Chapter 13 — Behind Closed Doors
1372 Words
The Aiyarak family did not trust people easily.
A serious issue honestly.
Most outsiders only saw:
wealth,
perfect manners,
beautiful smiles,
and a powerful family name.
But behind closed doors?
The Aiyarak family stayed tightly connected in ways few people understood.
Protective.
Possessive.
Careful with each other naturally.
Especially with Tharin.
A terrifying family honestly.
Because after losing their parents years ago—
the six brothers unconsciously built their entire lives around protecting one another.
And Tharin remained at the center of it all.
A serious truth.
Which was exactly why—
the atmosphere inside the mansion shifted subtly the moment Aran stayed longer than expected after dinner.
Not hostile.
Not cold.
Just watchful.
Careful.
Because no stranger entered their space this closely before.
Especially not this quickly.
A serious issue honestly.
Meanwhile—
inside the massive living room—
warm lights reflected softly against polished wooden floors while quiet music played somewhere deeper inside the house.
Dinner already ended nearly thirty minutes earlier.
Staff members cleared dessert plates calmly in the background.
And somehow—
despite the peaceful atmosphere—
Tharin still felt emotionally unstable.
A COMPLETE disaster honestly.
Because currently—
Aran Rattanakosin sat only a few feet away on the large sectional couch while speaking calmly with his brothers like he belonged here naturally.
Psychotic behavior honestly.
Meanwhile—
Praew remained emotionally invested in everything.
A terrifying older brother trait.
Currently—
he sat cross-legged beside Khem while openly observing Aran without shame.
Dangerous behavior.
Beside him—
Khem quietly drank tea while pretending not to notice Praew’s obvious staring.
Coward behavior honestly.
Across the room—
Than calmly reviewed something on his tablet while Arthit answered business messages from his phone.
Yet despite looking busy—
both still monitored the room naturally.
Especially Aran.
A serious issue.
Meanwhile—
completely aware all five brothers secretly evaluated him—
Aran surprisingly remained calm.
Because honestly?
This family reminded him strangely of his own.
Loyal.
Protective.
Close in ways outsiders probably misunderstood.
And somehow—
being here didn’t feel uncomfortable.
A dangerous realization honestly.
Then unexpectedly—
Praew broke the silence dramatically.
A terrifying sign.
Because every time Praew sounded thoughtful—
chaos usually followed immediately afterward.
A serious issue.
Praew: “So.”
Silence.
Then immediately—
Praew: “You really like Rin.”
A COMPLETE disaster honestly.
Because suddenly—
the entire room became quiet again.
Meanwhile—
Tharin nearly stopped breathing spiritually.
Reasonable honestly.
Because Praew genuinely lacked survival instincts.
A serious issue.
Across the couch—
Aran looked calm.
As usual.
Then simply—
Aran: “Mn.”
Real silence followed immediately afterward.
Because somehow—
he admitted it without hesitation.
Without embarrassment.
Like the answer felt obvious already.
A terrifying thing honestly.
Meanwhile—
Tharin immediately lowered his face toward the tea cup in his hands because eye contact became impossible suddenly.
A serious issue.
Beside him—
Khem quietly glanced toward Aran afterward.
Careful.
Observant.
Dangerous honestly.
Because unlike Praew—
Khem noticed emotional details naturally.
A terrifying brother skill.
Then softly—
Khem asked:
Khem: “Do you understand what that means for our family?”
Silence settled across the room again.
Heavier this time.
More serious.
Because honestly?
The Aiyarak family did not casually allow people close to them.
Especially close to Tharin.
Back then—
too many people treated his softness carelessly.
Too many saw kindness as weakness.
And the family never forgot it.
A serious issue.
Meanwhile—
Aran quietly met Khem’s gaze.
Then calmly—
Aran: “I know you’re protective.”
Another silence followed immediately afterward.
Then unexpectedly—
Than finally looked up from the tablet resting in his hands.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Because whenever Than entered conversations directly—
things became serious immediately.
A terrifying oldest brother honestly.
Then calmly—
Than: “Protective isn’t the problem.”
Silence.
Then—
Than: “We don’t forgive people who hurt each other.”
Real silence settled heavily throughout the living room.
Because somehow—
those words carried genuine warning underneath.
A serious issue honestly.
Meanwhile—
Tharin quietly tightened his grip around the tea cup.
Small movement.
Still noticeable.
Because honestly?
He understood exactly what Than meant.
The fake confession incident years ago changed everything.
Not only for him.
For the family too.
After that—
his brothers trusted outsiders even less.
Watched people more carefully.
Protected him more closely.
A dangerous turning point honestly.
Meanwhile—
Aran noticed the slight shift in Tharin’s expression immediately.
Of course he did.
Because somehow—
he already noticed every small emotional change involving him.
A terrifying development.
Then quietly—
Aran answered:
Aran: “I wouldn’t hurt him.”
Simple sentence.
Still sincere somehow.
And honestly?
That answer affected the room more than expected.
Because unlike dramatic promises—
Aran sounded calm.
Certain.
Real.
A serious observation honestly.
Across the couch—
Arthit finally spoke for the first time in several minutes.
Arthit: “Most people say that.”
Silence.
Then calmly—
Arthit: “Very few mean it.”
A dangerous truth honestly.
Because unfortunately—
the family heard pretty words before.
Too many times.
Meanwhile—
Aran didn’t react defensively afterward.
Instead—
he quietly looked toward Tharin sitting beside Khem.
And for one brief moment—
his expression softened naturally again.
Not forced.
Not performative.
Just real somehow.
Then calmly—
Aran: “I know.”
Real silence followed once more.
And suddenly—
the atmosphere shifted slightly.
Not fully relaxed.
Still careful.
But different somehow.
Because the brothers noticed something important.
Aran never once acted annoyed by their protectiveness.
Never mocked it.
Never treated it like inconvenience.
Instead—
he understood it naturally.
A dangerous realization honestly.
Meanwhile—
Praew suddenly sighed dramatically while falling backward against the couch cushions.
A terrifying sign honestly.
Because Praew only sighed like this when emotionally overwhelmed.
A serious issue.
Praew: “This is stressful.”
Khem looked spiritually exhausted already.
Reasonable honestly.
Because Praew turned every emotional moment into theater professionally.
Then immediately—
Praew pointed toward Aran dramatically.
Praew: “You.”
Silence.
Praew: “You’re dangerously patient.”
A surprisingly accurate observation honestly.
Because despite:
Than’s warnings,
Arthit’s sharp questioning,
and the family’s obvious caution—
Aran still stayed calm naturally.
A serious issue.
Meanwhile—
Aran quietly answered:
Aran: “Rin’s worth being patient for.”
Complete silence exploded through the room.
A COMPLETE disaster honestly.
Because suddenly—
every functioning brain stopped working.
Especially Tharin’s.
Meanwhile—
Praew physically grabbed Khem dramatically.
Praew: “HE KEEPS SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT.”
Reasonable honestly.
Because honestly?
Aran’s calm honesty felt emotionally unfair.
A serious issue.
Beside them—
Than slowly leaned back against the couch afterward while studying Aran silently.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Then quietly—
Than asked:
Than: “What exactly do you want from him?”
Real silence followed immediately afterward.
Because unlike teasing questions earlier—
this one mattered deeply.
A serious issue honestly.
Meanwhile—
Tharin unconsciously looked toward Aran too.
Nervous.
Careful.
Because honestly?
Part of him still feared hearing unrealistic answers.
Promises people never intended keeping.
Back then—
fake affection hurt worse because he believed it completely.
A dangerous memory honestly.
Meanwhile—
Aran stayed quiet for several seconds before finally answering.
And somehow—
his voice sounded softer this time.
More honest.
More personal.
Aran: “I want him to trust me.”
Silence.
Real silence.
Because suddenly—
the atmosphere changed again.
Not lighter.
Just quieter somehow.
A serious issue.
Then calmly—
Aran continued:
Aran: “I think he’s used to protecting himself first.”
Tharin froze slightly afterward.
Because somehow—
Aran understood that frighteningly quickly.
A dangerous realization honestly.
Meanwhile—
none of the brothers interrupted.
None of them joked.
Because honestly?
Aran wasn’t wrong.
After everything before—
Tharin always hesitated before trusting people completely.
Even now.
A serious issue.
Then quietly—
Aran added:
Aran: “So I don’t mind waiting.”
And honestly?
That sentence affected the entire room.
Because suddenly—
for the first time that night—
the Aiyarak family saw something dangerous in Aran.
Not power.
Not wealth.
Not popularity.
Sincerity.
And somehow—
that frightened them more.
- Writer
