Keifer's POV
I won't last a day without seeing her. This is so difficult. It's extremely difficult, especially for me. I badly want to see her.
I miss my Jay-jay.
I almost crumpled the paper I was holding while glancing at the phone I was using, which had only one saved number.
Her number.
It probably wouldn't be bad if I messaged her now. Keigan is not here yet. I was about to pick up my phone when I heard the notification sound from my original phone.
I took it out of my pocket and looked. It was a text message from Mr. Ryder.
From: Atty. Raider.
Message: Hanamitchi's only heir is no longer engaged.
I immediately straightened up as I stared at the message. They're no longer engaged. A smirk formed on my face. I finally heard some good news.
I thought I would have to wipe out the entire Hanamitchi family just to break that engagement. Most likely, Yuri's family found a way.
In your face, Angelo! In your face!
Jay-jay is mine. Only mine! No man can have her except me. This should be a lesson for Angelo.
I put my phone away again before focusing back on what I was reading. At least, I now have a new reason to continue what I am doing. One of my problems has resolved itself.
But there's more! I still have a lot to face. My head is already hurting just thinking about it. But this is a good start.
"Kuya, can I go home now?" Keiren asked me while playing with his tablet.
"No. I told you we're staying here for a month."
"What about my school?" He put down his tablet and looked at me. "My girlfriends will miss me."
I put down the papers I was holding. He just said 'girlfriend' with an S.
"Excuse me? What girlfriends?" I asked, emphasizing the S.
"The girls who give me gifts every day.
They're my girlfriends."
I rolled my eyes. He has a different understanding of dating.
I heard the suite door open. I immediately grabbed my secret phone and put it in my other pocket.
"By lunch, you'll meet our relatives. Mostly our cousins from afar." Keigan said before lying down on the long sofa.
I returned my attention to the papers. This is the brief information about Watson Enterprise and, of course, the latest happenings inside.
This is more complicated than I expected. It's even broader than I imagined. What more if I'm already inside the company?
This isn't really what I thought it would be—not even close. The painful part is that it looks like I really have to go through the eye of a needle.
"You will never become the CEO of Watson Enterprise."
Those words from my cousin Clyde suddenly popped into my mind.
"You don't have a degree. No experience or understanding of the company. You're underage."
I felt humiliated when I heard those words from him. Even though it was just the two of us in his office yesterday, I felt like I had been embarrassed in front of our entire clan.
"So, how will you handle this position?"
I suddenly threw the papers I was holding out of frustration. My two younger brothers immediately looked at me. I stood up and quickly walked toward the balcony. I planned to get some fresh air.
Keigan immediately stopped me when I was about to open the glass door.
"Don't, Kuya!" He shouted.
I frowned and looked at him. "What?"
"That's not a good place to die."
I held the bridge of my nose. I almost forgot.
We're in London, and most people here are dying to see me soaking in my own blood.
I raised both of my hands as a sign of surrender. Instead, I walked toward my room. I almost slammed the door shut. My body collapsed onto the bed.
Fvck! I don't want all my efforts to go to waste. I'll probably visit Clyde again tomorrow. I need to find a loophole to get into the company.
I don't care if I start with a small position, as long as I get inside. I'll take it step by step until I get what's rightfully mine.
I took my secret phone and messaged Jay, but she didn't reply.
I didn't realize I had fallen asleep. I only woke up because of the strong shaking.
"Kuya! Wake up! Kuya Keigan said that you need to wake up now!" It was Keiren.
"Stop… I'm awake!" I said and forced my eyes to open.
He stopped and leaned closer to my face.
"What do you want for your birthday?" He asked, making me pause.
He knew when my birthday was, but we never celebrated it. That's why it was strange that he was asking about a gift.
"Are you going to give me something?"
He shook his head. "Nope. I'm just asking."
I groaned loudly while he laughed mischievously. I heard his footsteps as he left.
I sat at the edge of the bed and searched for my phones to check the time.
I found my secret phone under my pillow while the original one was on the bedside table.
I checked both. I didn't know I had slept for so long. It's already 11 AM.
I also checked my messages. There's no message on my secret phone.
Maybe she has no load? She's too lazy to reload, so I wouldn't be surprised if she can't reply because she has no balance. Maybe I should put her number in my plan so she won't worry about contacting anyone.
I checked my original phone. My forehead creased upon seeing Yuri's name as the first message in my inbox.
From: Chickenhead
Message: You left the country without saying goodbye to me.
I immediately sent a response.
To: Chickenhead
Message: Don't cry. I'll be back soon.
I didn't wait for his reply. I got up and went to the bathroom. I took a bath.
Water was still dripping from my hair when I came out. I glanced at my phone before picking it up to check for messages.
From: Chickenhead
Message: Don't return. Stay where you are. Jay-jay will be mine.
I almost chuckled bitterly.
To: Chickenhead
Message: Keep dreaming. It's free anyway.
I didn't receive any more replies from him. I decided to continue what I was doing.
I changed into something appropriate. I was about to leave when I ran into Keigan, who was almost running toward me.
"I thought you went back to sleep."
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Our cousins are waiting for us."
I nodded and walked after him. This is their plan upon arriving here—to face our relatives. I already met some of them yesterday when we arrived. As usual, they don't like my presence near them or the company. Some of my cousins are obviously just sucking up.
Most of them live in Scotland or Ireland, while some reside in the provincial areas of England. Only those who work in or are interested in our company live here in London. From what I know, I still have cousins in other countries who only visit here occasionally.
The Watson family is huge. There are so many illegitimate children. I'm not surprised. Despite their wealth and numbers, only a few are recognized by the main family.
Unfortunately, I am not one of them. Even though I am the grandchild of my late grandfather, I don't know if it's because of my monstrous father or because I didn't grow up with them.
I was already in the lobby when I heard people talking in different languages. They're everywhere. No matter where I looked, I could see my cousins and other relatives.
I know, at first glance, I can already tell. Maybe the Watson appearance is just that obvious.
"Gordon Bennett! It's you!" A man walked beside me with an amused expression.
(Gordon Bennett! - a rather old-fashioned phrase used to express surprise or shock.)
His accent was deep—clearly, he grew up here. I almost asked who Gordon was. I almost forgot that it's an expression and that he was actually talking to me.
He grabbed my hand and arm for a handshake. Even though I was confused, I went along with it. We quickly caught the attention of others, and they started gathering around me.
Keiren and Keigan were watching just behind these people. They were all excited to talk to me, while I was just observing them.
"Jemelle Ruth, I'm from Slovakia." A woman with a strange accent approached me. "We're third cousins."
"Hi, I'm Miracle!" Another woman introduced herself. "My dad is your second cousin, but he's not here."
I forced a smile at them. Another woman approached me and even kissed me on the cheek.
"Francheska Grace, half Filipina. So if you need someone to talk to in Tagalog, just call me," she said, smiling sweetly.
"Excuse me!" Another woman interrupted us. "Martina Carla from Spain," she said with a strange, distinct accent.
I noticed that most of them were women from different countries.
Martina pulled a woman beside her and made her face me. The woman seemed shy as she smiled.
"H-Hi, I'm Irene Flores. I'm from Spain like Martina," she said, smiling. "We're second cousins."
I forced a smile at her. I decided to turn away from them. I intended to approach Keigan, who was talking to someone else, but before I could, another person approached me to introduce themselves.
"Bonjour, I'm Z— Rapyire. I'm a fashion designer from France." She kissed me on the cheek and hugged me tightly.
I wasn't surprised by her actions. The French are known for being sweet and intimidating.
"Nice to meet you," I said before walking again.
I saw that Keigan was talking to a woman. When I got closer, Keigan immediately introduced her.
"This is Franchezka Reigne, she's from Finland, and she's a lawyer," Keigan introduced her.
She offered her hand for a handshake. I accepted it and smiled.
"If you need help about your rights in this family, just call me," she said in her strong accent.
I simply nodded before facing Keigan and pulling him away from these people—I mean, from our cousins.
"Where did all these people come from?" I asked in Tagalog.
I knew those standing near us were listening. It was better if they didn't understand us.
"They're our cousins. They just want to get to know you."
I shook my head. "And you believe that? They're no different from our other cousins."
"Then take advantage of the situation. Use them to gain more allies in this family."
What's the point of having many allies if they're all fake?
I had no choice but to let Keigan proceed with his plans. He knows more about what should be done than I do.
Once again, he introduced me to our supposed cousins. This time, it was the men who approached me. Most were also from the upper parts of Europe, with some from Germany and Poland.
If there was something noticeable about my male cousins, it was their behavior—it wasn't far from mine, which was probably influenced by the Watson blood in them.
Some of them no longer carried our surname, while others were not allowed to use it because they were illegitimate children unrecognized by the Main Family.
We turned to one of our cousins who suddenly clapped. Everyone looked at him, and the others immediately quieted down.
"I know we're all excited to meet Keifer, but let's continue our conversation… with a nosh!" he said in a very thick accent.
Our cousins immediately clapped and walked towards the hotel restaurant.
I saw Keiren frowning as he approached me. "What is nosh?"
"It means food." I ruffled his hair.
"Do you want to eat now?"
"Yes, I still haven't eaten lunch." He turned his back on me and followed our cousins.
I did the same. The restaurant had an old-fashioned concept, probably due to the hotel's preserved look. They were all bustling, choosing what to eat. The different languages I heard overwhelmed me.
"Jahz Ara! Alexandra! Sit here!""Hannah Lois! Call your brothers now!""Stop shouting, Jay Belle!"
I froze when I heard that name.
Remembering her now suddenly makes me want to contact her. I want to know if she's eating properly. Maybe she's still asleep. I want to text her to ease my worries, but Keigan is right in front of me. He might notice and start asking questions.
The waiter arrived and handed out menus. I ordered the same thing as Keiren. Keigan was enjoying the conversation with them, while I just listened.
They mostly talked about our lives in the Philippines.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" One of my male cousins asked. "We heard this news that you're going crazy because of a girl."
Their tones shifted. Most of them whispered in different languages, but I knew exactly what they were hinting at.
"You know what exactly happens to a Watson—"
"There's no such thing. It's not real," I said, looking at them coldly.
If this were an ordinary person, he probably would've backed off, but because he was a Watson, he just laughed and shook his head.
"It's real, Keifer. What do you think is the reason why most of us are single?" my female cousin said in her French accent.
Like I care why.
"Because they leave us. Most of the people we love leave us," one of my male cousins said. "Our possessiveness is the reason."
I almost rolled my eyes. Excuse me, I'm not possessive. Yes, I get jealous easily, but that doesn't make me possessive.
"Even Clyde was left by his ex-fiancée."
"He was left because he's an idiot," I said, and they laughed.
"But seriously, Keifer. It's like a curse, a real curse. And only those who are lucky can overcome it."
I looked at them confidently. "Then I'll be one of those lucky bastards."
Most of them smiled at what I said while shaking their heads. They cheered and went back to their own conversations.
I looked at Keigan, who was clearly not in agreement with what I had said. But he can't do anything about it. I would no longer hide the truth from them or even from the Elders of the family.
They just better not make the mistake of plotting against her.
I will wipe them all out.
"There will be a game on Saturday! Let's watch it!" someone suddenly shouted.
Everyone looked at me as if they were waiting for my decision. I simply nodded before they cheered up. Endless conversations and laughter filled the air. By the time we realized it, it was already lunchtime.
To be honest, I felt different around these people compared to the cousins I had previously met. It felt lighter, maybe because, like me, they were not accepted by the Main Family either.
It was amazing how they seemed to be okay with that. They had the right to many things, but they no longer fought for them.
Was it because they were happier with what they already had?
I want that too!
But I can't.
I would lose too much, and all my efforts would be wasted.
Mom's death would be in vain.
Several hours passed before they finally decided to leave. Some of my male cousins stayed behind to drink.
"See this? She's my girl!" one of my cousins said while showing us a picture.
"She's out of your league!" another one replied.
The others burst into laughter upon seeing his annoyed expression. The conversation turned into a photo-sharing session.
"Can we see the picture of your girlfriend?"
One of them asked me.
I stopped myself from arching a brow. I had no intention of showing them Jay-jay. I didn't want them to take an interest in her. I already know she's beautiful; I don't need anyone else's opinion!
"I don't want to," I said and took a sip of my drink.
They shook their heads when they understood what I meant. At least I didn't have to explain my thoughts to them.
We had already finished 23 bottles, yet none of them were drunk. It was true that the Watsons took a long time to get intoxicated. It was already late in the afternoon when they finally decided to head home.
I walked them to the hotel lobby, where Keigan was waiting for me.
We said our last goodbyes before they finally left.
"They never ask," I said, and Keigan looked at me.
"They never ask about the company."
They never even asked me to help them get a job in the company, unlike the cousins I had met before.
"What do you think about them?"
"I noticed their connection to each other. Even though they come from faraway places, they act as if they're neighbors. It's something I never saw from the main family."
Keigan nodded briefly. "I like them."
"Me too," I said before walking back to our suite.
The sun was still up, but I already felt heavy. I wanted to lie down and close my eyes.
As I entered, the first thing I saw was Keiren, once again holding his tablet. I let him be and went straight to my room.
I sat on my bed and rubbed the back of my neck. This day felt so long, and I was exhausted.
I grabbed both of my phones. I checked the one with only a single saved number.
I miss Jay-jay. I miss her so much.
I suddenly feel like going back to the Philippines, even just for a short while, just to catch a glimpse of her. I just want to hear her voice.
Out of nowhere, I noticed my phone. It was dialing Jay's number.
I didn't even realize I had pressed the call button.
I immediately canceled the call. I placed a hand on my chest, feeling my heart pounding. She must not hear my voice, or she might recognize me.
My phone suddenly popped up with a message from… her.
From: MyFutureMrsWatson
Message: Crazy!
I smiled. At least she texted me first. I quickly typed a reply.
To: MyFutureMrsWatson
Message: Me? Of course!
I knew she would reply with her usual curses and profanity.
From: MyFutureMrsWatson
Message: Who are you really? You're the biggest prankster in the world! If you're just messing with me, can you not? I have so many problems already, I don't even know what to handle first. Don't add to it.
I was quite surprised. Her message was longer than usual, but I still couldn't understand it completely. She really loves texting like this.
I took my time reading it, word for word. After a few minutes, I finally understood. She has a problem, and I have a feeling it's about the cancellation of the engagement.
She needs someone to talk to.
Should I talk to her?
I can't. If she hears my voice, she'll recognize me. And if she does, she will no longer answer my messages.
What should I do then?
I stood up and paced around. She needs someone to talk to. She can talk to me, but I can't talk to her.
Then it's not really talking at all.
Maybe she wouldn't want to talk to someone who won't respond.
Frustrated, I ran my fingers through my hair. Screw it. I just have to make sure I don't speak.
I dialed her number and waited for her to answer.
["H-hello?"] I heard her voice.
I closed my eyes to savor the sound. How I miss hearing her voice. I badly want to speak and tell her how much I love her.
["Hello? Is someone there? An animal? An alien? A spirit? A demon? A jerk? An idiot?"] she said, and I almost laughed.
She always sounds like she's picking a fight.
["If you're not going to talk, I'm hanging up."] she said, sounding irritated.
I expected that already. Who would want to talk to someone who doesn't speak? But it's better this way.
["Hey! Can you stop messing with me? Enough with your mysterious act! It's not funny! It's annoying! You're just adding to my problems—I already have too many!"]
I ended the call. I can't tell her over the phone.
I composed a message and sent it immediately, copying her texting style so she could understand me easily.
To: MyFutureMrsWatson
Message: I can't talk but I can listen. Tell me ur problem. At least it'll lessen the burden u feel by telling me.
I waited a few seconds before calling her again. Just one ring, and she answered. I didn't say anything and waited for her.
["Crazy idiot…"] she said, making me frown. ["…I don't even know who you are. That's why I named you that."]
Seriously? She's really a weird woman. She doesn't know me, yet she has the audacity to call me an idiot.
I smirked and tried my best not to make a sound.
["I really don't get your thing. You could just introduce yourself, but no, you choose to act like this. You must have done something really bad to me—so bad you're too ashamed to show your face."]
Yes. I really did something terrible to you. So terrible.
["I have so many problems. With my family, at home, at school, with my classmates, and with that damn love-life thing. Not to mention those troublemakers who seem to have it out for me."]
Looks like she got into a fight again. I will contact Rory about this.
"Hhmm…"
["I don't know if you already know everything about me. I come from a broken family. My mom keeps changing partners, and I can't be with my dad. It feels like I'm the one carrying all their burdens."]
I know she's been carrying that. Probably her whole life. It wouldn't be surprising if she needed someone to talk to about it.
["At home, I just live with relatives, and they treat me like family—but of course, not all the time. They arranged for me to marry my classmate, the child of their business partner. They tried to force me into it—but they backed out eventually, at the cost of their company completely collapsing."]
I know that. And it was partly my fault because I let Yuri go through with his plan. I guess we both had our own plans back then. I was so confident that I would win.
["My problem with school is probably the same as every other student's. Graduation is taking forever!"]
I simply chuckled.
["As for my classmates,"] I became serious. ["They made me believe I belonged. I thought I was one of them. Turns out, I was just a toy for them, a bet, a joke—like everything we shared meant nothing."]
Yes, you are. You belong, Jay. You belong with us. You have been part of our section ever since you first stepped into that room.
["And then there's the person I love. What a mess! I just want to slap him back and forth. He's playing with me—do I look like Barbie to be toyed with? He's such a prankster. He's probably gay!"]
Did she just call me gay? I almost reacted.
["He is gay! Do you know Mark Keifer Watson? He's gay! Gay!"]
And she really did call me that.
Just wait until I come home, and I'll prove to you just how much of a man I am.
"Tss…" I said, then immediately regretted it.
What the hell! In my panic, I accidentally ended the call.
I'm going to go crazy! What if she recognized me because of that?
I silently prayed that she didn't.
A message came from her.
From: MyFutureMrsWatson
Message: I wasn't done talking… I thought you were just going to listen?
Shit! Maybe it's better if I avoid her for now.
I might not be able to hold back anymore.
To: MyFutureMrsWatson
Message: Sorry, I have to go.
I sent the message and put my phone under my pillow. Frustrated, I ran my hands through my hair.
Next time, I need to concentrate so this doesn't happen again.
So stupid, Keifer!