Chapter 167: White roses .... are back..

The morning in Hat Yai unfurled like a crumpled silk scarf, the air carrying the sweet scent of blooming frangipani. Sunlight dappled through the open windows of Wongcharee family's kitchen.

Wearing a bright pink apron, Pimpa filled porcelain cups with steaming lemon tea. The table groaned under a colorful display of traditional Thai breakfast fare. Pad Thai, rice porridge adorned with egg and meat, chicken soup, a fluffy Thai-style omelette and the crown jewel – a vibrant platter of khao niew mamuang, sticky rice crowned with slices of perfectly ripe mango.

Opposite of Somchai and Pimpa sat Tanin and Ava. Tanin gleefully piled Pad Thai onto Ava's plate. "Come on, try it!" he urged. "Pad Thai is the best Thai dish ever invented!"

The mountain of noodles rapidly grew taller, threatening to topple over. 

"Tanin, I appreciate your generosity, but I really can't eat that much!" she protested good-naturedly. As quickly as Tanin piled food onto her plate, Ava deftly transferred some back into the serving bowl, ensuring a more manageable portion for her.

Pimpa took a delicate sip of her lemon tea, "Somchai and I have an early morning today. My new skincare line launch is happening today, and there's a lot of last-minute preparations!"

"Alright then," Tanin's eyes widened with excitement, "That means Ava and I can come by our store in the evening for a visit right?"

"Of course," Somchai said with a smile, reaching into his wallet. "Christmas is coming after all. You two should take the afternoon to do some shopping. Here," he continued, handing his credit card to Tanin. 

Tanin snatched the card, "Ava, see! Papa's practically showering me with blessings today! Credit card access?!"

Somchai typically refrains from offering his credit card to Tanin due to Tanin's tendency to overspend whenever he has access to it. 

But Ava looked hesitant. "But Uncle, I already have so many clothes! I haven't even worn them all yet..."

Pimpa swooped in, "You should go. This is your chance to explore some new styles. Thai modern fashion is incredible – you'll find something you love, I promise!"

Ava considered this for a moment. The memory of her first outing with Tanin, just two days prior, flickered in her mind. The fear that had previously kept her confined seemed to have dissipated somewhat. With a hesitant nod, she conceded, "Alright."

The family finished their breakfast. Soon after, Pimpa and Somchai gave their goodbyes and embarked on their workday, leaving Ava and Tanin in the home.

Ava settled onto the sitting area, flipping through the TV channels with a remote in hand. Meanwhile, Tanin remained at the dining table with his laptop. He was editing videos for his YouTube channel.

"Tanin" she called out, "you never mentioned what kind of videos you post on YouTube."

Tanin, eyes glued to the screen, replied, "Oh, you wouldn't believe it. Mostly hardcore crime documentaries. Gruesome stuff, really."

Ava's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Crime documentaries? Really? I thought you had a vlogging channel."

"Vlogging? Nah, not really my style. Though," Tanin chuckled, "I do post moto vlogs occasionally. My fans seem to enjoy those."

Ava's curiosity piqued. "So, is YouTube your dream career?"

Tanin shut his laptop and pushed himself away from the table. "Honestly, Ava," he confessed, "I'm still figuring things out. Dad keeps pushing me to join his law firm, and Mom wants me to handle her makeup line. With school ending this year, I've been thinking about majoring in Criminal Psychology."

"Criminal psychology? That's actually a great choice!" She replied. 

"See? Even you think so! Plus, it might come in handy for my YouTube content. Besides, who wouldn't want to get inside the heads of those psychos?"

Tanin's cheerful demeanor took a sudden dip. "Yeah, well," he mumbled, scuffing his shoes against the floor. "Truth is, I'm not exactly a studious guy. My results are coming out tomorrow, and Dad threatened to disown me – well, not really disown, but he said not to call him 'Papa' if I fail in any subject."

Ava, unable to contain herself, burst into laughter. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. 

"Hold on, let me get it," he mumbled, hurrying towards the door.

Ava glanced around the room. Spotting a large potted plant in the corner of the dining area, she ducked behind it, its broad, fake green leaves offering a shield.

A few seconds passed, then the sound of the door closing reached Ava's ears. She cautiously peeked out from behind her leafy refuge.

"No need to hide," Tanin called out, "Just a delivery guy with a bouquet."

A bouquet? Stepping out from her hiding spot, she approached Tanin, who was now placing the bouquet of white roses in a vase on the tea table, replacing the previous arrangement of tulips.

"Did you order these?" Ava asked.

"Me? Order flowers? Why would I do that?" Tanin told, "The delivery guy didn't have a name, so who knows who sent them?"

Ava's gaze drifted towards the pristine white roses, a shiver running down her spine. "D-don't you know who sent them?"

The sight of the flowers triggered a wave of fear within her. It was a chilling reminder of the past, the unsolicited bouquets of white roses that used to appear at her out of nowhere.

Finishing the arrangement of the flowers, Tanin noticed the growing fear in Ava's eyes, "Hey, what's wrong? Did you see a ghost again?"

"Ib... Ibrahim," she managed to say, "He also used to send bouquets of white roses to me before. When I received the first one, the delivery man said the same thing – no name, no sender information."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Tanin urged, "Look, it's okay to get flowers from an anonymous sender. Relax, it happens all the time with us. Sometimes, when Papa wins a big case, people send him gifts and flowers anonymously. It could be something like that."

He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, "Just because it's white roses, doesn't mean it's Ibrahim. Chill out, sis. You're letting your imagination run wild again."

Ava desperately wanted to believe Tanin. There was no way Ibrahim could know she was in Hat Yai. Tanin clapped his hands together to catch Ava's attention, "Go get yourself ready, we've got shopping to do!" 

She nodded numbly, wiping a bead of sweat that had formed on her forehead with the back of her hand. Stealing one last glance at the white roses, now innocently nestled in the vase, she retreated upstairs to her room.

....

A while later, Ava emerged from the house. She sported a pair of dark wash jeans paired with a vibrant floral print blouse in a delicate shade of pink. A black helmet shielded her head, securely fastening with a click.

Tanin, waiting by his bike on the road, whistled appreciatively. He wore a checked shirt, its sleeves casually rolled up, and a pair of comfortable trousers. The rumble of the engine thrummed a steady beat as he saw Ava approach, "Ready for another ride?"

"Remember, no crazy speeding like yesterday, okay?" Ava approached the bike. 

"Anything for you." he promised, gesturing towards the back seat. "Hop on."

Ava swung her leg over the back seat of the motorbike, settling in behind Tanin. He donned his own helmet. Then, it began – his pre-ride ritual.

He grasped the handlebars, fingers spread wide, and gave the engine a gentle twist. The powerful Yamaha YZF-R1M thrummed to life with a rumble that vibrated through the chassis and up Ava's arms. The sound echoed through the quiet Street.

Ava swatted playfully at Tanin's back, "Trying to wake the whole neighborhood? You're attracting way too much attention!"

Tanin threw back his head and laughed. "Hey, a bike like this deserves a proper entrance. This isn't just any bike. It's a Yamaha YZF-R1M, and I happen to be the only one in Hat Yai with this beauty. A little show-off is practically mandatory."

The powerful engine propelled them forward, the afternoon sun glinting off their helmets. The air whipped past them.

Their journey culminated at CentralFestival Hatyai. The shopping mall rose before them like a modern palace bathed in sunshine. Walls of shimmering glass reflected the world around them.

Was it a building made of shattered mirrors, or a shimmering fish tank stretching impossibly high? Ava thought. She couldn't help but mesmerized by the architecture. 

Tanin expertly maneuvered the bike into a parking spot, and soon, both were making their way through the mall's cool, air-conditioned interior.

After taking off her helmet in parking lot earlier, Ava wore a black surgical mask. She ran her fingers through her bangs, smoothing them out before following Tanin towards a women's clothing store.

But as Ava stepped through the shop's brightly lit entrance, a sensation danced across her skin. An unsettling feeling, like someone was watching her....