"You don't get to destroy him just because I never loved you."
The news hit like a brick through glass.
Nick's face was stone as he dropped his phone onto the table. Arthur had visited him at his office; he had never seen him like this before—so still, so empty, like the chaos had drained him totally.
"What happened? Arthur asked, his voice a whisper.
Nick didn't look at him right away. He just rubbed his hands over his face and then stood. Walked to the window, "Ake found a way to get to my distributor in Singapore. That arrangement was worth millions. They just pulled out after someone sent them an 'anonymous report' tying my company to illicit imports."
Arthur's stomach turned. "That's a lie. You've never—"
"I know," Nick began fiercely and then softened. "I know. But Ake knows how to make people believe otherwise."
Arthur stepped closer. "Let me help."
Nick pivoted, finally catching his eyes. "Why?
That one word hurt more than it should have.
Arthur exhaled. "Because you are my husband, and I love you, Nick. I can't sit here as Ake destroys everything you've built."
Nick looked away again, jaw tightening. "You didn't have to love him back to give him power. You just have to let him in."
"I didn't let him in," Arthur continued, his voice shaking. "He forced his way through cracks I didn't know we're still healing. But I never let him in—not where it mattered."
Arthur started showing up more—in the office, at meetings, at Nick's side, even if Nick didn't ask, even if it felt like walking barefoot across glass.
And Nick, for all his hardness, didn't shove him away.
They shared space in silence, coordinated damage, and reached out to trusted clients, offering transparency and reassurance. Arthur spoke for Nick when Nick didn't have the energy, and he spoke to Nick in ways no one else could.
But Ake's shadow loomed larger.
Another supplier dropped. Two important personnel resigned mysteriously. Then comes the article—a well-written, anonymous blog post that depicted Nick as a cruel entrepreneur who used Arthur for image and profit. Arthur's name was dragged in too.
The headline read: "Love or Leverage? The power couple cracking at the seams
Arthur read it twice. The bile in his throat didn't go away.
He found Nick alone in the office that night, sitting in the dark.
"They're not just trying to ruin your business anymore," Arthur said. "They're trying to ruin you, ruin us."
Nick's voice was hollow. "All this shall pass."
Arthur's breath hitched.
But he didn't flinch.
He walked up to Nick and placed a thick folder on his desk. "This is the paper trail I found linking Ake to a shell company that owns the blog site. Mia helped me. We have enough to discredit the post."
Nick glanced at it, startled. "You went through all this trouble?
"I'll do more," Arthur said. "Because you once told me love isn't always about being happy. Sometimes it's about standing in the flames together. I'm not leaving you in there alone."
Nick's voice dropped. "You don't have to fix everything."
"I don't," Arthur responded kindly. "But I want to. even if you never look at me the same way again."
Silence.
A lengthy, breathless moment.
Then Nick stood, slowly.
Arthur's heart raced. He expected another wall, another cold dismissal.
But instead—
Nick touched his arm and kissed him.
Just for a second.
But that was something.
And God, Arthur had missed something like this for a long time.
The conflict dragged on for weeks. Ake's tactics grew messier—threatening board members, offering hush money to media outlets, and even sharing an altered audio clip of Arthur apparently confessing to cheating.
But this time, Arthur and Nick were ready.
Arthur sought out the original audio—Tee had it, and with Mia's legal pressure, he handed it over. The unedited version created a completely different picture—one where Arthur explicitly rejected Ake, voice trembling but resolute.
It was played in front of Nick and his senior investors. Some even clapped.
Ake had overplayed his hand.
Nick watched it all unfold with careful detachment, but every now and then, when he thought no one was looking, his eyes would linger on Arthur.
Soft, wounded, and wanting.
One evening, when the boardroom emptied and the final investor left, Nick sat alone in the chair.
Arthur didn't leave. He stood in the doorway.
"I know things are still broken," Arthur added. "But you can lean on me, just for now."
Nick looked up, exhausted. But he didn't look away.
And then, finally, finally, he said, "Come here."
Arthur crossed the room.
Nick pulled him into a hug, tight and wordless.
It wasn't romantic. It wasn't dramatic.
It was raw and real.
Arthur didn't cry—but his chest trembled.
Nick didn't apologize—but his silence was an apology in itself.
When they pulled apart, Nick didn't say, Stay. But he didn't say go, either.
Arthur knew that meant more than either of them could admit yet.
That night, when Arthur strolled out into the cold Bangkok air, his phone buzzed.
A text message from Ake.
You think you've won because he hugged you? Don't forget—I know where his weaknesses are. And I shall break him.
Arthur stared at the television.
And this time, he didn't feel afraid.
He sensed fire.
He typed back.
You lost the instant I opted to fight with him instead of against him.
Then he blocked the number.
He wasn't just standing behind Nick anymore.
He was going to protect him.
Even if it meant going to war