~Mafia's Forced Marriage~

~Chapter-1~

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The Alley.

Bangkok. 9:00 PM.

The night was thick, humid, and completely silent.

This was not the Bangkok tourists saw — with bright lights and music. This was the other side. A dark, narrow alley in the old part of the city, where even the streetlights were too afraid to shine properly. The air smelled like rain and rust.

And in that alley, a boy was walking alone.

He was not a little boy. He was 19 years old. But in that darkness, he looked small, fragile, and far too beautiful to be alone at night.

His name was Phuwin Tangsakyuen.

Everyone in Bangkok's high society knew that name. He was the youngest son of the Tangsakyuen family — the family that controlled half of Bangkok's business. Sheltered, innocent, and kept away from the dark world his family lived in.

But tonight, he was alone.

Phuwin clutched his canvas bag tightly against his chest, as if his entire life depended on it. Inside the bag were just his university books, but to him, it felt like a shield. His white sneakers made soft echoes on the wet pavement.

He hated the dark. He had hated it since he was a child.

And tonight, the darkness felt different. It felt like it was watching him.

Then — he heard it.

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

Slow, heavy footsteps. Not his own.

Phuwin's breath stopped.

A cold shiver ran violently down his spine. His blood turned to ice. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.

He didn't dare to look back. He just tightened his grip on his bag until his knuckles turned white and walked faster.

_Who is following me?_

His mind started racing with terrifying thoughts. _Is it from our family rivals? The Weerawat family? Or is it one of my brother's enemies? Phi always said there are many people who want to hurt us._

His heart started pounding like a war drum inside his chest. So loud he was sure the man behind him could hear it.

He started to walk faster. Almost jogging now.

The footsteps behind him also got faster.

Panic exploded in his chest.

He started to run.

And the man behind him started to run too — chasing him like a hungry wolf that hadn't eaten for days, finally seeing its prey.

The air in the alley became thick, suffocating, and absolutely terrifying.

They ran like Olympic athletes. Phuwin's university bag was banging against his back. His breaths were harsh, ragged gasps in the cold night air.

He ran until his lungs burned. Until his heartbeat sounded like a marathon inside his ears. Until his legs felt like they would give up.

And then — his foot caught on a broken piece of concrete.

He tripped.

He fell hard on the ground with a dull, painful thud. His palms scraped against the rough cement. His bag flew a few feet away.

He lay there, panting, his whole body shaking.

The man who had been following him stopped right in front of him, blocking his only way out.

The man was tall, wearing all black. His face was covered with a black cloth, only his cold eyes visible. But even with the cloth, Phuwin could feel what was underneath.

A smirk. A twisted, hungry, and disgusting smirk.

Phuwin tried to be brave. He tried to remember his brother's golden rule: _"Phuwin, never, ever show weakness to our enemies. They will use your tears as a weapon."_

He forced his shaking voice to sound stern.

"W-Who are you?" Phuwin asked, his voice trembling despite his best effort to hide it.

The man tilted his head, amused, and laughed evilly. A low, creepy laugh.

"Tsk tsk tsk... What's wrong, pretty boy? Did you trip on your feet? Or did you trip on your fate?" the man said, his voice raspy. His eyes slowly, shamelessly roamed over Phuwin's entire body — from his scared face to his shaking legs.

Phuwin felt disgusted and terrified at the same time. He pushed himself backward on the ground with his hands, trying to create distance. His hands were shaking violently and covered in dust.

"Who are you! Stay away from me!" he shouted again, louder this time.

The man took a step closer, then another, slowly bending down to Phuwin's level, like a predator playing with its prey.

"Well... well... I didn't know my enemy had such a gorgeous, beautiful younger brother hidden away. Your brother keeps you a secret, huh? How precious," the man whispered, his voice low and dangerous. He reached out his dirty hand as if he wanted to touch Phuwin's cheek.

That was it.

Phuwin snapped. His hands clenched into tight fists on the cold ground. His eyes widened and filled with hot tears — perfect, trembling dove eyes full of fear and anger. His whole body started to sweat from tension. His throat went completely dry.

"DON'T TOUCH ME! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Phuwin shouted with all the strength he had left.

The man leaned in even closer, his face only inches away from Phuwin's. Phuwin could smell cigarettes on his clothes.

"So desperate to know my name, huh, pretty boy? Maybe I'll tell you after—"

And then —

*BOOM!*

A deafening gunshot tore through the silent alley.

The bullet whizzed past the masked man's face — so close that if he had leaned one inch closer, his head would have exploded right there. The bullet hit the brick wall behind him, creating sparks.

Phuwin flinched violently. He let out a small, terrified scream and covered his ears with both hands, squeezing his eyes shut as tightly as he could. Tears streamed down his face like a waterfall. He was shaking uncontrollably.

The masked man was furious. His hand instantly went to his own waist, where his gun was. Who dared to shoot at HIM?

He turned toward the direction where the bullet came from — and his entire body froze.

At the entrance of the alley, under a flickering streetlight, stood a tall, broad figure.

A man in a black designer coat, holding a smoking gun, his chest heaving. Even from far, his rage was visible. He looked like a raging beast who had just watched someone touch his most prized possession.

The second the masked man saw that figure, his eyes widened in pure, absolute terror. His blood ran cold. His face went pale under the cloth.

He knew exactly who it was. Everyone in the Bangkok underworld knew that silhouette.

"Shit... PERTH TANGSAKYUEN," he muttered in fear.

Without wasting a single second, he turned and ran deep into the dark alley, disappearing into the shadows. Two other men in black, who had been hiding nearby, followed him. They ran as if they wouldn't see tomorrow's sunrise if they stayed.

They escaped successfully.

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The alley was silent again, except for Phuwin's soft sobs.

A man rushed to Phuwin, who was still on the ground, hands pressed tightly over his ears, crying non-stop.

"Phuwin!" The man shouted, his voice breaking with worry. It was no longer cold or powerful. It was soft, panicked, and full of love.

Phuwin didn't respond. He was too deep in his fear.

"Phuwin! Nong! It's me! It's Phi! Phi is here, nong!" the man said, kneeling down on the dirty ground without caring about his expensive suit. He tried to touch Phuwin's shoulder to comfort him, but pulled his hand back instantly when Phuwin flinched hard.

"Nong, look at me. Look at Phi. You are safe now. Phi is here," he whispered again, his voice trembling.

Phuwin slowly opened his tear-filled eyes when he heard that familiar voice. A voice he trusted with his entire life. A voice that had protected him since he was born.

His protector. His hero. His older brother.

*PERTH TANGSAKYUEN.*

The most feared businessman in Bangkok. A man who never showed emotion to anyone — cold, ruthless, and untouchable to the world. But right now, his face was full of worry, fear, and pure panic, as if his whole world had just been stolen and then returned to him.

The moment Phuwin saw him, all his strength broke.

"PHI!" Phuwin cried out and threw himself into Perth's arms.

Perth instantly wrapped his little brother in a tight, protective embrace, holding him as if Phuwin was the most fragile treasure in the world. One hand on the back of his head, the other around his waist, shielding him from the whole world.

Phuwin finally broke down completely in the safest place he knew — his brother's arms. He cried like a lost little kid in an amusement park who had just found his parents after hours of being alone. His small fists clutched Perth's expensive wool coat tightly, refusing to let go, his face buried in Perth's chest.

Perth could feel how scared his little brother was. His entire body was trembling non-stop in his arms. His breaths were uneven, broken hiccups.

"Phi..." Phuwin whispered, his voice hoarse from crying. His eyes were puffy and red.

"Phi... he... he... tried... to..."

"Shhh... I know, nong. I know. Phi is here now. No one will ever touch you. Phi promises," Perth whispered into his hair, rocking him gently, his own heart beating wildly with anger and fear.

"He... tried... to... touch... me, Phi..." Phuwin sobbed, tightening his grip.

Perth's jaw clenched so hard it could break. His eyes turned dark and murderous when he remembered how that man's filthy eyes had roamed over his innocent little brother. In his mind, that man was already dead.

After a long time, Phuwin calmed down a little, but he was still too afraid to leave Perth's embrace. His hands were still clutching Perth's coat.

Without a second thought and without caring who was watching, Perth carefully picked up his 19-year-old little brother in his arms — carrying him like he used to when Phuwin was a small child.

He carried him all the way to his black Maybach parked outside the alley and placed Phuwin gently in the passenger seat. He buckled the seatbelt for him, like he was a child.

Then Perth went straight to the driver's seat. He didn't even bother to call his driver or his bodyguards. For Perth Tangsakyuen, when it came to his little brother, nothing and no one else mattered.

He started the car.

And they drove straight to their mansion — where Perth was about to find out who dared to touch his little brother, and make him pay with his life.

*To Be Continued...*

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