It started small.
A cold stare at the café.
A whisper on the street.
A canceled business meeting.
Then two. Then six.
Then headlines.
> "Mafia Heir Caught in Same-Sex Romance Scandal"
"Pete Tansiri Loses Contracts After Public Outing"
"Legacy or Lust? Inside the Fall of the Tansiri Empire"
Pete's name became poison.
Mek's name became a target.
One morning, Mek's art page was flooded with hate comments.
> "Freak."
"Gold digger."
"Making him gay for clout."
"You ruined him."
Mek stared at his phone, frozen.
Then flinched as a rock smashed the window of Pete's car outside.
Pete ran out, looked at the shattered glass, and didn't blink.
"Mek," he said, voice low, "go inside."
"But—"
"Inside."
---
That night, Pete was quiet.
Too quiet.
He sat at his desk, staring at nothing.
Mek approached, gently touched his shoulder. "You okay?"
Pete turned slowly.
"No," he said. "I'm not."
Mek braced himself for anger, fury, maybe even guilt.
But Pete just looked… haunted.
"They hate us, Mek."
Mek nodded. "Yeah."
"They're not going to stop."
"No."
Pete turned away. "I wanted to protect you from all this."
"I didn't need protection," Mek said. "I needed you."
Pete looked up sharply. And for a second—just a second—his armor cracked.
He leaned in, rested his forehead against Mek's.
"I'm going to burn their world to the ground."
Mek blinked. "Pete—"
"No more playing nice. No more avoiding the media. No more backing down."
He stood up, shoulders straightening like a warlord preparing for battle.
"They want war? They'll get one. I'll take back every deal, every contract, every damn inch they tried to steal from me—and I'll do it with you at my side."
Mek grabbed his hand. "Not behind you?"
Pete looked at him.
And smiled.
"No, baby. With me. Always."
---
The Next Day
Pete walked into his father's old business tower, hand-in-hand with Mek.
Reporters swarmed.
> "Is it true you're in a relationship with another man?"
"Do you think the public will accept a gay mafia heir?"
"Have you lost everything?"
Pete turned, smiled at the cameras.
"Lost?" he repeated. "No."
He looked at Mek.
"I just found everything."
And that moment went viral.