30. Contingency

Mali’s dining room table is usually unoccupied on a Wednesday, but tonight, there are four people sitting around it. The SD cards Kai managed to smuggle out of OmniVenutres after Chalam forced him to return the hidden books are in a neat little stack, and every so often Pepper picks one out and inserts it into her laptop, or Rome does the same. Mali watches over Rome’s shoulder as he scans through each file. Kai doesn’t sit quite that close to Pepper, but he can still see the screen.
The hell am I even looking at? Kai feels the familiar knot of frustration building up inside his chest, afraid to ask the question out loud. Everyone else seems to be studying what’s on the screen, but Kai is just staring, hoping no one will sense his confusion.
He feels useless enough as it is.
The image on the screen looks like an upside down dome, with various vertical lines stuck through it. Numbers appear at various places alone each of those lines, but not for any reason Kai can figure out.
Pepper has been watching him. “These are Chalam’s personal financial accounts. Those numbers on the bottom are years, and the ones on the side are his earnings. The curve is profits and losses. But this one is much more interesting.”
She clicks the mouse and the image on the screen changes. Now Kai is looking at a complex web of arrows and boxes. Arrows branch out from the central box, with amounts written above them.
“That box in the center is Chalam’s Personal Fund, and the arrows are his financial maneuvers.” Pepper traces her finger across the screen as she explains what Kai is looking at. “Each arrow represents money flows, and each of these other boxes are the different accounts and companies he uses.”
“Accounts and shell companies not on public accounts.” Mali adds. “He’ll need to know where the money is going whether it's legal or not.”
“In other words,” Rome clarifies when Kai still looks confused. “My uncle’s private slush fund.”
“Will this help prove fraud?” Kai can’t quite keep the growing excitement out of his voice.
Pepper shrugs. “If there’s a pattern that could establish a concrete paper trail, then yes. But I’d need something to compare it to.”
“Jet has what Mali and I were able to find. We can get the information from what he has.” Rome offers.
“It would help if you had something specific.” Pepper points out. “Something that can prove he’s committing massive fraud. Last quarter’s financial statements, for example.”
Kai nods. “I can get them tomorrow.”
Concerns crosses Mali’s face. “Kai—”
“No,” Kai cuts off Pepper’s protest. “You aren’t supposed to be there—I know exactly where he keeps those records, so I’ll get them.”
I have to do this.
He moves away from the table before anyone can protest or try to make him change his mind. He hadn’t gone into details about his conversation with Chalam when he’d returned to Rome’s office, and Rome and Mali hadn’t pressed him, but he still couldn’t get the images of Mali and Rome in the elevator and Nail at the control panel out of his head.
They’re not like my parents.
They’re not going to die if I can do something about it.
Kai pulls out his phone for the umpteenth time. Jet still hasn’t answered any of his texts.
Damn it, Jet, where the hell are you?
Kai thinks for a minute, then types out:
KAI: We can prove fraud. Call me back.
If that doesn’t get Jet’s attention, Kai doesn’t know what will.
Kai sighs, sliding his phone back into his pocket. Across the table, Rome, Pepper and Mali shoot him identical curious looks.
”You ok?” Rome asks the question all three of them are thinking.
Kai shakes his head. “Jet isn’t answering his phone.”
“You’ve ignored him for the past three days.” Pepper points out, glancing up from her laptop.
“I didn’t ‘ignore’ him!” Kai protests. “I was…processing.”
And it’s true—partly. What do you tell someone when you’ve found information that could shatter everything else they’ve known? Kai initially decided to avoid it while he figured out what to say. No, not ‘avoid’.
Process. Think about it and decide when and where and how to tell Jet who his adoptive father is. Say the name, Kai. Make it real.
Chalam is Jet’s legal father.
Mali gives him an understanding smile. “I don’t want to have a potentially awkward conversation with him either.”
Kai doesn’t think ‘potentially awkward’ even begins to cover it. “I still don’t understand why Chalam would do something like that.”
“Well—” Rome doesn’t get to finish his sentence before Kai rounds on him.
“If you say ‘power’, I’ll punch you.” He warns.
Rome smirks. “Even if it is about power?”
“Or maybe it’s more than power.” Pepper’s brow furrows. “What if Chalam’s trying to keep Jet from testifying against him?”
Kai frowns. “Jet’s an adult. How would Chalam stop him?”
“There’s no actual law that prevents it, but Chalam doesn’t need a law. He needs a judge he can control.” Rome leans forward. “If he shows a judge that he’s Jet’s legal father, he might claim that forcing Jet to testify could damage Jet emotionally or psychologically. Judges sometimes rule in favor of what’s ‘in the best interest of the child’—even for adult children—if someone with influence pushes for it.”
Mali shakes her head. “But Thailand doesn’t have any formal ‘parent-child privilege’ law.”
“No,” Rome agrees, “but Chalam could easily use his power and influence to convince a judge that Jet shouldn’t be forced to testify. He’s done worse to protect himself.”
Pepper’s lips curl. “All Chalam would need is a judge on his side, and that wouldn’t be hard for him.”
Kai’s eyes narrow as the full picture clicks into place. “So, Chalam’s backup plan is to twist the system in his favor again—claim Jet’s his ‘child’ and use that to silence him.”
Pepper blows out a frustrated breath. “That still doesn’t explain why Chalam would adopt your brother in the first place.”
“I think I know why.” Mali turns Rome’s laptop around so they can see the screen. “This was on one of the SD cards.”
The four of them stare at the image on the screen. It’s a single sheet of paper, but the numbering on the bottom indicates that it’s one of a series of pages:
Surveillance report on Chalam Tian Samongkonchai. This report details the surveillance conducted on Chalam Tian Samongkonchai, CEO of OmniVentures Ltd., from XXXXXXXX to XXXXXXXX.
Pepper sucks in a breath. “Look at who conducted the surveillance.”
The ink next to “prepared by” is a little blurred, as though the image was captured just after printing. But the surname is still legible, and Mali and Kai freeze when they read it:
Anada and Kanok Saetangmasawat.
Rome’s mouth drops open. “Are those—”
“Our parents.” Mali and Kai speak at the same time.
Automatically, Mali clicks through the rest of the images while the other three look over her shoulder. Several grainy photos appear on the screen, complete with timestamps. In one photo, Chalam stands at a dimly lit meeting, his expression shrouded in shadows while a stack of cash lies on the table in front of him. Another image shows what looks like a clandestine meeting in a back alley, where Chalam hands over a sealed envelope to a well-dressed man. One particularly disturbing photo captures a group of men loading crates of weapons labeled with false names into a truck.
Pepper stares at Kai. “Were your parents…undercover agents?”
Kai shrugs. His mouth has lost the ability to form words.
This is not a spy novel. This is real life. But things like this happen in real life, right? Sometimes? Kai’s mind races as more and more of the puzzle pieces start to drop into place. If Chalam knew our parents were undercover agents, then the car accident was no accident,and what I saw that night…
Screaming breaks, and the screeching of skidding tires.
Spurting blood and broken glass.
That face in the car’s shattered side view mirror.
Kai remembers that face.
Kai knows that face.
That surveillance report is starting to make things click into place, and that last memory comes into sharp focus.
It was Chalam’s face. Chalam had killed Kai’s parents to halt their investigation into OmniVentures. And then…he’d taken Jet, adopting him as a contingency. Because Kai’s parents had known how corrupt Chalam really was.
An iron band clamps around Kai’s lungs. Jet. Did Jet know?
Rome reaches over Mali’s shoulder, extracting the SD card from the laptop. “We need to show this to the right authorities.”
Before Kai can ask who the right authorities are, his phone buzzes. His stomach bottoms out when he sees the caller ID.
Incoming call from JET.
“Kai?” Mali’s voice is tinged with concern.
“I’ll be right back.” Kai gets up from the table. Once he’s out of earshot of everyone else, he raises the phone to his ear with a shaking hand. “Jet?”
“Yeah.” Jet’s voice sounds calmer than it should—far too calm considering the urgency of Kai’s repeated texts and calls.
“Seriously?” Kai’s frustration boils over. “I’ve been trying to reach you all day. What the hell, Jet? You can’t even bother to call me back?”
Jet sighs on the other end. “I know, I know—”
“No, you don’t get to give me that bullshit! I needed you. Where the hell were you?” Kai’s breathing is ragged now, his heart pounding. “We’re supposed to be doing this investigation together. I thought when I told you I found something important you’d at least care enough to respond!”
“I’m sorry. I was... distracted.” Jet’s voice remains frustratingly calm.
“Distracted?” Kai scoffs. His words come out sharper than they should, but he doesn’t care.“Distracted by what, exactly? Luca? Is he the reason you ghosted me?”
Rather than deny it, Jet laughs. "Yeah, kind of. But—"
“You know what?” Kai cuts him off, his voice ice-cold now. “Forget it. I don’t care anymore.”
“Kai—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Kai snaps. “I’ve been going through hell over here, and I could’ve really used my brother. But I guess I don’t matter enough.”
The silence on Jet’s end feels heavier than before, and for a minute, Kai wonders if his brother has finally understood.
“I’m sorry.” Jet repeats, his voice quieter.“What did you find?”
Kai pauses, still fuming, but right now his discovery is more important than his anger. He takes a deep breath, fighting to keep his voice steady. “Our parents were working undercover.”
The line goes eerily quiet.
“Jet? Did you hear me?”
“I heard.” Jet’s voice wavers slightly, like he’s trying to mask his shock. “How do you know?”
“I found a surveillance report in Chalam’s files,” Kai continues, the fury slowly giving way to the gravity of his news. “It has their names on it, Jet. Mom and Dad. Pictures of Chalam’s dirty deals, the smuggling, all of it. There’s fraud, missing money, everything we’ve been looking for. Pepper’s been going through the balance sheets—”
“So Pepper’s helping you now?” Jet cuts in, a teasing lilt in his voice despite the tension.
Kai feels heat rise to his face. “Don’t start.”
“I’m just saying...” Jet’s tone softens. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer earlier.”
Kai exhales, his anger dissolving under the weight of the conversation. He’s still upset, but this isn’t the time to stay mad. “It’s fine. Luca’s a good distraction, right?”
“That’s what he keeps telling me,” Jet jokes, but there’s something underneath his tone, something guarded.
Kai hesitates, tempted to just end the call. “Hey, Jet.”
“What?” Jet pauses long enough for Kai to reply before asking another question. “Did you find something else?”
Yes.
Chalam is your legal father.
You’re a contingency.
I think he adopted you so that you couldn’t be forced to testify against him.
Because he thought you were the only one who saw his face the day of the accident.
The words are there—right there, on the tip of his tongue, but they won’t come out. He’s not ready. He’s not ready to destroy Jet’s trust like that. Instead, Kai stumbles on a different question, one that doesn’t unravel everything just yet.
“Jet, can I ask you something?” Kai forces the question out. “Do you…do you remember anything about who adopted you? Like, after the accident?”
The line goes quiet again, and Kai instantly regrets asking. He hears Jet sigh on the other end. “Why are you asking about that?”
“It’s just…” Kai hesitates, scrambling for a way to explain without revealing the truth. “I found some things, and it got me thinking about that day. About what happened after.”
“Of course I remember.” Jet’s voice drops, the lightness from earlier gone. “I was adopted by the Chonlada family. Thitipan and Supansa Chonlada. After they adopted me, we moved to Chiang Mai. I spent a lot of time with the Manirats, which was better than just sitting at home. They took me to Italy, and I thought I’d finally found a family. Not like you and Mali, but…almost.”
“That must’ve been...nice,” Kai’s throat tightens.
“It was,” Jet admits. “Why do you ask?”
Because Chalam adopted you. He’s your legal father. He needed to keep you close enough to control, to silence you, because you’re the only one who saw his face the day of the accident. The words are there, but they stick in the back of Kai’s throat.
“Kai,” Jet’s voice is quieter now, more suspicious. “Is there something you're not telling me?”
“No.” Kai squeezes his eyes shut, fighting back the urge to spill everything. “I wanted to know, that’s all. I’m just… trying to piece things together. I thought maybe there was more to the story.”
“Maybe.” Jet sounds tired, like he’s been carrying a weight of his own. “But whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together.”
“Yeah.” Kai manages. “I know we will.”
Another long pause. He could say it. He could tell Jet everything right now, and lift the weight pressing down on him. But Kai can’t shake the image of Jet’s reaction. The shock. The betrayal. The anger directed at him. Jet would hate him, and Jet would leave.
Jet finally breaks the silence. “Thanks, Kai. For not giving up on this. On me.”
“Yeah.” Kai swallows the knot in his throat. The guilt stabs deeper, but he forces a smile through it. “Anytime.”







Read from beginning: "1. Ignored"