Tawan sipped her wine, eyes focused on the document displayed on her iPad. Her long, slender fingers swiped back and forth across the screen as her lips pressed together, her expression one of deep concentration. She tapped her finger lightly on the iPad's screen before picking up her phone to make a call.

"Pey, I just sent you a list of items. Get them ready quickly!"

"Yes, Boss. Give me a second!" - Pey opened her email and frowned slightly. - "Boss, we've never needed these kinds of things before."

"This time, we do."

"Is it for Ira?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you being a little too cautious?"

"Better safe than sorry."

"Got it!"

Tawan ended the call and looked back at her iPad, where the image of the person she'd met earlier in the day was displayed. Her rare look of curiosity surfaced.

- Over ten security companies and more than fifty bodyguards in just half a year... Is it because you're difficult to deal with, or is there something else? - Tawan swirled the wine in her glass, her tone thoughtful as she murmured to herself.

---

[5:45 AM]

[I'm waiting downstairs!]

[Come up!]

[No!]

[It's in the contract. Are you planning to breach it?]

Tawan stared at Ira's texts, wanting to smash her phone in frustration. After this job, she was definitely sending Pey on an extended trip to Africa. Tawan opened the car door and stepped out. The cold wind brushed past her, but she didn't flinch, not even a twitch of her brow—a testament to her resilience.

Following the instructions in Ira's text, she arrived at the ninth floor. The area only had three apartments. Out of occupation habit, Tawan began observing her surroundings, noting every detail and memorizing the layout. Only after she finished her mental evaluation did she press the doorbell.

The door opened almost immediately as if someone had been waiting.

"You're here! Come in!" - Ira greeted her with a bright smile.

"Are you ready? Let's go" - Tawan declined curtly.

"Not yet! Come in!" - Ira quickly reached out to grab Tawan's hand to pull her in, but Tawan instinctively dodged.

"What are you doing?" - Tawan's reflexive response was cautious.

"Just come inside!" - Ira's smile faltered, her tone turning cold when she noticed Tawan's guarded expression.

"I'll wait out here."

"Did you even read the contract at all?" - Ira crossed her arms, her demeanor suddenly regal.

"Is there more to it?" - Tawan's eyes widened slightly. Don't tell her there were more rules she had to follow. She was used to setting rules for others, not being bound by them herself.

"Yes. You can't refuse my requests." - Ira put her hands on her hips, looking at Tawan seriously. - "Go back and read the contract properly! You have your long list of rules for me, and I sent you a list of rules for you, too!"

... - Why didn't Pey mention this? Tawan frowned, feeling like something suspicious was going on but unable to pinpoint what.

"Come inside!" - Ira insisted.

Faced with Ira's resolute stance, Tawan couldn't find a rebuttal. She was someone who kept her word, and once she'd signed something, she would honor it.

"Excuse me." - Tawan bowed slightly before stepping into the apartment.

Ira watched Tawan's back as she entered and couldn't suppress a satisfied smile. She quickly closed the door and handed Tawan a pair of indoor slippers.

"Aren't we leaving now? I'll wait here." - Tawan declined again.

"Have a seat. We're not leaving for another two hours" - Ira glanced at Tawan before walking further into the apartment.

"What? Two hours? So we're leaving at 8 AM, but you told me to be here by 6?" - Tawan looked at Ira in disbelief.

"So what? The contract states you have to be present whenever I call." - Ira shrugged. - "You might as well move into the empty unit across the hall. I'll need you around often."

- ... - Tawan's forehead creased with black lines. Was Ira messing with her?

"What's wrong? Do you want to commute back and forth every day?"

"That's expensive." - Tawan made up an excuse.

Ira smirked, walking to a cabinet and pulling out a key, which she tossed to Tawan. Tawan reflexively caught it.

"What's this?" - Tawan frowned at the key labeled "903."

"I'm sponsoring it. Just move in."

A contract worth a house in central Bangkok, plus a luxury apartment in the city's most prestigious area for a year... No idol, no matter how popular, could afford all this alone, could they?

"Why? Curious about me?" - Ira stepped closer, the distance between them reduced to half an arm's length.

"Do I need to be curious?" - Tawan's lips curled into a smirk as she met Ira's gaze.

"Up to you..." - Ira shrugged with a matching smirk. If a third party were present, they might mistake the scene for two rivals facing off. - "If you're interested, I'll tell you."

"Interested..?" - Tawan raised a brow. - "Sorry, I'm not".

"Not yet." - Ira winked playfully before spinning on her heel and walking away.

Tawan watched Ira's retreating figure, her elegant curls swaying as if to lure her. A self-satisfied smile appeared on Tawan's face. She had never been interested in anyone or anything before. If she ever became interested in Ira, it would likely be for her money, she thought.

Shaking her head, Tawan moved to the sofa and began her usual routine of observing and evaluating her surroundings.

Her gaze landed on a painting hanging prominently in the living room. Curious, she approached it.It was a semi-nude portrait of Ira.

In the photo, Ira was turning her back, tilting her head slightly forward. Only her profile was visible, yet it was a perfect angle. Her pristine, flawless back gleamed, accentuating a waistline so exquisite it left nothing to be desired. Even the gentle curve of her back was without a single imperfection. Her eyes, filled with a mystical allure, seemed to captivate anyone who dared gaze at them. The soft brown-green hue of her eyes pulled viewers in as her platinum-blonde curls cascaded over one shoulder, leaving the other bare and enticing.

Tawan stood entranced, her eyes tracing every detail of the painting. From the entrancing gaze with long, curled lashes to the perfect curve of her nose and the lush red lips curled into a bewitching smile. The slender neck connected seamlessly to elegant shoulders.

As her eyes wandered further, Tawan noticed the hand gently cupping Ira's supple curves, hinting at just enough to stir the imagination. Her slim waist flowed downward to the curve of her hips before the image ended, leaving a tantalizing sense of incompleteness that stirred an unfulfilled longing in the viewer. Tawan felt something indescribable taking root deep in her soul—a growing urge to reach out and touch the softness and smoothness of that painted-back

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" - Ira's voice broke the spell, snapping Tawan back to reality.

Realizing her slip, Tawan immediately turned away, avoiding both the painting and Ira's amused gaze. Ira, on the other hand, glanced at her painted self and then back at Tawan's retreating figure. Her thin lips curled into a smug smile.

Ira knew how alluring and captivating her grown-up beauty had become, but even she hadn't expected the portrait to be so mesmerizing. She had taken the photo herself using a self-timed camera, and no one had ever seen the finished product until now. Ira hadn't anticipated that the first person to admire the image would be the very person she had thought about for years.

Her heart beat joyously as she stepped closer to Tawan, who was still avoiding her. Ira noticed a faint blush coloring the edges of Tawan's ears, and her smile deepened.

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing..." - Tawan clenched her eyes shut and frowned. Why was she suddenly stammering?

"Tawan!" - Ira softly called out.

"What is it?" - Tawan tried to regulate her breathing, determined to regain her composure.

"You..." - Ira stepped around to face Tawan. Meeting her dark brown eyes directly, Ira let her lips curve as she spoke softly. - "...would you like to see it in person?"

Boom.

Tawan felt as if her brain had been struck by lightning. Her ears buzzed, her cheeks grew hot, and her heart skipped a beat. The sight of Ira's playful lips sent her soul into tremors. At that moment, Tawan could almost smell a faint, sweet floral fragrance enveloping her. Ira's gentle voice seeped into her mind, and the image of the woman before her burned into her memory.

"I-I don't need to..." - Tawan stammered, unable to keep her balance.

"Haha..." - Ira laughed softly, amused at how the once icy, stoic woman she admired could now look so flustered and endearing.

... - Ira's laughter drew Tawan out of her daze. She quickly regained her calm, icy demeanor and stared at Ira. - "... Is it that funny?"

"It is!" - Ira admitted, recognizing Tawan's regained composure. She stopped laughing but continued to smile. Ira understood that for someone as cold as Tawan, only the right warmth at the right time could begin to melt her defenses. Ira was confident she could find that moment.

Tawan narrowed her eyes, evaluating the woman before her. Ira wasn't a frail or superficial beauty. She was someone who knew when to push and when to pull back, someone adept at reading others and playing mind games. Tawan understood that Ira was far from harmless.

"This woman... she's truly cunning," Tawan thought.

"I'm ready now. Let's go."

Ira noticed Tawan's assessing gaze and didn't shy away. On the contrary, Ira took it as a sign that Tawan was starting to notice her. And if someone began to notice her, Ira knew how to make them care. Once someone cared, it would only be a matter of time before she claimed their heart. With that thought, Ira's smile widened, her brown eyes locking onto Tawan's dark gaze as if daring her to let her in.

Tawan noticed how Ira seemed unafraid of her scrutiny, and, for a moment, she thought she saw a glimmer of amusement and anticipation in Ira's eyes. The brown-green irises shimmered, captivating even Tawan, who typically remained unaffected by such things. For the first time, Tawan didn't look away. She didn't know what Ira wanted, but she knew one thing—she wouldn't let anyone penetrate her mind or heart.

The two striking figures stood opposite one another, their gazes locked in an unspoken challenge. Each had their thoughts, and their strategies. It was a game of pursuit and evasion, where only time would reveal who would catch whom.

"I want to see just how cunning you can be."

"I want to see just how cold you can remain."

Both thoughts flashed through their minds as their lips curved into provocative, challenging smiles. Tawan and Ira stared each other down, neither willing to yield. But in the end, it was fate who held the winning hand.

END CHAP 02