CHAPTER 1

The Night That Shouldn’t Have Happened

The music was too loud.

Or maybe Pafon’s thoughts were.

Laughter echoed across the small rooftop bar where his university friends had gathered to celebrate the end of midterms. Cheap fairy lights flickered above them. Glasses clinked. Someone was arguing about grades. Someone else was already dancing.

Pafon sat at the edge of the table, fingers wrapped around a glass he had no intention of finishing.

He wasn’t usually like this.

He was the responsible one. The one who left early. The one who thought about tomorrow while everyone else lived in tonight.

But tonight felt heavy.

Internship applications were still unanswered. Competition was brutal. He knew students with connections. Students with money. Students with family names that opened doors before they even knocked.

And he had none of that.

Just himself.

So when someone refilled his glass, he didn’t refuse.

“Relax for once,” his friend laughed.

Relax.

Right.

The alcohol burned less with every sip.

And then—

He felt it.

A gaze.

Not curious.

Not casual.

Intentional.

Pafon looked up.

Across the room, leaning against the railing slightly apart from the crowd, stood a man who did not belong there.

He wasn’t dressed like a student.

Dark tailored suit. Clean lines. Composed posture. Hands resting calmly in his pockets. He wasn’t laughing. Wasn’t scrolling his phone. Wasn’t trying to impress anyone.

He was simply watching.

Watching him.

Their eyes met.

The world didn’t stop. The music didn’t fade.

But something shifted.

The man’s gaze was steady. Sharp. Assessing.

Pafon’s throat felt dry.

He looked away first.

Coward, he scolded himself.

When he looked back—

The man was closer.

“I don’t think you’re enjoying yourself.”

The voice was deep. Controlled. Not loud, yet it carried authority effortlessly.

Pafon blinked. “I am.”

A faint lift of the stranger’s eyebrow.

“That didn’t sound convincing.”

Up close, the man felt… overwhelming. Not physically. Not aggressively.

Just present.

“What makes you think I’m not?” Pafon asked, trying to keep his tone steady.

The man studied him for a second too long.

“You’re thinking about something else.”

That caught him off guard.

“And what do you think I’m thinking about?” Pafon challenged.

A pause.

“Your future.”

Pafon stared.

“How—”

“You have the look.”

“What look?”

“The one people wear when they feel like they’re running out of time.”

The honesty hit too directly.

He should have felt offended.

Instead, he felt… seen.

“And you?” Pafon asked quietly. “What do you think about?”

The man’s lips curved faintly.

“Control.”

Something about the way he said it made Pafon’s pulse skip.

They talked.

Not long.

But intensely.

The stranger asked questions that felt almost invasive—about ambition, fear, independence. And for reasons Pafon didn’t understand, he answered honestly.

He didn’t usually open up to strangers.

But this didn’t feel like talking to a stranger.

It felt like standing in front of someone who could see through walls.

Another drink.

Then another.

The lights blurred slightly.

The music felt softer.

The space between them narrowed.

There was a silence.

Heavy.

Charged.

The stranger’s voice dropped just slightly.

“Are you sure?”

Two words.

Clear.

Steady.

No pressure.

Just a question.

Pafon’s heart was racing, but his mind was strangely calm.

He knew what was being asked.

He knew this was impulsive.

He knew this was unlike him.

And yet—

He nodded.

“Yes.”

It wasn’t innocence.

It wasn’t romance.

It was curiosity.

Heat.

The desire to feel something instead of thinking about everything.

The rest unfolded in blurred edges and sharp sensations.

Warm hands. Steady movements. Controlled dominance.

Not cruel.

Not rushed.

But experienced.

Pafon felt overwhelmed by intensity—not pain, not force—but the sensation of surrendering control for once in his life.

His heartbeat was louder than the city outside.

And for a few hours, he stopped overthinking.

—

Morning came mercilessly.

The sunlight through unfamiliar curtains felt like judgment.

Pafon woke first.

For a second, he didn’t move.

Then memory flooded back.

The room.

The bed.

The man beside him.

Older. Calm even in sleep. Or so it seemed.

Embarrassment rose like heat under his skin.

What did I do?

Who is he?

Why did I agree so easily?

His chest tightened.

This wasn’t him.

He was supposed to be careful.

Responsible.

Not… reckless.

Panic crept in quietly.

He dressed quickly, movements almost silent. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached for the door.

He didn’t want a conversation.

Didn’t want awkwardness.

Didn’t want to see judgment—or worse, indifference.

Before stepping out, he glanced back.

And froze.

The man wasn’t asleep.

Dark eyes were already open.

Watching him.

Not angry.

Not surprised.

Just… observant.

As if he had known Pafon would leave.

Their eyes locked for one brief moment.

Pafon’s breath caught.

The man didn’t move to stop him.

Didn’t speak.

Didn’t ask him to stay.

He simply let him go.

And in that quiet stillness—

There was no regret in his gaze.

Only interest.

As the door closed behind Pafon, the man finally shifted slightly, staring at the empty space beside him.

A faint, thoughtful expression crossed his face.

Intrigued.

The night shouldn’t have happened.

But something told him—

This wasn’t the end.

It was the beginning.

PATLOM VAREESIN.

Age 29 .

Position CEO OF VAREESIN.

PAFON

Position Intern

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***