to you, you can do whatever you want."
After threatening me, he left, and the door to the next room swung open. I immediately moved to a corner. No… they're going to beat him again. They splashed water on him to wake him up. "Today, will you speak?"
Just as I feared, I couldn't stop worrying. His condition was terrible, yet they did not relent. I had to close my eyes several times because of the brutality. After nearly fifteen minutes, they left.
"Khun… Khun…" I called out anxiously. He seemed unconscious. "Khun, answer me. Hey, Khun…" I called again.
This time, he slowly sat up. From my angle, I could only see his profile. He maintained a neutral expression and didn't respond—as he had yesterday, no matter how hard he was beaten, he never screamed. His wounds made me feel sorrow.
"Khun, what can I do to help you? I'm trapped too. I have friends who will come to help. Hang in there—I'll get you out of here." I offered him a promise, hoping to give him some hope. I didn't know why, but watching someone being tortured hurt me deeply. I didn't know what he had done, and I wasn't in a position to judge. But I will help him. When Tiger comes to rescue me, I'll ask him to take you with him too.
"You'll be alright," I said. "Everything will be fine."
After speaking, he slowly turned toward me. It was the first time I had seen his full face. Despite his wounds, it was clear that he was still young—no more than twenty years old, perhaps. I gritted my teeth without even realizing it.
"Khun—"
"Jayden."
"My name is Jayden."