When Peace Is Disturbed

Jay's Villa – Late Night

Jay eagerly led Ryan into the house, chattering nonstop about everything he had experienced since returning to Thailand. As they stepped into the living room, Jay immediately noticed Mr. Sakda still at his desk, working amidst a pile of documents. His serious expression remained fixed on the laptop screen.

— "Dad, you're still up?" Jay asked.

— "There's still some work to finish, so I'm making use of the time," Mr. Sakda replied, his eyes never leaving the screen.

— "Good evening, sir," Ryan stepped forward politely and greeted him.

Hearing the familiar voice, Mr. Sakda paused and shifted his gaze to Ryan. A brief look of surprise crossed his face.

— "Oh… Ryan! When did you get here? Visiting Jay?"

— "Yes, Jay had a performance today, so I wanted to come and see how he did."

— "Is that so? Jay, how was your performance? Did you miss any beats?" Mr. Sakda teased, squinting playfully.

— "Dad! I did great today! Here, watch this!" Jay pouted, quickly pulling out his phone to show him a video of his performance.

After watching, Mr. Sakda nodded approvingly, a hint of pride in his expression.

— "You sang well. Not bad at all."

— "Of course! Dad, did you forget who I am? I'm Felix, the idol!" Jay declared smugly.

— "Alright, alright, I know." Mr. Sakda chuckled, then turned to Ryan. "How long are you staying this time? When was the last time you were in Thailand? Stay as long as you like, no need to rush."

— "I'm planning to stay for a few days, then head to Phuket to visit my family before returning to France. My schedule is packed next week."

— "I see. Then take your time and rest well. Tomorrow, I'll have the kitchen prepare some of your favorite dishes. You've lost quite a bit of weight lately."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jay immediately pouted, his voice full of mock jealousy.

— "Dad… Who's really your biological son here? When I came back, you were away on business the whole time, and we haven't even had a proper welcome dinner! But Ryan, on the other hand—"

Mr. Sakda laughed, looking at his son with amusement.

— "Alright, alright. I'll have the kitchen prepare some dishes you like too. Happy now, Mr. Jay?" He emphasized the last words teasingly.

— "That works!" Jay grinned triumphantly.

— "Alright, you both must be tired. Go get some rest."

— "Okay! But Dad, you should sleep early too!" Jay reminded him.

— "I got it." Mr. Sakda smiled.

— "Ryan, make yourself at home."

— "Thank you, sir. I'll head upstairs now. Good night."

Ryan bowed slightly before following Jay up to the second floor.

——————————————

Jay led Ryan into the guest room.

From the moment he stepped inside, Ryan couldn't hide his fascination. His eyes swept over every corner of the room, taking in the luxurious architecture and the intricate design—clearly, this was the home of someone wealthy.

-"Here, Ryan, you can stay in this room for now," Jay said as he opened the door.

Ryan stepped in, scanning the space before grinning excitedly.

-"Wow, this room is almost twice the size of mine! Back in France, people used to say Jay was the heir of a business tycoon. I didn't believe it… but now I do!"

Jay chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

-"Heir? Not really, it's just normal."

He walked over to the window, pulling back the curtain and pointing toward the mansion across the street.

-"Look, Ryan, compared to that house, mine is nothing."

Ryan followed his gaze, eyes widening in astonishment.

-"But compared to most people, this is still a mansion. Seriously… I bet superstar Felix has never known hardship, right?"

Ryan's usual playful tone carried a teasing edge. However, this time, Jay didn't laugh along. The smile on his lips suddenly faded, replaced by a cold, enigmatic expression. He sat down on the bed, his gaze drifting into the distance, carrying a mix of bitterness and resentment.

-"I know it very well, Ryan."

Ryan paused. He could tell Jay wasn't joking. Seeing that expression on Jay's face sparked his curiosity, and his voice turned more serious.

-"Did something happen?"

Jay remained silent for a few seconds before speaking in an eerily calm voice—a calmness that carried an inexplicable chill.

-"In the past, my family went bankrupt. We had no choice but to move to France and rebuild everything from scratch. Do you know how many disdainful, scornful looks we had to endure?"

Hearing this, Ryan felt an inexplicable emotion rise in his chest. He never expected that behind Felix's glamorous image was such a past. But another question surfaced in his mind, and he asked:

-"But why didn't you stay in Thailand? In France, your family had no connections. Wouldn't it have been easier to stay?"

Jay let out a soft chuckle. But it wasn't a laugh of amusement—it was filled with bitterness.

-"Ha… We wouldn't have survived here, Ryan."

His words sent a chill down Ryan's spine. In that instant, Jay's mind drifted back to a memory he had tried to bury for ten years…

—A decade ago.

At that time, Jay was just a naïve and carefree ten-year-old boy. He excitedly ran up to a group of kids playing outside.

-"Brother Ying, Sister Kanya, can I play with you?"

His voice was filled with anticipation. But the people in front of him did not share the same excitement.

Ying, who was around fifteen or sixteen back then, was in his rebellious teenage years, while Kanya was slightly younger. Ying had just opened his mouth to say something when Kanya cut in, her voice sharp and impatient.

-"Get lost. Who do you think you are, trying to play with us?"

Jay blinked in confusion.

-"Sister Kanya, what do you mean?"

-"My parents said your family is bankrupt. You're not a rich kid anymore. If we play with you, what if we get bad luck too?"

Her words struck like a dagger straight into his young, fragile pride. Jay froze, his small hands clenched tightly, his eyes turning red. He looked up at Ying—the older brother figure he had always admired.

He desperately clung to the belief that Ying wouldn't be like them.

-"Brother Ying, do you think the same?"

Ying hesitated. His gaze wavered, as if conflicted. Jay waited, hoping—just one sentence, one "No, that's not true," and he would feel relieved.

But Ying never spoke.

That moment stretched endlessly until Kanya tugged at Ying's sleeve, her voice laced with irritation.

-"Brother Ying, let's go. Just looking at him is an eyesore."

As she spoke, she gave Jay a shove, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.

Jay winced in pain, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the hurt he felt inside. He looked up at Ying, eyes filled with hope… only to see him walking away.

Ying wanted to turn back, wanted to help Jay up, but before he could take a step, Kanya's voice dropped to a low, threatening whisper in his ear.

-"If you help him, then don't ever talk to me again. Don't forget—our families are working on a big project together… I can tell my dad to cancel it anytime."

Ying froze.

He knew all too well that in a business family, the biggest taboo was letting emotions interfere with profits. He cared about Jay, but under Kanya's pressure and his family's expectations, he could only bite his lip and stay silent.

As Ying's figure disappeared into the distance, Jay scrambled to his feet, hastily wiping away his tears. His lips trembled as he mumbled over and over in a choked voice.

-"Even Brother Ying doesn't want to see Jay anymore?"

—Back to the present.

Jay sat silently on the bed, his eyes slightly red. A single tear slipped down his cheek.

Ryan immediately reached out to wipe it away, his voice filled with concern.

-"Hey, what's wrong? Did I make you remember something painful? I'm sorry…"

Jay jolted back to reality, forcing a smile.

-"It's nothing, I just feel a bit sleepy. Felix isn't the type to cry so easily."

Ryan looked at him for a long moment before chuckling softly, choosing not to call out the obvious lie.

-"Alright, then go get some rest. I'm exhausted too."

-"Okay. If you need anything, just call me. My room is right next door. Sleep well."

-"You too. Good night."

Jay left the room, his figure disappearing behind the door.

Another long day had passed, but the emotions left behind in each person's heart were completely different.

For Jay, it was an old wound—one that had never truly faded.

—————————————

Early in the morning, Mr. Sakda had already woken up and instructed the house staff to prepare breakfast. Not long after, Ryan and Jay came downstairs one after another, quickly taking their seats at the dining table with him.

-"Ryan, did you sleep well last night?" Mr. Sakda asked gently.

-"Very well! Sleeping in the house of the great Felix—how could I not sleep well?" Ryan grinned, deliberately teasing Jay.

Jay glanced at Ryan and smirked. "Then today, the great Felix himself will personally take his biggest fan, Ryan, on a tour around here."

-"Well then, you two hurry up and eat, there are plenty of interesting places to explore around here," Mr. Sakda encouraged with a smile.

Jay casually placed some food into Ryan's bowl, his gesture both natural and thoughtful. "Try this, Ryan, it's really good!"

Seeing this scene, Mr. Sakda let out a few coughs before teasing, "Look at this… It's like I'm invisible here. Always 'Ryan this, Ryan that.' My son has grown up—I can't control him anymore!"

Jay pouted, faking an innocent expression. -"Ayy, Dad… Don't be jealous! I see you every day, but I haven't seen Ryan in a long time, so of course, I have to give him a little extra attention~"

Ryan chuckled before picking up some food and placing it into Mr. Sakda's bowl. "Here you go, Dad~"

-"Now that's more like it!" Mr. Sakda nodded in satisfaction.

-"Ryan, make yourself at home here. If you want to go anywhere, just tell Jay to take you. I'm lending him to you."

Ryan laughed heartily. "Thank you, Dad!"

Jay widened his eyes, looking at Mr. Sakda with a betrayed expression. "Dad, are you selling me off?"

Mr. Sakda nodded casually. "Yep."

Laughter filled the dining room, marking the start of a cheerful and exciting morning.

——————————————

After breakfast, Jay and Ryan set off on their tour of Bangkok. By late morning, they stopped by one of Jay's favorite cafés. Coincidentally, Chirawan and Isra were also there.

In a corner of the café, Chirawan was focused on sketching a design, while Isra sat beside her, editing some work documents for her. Glancing at Chirawan's sketch, Isra curiously asked:

-"Are you designing a wedding dress?"

-"Mm, I just got inspired by someone, so a few ideas came to mind."

-"Oh…" Isra nodded, her eyes gleaming with interest as she admired the design.

Suddenly, Chirawan's phone rang. She stood up and stepped outside to take the call. At that moment, Jay and Ryan walked in.

-"I came here with a friend the other day, and the drinks were really good. Oh, and my new song was inspired by this place too," Jay said excitedly.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

-"Yep. Come on, let's sit down."

Ryan pulled out a chair but couldn't hold back his curiosity. "Which friend? A special one? Or… a lover?"

Jay chuckled and shook his head. "No way. Who would I even fall for? It's just a childhood friend. The one who organized the welcome party for me the other day."

-"Ah, the people who sat with you at the party?"

-"That's right. That older sister. She and I are quite close."

At that moment, a commotion from a nearby table caught their attention.

At the table where Isra was sitting alone, a few men—who didn't look like decent people—were deliberately harassing her.

-"Hey there, sitting all alone? Want some company?" one of them sneered.

Isra lifted her head coldly, her voice sharp as a blade. "No need. This seat is taken. Please leave."

The man refused to back off, smirking. "No need to be so fierce. We're just trying to chat, no need to get all worked up."

Isra gripped her documents tightly, her eyes full of caution. Jay narrowed his gaze, his tone dropping low:

-"Isra?"

Ryan turned to him. "You know her?"

Meanwhile, Isra remained firm. "I already told you—this seat is taken. Go somewhere else. I have no interest in talking to you. Do you understand?"

But the men still didn't leave. One of them even reached out, attempting to touch Isra's face.

Before he could make contact, another hand swiftly grabbed his wrist.

A cold voice rang out, carrying an undeniable authority:

-"She said she doesn't want to talk to you. Are you deaf? Or do you just not understand human speech?"

......…

End of Chapter 8.