As he pays the bill, memories of the past with his friends flood back. Whenever they felt bored, they would head to Eryx's private villa, bringing along ingredients for cooking. Braylon was always the one who did the cooking, with Revilla helping out. Eryx and Alex knew nothing about cooking, so they stayed out of the kitchen. They would spend a day there and then go home. These cherished memories are what keep him grounded; otherwise, he would have struggled mentally long ago.
The shopkeeper taps his finger, snapping him out of his thoughts. He pays the bill and gathers his belongings. Before leaving, he turns to look at the shop one more time. It was their favorite place because of the high-quality items it sold. The previous shopkeeper was friendly towards them, but the new shopkeeper doesn't even know him. This makes him feel depressed, and he misses the old days. When he gets back to his apartment, Alan is wandering around. Braylon puts the bags on the table and starts cleaning the vegetables. It's already late, but if he starts cooking now, he'll finish on time. While cooking, he keeps an eye on Alan. Although Alan isn't very naughty, Braylon can't let a three-year-old play unsupervised. He worries a lot, being a single parent. Sometimes, he wonders if Alan will be disgusted by him if he ever learns about his gender. Society expects them to conform and change everything for others' comfort, not because of who they are, but because they were born into a judgmental world. He lets out a deep sigh and continues cooking. After some time, he finishes. “Alan... Come and eat your food before it gets cold,” Braylon shouts as Alan runs towards him. “I'll eat after Dad sometimes. I'm not hungry at all,” Alan says, looking at Braylon with his big bunny eyes. Before Alan can slip away, Braylon grabs his shirt and drags him to the table. “Let's eat. It's already late,” Braylon says, raising his eyebrows. “You’re a baddie... You’re bullying a kid. If you force me, I’ll call Aunt Zaneta,” Alan pouts cutely. Braylon sighs. “Don’t be stubborn, Alan. I have work tomorrow and need to review my documents. Eat your dinner and go to bed early,” he says, patting Alan, but Alan pushes his hand away. “I hate you,” Alan groans. Braylon is at a loss for words. Even though he is Alan's father, he struggles to take care of a little kid. Alan eats as much as he can and then washes his hands. Braylon can tell how angry Alan is. Alan leaves the dining hall and goes to his room. The sound of the door shutting makes Braylon flinch. The anger Alan shows is exactly like Eryx's. Braylon sighs, finishes his dinner, and then goes to his room. He takes some files from his bag and sits on the bed. Opening the file, he begins to study the case. After finishing his studies, he worked in a detective section. When he decided to return to his hometown, the local police, impressed by his intelligence, assigned him a new case. As he examines the case, he finds some suspicious details and marks them in the file. He analyzes the case details until midnight before finally going to bed. Braylon is sleeping soundly when he suddenly feels a heaviness on him, making it hard to breathe. Eryx's words echo in his ears. He wants to forget that night, but Alan's presence constantly reminds him of Eryx. If he hadn't had sex with Eryx, Braylon wouldn't have become pregnant with Alan. Braylon wakes up abruptly, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. He looks around and realizes he's in his bed. He drinks a glass of water and falls back onto the bed, rubbing his forehead. He can't forget that night. He gets up and walks towards the door, hesitating before opening it. Finally, he steps out of his room and goes to Alan's room. He opens the door to find Alan sleeping soundly. Seeing this, he feels relieved and goes back to sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NEXT DAY "Senior, I heard that an officer is coming from abroad to take over your case, but we've worked hard on it. How can they just hand it over to someone else?" Franklyn shouts, startling everyone. "Can you not shout near our ears? We aren't deaf," Alex replies, annoyed, as he checks the case files. Revilla chuckles. Eryx closes the file and looks at Franklyn, who is standing behind Alex, gasping for breath. After completing their master's degrees in forensic criminology, Eryx, Alex, and Revilla joined as police detectives. As talented individuals, their achievements are notable and highly regarded. “Do I care? Whoever that person is, just let him take this case. I know it's a simple case, but I'm just annoyed with handling it,” Eryx says, closing the file. “So, you’re really going to hand over the files to him? Arghhh... I’m annoyed,” Franklyn pouts. Eryx is the head of his team, with Alex and Revilla as his teammates. Franklyn, their junior, is super active and dedicated, and he admires Eryx the most. “Go back to your seat, Frank. I’ll send you the pending documents. You have to go through those before you get off work,” Eryx says, passing the file to Franklyn. Franklyn takes the files reluctantly. As they were discussing something in the meeting hall, the door clicked open. Everyone's gaze turned toward the door as someone entered, exuding a strong, professional aura. “Braylon...” Alex nearly choked. After four years of no contact and unanswered emails, Braylon’s sudden appearance was a shock. Eryx had been stubbornly avoiding calling him. Alex and Revilla got up from their chairs, but Eryx remained unmoved, as if he had known this moment would come. “How are you, man? It’s been four years,” Alex and Revilla said, hugging Braylon. But Braylon’s eyes were fixed on Eryx, who sat with a blank expression. Fate had brought them together again after four years, but they felt like strangers. Eryx tapped the table and stood up abruptly. Braylon’s gaze followed him closely, filled with love and care, but Eryx remained indifferent.Alex and Revilla are thrilled to see Braylon after so long, and Braylon smiles warmly. Franklyn is baffled, unable to understand the situation. As Eryx leaves the meeting hall, Franklyn follows him, leaving Braylon looking sad. Braylon faces a tough situation: he loves Eryx but doesn’t know how Eryx feels about him. Moreover, he left the city without a word, and the guilt is overwhelming. “Braylon, let’s go out today and celebrate your return,” Revilla says, jumping with joy. Braylon hides his grief, his face becoming stiff as he nods in agreement. Alex pats him gently. “Let’s go find Eryx. That brat hasn’t changed at all,” Alex says, putting his arm around Braylon’s shoulder and pulling him close. They leave the meeting hall together. Despite his tough exterior, Braylon feels powerless in front of Eryx. Alex drags him out of the building. “Revilla... Bring Braylon with you to the canteen. I’ll go get Eryx,” Alex says before leaving. “Come with me, Braylon,” Revilla says, draggin
Revilla’s phone rings. She checks it and sees that it’s a call from her boyfriend. Alex’s expression shifts when he notices the caller’s name on her phone. Revilla moves away to answer the call. After about a minute, she ends the call and looks back at Alex. Despite their friendship, she hasn’t shared much about her personal life with him. After graduating, she chose not to marry and instead continued her higher studies alongside Alex and Eryx. Revilla has been in a relationship with her boyfriend for two years and accepted his proposal in front of Alex and Eryx. After that, she moved in with him, and Alex and Eryx chose not to interfere with her relationship. “Alex... Can you take Braylon back? I don’t think I can join you two tonight,” she says, glancing at him. “Is he waiting for you already?” Alex asks, and Revilla nods. “Okay, I’ll take care of him. You can go,” Alex responds, not meeting her gaze. Revilla feels a pang of guilt. “Thank you,” she says before leaving. Now, onl
She struggles to find her voice, her throat tight with emotion. After a few moments, she manages to speak. “Where are you, Eryx? Did... did you get home?” She forces a pained smile as she speaks. There’s a pause on the other end. For a moment, she fears he’s hung up on her, especially since he’s with his fiancée. “Where are you now?” Eryx’s voice is firm but caring. She hesitates, unsure how to respond. “I’m heading home. I just called to check if you got home safely, since you were drunk.” She tries to downplay her distress. “Oh…” Eryx’s single reply weighs heavily on her. The conversation feels like it’s come to an end, and she’s left with a heavy heart. “Then, I’m hanging up, Eryx,” she says, not waiting for his reply as she pulls the phone away from her ear. “Where are you now?” Eryx’s voice calls out again, making her flinch. Her tears and whimpers become uncontrollable. “I... I’m on North Street, R Road, near the Galaxy Bar,” she cries. “Stay there. Don’t go anywhere unt
MEANWHILE ON THE OTHER SIDE Braylon is completely drunk and can't lift his head from the table. He doesn't want to, either. Alex is really worried about his friend, who has been crying like a baby ever since Revilla left the bar. Two hours have passed, and Braylon is still crying, drawing strange looks from everyone around them. Alex was happy to see Braylon this morning, but now he realizes their relationship is in worse shape than he thought. What a hassle. After paying the bill, Alex helps Braylon up. They walk out together and get into the car. Braylon keeps mumbling about how much he missed Eryx during the past four years and how hard it has been to live without him. Alex listens silently. He doesn’t mention anything about marriage or his son, which makes Alex suspicious. He decides not to ask, figuring Braylon isn't ready to talk about it, so he just listens to whatever Braylon rambles on about. When Alex asks Braylon for his address, he's shocked to find out that Braylon li
"She didn't come with us. Don't bother looking for her," Eryx said coldly. How could he stop searching for her? Revilla was all he could think about. What happened to her after she left with her boyfriend? He didn't have a good feeling about it. "What do you mean, Eryx? Where is she?" Alex asked, tilting his head towards Eryx, who was leaning against the table. Braylon had been quiet the whole time. He couldn't figure out what Eryx meant. He was just waiting for Eryx to explain further. Alex seemed to be losing control already. When it came to Revilla, he always lost control. Eryx looked at the unstable man who was fuming with anger, maybe even jealousy. Eryx sighed deeply. He started to explain everything that happened last night, though he still didn't know why she had been crying. Alex was nearly shattered by Eryx's words. Revilla was a strong girl who could handle anything on her own. How could she have been so broken that she couldn't protect herself from those drunken creeps?
Suddenly, the door to the ward clicked open, and a doctor stepped out. It's still not too late to change, to become who you once were. You're still waiting for the light to find the best part of yourself again. "Doctor, how is my boy?" Braylon's voice caught in his throat, and he could barely get the words out. Zaneta gently patted his shoulder, trying to calm him down, at least long enough to hear what the doctor had to say. "He's stable, but his mental health is fragile. Right now, he needs his father more than anything. Even in his coma, he was mumbling about you. I hope you understand what this means," the doctor said with a sigh. Braylon fought hard to keep his tears from spilling over. He nodded, trying to hold back his grief, while Zaneta looked on, worried about both him and Alan. "He should wake up soon. You can discharge him once his fever goes down," the doctor said before walking away. "I'm sorry, Braylon. I couldn't take care of Alan properly," Zaneta apologized, her
Eryx clenched his fist in frustration, but he kept his emotions in check, knowing Alan was just a child. "Dad, you didn't wake me up. I just want to go home," Alan said, hugging his father tightly. Braylon felt torn, wanting to stay with his son but faced with a new case he needed to address. His heart ached at the thought of leaving Alan alone. "Braylon, you should stay with him. He’s still recovering, and he needs you," Alex said, his voice softening. "We can handle the new case. You stay by his side." He gave Braylon a reassuring pat on the back. “We’ll discuss the case later. For now, we don’t even know if it’s a prank or something real,” Eryx said as he got up from his chair and walked out. He was enchanted by his son's cuteness and couldn’t bear to see him upset, though he stubbornly masked his feelings behind his stern demeanor. “Look at him; he still cares about you. Why don’t you try to reconcile this time?” Alex suggested. Reconciliation? Braylon wondered if he could tru
Two Days Later It had been two days since they received the Email, and no one had mentioned it since. Braylon had tried asking Eryx about it, but Eryx continually ignored him. During these two days, Braylon had spent some time with Alan. Braylon took Alan to his office, where Alex and Revilla helped care for him. Alan, much like his father, was quiet and obedient—at least, from Eryx's perspective. Revilla, on the other hand, was trying to move on from everything by focusing on her work. For now, she was staying with Eryx. “Eryx, it’s been two days since you received the Email. Why are you acting like this? This isn't like you. I don’t care whether you pay attention to me or not, but at least look into the case!” Braylon shouted. His outburst left everyone in shock. Even though Braylon was his superior, how could he speak to Eryx like that? No one ever dared to challenge Eryx. Eryx, however, wasn’t surprised. He rolled his eyes dramatically, having anticipated Braylon's outburst. Ta
It was like a strong storm finished in their life. Braylon almost lost his sanity, when Alan was kidnapped. It had been two weeks, and everything had happened. Alan was coming out of the trauma slowly, Eryx often came home to cheer up his son. He wasn't going to school, not yet. "He must be tired. But he is strong, don't worry." Eryx squeezed Braylon's shoulder, pulling him close to Eryx. Braylon just hummed in response; eyes gazing at the sleeping figure of Alan softly. "Sister Zaneta came home to invite us to her wedding, but Alan didn't talk to her and ran into his room. She was suspicious about it, but I managed to lie to her." Braylon's eyes brimmed with tears, chest congested with a feeling of agony. "It's okay, he needs some time." Braylon nodded. "Alex and others came home but left just before you came. Alan seemed quite active today." "He will get out of this trauma soon. He is just a kid and it was too much for him. Just believe him." Braylon inclined his head in ag
"I am coming with you two," "No... you aren't going anywhere," Eryx sternly said, refusing Braylon's request. "He is my son. I'll come with you two. If you two refuse me, I don't hesitate to kill myself," okay, this was the underrated threatening from Braylon, but what they didn't expect was his hands were holding a knife. Eryx and Adler exchanged a worried glance, their faces tight with concern. Eryx stepped forward, his voice low but firm. “Braylon, I know how much this means to you, but it’s too dangerous. You need to stay safe. He is my son as well. Don't do anything stupid.” Braylon’s eyes flashed with anger. “I’m not staying behind while my son is out there. I’m coming with you, whether you like it or not.” Adler sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “We can’t protect you and search for Alan at the same time. You’ll slow us down.” “I won’t be a burden,” Braylon snapped. “I’m a trained detective, remember? I can handle myself.” Eryx glanced at Adler, seeing the
"Let's go home," Adler softly exclaimed. Braylon shook his head denying the offer. "We can't stay here, baby. We will surely find Alan, but for that, you have to be strong, right?" Eryx caressed his love's hair. Adler and Eryx had finally managed to convince Braylon to leave the bustling mall, where they had spent an hour under police surveillance. Adler informed his members before leaving the mall. It had been a long and exhausting day for everyone, and the last thing they wanted was to add to the worries of the Rhys couple. So, they decided to take Braylon to Adler's apartment, a place where Braylon could be safe for now. Adler's apartment was a haven after the chaos he had experienced. Adler went to cook something for Braylon. Eryx followed Adler. "Do you want anything?" Adler asked while searching for the ingredients. "Where is the first aid kit? I will treat his wound." Eryx uttered. "In the bedroom. Second cupboard on the left," Adler instructed. With a hum, E
It was another day, and Alan was once again brimming with excitement. He had been begging Braylon to take him outside ever since they had fun in the amusement park. And it was his demand since Braylon hung out with his friend and refused to bring him with them. “Please, Dad, can we go out today? Please?” Alan had asked that morning, his big brown eyes wide with hope. Braylon sighed, knowing he couldn't resist his son's plea. “Alright, alright, baby. Let’s go to the mall. But you have to promise to behave, okay?” Alan’s face lit up with a huge grin. “I promise! I’ll be the best behaved!” He ran to get changed, and Braylon stood there adoring his son. With that settled, Braylon got them both ready, making sure Alan had his favourite sneakers on and a small backpack with snacks and a water bottle. They headed out, the sun shining brightly as they walked to the nearby mall. Mr and Mrs Rhys hadn't returned from the business trip so He just texted them about the outing. At the mall, Al
The day had finally arrived. Eryx and Braylon had been planning the outing, and now it was happening. Braylon called Alex and Revilla, and then he contacted Adler and Franklyn to join them. Even though Braylon informed them, once again Eryx called them to confirm the outing. Alex and Revilla were happy about this little outing. In their group, they were only staying in the work since Eryx and Braylon quit. It was their dream job, but when their life took an unexpected turn, they had to choose a path that was not even their profession; that kinda hurts them, though. They hadn't seen each other for the past few weeks, and this little outing to the hotpot to the old place was what they needed. Eryx was the one to pick everyone from their place, Braylon's excitement bubbled in his face. It was quite hard for Braylon to convince Alan since the younger was stubborn to join them. Braylon wasn't selfish in not taking his son with him. It was quite a remote place; Alan would be uncomfort
In just one month, Alan would turn five, and today was the day Eryx and Braylon had planned to enrol him in the school. Alan’s excitement was visible; he had been homeschooled by his grandparents until now, and the expectation of attending a regular school with other children thrilled him. Braylon wanted Alan to experience school life. He argued with his parents to let Alan study in the school rather than homeschool. At last, the Rhys couple decided to accept the decision Braylon made. Alan was mature for his age and understood how Braylon was struggling and many other things, which was something both Eryx and Braylon were proud of, mostly Braylon. Eryx, Braylon, and Alan arrived at the school. The school building loomed large and renovated, compared to other kids' schools, with children’s laughter echoing from the playground. Alan’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the new atmosphere, excitement pooled in him. He was squealing with joy inside, obviously. It was new for him. Braylo
Amy burst through the cabin door with a loud bang, startling Mr. Silvester immediately looked up from his desk. His secretary stood behind Amy, her face flushed and her hands wringing nervously, unable to stop Amy from intruding into the CEO's office. With a wave, Mr Silvester signalled for his secretary to leave them alone. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded and quietly closed the door behind her, leaving the two of them in the room. Mr. Silvester calmly gazed at Amy's angry face. She stood there, her fists clenched at her sides, her eyes blazing with fury. “How could you do this?” she shouted, her voice echoing in the spacious office. “You just broke off the merger without any warning!” Mr. Silvester leaned back in his chair, “I had to, Miss Richardson,” he said evenly. “My son wasn’t fond of the decision.” Amy let out a derisive laugh. “Oh, please! Don’t try to pin this on your homo son. You were okay with the merger, regardless of how much he opposed it. This was your de
The dinner was nice, they talked randomly, not much yet warm and comfortable. After that, Alan was soon sound asleep. After the dinner, making Alan sleep, Eryx prepared to leave. He got up from his seat and began to say his goodbyes; Mr and Mrs Rhys went to their room after concluding their conversation, but Braylon hesitated. “Are you sure you have to go?” Braylon asked with a tiny amount of desperation in his voice. “It’s late, and you could stay here tonight. You know, it's quite comfortable for you also, less travel.” Eryx smiled at how Braylon was trying to make him stay, it's cute. “I badly want to, but I really should be getting home. I have an early meeting tomorrow. Not to mention my dad; he will bury me with his endless lectures If I don't go.” Braylon stood and approached Eryx, his eyes pleading. “Please, Eryx. Just stay. It’s been so long since we’ve had a chance to spend time together. I miss you.” 'Miss you', the word did some great magic, changed Eryx's mind in a go
It had been a few days since Eryx joined his father's company. Despite his extensive tutoring in business, his role started with basic tasks like a regular employee. However, his time at the company quickly turned sour. Eryx wasn't treated like other staff. His colleagues picked on him, mocked him, and did dirty tricks to humiliate him. The primary reason was his open homosexuality, which made him a target. And the secondary reason was the post he posted online. He was disowned, that's what the people knew but if he was disowned, how could he join his father's company? They forgot to think of it. Despite the mistreatment, Eryx endured it all. His father had explicitly ordered him not to use his authority over the staff, and Eryx had accepted this condition. For the sake of his love, he decided to do anything. In the afternoon, during lunch break, Eryx sat alone in the company cafeteria, quietly eating his sandwich and texting Braylon. The only good thing was he was able to talk t