3

Once the auction ended, with Nani not placing a single bid, Sky could still feel the tension lingering in the air.

Heavy and unspoken.

He didn't ask about it.

The door to their private viewing room finally unlocked, and one by one, the guests began to leave.

But Nani remained seated, his gaze far away.

Sky glanced at him. "Aren't we leaving?" he asked carefully.

Nani blinked, as if pulled from deep thought, then slowly nodded.

He stood, straightening the buttons of his crimson suit before slipping into his long coat, the composed mask slipping back into place.

Sky followed, a little more relaxed now, though unease still simmered in his chest.

As they stepped out of the room, Nani's arm naturally looped around Sky's.

But before they could move farther, a tall figure stepped into their path.

The man wore a perfectly tailored suit and carried an arrogance that made Sky tense instantly.

Nani halted, his body stiffening.

"I see you haven't given up," the man drawled, his voice laced with mockery. "New guy every auction, huh?"

Sky blinked. New guy?

The stranger's sharp eyes didn't even glance his way.

Fai Phangdee, mafia heir of the Chakrit Gang, stared at Nani like a predator eyeing an equal.

Nani's jaw clenched. His expression darkened.

"Who I bring to these events is none of your business," he snapped.

He reached to pull Sky forward, but Fai stepped closer, ignoring Sky completely.

"I wonder how long this one will last," Fai murmured, eyes briefly turning to Sky. "You do have a habit of burning through your toys, Nani."

Sky flinched slightly, but Nani stood his ground.

"Touch him," Nani said quietly, "and I'll break your hands, myself."

Fai raised a brow and smirked. Not friendly, not amused, but entertained.

"Feisty tonight. I like that," he said, lifting a hand to touch Nani's chin.

Nani recoiled sharply, slapping the hand away.

"Still," Fai continued, smug, "I bet you still don't let anyone kiss you on the lips. Not even now."

With a final smirk, he stepped aside, casually allowing them to pass.

Nani's grip on Sky's arm tightened as they walked. His back was straight, but his silence said everything.

Sky said nothing, sensing the weight of the moment but unsure how to respond.

Then, finally—

"Will you have a drink with me tonight?" Nani's voice was quiet. Almost hesitate.

Sky glanced at him. The cold, composed face from earlier had shifted, softened into something tired.

Something quietly fragile.

Sky didn't even think twice as he nodded.

Nani's grip loosened slightly, as the limousine rolled to a smooth stop in front of them.

Like a proper escort, Sky opened the door and let Nani enter first, then followed.

They sat in silence.

Nani stared out the window, his expression serious. Sky glanced at him carefully until his phone buzzed again.

Another 200,000 baht had been deposited.

Sky's mind raced, calculating the time he'd spent so far with Nani.

"We're here," Nani said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Startled, Sky quickly pocketed his phone and stepped out, opening the door for Nani. As expected, Nani took his arm without hesitation.

A line of men in black suits flanked the entrance.

It was an exclusive VIP bar. No sign, no verification needed. Nani, already well-known among the city's underground elites, walked through without question.

"Order whatever you'd like," Nani murmured as he released Sky's arm and approached the bar.

Behind the counter stood Joong Archen, the bar's popular and undeniably handsome bartender. He wore his usual charming smile as he worked.

"I thought you're not coming tonight," Joong greeted, watching as Nani draped his coat over a chair and sat down.

Sky followed quietly, hesitant until Nani shot him a look that made him scurry to sit beside him. He gave Joong a quick, polite nod.

"I made some time tonight to attend the auction," Nani said casually.

Joong froze mid-pour.

Nani gave him a sad, knowing look.

Joong let out a quiet sigh.

"Still no sign of him?" he asked softly.

Nani shook his head.

Without a word, Joong placed two glasses of gin in front of them. One for Nani, and one for Sky, who hadn't spoken since stepping into the bar.

Sky held the glass but didn't drink. The cool rim pressed against his fingers as he glanced between the two men.

There was history here. Silent, unspoken, but thick in the air like smoke.

Joong leaned slightly against the bar, folding his arms. "I thought by now you'd have given up on him."

"I haven't," Nani replied, his voice low. "I'm still looking."

Joong raised a brow but didn't argue. Instead, he turned his attention to Sky, offering a small, sympathetic smile.

More understanding than polite. "Must be a long night for you."

Sky returned a faint smile. "It's my first time."

Joong chuckled. "That makes it even harder. Nani has a way of dragging people into the deep end."

"Joong," Nani warned, his tone sharp.

The bartender lifted his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll shut up."

He turned away, busied himself with the other customers.

Nani took a slow sip of his gin, then finally turned to Sky. "You're quiet."

Sky hesitated before speaking honestly. "I'm just trying to figure out what I'm doing here."

Nani studied him for a long moment, then leaned back in his seat.

"You're here because I didn't want to be alone tonight."

Sky swallowed. "You could have called anyone. I'm just boring in your eyes."

"That's exactly why you're here. You're here to keep me company and I wanted you."

A heavy silence settled between them, not uncomfortable, but laced with something unspoken.

Sky looked down at the drink in his hand and finally brought it to his lips.

Just a sip. Just enough to quiet his nerves.

"What happened at the auction?" he began cautiously.

Nani's jaw tightened. "What you saw isn't new. That world existed long before you ever stepped into it."

"And you're part of that world?"

Nani didn't answer right away. He turned his gaze toward his drink, as if searching for something at the bottom of the glass.

"I'm trying not to be," he said eventually. "But yes. I'm a part of mafia gang, if you want the truth."

Sky didn't know how to respond.

Instead, he lifted his glass again and finished the gin in one go.

Nani turned toward him, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You keep drinking like that, I'll have to carry you out."

Sky met his gaze. "I'm a heavy drinker. You don't have to worry about that."

The smirk on Nani's face appeared, then faded.

"Come," he said suddenly, standing up. "There's somewhere I want to show you."

Sky blinked, then quickly got to his feet and followed. They moved deeper into the hallway of the bar, where the noise of the crowd faded with each step.

Little by little, the people disappeared until only the two of them remained, walking down a shadowy corridor hidden at the back of the club.

Eventually, Nani stopped in front of what looked like a secret elevator.

He pulled out a golden access card, tapped it against the reader, and the doors slid open.

They stepped inside.

Nani pressed the only button available. The elevator rose, silent and slow, toward a space Sky couldn't even begin to imagine.

When the doors finally opened, it revealed a private rooftop suite overlooking the glowing city skyline.

Sky stepped out, eyes wide in awe.

"This is yours?" he asked, stunned.

It was nothing like the dark, cold luxury of the auction venue. This place was warm, quiet and smell personal.

It felt like an entirely different side of Nani.

Nani nodded. "No one else knows about it."

"Why are you showing me this?"

Nani shrugged off his coat and draped it over the back of a leather couch in the corner before sitting down, stretching his arms along the backrest.

"Because I believe this is the last time we'll meet," he said casually.

Sky blinked. "How are you so sure about that?"

"I just know." Nani looked up at the view. "Back at the auction, you looked at that girl and saw her as a human being. Not a product. Not a threat. Not for sale."

Sky slowly walked over and stand next to him. He didn't speak. He didn't move closer.

He just stand there.

"This isn't your world, Sky," Nani said quietly.

And for the first time that night, he looked peaceful.

Just two strangers under a dark sky, with too much between them and not enough words to bridge the distance.

"Why did you choose this job?" Nani asked suddenly, unbuttoning his suit to reveal the slight curve of his chest.

Sky's eyes lingered on him for a moment. The soft silver necklace around Nani's neck glinted under the rooftop lights.

Two moles. One on his neck, another just above his heart that drew Sky's gaze, making the man look both powerful and vulnerable all at once.

"My uncle is sick," Sky said softly, lowering his eyes. "I needed money fast to pay for his surgery."

Nani hummed thoughtfully. "Of course. Only money can drag someone so innocent into this kind of darkness."

He paused, then turned to face Sky fully.

"I have one last job for you," he said. "Do it and you'll walk away tonight with one million baht."

Sky's heart skipped a beat. He didn't respond right away.

But his ears had heard him clearly.

"Sleep with me," Nani said, as if it were the most ordinary request in the world.

Sky felt his cheeks flush at the bluntness, staring at Nani in disbelief.

"Don't tell me you've never slept with anyone," Nani added, brows slightly furrowed as he studied Sky's reaction.

"That's not it!" Sky responded quickly, sounding almost offended.

"I—I have. I've just never met someone so blunt about it," he murmured, eyes shifting away.

For the first time that night, he saw Nani truly smile.

And Sky's heart skipped a beat.

The mafia looked almost beautiful in that moment. His perfectly styled hair had loosened just slightly, a soft fringe falling over part of his forehead.

Those amber eyes, piercing and sharp, now held something gentler, something alluring.

The crimson suit still clung to his lean frame, showing his elegance and quiet power.

"Make sure I never see you again after tonight," Nani said quietly, beginning to remove his clothes.

Sky swallowed hard as he watched the suit slip off Nani's shoulders and fall to the floor as he turned his body.

The man's bare back came into view. Smooth, elegance, and curvy in such slutty way.

"Just a friendly reminder," Nani said as he turned back to face Sky, stepping closer. "You can touch me anywhere except my lips."

His fingers reached for Sky's suit, and the escort remained frozen as he felt the buttons slowly come undone.

Nani slender fingers move with purpose, peeling back the layers until Sky stood there in nothing but a fitted white tank top.

The fabric was pulls over his head, revealing his toned chest and well-shaped six packs beneath the dim rooftop light.

Sky's breath hitched as Nani looked at him like he saw everything.

Every inch. Every muscle. Every reason Sky was standing there that night.

And still didn't look away.

Sky's breath caught in his throat.

He stood there.

Half undressed, fully exposed under the gaze of a man who was both terrifying and tender in ways he couldn't yet explain.

Nani didn't move to touch him right away.

Instead, he took a step back, letting his eyes linger over Sky's frame. Not with hunger. Not even with desire.

But with something challenging.

Surprise. Taken back.

"Come here," Nani said, his voice low, but not commanding.

Sky moved, feet dragging slightly across the soft rug beneath them, until he was close enough to feel Nani's warmth.

Their bodies didn't touch yet. The air between them buzzed with tension, with curiosity and nerve.

Nani lifted a hand and brushed his slender fingers down Sky's shoulder. Gentle. Almost teasing.

Sky shivered.

Sky didn't know how to respond to that. So instead, he closed the remaining space between them, letting his hands rest gently on Nani's waist.

The man was warm beneath his skin, attractive and unflinching.

The first kiss didn't come because Nani had already made it clear, his lips were off-limits.

So Sky leaned his forehead against Nani's shoulder instead, his fingers squeezing slightly the bare skin on the mafia's hips.

Nani's arms wrapped around his neck. Firm, but not possessive.

And for a long moment, they just stood there in silence, skin against skin, warmth against the cold edge of reality.

Then Nani whispered, "The bedroom is through there."

He nodded to the corner of the suite where a door stood ajar, light spilling softly through it.

Sky looked up at him once more.

No words were exchanged. None were needed.

What followed was a lust.

It just a job.

It was two people. Broken in different ways, trying to hide their real emotion.

And for one night, beneath the city lights and a sky heavy with silence, they found it in each other's arms.

Even if just for now.

Even if just this once.