Chapter 5
1255 Words
While waiting for news, Phayu could do nothing but learn things he never expected to learn. It didn't take long before he discovered more about his family- but instead of being scared, running away, or hiding, he was the one who took the initiative to continue exploring it- not for himself, but for him.
Thanks to the influence of his grandpa and granduncle, and with the aid of skilled rehabilitation doctors, he miraculously recovered within just a year.
Because of this, Phayu already had a clue that they belonged to a wealthy family- one well-known among people.
A few weeks passed, and it still hadn't fully sunk in that he actually enjoyed these discoveries- much to the delight of Korn and Gun.
"I can see Vegas in him when he was young- no, actually, they're alike," he said, a soft giggle escaping his lips.
"Do you think Venice will be like Vegas?" Korn asked, curiosity threading through his voice.
"Maybe," he replied thoughtfully, tilting his head before turning back to Korn, "but not entirely him."
Korn lifted his chin and watched Venice train alongside their personal guards, pride evident in the way he held himself. "If they saw this... Pete and Vegas would be proud of him."
"They will. Venice will meet them soon enough, but not just yet," came the calm reply.
Korn nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "After all, I made a promise to Venice."
The mention of the promise caught Gun's attention, and he turned toward Korn, curiosity piqued.
"You know... I think Venice likes this kid. Just hasn't realized it yet." Korn said quietly, almost like he was letting a secret slip.
"He does?!" Gun's eyes widened in surprise.
"Mhm," Korn confirmed with a knowing smile. "I can see it in the same way Vegas fell for Pete- the same look in the eyes."
"Wow... I didn't imagine Venice would fall in love at this age," Gun murmured, surprise softening his voice.
"Even I didn't," Korn admitted, a small smile tugging at his lips.
The two brothers shared a brief, quiet giggle, but it didn't last long. when The investigator Korn had hired arrived, interrupting their conversation. His expression was professional and serious. He bowed respectfully before speaking, getting straight to the point.
"Khun, we found the kid named Rain. However... we weren't able to reach him. Something happened, and the head of the orphanage refused to share any details."
"What!? What happened?!" Gun didn't realize his voice had risen, but luckily Venice was busy training and didn't hear him.
"I tried to dig into it, even the day Khun Venice left the orphanage " the investigator said, his tone steady, "but the head of the orphanage herself covered everything. No one knows the details, and nothing will come out."
"How are we supposed to explain this to Venice?" Korn glanced at Gun, silently asking for help, though Gun himself had no answers.
"Explain what?" Venice arrived, his body glistening with sweat from training. He looked between his grandpa and grand-uncle, waiting for their response.
"Is there any news about Rain?" His tone carried a spark of excitement- but whatever news they were about to share would surely extinguish that excitement in an instant.
"Venice..." Gun's voice dropped, heavy with hesitation. "About Rain... we tried to investigate, but we couldn't find any news about him, no matter how hard we dug."
His grandpa's words made Venice freeze. "W... what?"
"Even the day you left the orphanage, no news was found," Korn added gently.
Venice felt his legs give way, and he collapsed to the ground. Gun and Korn rushed to his side immediately.
"No... tell me it isn't true, Grandpa... Granduncle... please..." he begged, desperation and fear thick in his voice.
"I am sorry..." The words were all Gun could manage, heavy and quiet, hanging in the tense air.
Ever since Phayu heard the news, something inside him had shifted. He still went through the motions of training, but it wasn't the same. The fire that once drove him had dimmed, leaving his movements hollow, his focus fragmented. Day by day, the emptiness gnawed at him, creeping into moments that once brought him joy.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner became exercises in endurance rather than nourishment. He scarcely touched his food- not out of finickiness, but because the will to live, the spark that had always pushed him forward, had begun to fade.
Gun and Korn stayed by his side, offering support in quiet, steadfast ways. Their presence was a comfort, a tether to the world he was slowly slipping away from, though even their care couldn't quite reach the depth of the darkness that had settled in his chest.
Phayu moved through his days like a shadow of his former self, the weight of loss pressing down, a constant reminder that some wounds are slow to heal-and some lights, once dimmed, take time to shine again.
Both Korn and Gun felt helpless as they watched Venice train, his expression unreadable, his spirit seemingly locked away. Even with all their power in the mafia and business world, there was nothing they could do.
"It's the first time I feel so helpless," Korn admitted, his eyes filled with worry.
"We can't do anything to help," Gun murmured, lowering his gaze. "The only happiness Venice had disappeared before we even met him."
"Do you think meeting kids his age might help?" Korn suggested cautiously.
"So you're saying... we should bring them here?"
"Do you think it will make a difference?"
"Nothing's going to be hurt by trying," Korn replied.
"However, if we do that, soon everyone will know about Venice."
"That's true. But we don't have a choice this time."
Gun paused, weighing the words before finally nodding. "Fine."
"Khun Gun, Khun Korn, Khun Vegas is requesting your presence at the company," Korn's personal guard announced.
Korn and Gun sighed in tired resignation. "Is it about Saifah again?"
"I'm afraid so," the guard confirmed.
"Why can't they just let Saifah handle the company?" Korn scoffed sharply.
"You know the rules, Korn. Only the eldest son can manage the company," Gun reminded him.
"Tsk. It's father's fault for setting that damn rule. Stay here and guard Venice- let's go to the company," Korn snapped.
But even as they argued, a quiet question lingered in the back of their minds: will that light inside Venice ever shine again? They could only hope, wishing that one day, somehow, it would.
---
"Don't you f**king hurt my niece!" Kinn roared, placing Saifah safely behind him. Terrified after being yelled at by the board members earlier, Saifah had hidden behind Kinn. Both Porsche and Pete moved protectively, shielding him from harm.
"We demand your eldest son, Khun Vegas. If he isn't the one handling the company, then we would rather have Young Master Kharin take over," one board member declared.
"Are you thinking straight!?" Porsche shouted. "Do you honestly think a 10-year-old can manage two companies at the same time!? Remember, he's just a kid-"
"And soon to be the CEO of a major company," another one boldly cut him off, speaking before Porsche could finish. "If they can't handle the company, then what was all the training for in the first place?"
Kinn's blood boiled. With a thunderous slam of his fist on the table, he startled everyone in the room. His eyes blazed as they fixed on the board members, pure fury radiating from him.
Before he could speak again, Korn and Gun arrived.
- Writer
