Keifer's POV
I woke up feeling so much pain in my body. Last night, Clyde and his men attacked me. Good thing he has no clue that the password he's looking for isn't like the usual vault passwords.
I walked toward the shower and switched it on. Warm water ran down my body.
I still haven't thought of a solution to my problem with Clyde and Jay-jay. My movements are still limited because I don't have my inheritance yet. I can only protect Jay-jay if I'm close to her.
After taking a bath, I got dressed. I have to meet the Elders again. Whether I like it or not.
I heard a knock on my room door.
"Ready, Keifer?" It was Honey.
I walked toward it and opened the door. "Ready."
Honey followed behind me as we walked toward the elevator. I didn't tell them about Clyde's visit last night.
"What are you going to discuss with those old men?" she asked.
"Nothing new… Still about the money in Watson Bank."
But there's no money in there. It's all files of treasure and gold.
I paused for a moment to think.
Do they even know what's inside that bank?
I bet they do. They wouldn't be fighting to take it from me if they didn't.
As soon as we stepped out of the elevator, I saw Mr. Ryder standing near the car. I immediately walked toward him.
"You're hiding something from us," he said.
I frowned. "Excuse me?"
"Clyde visited you last night. What did you talk about?"
"Same old, same old."
"What else?"
I shook my head. I don't want to talk about it.
I still haven't figured out a solution.
"Keifer, you have to tell us more about it. What did he do to you? What did he say?"
I took a deep breath. I really don't want to talk about it because it's my personal problem. But maybe they can really help me.
"He's targeting Jay-jay."
Honey covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my God… He's targeting the wrong person."
I looked at her as if I was about to kill her. What she's saying isn't helping.
"What?!" she asked innocently. "I'm telling the truth. Only an idiot would go against your girlfriend."
One of these days, I'm going to fire this woman. I feel like my headache is getting worse because of her.
I know Jay-jay can fight back, but not all the time. Her rebellious nature won't always save her. It might even put her in danger.
"Shut your mouth, Honey, or I will make you," I said and got inside the car.
They followed me in. The car started moving, and our conversation continued.
"What's your plan for Jay-jay?" Mr. Ryder asked.
"I have to get back home soon to make sure that no one will hurt her."
I also need to talk to Yuri. He and a few others are the only ones I can rely on right now. I also need to talk to Angelo and his mother.
That thought kept me up all night. What if it's really him? But that's impossible.
I used to idolize him before. I even copied his actions, thinking that I would be like him—or even better than him. I know I'm not the only one. Aries, Yuri, and Percy are doing the same thing.
I also remember our secret outings that no one else knew about. That's why I know Angelo's friends better than Aries, whom he considers his brother. Maybe that's also the reason why people used to mistake us for real siblings.
But the idea of actually being real brothers? I don't think so. That looks awful to me.
Suddenly, the car we were riding stopped. Mr. Ryder and I almost collided with each other while Honey fell straight to the floor.
"The hell!" she shouted.
"Someone blocked our driveway," one of my bodyguards said.
"Can't you find another way?!" Honey asked angrily, fixing her messed-up hair.
The driver tried to reverse the car, but before we could move away, someone shot our driver. Honey screamed loudly, and Mr. Ryder and I immediately ducked.
One of our bodyguards stepped out and aimed his gun at the car that had blocked our path earlier. The other bodyguards following us did the same.
"What the hell! What the hell!" Honey kept shouting.
"Shut up!" I yelled at her.
I peeked outside to see what was happening. The driver's door of the other car opened, and a man in a black suit stepped out with both hands raised.
He looks familiar. I know I've seen him before, but I can't remember where.
I kept staring at him as he walked toward the backseat door.
"Don't move! Get down!" one of my bodyguards shouted.
"Relax! Someone wants to talk to Mr. Keifer!" the man answered.
I arched my brow. If that someone wants to talk to me, they should have said so. They didn't need to shoot my driver—if they really were the ones who did it.
The door of the other car's driver's seat opened. One of my bodyguards pulled the dead driver out of the car.
"Let's get out of here!" I commanded.
"We can't, Sir. We're still checking the perimeter," he answered before leaving.
"Hey! You can't leave us here!" Honey shouted.
But our bodyguards didn't abandon us. Most of them stayed in front of our car, shielding us from any possible danger.
I turned my attention back to the man who had stepped out of the car. He reached the back seat and opened the door. A passenger slowly stepped out.
My eyes widened as I recognized who it was. It was Dylan—my father's hitman. And as he fully stepped out of the car, he aimed an Armalite rifle at us.
I didn't see what happened next. Mr. Ryder suddenly pulled Honey and me down, using his own body to cover us. I could hear multiple gunshots, but I didn't know whose gun they were coming from.
Honey kept screaming every time a bullet hit our car. The noise around me was deafening.
Is this the end of my life?
I haven't even celebrated my 18th birthday yet. I haven't graduated high school. I haven't even set foot in college. And I still haven't asked Jay-jay to marry me.
No! I can't die here!
I won't die without a fight!
The sound of gunfire slowly decreased. I tried to peek outside, but Mr. Ryder stopped me. I heard the roar of a speeding car and a few more gunshots.
The door of our car suddenly opened, and only then did Mr. Ryder release us.
"Sir! Are you alright?" one of the bodyguards asked.
"Yes, we're—"
Honey's sudden scream cut me off. She was crying while looking at her uncle. My eyes widened as I realized why.
"My uncle is bleeding! He needs help!" she cried.
He got hit… and it's because of me. He tried to protect me, even if it meant risking his life.
One of the bodyguards pulled me out of the car and forced me into another vehicle they were using. They did the same to Honey, who was still crying.
Only then did I notice the bodies lying on the road. Most of them were my bodyguards, except for one unfamiliar person.
I know it's not Dylan. Maybe one of the people he was with.
"We have to save my Uncle!" Honey shouts while crying.
"We will rush him to the nearest hospital!" Again, one of them answered before closing the car door.
They start the car and immediately drive it away. I'm still speechless. Unable to say a thing. Completely shocked because of what happened to Mr. Ryder.
"Stop the car! I want to be with my Uncle!" Honey said while begging the driver. "Please! I want to be with him!"
I was forced to hug Honey to stop her from struggling. She kept crying. I can't blame her; I know exactly how she feels.
Her uncle was the one who raised her after her parents died in an accident.
"Keifer… Please! I want to be with my Uncle. I want to be with him. Please…"
I looked at the driver. "Drive to the Hospital—"
He cut me off. "But we have to move you to a safer place."
"Just do what I said! We want to see Mr. Ryder now!"
He didn't respond anymore and continued driving. Honey keeps crying, but unlike before, she has calmed down now.
I can't get what happened earlier out of my mind. Dylan is here, which means Dad is also here. Sooner or later, he will show up himself to us, and I'm not ready.
I can't face him yet. I'm sure he will come looking for the password from me. Dammit! He will surely use my brothers to make me say it.
I don't know what to do!
My cousin and other relatives are using Jay-jay. They're using my weakness against me. And now, Mr. Ryder is in the hospital because of me.
I'm not sure if I want to keep my inheritance. How will I protect those gold and treasures when I can't even protect my loved ones? Especially Jay-jay.
Does it mean I have to give up and give away those gold? But if I do that, it's like my Mom's death was all for nothing.
I have to think wisely.
If I let go of my inheritance, my monstrous father and my relatives will stop bothering me. But that will limit my capabilities. I can only protect the people around me if they are close to me.
But if I accept the inheritance, my power will expand. I can hunt down those who threaten us. There's a higher chance that I can protect them even from afar.
I'm starting to feel headaches.
Although I still have a month to think about this, I already feel too much pressure. This is exhausting. I haven't even done much yet, but my body already feels drained.
We arrived at the hospital where Mr. Ryder was taken. Honey didn't wait for someone to open the door for her. She did it herself and ran inside the hospital.
I quickly followed her. I found her at the reception, talking to one of the nurses. She was with one of the bodyguards who brought her uncle here.
"He's still inside the Operating Room. I suggest you wait for a while," the nurse told Honey.
"You don't understand. I want to know if he's alright!" She almost shouted.
"Our doctors are trying their best to save him."
Before Honey could cause trouble, I put my arm around her and gently pulled her away.
I made her sit on one of the empty benches in the waiting area.
"Get her some water," I ordered the bodyguard who followed us.
Honey was clearly trying to stop her tears from falling. She repeatedly grabbed her hair and exhaled heavily.
"He will be alright," I finally said.
I didn't want to say anything to her. I know she blames me for what happened. Who else could be their target? I'm the only one.
"I am blaming you for this," she said without looking at me. "If something bad happens to Uncle, I will never forgive you."
I was already expecting this. I feel more than guilty right now. Her uncle has helped me with many things since Mom passed away. He's not just a lawyer to me. He's also a friend.
"I think it's better if you go to the Elders now. It's not good to keep them waiting. I will wait for the doctor and hear what he has to say."
I know she doesn't want me here. She wants me to leave. Who would want to be with the person responsible for putting their loved one in the operating room?
I didn't say a word. I stood up and left her, just as she wanted. I talked to one of the bodyguards and asked them to watch over Honey for me and make sure she was safe.
They nodded, and I walked out of the hospital. I got into the car and ordered the driver to take me to the old mansion.
I have to face the Elders. I have to talk to them as they requested. Out of respect—though it would feel so satisfying to insult them—I will face them.
It didn't take long before we reached the Old Mansion of the Watsons. As soon as the car stopped, I immediately stepped out. One of the house butlers greeted me.
"Keifer… They're waiting for you," he said and started walking.
I followed him. I straightened myself up as I walked, dusted off my coat, and combed my hair.
We stopped in front of a large door on the ground floor. The butler opened it and quickly stepped aside to let me in.
The Elders looked at me with furrowed brows.
"You kept us waiting, Keifer. What took you so long?" one of them said.
"We encountered a problem while we were on our way."
I heard a deep sigh from the eldest among them—the one who always holds a cane, even though he can still walk perfectly fine.
"Let's get straight to the point. We want to know what you have seen in the Watson bank," the youngest said.
There are five Elders left in the Watson family. Four of them are in front of me now, while the other one sits comfortably on a soft sofa, reading a book. He is also the one who gave me the key to the bank.
It was from him that I learned that our relatives had no idea he had the key. My grandfather deliberately left it with him because, out of all our relatives, he was the only one uninterested in the Watson family's wealth.
I walked toward the empty seat in front of the eldest Elder. He sat on a long leather couch while the other three stood a short distance from him.
"Can I sit first?" I asked for permission. He simply gestured with his hand.
I sat down and adjusted my coat.
Honestly, I've been wanting to collapse onto the floor. Everything I've gone through feels so heavy.
"Answer our question," one of them ordered.
Can't you wait?
"What do you expect to see in a bank?" I answered sarcastically.
They obviously didn't like my response, but they tried their best to remain calm and expressionless.
"Bastard," one of them whispered, but I still heard it.
"It's exactly what you expected."
I can't give them a direct answer. Maybe they really don't know what's inside the bank. Or maybe they do, and they're just playing games with me.
I noticed the three standing Elders smirking at each other.
"Keifer…" the eldest spoke. "I would like to ask you a question."
"Go ahead."
He pulled something from inside his coat. He casually tossed two pictures onto the coffee table.
I tried my best not to react. The eldest really knows how to play a damn game.
"That girl is your girlfriend. Is that right?"
I almost clenched my fists. I could say 'no,' but they obviously wouldn't believe me.
"And that man is named Michael Angelo," he added.
I think I already know where this is going.
I didn't expect this.
"Isn't it great that your girlfriend and that man are related? What a coincidence!" he said, laughing. "And you know what the most amazing part is?"
I didn't answer, and he continued talking.
He smirked as if he had just won a game. "That Michael Angelo is a candidate for being your father's missing child."
Dammit!
I knew it! They know something I don't. But he said 'candidate,' which means they don't have proof yet.
"Amazing indeed," I said, trying not to sound sarcastic.
"You knew it, didn't you? You knew that he could be your missing 'older' brother. You took the chance to investigate him by getting into a relationship with her cousin."
Wow, just… wow.
I suddenly burst out laughing at what the eldest said. I didn't know they had such wild imaginations. Even coming up with something like this?
They should meet Ci-N. They'd probably enjoy each other's company.
I saw their serious expressions, clearly not amused by my reaction. I stopped laughing after a while.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that…" I tried to hold back my laughter. "…everything you just said doesn't make sense."
"Is that so?" the youngest Elder said sarcastically. "…then explain to us who this girl is in your life and how you met Michael Angelo."
So they haven't been keeping track of everything happening to me.
That's a relief. At least I can still move without them knowing.
"Angelo and his brother used to be my friends, but things got messed up, and we went our separate ways. Unfortunately, his brother and I became rivals. Which means I met him first before that girl."
I explained, and they looked at each other.
The eldest picked up Jay-jay's picture.
I want to snatch it from his hands. I know these old men have a plan; that's why they showed me Jay-jay's picture.
He has nothing to do with this!
"What is your exact relationship with this girl?"
He asked while playing with the picture in his hand.
Think, Keifer!
They will use Jay-jay against me. I have to think faster. I can't let him get involved in this. What if something happens to him, just like what happened to me earlier?
"She's… s-she's—."
"She's your what?" the eldest asked, as if he couldn't wait for my answer.
Think! I have to be careful with what I say.
I glanced at the picture of Angelo on the coffee table. Aries' face was also caught in the photo.
Jay-jay…
"She's nothing… I'm just using her for my revenge."