Rayyan woke up with heavy eyes. The morning sunlight streaming into the room made him stretch slightly before fumbling for the phone beside him, which was vibrating nonstop.
He swallowed hard. His stomach felt uneasy. He knew this call wouldn’t bring good news.
With a heavy heart, he pressed the green button and placed the phone to his ear.
"Rayyan, what’s your progress there?" his captain’s voice sounded serious.
Rayyan rubbed his face, trying to form a coherent response. "I’m still infiltrating their organization. For now, I’m waiting for the right opportunity."
"You’ve been there too long, Rayyan." His captain’s tone grew more pressing. "The higher-ups are losing patience. They want you to speed up the operation."
Rayyan sat up straight, feeling his blood rush. "I need more time. Rinthara isn’t an easy target. If we attack without a solid plan, we’ll fail, and she’ll disappear before we can do anything."
"There’s no more time. We received intel that Rinthara is moving more aggressively in the international drug trade. If we’re too late, more people will die."
Rayyan clenched his phone tightly. "I understand, but—"
"No buts, Rayyan." His captain cut him off, his voice firm. "You need to act fast. You’ve gotten too close to her—don’t forget who you really are in this mission."
Rayyan fell silent. Those words struck him deep.
Don't forget who you really are.
He wasn’t part of Rinthara’s world. He wasn’t her loyal guard. He was a cop. A detective sent to take down the very organization that had destroyed so many lives.
But why did his chest feel heavy? Why did his heart refuse to accept the truth?
"Understood, Captain," he finally replied, his voice hollow. "I’ll find a way."
The call ended.
Rayyan stared at his phone for a long moment as if searching for answers on its dark screen.
Outside, he could hear Rinthara’s men already busy with their daily tasks. He knew Rinthara was awake too.
And he knew… the time was coming.
He had to make a decision.
To carry out his duty as a detective.
Or…
To follow the voice in his heart, which was getting harder to ignore.
Rayyan was still sitting on the edge of his bed when someone knocked on his door.
“Rayyan! Let’s go get breakfast. I’m starving,” Han’s voice rang out.
Rayyan took a deep breath before getting up. He turned toward the mirror and saw his reflection—eyes slightly swollen from lack of sleep, his face weighed down by thoughts.
With heavy steps, he opened the door. Han stood in front of him, raising an eyebrow.
"You okay?" Han asked, noticing the exhaustion written all over Rayyan’s face.
Rayyan gave a small nod, forcing a smile. "I’m fine. Let’s go."
They left the villa and got into a car, heading toward a breakfast stall often frequented by Rinthara’s men. The ride felt unusually quiet for Rayyan. His mind was still clouded by his conversation with the captain.
Han noticed Rayyan’s odd behavior. "You seem distracted. Something wrong?"
Rayyan let out a sigh. "Nothing. Just… thinking about a lot of things."
Han chuckled. "Thinking about our boss?"
Rayyan stayed silent. His eyes drifted to the window, watching the narrow roads still damp from last night’s rain.
"I don’t get you, Rayyan. Are you really going with the flow, or do you have some other purpose?" Han asked, more serious this time.
Rayyan turned to him. "What do you mean?"
Han shrugged. "I see the way you look at Rinthara. That’s not the gaze of someone who’s just working for her. But at the same time, I feel like you always have a wall up with all of us. Like you’re never truly part of this world."
Rayyan gripped the steering wheel tightly. Han was sharper than he had expected.
Before Rayyan could respond, Han continued, "I don’t know what you’re hiding, but I’ll tell you one thing—Rinthara isn’t just anybody. She doesn’t need guards who are half-hearted. If you have your own agenda, you better decide quickly… before you end up getting hurt."
Han’s words cut straight into Rayyan’s heart.
They arrived at the stall and ordered their usual breakfast, but Rayyan had already lost his appetite.
The only question echoing in his mind now was—
What does he truly want?
Rayyan sat at the wooden table of the stall, staring at the untouched food in front of him. Han had already started eating, but he occasionally glanced at Rayyan, waiting for him to speak.
"You’re not eating?" Han asked, sipping his iced coffee.
Rayyan sighed. "No appetite."
Han leaned back in his chair. "You think too much, bro. I know this mission is tough, but you gotta relax."
Rayyan turned to him. "What do you mean?"
Han smirked slightly. "I mean, sometimes you just have to make a decision without overthinking. If you stand in the middle for too long, you’ll get swallowed by both sides."
Han’s words made Rayyan’s chest tighten even more. He knew Han wasn’t aware of his real identity, but his words felt like a direct warning.
He was standing between two worlds. And he couldn’t stay like this forever.
Rayyan picked up his coffee cup and took a sip, trying to calm himself.
"Han… if you had to choose between loyalty and… your own feelings, what would you pick?" he asked quietly.
Han stopped chewing. He stared at Rayyan for a moment before shrugging. "I follow the person I trust."
The person I trust…
Rayyan repeated those words in his mind. What did he trust more? The law he had upheld all his life? Or Rinthara, the woman who had slowly found her way into his heart?
Han leaned back, exhaling. "I’m not the type to play both sides. Once I choose a path, I follow it to the end."
Rayyan stiffened. "You never hesitate?"
Han shook his head. "No. Because if I do, I’ll die even faster."
Those words made Rayyan grip his coffee cup tighter. He realized he had gone too deep into this world. He was no longer the same Rayyan he once was.
Their conversation was interrupted when Han’s phone rang. He answered it with a serious expression before quickly hanging up.
"Boss is awake. She’s asking where we are."
Rayyan gave a small smile. "Been a while since we got interrogated by her."
Han chuckled. "Don’t joke around. Rinthara’s got a headache from last night’s incident—you don’t want to piss her off."
Rayyan nodded, but deep down, he knew that wasn’t what he feared the most.
What he feared most now was—
Rinthara finding out the truth about him before he could make his choice.
They arrived at the villa and stepped into the living room. Rinthara was already sitting on the sofa, her expression unreadable.
Her gray eyes locked onto Rayyan the moment he walked in.
"Where were you?" Rinthara asked, her voice calm but carrying a weight that made the tension rise.
Han answered first. "We went to get breakfast."
Rinthara nodded, but her eyes never left Rayyan.
Rayyan sat on the couch opposite her. "What’s the matter, boss?"
Rinthara took a deep breath. “I got a report that Rafael might be in the Chonburi area. But the problem now is, we can't stay there too long. We have to act fast.”
Rayyan pretended to think. “So, what’s your plan?”
Rinthara leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment. “We need to launch a surprise attack. I don’t want Rafael to have time to escape again.”
Rayyan felt his chest tighten. Rinrada had already given him an order—kill Rafael before Rinthara could get to him.
If he succeeded, it would mean the failure of Rinthara’s mission.
But if he failed… he might be betraying his duty as an undercover officer.
And even worse—he might lose Rinthara’s trust forever.
Rayyan looked at Rinthara’s face, her sharp gray eyes still locked on him.
Could he really betray this woman?
Rayyan swallowed hard, trying to keep his expression neutral so she wouldn’t notice the doubt creeping into his mind.
“When do we move?” he finally asked.
Rinthara tapped her fingers on the glass table in front of her, eyes studying Rayyan as if searching for something.
“Tonight,” she said, her voice firm and decisive. “We can’t wait any longer. I don’t want Rafael to have time to prepare his defenses.”
Rayyan nodded slowly, but his mind was racing.
He had less than ten hours before the attack began.
Ten hours to make a decision—to betray Rinthara or betray his own side.
Nightfall approached, and Rayyan had just entered his room when he heard a knock at the door.
He opened it to find Rinthara standing there, dressed in her usual all-black attire. Her face was unreadable, but her eyes looked slightly tired.
“Can I come in?” Rinthara asked.
Rayyan stepped aside without a word.
Rinthara walked in and sat at the edge of his bed. She lifted her face, staring at Rayyan for a long moment before speaking.
“I want to ask you something.”
Rayyan tried to calm his suddenly racing heartbeat.
“Go ahead.”
Rinthara leaned back slightly, her gaze still fixed on him.
“Have you ever… been afraid of losing someone?”
Rayyan froze at the question.
He swallowed, trying to form an answer. “What do you mean?”
Rinthara lowered her gaze to her fingers, which were intertwined on her lap.
“I used to think I didn’t need anyone. I thought that if I lost someone, I could move on without any problems.”
“But lately… I feel scared.”
“Scared of losing you.”
Rayyan’s world seemed to stop for a moment.
His heart pounded faster, and he wasn’t sure how to react.
Rinthara lifted her face again, her eyes glimmering with an unspoken sadness under the dim light.
“I don’t know why, but when you’re with me… I feel stronger.” She gave a faint smile. “But at the same time, I also feel weaker.”
Rayyan felt something tighten in his chest.
“Rinthara…” He tried to speak, but he didn’t know what to say.
“You’re going to leave me, aren’t you?” Rinthara suddenly asked, her voice softer now.
Rayyan flinched.
Did she already know?
He didn’t know how long he stood there, but eventually, he exhaled slowly and stepped closer to Rinthara.
He sat beside her, closing the space between them.
“I don’t want to leave you.”
It wasn’t a lie. It was the truth.
He really didn’t want to leave Rinthara.
But… could he fight the fate that had been set from the beginning?
A few hours later, they were all ready for the mission.
Rinthara stood before her men, her expression serious.
“Tonight, we end Rafael. No one makes any mistakes.”
Rayyan stood beside her, his hands clenched tightly at his sides.
He knew what he had to do.
But the real question was—
Was he willing to do it?
Rayyan stood in silence, watching Rinthara give orders to her men. They were all prepared, weapons in hand, exuding confidence.
Tonight was the night that would determine everything.
“You okay?”
Rinthara’s voice suddenly broke his thoughts. Rayyan turned to find her standing beside him, looking at him with sharp yet gentle eyes.
“I’m okay.” He nodded slowly.
Rinthara said nothing, but her gaze seemed to be searching his face for something.
“You seem different tonight.”
Rayyan stiffened. “Different how?”
Rinthara shrugged. “I don’t know… I just feel like there’s something on your mind.”
Rayyan swallowed, trying to hide his anxiety.
“I’m just focused on the mission.”
Rinthara studied him for a few seconds before finally nodding. “Good. I hope you’ll stay with me until the end.”
Rayyan didn’t respond.
He knew what Rinthara really meant.
Not just this mission—but their entire journey together.
And that made his heart feel even heavier.
The convoy moved silently toward Rafael’s hideout. The intel said he was in an old warehouse on the outskirts of Chonburi.
Rayyan sat in the vehicle with Han and a few of Rinthara’s men. The whole ride, he remained silent.
In his pocket, his phone vibrated.
Rinrada.
Rayyan stared at the screen for a moment before sighing and reading the new message.
Rinrada: Don’t forget your mission. Finish Rafael and make Rinthara fail.
Rayyan gripped the phone tightly.
“What are you doing?”
Han, sitting beside him, asked.
Rayyan quickly deleted the message. “Nothing.”
Han eyed him suspiciously but said nothing.
But Rayyan knew—Han wasn’t someone easily fooled.
When they arrived at the warehouse, Rinthara signaled everyone to get ready.
“We move in five minutes. Stick to the plan.”
Rayyan tightened his grip on his pistol, cold sweat trickling down his neck.
He looked up and saw Rinthara standing in front, as confident as ever.
He felt like he should tell her something.
But before he could—
BOOM!
A massive explosion suddenly erupted from inside the warehouse!
The ground shook, thick smoke filled the air. Screams echoed everywhere.
“IT’S A TRAP!” one of Rinthara’s men shouted.
Rayyan’s breath caught. He saw some of their men fall, caught in the blast.
Gunfire erupted from inside the warehouse.
They were trapped!
“TAKE COVER!” Rinthara shouted, directing her people.
Rayyan quickly hid behind a vehicle, his mind racing.
Rafael knew they were coming.
Was this a coincidence—or had someone leaked their plan?
And more importantly…
What was Rayyan going to do now?
He tightened his grip on his gun.
Tonight was the night that would decide everything.
Loyalty or betrayal.
He had only one choice.