@abcdefaaako: Ling had seen her before. Not once. Not twice. Enough times that she had started wondering if the woman was deliberately appearing wherever Ling happened to be. Charity events. Fundraisers. Hospital visits. Food drives. School donation programs. The woman was always there. Quietly helping. Never standing in front of the cameras. Never accepting praise. And, strangely enough, no one seemed to know who she was. Ling had heard the whispers. "She's trying to get close to wealthy people." "She's always asking for donations." "Apparently, she's soliciting for another charity." "Maybe she's trying to build connections." Ling never participated in the gossip. But she couldn't deny that she was curious. Especially because the woman never looked like someone trying to gain anything. She simply helped. Then disappeared. Her name was Orm. At least, that was what Ling eventually learned. Nothing more. And somehow, that little bit of information only made Ling more curious. ⸻ The charity masquerade was one of the biggest events of the year. The ballroom was filled with Bangkok's most influential families, business leaders, celebrities, and philanthropists. Everyone wore masks. Everyone looked beautiful. Everyone was pretending they weren't watching everyone else. Ling stood among the guests, dressed elegantly in a black gown, her mask covering only part of her face. Then she saw her. Orm. There was no mistaking her. She wore an emerald-green gown, simple but breathtaking, and a black mask that framed her eyes. Those eyes. Even from across the room, Ling recognized them. Hazel. Ling had never seen eyes quite like hers. Orm noticed her staring. Their eyes met. Orm smiled. Ling smiled back. And for a moment, neither looked away. Then the music changed. The tempo increased. People laughed and moved toward the dance floor. Ling found herself being pulled into the crowd. She didn't mind. Neither, apparently, did Orm. Somehow, they ended up dancing in the same general area. They never actually spoke. But every few minutes, Ling caught herself looking for her. And every time she did— Orm was already looking at her. It became a silent game. A glance. A smile. A look away. Another glance. Neither of them approached. Until the music suddenly stopped. The crowd erupted in laughter and conversation. People began leaving the dance floor, heading back toward their tables and waiting for the next song. Ling stepped away. At almost the same moment, Orm moved in the opposite direction. Neither saw the other coming. They collided. Orm lost her balance. Ling reacted immediately. Her hand caught Orm around the waist before she could fall. Orm instinctively grabbed Ling's shoulder. For one suspended second, they simply stared at each other. Then— The music started again. But this time, it was slow. Soft piano notes drifted through the ballroom. Neither moved. They were standing directly in the middle of the now-clearing dance floor. People around them began pairing up again. Ling glanced around. "We're in the way." Orm looked around too. "I think we are." Ling tried to step aside. Orm did the same. They moved in the same direction. Ling stopped. Orm stopped. Ling tried the other way. Orm followed. They both laughed. "Okay," Ling said. "Maybe we're not very good at escaping each other." Orm smiled. "Maybe we're not supposed to." Ling raised an eyebrow. "That's a little dramatic." "I've been told." Ling laughed. The slow music continued. Orm glanced at Ling's hand, still resting lightly against her waist from catching her. Then she looked back up. "Would it be terrible if we just stayed?" Ling looked at the crowd. Then at Orm. "No." Orm smiled. "Good." She placed one hand gently on Ling's shoulder. Ling hesitated for half a second before placing her hand around Orm's waist. They began to dance. Slowly. Carefully. At first, there was a little distance between them. Then less. And less. Until the ballroom around them seemed to disappear. "You dance well," Ling said. Orm smiled. "You do too." "Have we ever danced together before?" Continuation…➡️ #lingorm #au

Abcde :

1️⃣ "No." "Then how do you know?" Orm's eyes met hers. "I don't know." A pause. "I just feel like I can follow you." Something about that answer made Ling's heart beat faster. She looked down briefly. Then back at Orm. And there it was again. Those eyes. Hazel. Warm. Soft beneath the ballroom lights. Ling couldn't explain why they fascinated her so much. Maybe it was because Orm's eyes never seemed to match the rumors. There was nothing calculating in them. Nothing manipulative. Nothing that suggested she was trying to use anyone. Just warmth. And something else Ling couldn't name. They continued moving. One step. Another. Orm's fingers rested lightly against Ling's shoulder. Ling's hand remained at her waist. Neither seemed interested in breaking the distance. "You come to a lot of charity events," Ling said. Orm smiled. "You noticed." "I've seen you before." "Several times." "Yes." Orm tilted her head. "Have you been watching me?" Ling almost laughed. "Maybe." Orm smiled. "I've been watching you too." Ling's steps faltered slightly. "You have?" "Yes." "Why?" Orm looked at her for a long moment. "You're difficult to ignore." Ling's heart skipped. She opened her mouth to answer— But nothing came out. Instead, she found herself staring at Orm again. At her smile. At the small movement of her lips. And most of all— Her eyes. Ling got lost in them. Completely. The music continued. She didn't notice. The couples around them began slowing down. Some had already stopped. A few guests were applauding. Ling didn't hear any of it. She was still looking at Orm. Until Orm smiled. "Ling." No response. "Ling?" Ling blinked. "What?" Orm laughed softly. "The song ended." Ling looked around. The ballroom had gone quiet again. Everyone else had stopped dancing. She hadn't even noticed. For perhaps the first time in her life, Ling had completely lost track of time. Because she had been staring into Orm's hazel eyes. Orm smiled. "You really were somewhere else." Ling tried to recover her composure. "I was thinking." "About?" Ling looked at her. Then smiled. "Nothing important."

valentine :

I need second part😩

user1615775105927 :

baru lagi aja nih cerita nya.....

ZERO :

bitin

Abcde :

3️⃣ Ling's smile disappeared. She knew that tone. Mr. Sethratanapong continued from the stage. "Our families have been close for many years. After much discussion, my friend and I have agreed to unite our families through marriage." Ling's stomach dropped. Her father looked at her. She waited. For the anger. For the argument. For the instinctive refusal that had come every time her father had tried to discuss marriage for the sake of business. But nothing came. Because Orm had just turned toward her. Their eyes met across the ballroom. Those hazel eyes. The same eyes Ling had forgotten the world around her for. Orm looked just as surprised. Ling slowly smiled. Her father frowned. "You aren't going to say anything?" Ling looked at him. Then back at Orm. For the first time, an arranged marriage didn't sound like a business deal. It sounded like an opportunity. A ridiculous, unexpected, almost impossible opportunity. To see Orm again. To know her. To find out who she really was beneath the mask. Ling finally looked at her father. "No." Her father blinked. "No?" "I'm not going to argue." He stared at her. "You're agreeing?" Ling smiled. This time, she didn't even try to hide it. "Yes." Across the ballroom, Orm's eyes widened. Then she smiled. And somehow, Ling knew she was thinking the same thing. Neither of them had known. Neither of them had planned this. Yet somehow, the woman Ling had spent weeks wondering about... was the woman her father had chosen for her. The woman everyone had been trying to identify... was the woman Ling had just fallen for. And suddenly, the empire didn't matter. The money didn't matter. The business arrangement didn't matter. Ling only cared about one thing. Orm. The girl with the hazel eyes. The girl who had made her forget the song had ended. The girl she had wanted to know long before she knew she was an heiress. And perhaps that was why, for the first time in her life, Ling didn't want to fight the future her father had chosen. She wanted it. She wanted Orm. And for once... she wasn't afraid of what that might mean.

Simo Corno :

Abcde :

2️⃣ Orm didn't believe her. But she didn't push. Instead, she stepped back. "Thank you for the dance." Ling nodded. "Thank you." They separated. But neither walked very far. Ling turned around. Orm did too. Their eyes met again. And Ling smiled. ⸻ Later that night, the ballroom quieted as the final part of the event began. The guests returned to their seats. Ling sat beside her father, barely paying attention to the conversations around her. Her thoughts kept returning to the woman in the emerald gown. Orm. She wondered who she really was. Where she came from. Why she kept appearing at charities. Why she seemed so uninterested in the attention everyone else desperately wanted. Then the host announced that there would be a special presentation. The room gradually fell silent. A familiar businessman stepped onto the stage. Ling recognized him immediately. Mr. Sethratanapong. The head of one of Thailand's most powerful business empires. He stood before the crowd with a calm expression. "I've kept my daughter's identity private for many years." A murmur spread through the ballroom. Ling straightened. Everyone knew the Sethratanapong family had an heir. But almost no one knew her. Mr. Sethratanapong continued. "My daughter has spent years working with charities across Thailand." Ling's heart stopped. "She has done so anonymously, refusing to use our family name or wealth to receive recognition." Ling slowly looked toward the crowd. No. It couldn't be. Mr. Sethratanapong smiled. "Tonight, I believe it's time for everyone to meet the future heiress of the Sethratanapong Group." The lights shifted. And landed on Orm. Ling stared. The woman in the emerald gown stood calmly. The same woman she had just danced with. The same woman people had accused of trying to get close to wealthy families. The same woman everyone thought was looking for connections. Wasn't looking for wealthy people. She was one of them. One of the wealthiest. Ling almost laughed. Of course. Of course she was. Then her father spoke beside her. "Ling." She turned. Her father's expression was unusually serious. "There is something else."

nadinepoulain14 :

💖