If there were ever a desperate heart, it pounded in the chest of Forth. He was consumed and in love but he couldn't find the man who was causing his pain.
There were other forces at work here. People who would see them torn apart.
Beam had slip...
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Beam said thank you, again and again. "P'Forth, it's too much."
Forth hugged him but Maw could see that something was not quite right with Forth. He looked puzzled. He repeatedly peered at Bunnag and was cocking his head, seemingly asking an unspoken question. Simultaneously, with Beam's arms around him, he showed signs of being in his happy place.
As much as Beam wanted to stay right there in Forth's hold, there were dozens of people that he needed to greet, and several journalists were waiting to have a few words with him. Forth rubbed his back and told him to take care of business.
Just as Maw suspected, Forth went straight to Bunnag and the pair of them slipped into the kitchen. They stood off to the side because the fill-in staff were up to their ears in food.
Maw did not make a habit of listening in on her son's lover's thoughts but she had no problem walking in right behind them and listening directly.
As she pushed the door open, she heard Forth say: "What's going on Bunnag? I only deposited two million, not five. Ah, I will have five soon, but not yet. I don't have that much."
Bunnag saw Maw and held out his arm. He gestured for her to move in by his side.
"I know Nong'Forth." Bunnag rubbed his chin as a man would when in deep thought. "Ah, your father didn't say anything to you about this?"
"My father? No, he doesn't know about this."
Forth appeared to be getting miffed. He pushed his eyebrows together. "What does this have to do with my dad?"
By now, Maw had peeked just enough to know what she needed to. She touched Bunnag's forearm. "You should tell him son."
She was worried that if Forth got angry, something fearsome could manifest in a random thought or wish.
"Forth, your father called me Wednesday morning. He said that he knew all about the two million baht donation and that he wanted to change that."
"Change it?" He backed up until his butt hit the storage cabinet behind him.
Bunnag smiled and stepped forward. He put his hand on Forth's shoulder. "Yes, he said he wanted to round it up to a nice even five."
Forth's stance changed and became that of someone who had the air knocked out of them.
Bunnag was still smiling when he said: "He transferred the money into the foundation's account right then, while we were on the phone. I saw it go in with my own eyes. The money is there."
"But why?"
His mind wandered. Forth stood for a moment staring blankly into Bunnag's face. He turned his head slowly toward Maw. "I need to call my dad."
