"Sorry, Moddaeng couldn't tell Rose in time that P'Din was safe. Rose didn't wait to hear everything—she ran off, and Moddaeng couldn't catch up with her."

"I'm glad I managed to stay calm. If I had been in shock, Moddaeng would have had to take responsibility."

"But now, Rose has reconciled with P'Din, hasn't she? P'Din must be happy to see how much you care."

"Yes, I care about P'Din."

It was as if that life-or-death moment when P'Din was in danger had just happened. Even though the firefighters the workers had called to put out the fire on the farm managed to control the flames, the office building still suffered significant damage and would need repairs for quite some time. But the damaged goods were material things, easy to replace. Unlike the farm, which had only one P'Din.

That event made Tippapha realize how important P'Din was to her.

From now on, she would no longer try to appear distant or inflexible with P'Din. She would no longer hide her feelings. Whatever she thought, she would say it directly, without beating around the bush, because she did not want to wait until it was too late. She did not want to waste any more time in life with misunderstandings and a lack of understanding.

She spoke from the heart to Moddaeng, and even the person closest to her felt happy and proud of her growth. It was as if the clearing smoke had helped her see clearly the feelings she had kept hidden inside. Although she still didn't know how to describe those feelings, at this moment, she didn't want to give them a name. She only wanted to be happy—and to see P'Din happy too.

"Rose, why don't you go rest?"

"I'm waiting for P'Din. What did the police say?"

"Right now, they haven't concluded whether the fire was caused by a short circuit or set intentionally. They need to collect evidence from the scene before reaching a conclusion."

"Then P'Din needs to rest too. We can go to the police station tomorrow morning. I'll go with you."

Tippapha spoke with concern after P'Din walked away from the police officers investigating the scene. P'Din asked Moddaeng to take Tippapha back to the house to wait, saying she would follow later.

When P'Din returned at three in the morning, she found Tippapha still waiting in the living room. She knew Tippapha couldn't sleep until she was sure P'Din was truly safe.

"I can't rest now. I need to stay here. Lom is coming to the farm. If you're tired, you can sleep, Rose. I'm fine now."

"No, I'm not tired. I'll wait here with Lom and P'Din."

"Mas..."

"Please don't stop me. P'Din knows how much I care."

Kasama nodded, accepting Tippapha's words, feeling deeply touched. Perhaps it was Tippapha's gentle gaze that made her feel so vulnerable. Even without tears, the soft hand holding hers still revealed the fear of losing her.

Although she had not yet had a chance to ask about the cautious, slightly jealous words Tippapha had said earlier, the police arrived just in time and began questioning them.

Kasama asked Moddaeng to look after Tippapha and take her to rest while she spoke with the officers.

"Moddaeng, go rest. I'll take care of Rose."

Kasama let out a small, awkward cough as she noticed someone watching her with a mischievous smile. She told Moddaeng to go rest so that she and Tippapha could be alone. After everything that had happened, they both needed time to be close, to let their feelings settle.

But perhaps it wouldn't take long, once they were together...

-----------------------------------------

"Now, P'Din and Rose are in the living room. Please come this way, Lom."

"Thank you so much, Moddaeng, beautiful."

"Ah, Lom, you always like telling Moddaeng the truth, don't you? But when you go in, please don't make any noise, or P'Din will get mad."

"Why can't I make noise?"

Wayo looked at the person beside her, who didn't answer and only gave her an enigmatic smile, letting her walk into the living room to find out the answer herself. When she stepped inside, she found something that surprised her. Perhaps P'Din wasn't as frightening as she had imagined when she rushed to the farm after hearing the bad news.

"P'Din!"

"Lom, shhh! Don't make noise—Rose just fell asleep."

"And why is Rose sleeping here?"

"She was so upset about what happened that she couldn't sleep."

"Then how am I supposed to talk about the fire at the office with P'Din if I can't make any noise?"

Wayo could hardly say another word, as Kasama shot her a warning look and gestured for her to stay quiet so she wouldn't disturb Tippapha, who was sleeping with her head resting on Kasama's shoulder. Back when she had planned the fake wedding, Wayo had never imagined things would become this real. The situation was already overly sweet—almost syrupy—but she had never expected they would even be holding hands.

"Lom, wait until Rose wakes up before talking to P'Din."

"Ugh!"

"I told you not to make noise, Lom. Otherwise, you'd better wait somewhere else."

"..."

Was this even possible? Why didn't anyone believe that P'Din had changed?

---------------------------------------

"If it were an outsider, it would be impossible to reach the office without passing the security cameras that P'Din installed in almost every area of the farm. It seems the criminal knew the camera angles well, as they managed to avoid being seen."

"But the officer in charge of the case said there are traces showing that the criminal passed through Chomchan Farm, probably after setting fire to the office. What's strange is that near the riverside area of Chomchan Farm—which is fenced—the fence has been damaged, and there are clear signs of trespassing."

"From what Lom observed at the scene, along with the evidence and witness accounts—such as Uncle Kla, who was the first to arrive and didn't see anyone suspicious—Lom thinks the criminal didn't intend to kill P'Din. Rather, they wanted to divert attention from Saenrak Farm. It seems like they only wanted to create a distraction. If they had truly intended to kill, they wouldn't have set fire only to the front of the office—they would have also set fire to the back to trap P'Din inside."

"P'Din hasn't told Rose about the intrusion at Chomchan Farm yet, and she asked the workers to keep it a secret. Lom, don't tell Rose for now. She's already dealing with a lot, and P'Din doesn't want to burden her any further. She'll figure things out in time."

"I agree. Don't tell Rose for now. It will only make her worry more and won't help anything. Let's wait until we have solid evidence and clearly understand why the criminals broke into Chomchan Farm. Then P'Din can tell her."

"Okay, agreed, Lom."

Kasama nodded in agreement. She and Wayo both decided to keep this matter a secret for now. Tippapha had just gone through a difficult night, and even before that, she had still been distressed over Thipakorn's condition. Rose probably wouldn't be able to handle any more heavy news at the moment. Kasama also wanted to protect the heart of the person she loved with the same care.

"By the way, does P'Din agree with Lom's initial hypothesis that the Mahattanakorn family may have some connection with Saenrak Farm?"

"Yes, I agree with Lom."

"That means there is a traitor within the farm. Does P'Din have anyone in mind?"

"For now, I don't know who it could be, but I'll stay alert and be more careful about Rose's safety."

"P'Din, you can't worry about your wife's safety with every breath you take. You have to take care of yourself too."

Kasama didn't argue, which meant she had no way to refute it and accepted that it was true. It was rare to see her so quiet and unresponsive. If it weren't for Rose, no one might ever have witnessed this side of her.

-----------------------------------------

"P'Din, isn't Lom going to have lunch with you today?"

"After we came back from the police station, Lom said she had something to take care of and would return later. She'll be staying overnight at the farm."

"And what did the police say? You still haven't told me whether the fire was an accident or arson."

"I don't think we should talk about this during a meal. It might ruin your appetite."

"P'Din, don't try to change the subject or hide this from me. Tell me the truth. I care about you as much as anyone here."

Even though they had only been living together for a short time, Tippapha already understood the situation—and the person who was now her life partner. How could she not realize that P'Din was trying to avoid the topic? Even if she didn't tell her, she would eventually find out the truth. It would be better to hear it directly.

"Yes, the police suspect it was arson and are looking for the perpetrators. There are two unidentified men involved, but they haven't ruled out a business motive."

"Because I caused trouble for you..."

"The reason I didn't want to tell you is because I knew you'd blame yourself, Rose. I've told you before—it's not your fault."

"But..."

"Let's put this aside and go back to what we talked about yesterday, okay?"

Kasama spoke in a gentle but firm tone, as if the matter she was bringing up was important and still unresolved. That immediately caught Tippapha's attention.

"Try me."

"Rose, when you say you care about me, I understand. I care about you in the same way."

"P'Din, let's eat first... we can continue this conversation later..."

"But when you said you were jealous, I didn't understand. Can you explain it to me?"

"..."

"If it wasn't just an act, Rose, why were you jealous of me?"

Why was P'Din pressing her like this?

She wasn't usually someone who asked so many questions, nor someone who dug into the past. She always let things pass. So why was she insisting now? It left Tippapha completely speechless.

"It's just... I... I..."

"It doesn't matter what the reason is, Rose. You can tell me anything. I don't want to misunderstand—or be made a fool."

"If I tell you... do you promise you won't look at me differently?"

"Yes, I promise. Go ahead, Rose."

Tippapha placed her hand over P'Din's, and Kasama gently held it in return. It was rare for P'Din to touch her like this—and now there was no one around, no need to pretend to be a perfect couple. This was genuine.

"It's just that I... I like—"

"P'Din, are you okay?"

"The fire—what happened? Did you bring Lom too?"

"Yes, P'Din. Lom picked me up at the airport with Fai. When they heard what happened at the farm, everyone rushed here because they were worried about you."

"..."

Rose had been about to confess the reason for her jealousy—but suddenly, everyone showed up without warning. The moment was broken. Flustered, she quickly pulled her hand away from P'Din's, not knowing what to do, and tried to cover it up.

"Come on, Lom, Fai—let's have lunch together. I'll ask Auntie Chan to prepare more food."

"I'll help you, Rose."

"Why that expression, P'Din? Aren't you happy that Lom and Fai came to see you?"

"You really can't keep a secret, Lom. I told you not to tell anyone so they wouldn't worry."

"I didn't tell anyone—but you know how news spreads. It became a whole story."

"And if Fai hears about it, she'll complain for days, saying you got married and forgot about everyone else."

Would it be possible to send everyone away from the farm all at once? It might be better to send everyone—Apo, Wayo, and Atjima—back to where they came from!

"I have something important to tell you, Lom and Fai."

Kasama looked at her three cousins, who later gathered in the office after lunch. Tippapha gave her space, saying she wanted to rest for a while because she felt dizzy from lack of sleep.

"I like Rose."

"Wow, Lom is so surprised!"

"Yes, Fai is very surprised."

"Is there anything else? That was already obvious."

"..."

Kasama watched their reactions, unsure what to think. Their words didn't match their expressions at all. None of them looked truly surprised—they were just teasing her.

"So... everyone already knew?"

"Wow, even if you hadn't said it, anyone could see you like Rose."

"Hey, ask Lom—even the wedding planner got confused! You were supposed to be acting as a fake wife, but it was obvious you were serious."

"And you, uncle—did you know too, or did Lom and Fai tell you?"

"How could I not know, P'Din? Even though I've been busy, I couldn't ignore how sweet you and Rose were in Prachuap. Even the staff were talking about it. Your secretary even said she wanted to see you two get married for real."

Was it really that obvious?

Or was it her heart guiding her actions?

She had always told Tippapha that, for her, it wasn't an act. She truly cared—she wanted to take care of her, protect her... even though she knew she might not have the right to feel that way.

Still, she couldn't control her feelings.

She kept everything inside, not wanting to confess and make Tippapha uncomfortable. Tippapha already had enough problems to deal with. Kasama knew that, to her, she was someone reliable—someone who would always protect her.

She didn't expect those feelings to be returned. Just being able to care for her was already enough.

Even so, she lacked the courage to say it—afraid that Tippapha would feel burdened.

"P'Din, does Rose know about this?"

"Not yet, Lom. I... haven't had the courage to tell her that I like her."

"Hey! If you don't have the courage to tell your own wife, then what are you going to do?"

"Or do you want Fai to tell her for you?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I'll tell her myself. I only called you here because I wanted advice—on how to tell her without making things awkward, without making it feel wrong... like when I asked her to marry me."

Kasama quickly stopped them, worried that Wayo or Atjima might blurt it out before she had the chance. She wanted to be the one to tell the truth herself.

And deep down, she believed Tippapha might feel the same—especially after what she had said yesterday... about jealousy.

"If Rose says she's jealous, can I assume she likes me too?"

-----------------------------------------

"Moddaeng, have you arranged for the room to be properly prepared yet? Tonight, you and Fai will be staying here, right?"

"Everything is ready, Khun Rose. I've already had everything cleaned and arranged nicely."

"Good. We can't let anyone say that P'Din doesn't know how to welcome her guests."

"Khun Rose is such an amazing wife, isn't she? P'Din must be very happy to have married you."

"It has nothing to do with that. I'm just helping to ease P'Din's workload. It's not about being an amazing wife."

Tippapha quickly changed the subject after Moddaeng's compliment, feeling slightly embarrassed. Still, she wasn't going to let anyone notice and tease her about it.

In truth, she was still a little flustered after almost blurting out her feelings to P'Din. Fortunately, Apo and Atjima had arrived just in time to interrupt. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to look P'Din in the eye.

She didn't even know if P'Din felt the same way. Perhaps it would be better to wait and tell her later—when she was more certain.

"I'll go check on Aunt Chan and see if she needs any help."

After fulfilling her role as the lady of the house, Tippapha thought she should continue making herself useful.

So, she headed toward the back kitchen to look for Aunt Chan. But before she could leave, a car pulled up in front of the house, catching her attention—as well as Moddaeng's, who turned to look in the same direction.

"Whose car is that, Khun Rose?"

"I'm not sure. I'll go take a look."

Apo, Wayo, and Atjima were already at the house, so it would be unusual if P'Din had other guests arriving—especially after the news about the fire at the farm. She couldn't ignore it. She needed to go welcome them properly... like a perfect wife.

-----------------------------------

"P'Din—"

"Kaew?"

"Kaew, I'm sorry it took me so long to come back. I only heard the news when my father called, so I rushed back from Bangkok. P'Din, are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere, right?"

"Kaew, calm down. I'm fine."

Kasama gently stepped back and eased herself out of Kaew's embrace after the younger woman rushed over to hug her and check her over anxiously. She understood Kaew's concern—Kaew had been in Bangkok for work and hadn't been able to be there when the incident happened at the farm. She must have been both shocked and frustrated at not being there.

"I'm just glad you're okay, P'Din. I was really worried..."

"Kaew, you worry too much. Even Khun Rose, my wife, isn't this worried."

"Never mind, Moddaeng. I'll go find Aunt Chan. I don't want to think about it."

Tippapha turned her gaze away and walked off, trying not to show any sign of jealousy. Perhaps Moddaeng had hoped she would step in and assert her place as P'Din's number one, but instead, she chose to leave—to calm the storm of emotions inside her.

After all, they had only just reconciled less than a day ago... and P'Din had already hurt her again without even realizing it.

"Hey, Khun Rose? Why don't you go talk to P'Din?"

"I'm going to the kitchen. That's not my place."

"Khun Rose..."

Atjima greeted her, noticing how distant and pale she looked—something completely unlike her usual self. She walked past Lom and Tippapha, who soon began to understand the situation when they saw P'Din talking with Kaew in a more private corner.

"What happened, Auntie? Why does Khun Rose look so down?"

"Ask P'Din. She's the one who started all of this."

"What's going on, Auntie? Lom, Fai—why are you all here?"

Kasama asked as she walked into the house, only to be stopped by Apo, Wayo, and Atjima, who seemed to be waiting for her. Their expressions were hard to read—especially Atjima, who looked particularly stern.

"Before you say you like Khun Rose, P'Din... you should deal with your own problems first."

"What do you mean by that?"

"About you and Kaew. I saw her hugging you and holding your arm."

"You're mistaken, Auntie. Kaew came because she was shocked by the news. Besides, Kaew and I are just friends. We've worked together for years. You know her—why would you misunderstand like that?"

"No. I'm not the one who misunderstood. The one who misunderstood... is Khun Rose."

Apo shook her head slightly, correcting her. It was clear she wasn't the one confused. From Tippapha's perspective, what she had seen—and how she felt—was completely understandable.

"Why is Khun Rose reacting like that?"

"She saw Kaew hugging you. I saw it too, just like Auntie did... and then she simply walked away."

"..."

"Now P'Din is in trouble. Her wife is going to leave her!"

"So indecisive! Khun Rose—go and fix this with her!"

"Do I still have to plan your wedding? I've never organized a funeral before, but I might have to start booking a hall."

Kasama could only stand there, speechless.

Should she feel touched...?

Each member of her family was being so supportive.

---------------------------------------

"You can tell P'Din that Khun Rose said not to wait for dinner. She'll be skipping tonight's meal."

Moddaeng came to relay her boss's message. From her perspective, she completely understood Khun Rose today and firmly stood on the side of the rightful wife. She was clearly displeased with P'Din and Kaew's behavior.

Moddaeng had seen everything and felt it was inappropriate—disrespectful to the number one wife. So if Khun Rose was angry and jealous, it was only natural.

"There's one more thing Khun Rose didn't ask me to tell you, but I'll say it anyway. She has packed up her belongings and moved back to her own room. That's all. I'll take my leave now."

"Even the staff are upset with the boss, huh? Lom, there's no need to investigate—you can clearly see Khun Rose's emotional state right now."

Kasama listened with a troubled expression. She hadn't expected that this time, Tippapha would be even angrier than during their previous conflicts. Compared to this situation, the time she had been made to sleep in the office seemed trivial.

Now, she felt completely at a loss—unsure where to even begin fixing things.

If she went to talk to P'Din now—while her wife was still this upset—she might not even get the chance to explain. This time, it might not be Kaew getting hurt... but her, being thrown out instead.

"With things like this, can you even think about eating, P'Din?"

"I can't eat anything, Lom. I still haven't figured out a proper way to apologize to Khun Rose. If I don't have a good explanation, she might throw me out—or worse, refuse to even open the door."

"But if you just stand there and do nothing, things will only get worse. What should we do, Uncle? You're the smartest one here—help me come up with something."

"The one who caused the problem should be the one to fix it. I can't help you with this."

"Uncle, are you really not going to help me?"

"I can help you with one thing—go and fix things with her. Problems in a marriage can't be solved by anyone else, P'Din."

There was no point in standing around any longer, unsure of how to fix her mistake.

Waiting wouldn't make things better. It wouldn't bring back the harmony she once had with Tippapha.

The only thing she could do... was go to her. Be honest. Face everything. Try to save what they had.

Just like her family had said—if she already understood her own feelings, then she should speak them out loud. She had been brave enough to admit to her family how much she liked Khun Rose...

Now, she just had to be brave enough to say it to the one who mattered most.

If she told Khun Rose that she liked her...
would they be able to understand each other again?

---------------------------------------

"P'Din, don't mess with me. I don't want to talk about anything right now."

"I just want to explain, okay? About what you misunderstood."

"You can go. I'm not ready to argue with you, P'Din. I'm tired."

"But I have something important to tell you, Rose. At least let me speak. If you don't believe me, you can kick me out after listening. I won't bother you again."

What could be so important that P'Din insisted on saying?

No... don't fall for it. Don't be fooled by those smooth words.

P'Din might not mean to hurt her—but every time Kaew was involved, it always ended the same way. How could she trust her now?

"I'm begging you, Rose. Yesterday, you said timing matters. If we don't talk and clear things up now... I might never get another chance to talk to you."

"I told you not to talk like that, P'Din. Don't bring up life and death!"

"Will you open the door and let me come in to talk?"

"It won't matter, P'Din. If what you say doesn't make me trust you again... I'll send you away immediately."

The door opened slightly.

Kasama quickly stepped inside, catching sight of Rose's exhausted face. She knew this was her only chance—before Rose changed her mind and shut her out again.

"You wanted to talk, didn't you? I gave you a chance. How long are you going to stand there?"

"I like you, Rose."

"Are you serious, P'Din? You think saying that will make me forgive you about Kaew?"

"No, that's not what I mean. I really like you, Rose. I truly do."

Tippapha's heart skipped the moment she heard those words.

But she couldn't erase what she had seen.

The image of Kaew hugging P'Din... holding her hand... as if she weren't the one standing beside her.

"If you really liked me, P'Din, you wouldn't have let someone else hug you or get that close to you. If you really cared, you wouldn't let me feel like this... right? Would you want me to go hug another man and hold his hand?"

"No. I wouldn't want that, Rose."

"..."

"I know I was wrong. Please don't think I was playing with your feelings. I didn't intend for it to happen... I just couldn't react in time."

Tippapha fell silent.

Her face pale, her thoughts in disarray.

P'Din's confession was too direct—too sincere. It left her with nowhere to hide her own feelings anymore.

"Rose... you're not mad at me anymore, are you?"

"No. I still need time to think... whether I'll forgive you or not."

In truth, her anger had already softened the moment she heard P'Din's voice calling from outside the door.

Just that alone... was enough to shake her heart.

And now—being pulled into a hug she had never received before—how could she possibly resist?

"I really like you, Rose."

"You can say you like me, but that's not enough to make me believe you. If you truly did, you wouldn't have acted that way with Kaew. Words alone aren't enough."

"Do you want me to be completely honest?"

"Yes, P'Din. Tell me what you really feel. Stop holding back. I don't want to be confused anymore."

"Will you be my wife?"

"Do you really want me to be your wife, P'Din?"

This... just got a lot more complicated... Kasama!