Keifer's POV
I woke up with tears in my eyes. Even in my dreams, the impact still hits hard.
"Keifer..."
Her voice. My mom's voice—it haunts me. I tried to get up from bed, but pain immediately struck.
"Damn it," I whispered while massaging my head.
I looked at the time on my wristwatch. 1:04 AM. I hadn't slept long, but it felt like an entire day.
I lay back down, trying to force myself to sleep again. I need strength. I felt like I lost it all because of how furious I was.
As I closed my eyes and began to drift off again, my mom's face appeared.
"Keifer. If you're watching this, it means I didn't make it to your 18th birthday," she said, and my tears started to fall again.
Mom...
Her eyes looked so sad. My knees suddenly went weak. Seeing her speak like that made me want to see her so badly. It felt like she was alive again because of this video.
For so long, I wished I could hear her voice again. Her voice when she calls my name, her voice when she sings lullabies for me and Keigan, her voice when she says 'I love you' to me.
"Mom... I miss you so much," I said between sobs.
"I'm sorry, my Keifer," she said—and I noticed how she touched her belly.
She's pregnant?
I wipe my tears and look at her. I stared at her and tried to figure out the possible time or date the video was taken.
The way she looks, she seems pregnant with Keiren. Her belly is huge—about eight to nine months. She looks a bit heavier compared to how she looked when only Keigan and I were her children. A clear sign that this was probably during the time she was still pregnant with Keiren.
But why? Why during that time?
"I'm sorry for giving you a huge responsibility. You're still too young to go through this, but we have no choice," she said, taking a deep breath. "My family owes a lot to your grandfather. When he asked me for a favor, I didn't hesitate to say 'yes' because that was the only way I could repay everything he had done for us."
She forced a smile. "They asked me to marry your father. Even though it was against my will, I agreed, especially after they explained everything to me."
I got confused. I knew they were in an arranged marriage, but what did she mean by "they explained everything"?
"I will explain everything to you. After hearing this, it's up to you whether you'll keep the money or give it away," she said in a serious tone.
Is there still something I don't know? I thought Mr. Ryder had already explained everything to me. So what now?
"The Watson family is related to the Royal family of England. They're just not officially recognized for some unknown reason. But that didn't stop the Watsons from rising up. Your great-grandfather was an explorer with major contributions to various museums."
I blinked. I am completely dumbfounded. I've never heard of any of this before.
"...He left a lot of fortune to your grandfather when he died..." she continued. "...and that fortune is the root of the problem. Your father knew that there was a large inheritance waiting for him once your grandfather passed away, and because of that, he tried to kill his own father..."
I'm not even surprised anymore. He could kill anyone he wanted just for money.
"...He failed. That's when your grandfather started taking action. He decided to name all his assets and liabilities to Kaizer's firstborn child. But there was a problem—because of all the women your father had been with, they couldn't monitor who might give birth to his child..."
"...That's why they talked to me and my family. I didn't know what to say, but they still explained everything to me."
So that's why they forced her to marry him? Just because of that f**ing* money? Is money really more important than someone's life? They asked Mom to sacrifice her life just for that cursed inheritance.
My fists clenched. I wanted to stop the video and burn this entire place to the ground. Mom suffered so much with that man, just because of my grandfather's wishes.
But I couldn't do it. I still wanted to see my Mom.
"...Kaizer, your Dad, joined a Mob—but this is no ordinary mafia group. They are the masterminds behind every illegal operation in the world. To be part of them, your Dad had to invest a huge amount of money—we're talking about 100 million here."
So that's why he tried to kill Grandpa. He's completely out of his mind.
"...Your Dad didn't stop trying to kill your grandfather. Even after we were married, he never gave up. Until your grandfather finally gave in and let his son do whatever he wanted. What Kaizer didn't know was that all the legal documents had already been prepared to transfer everything to his first grandchild."
"No lawyer showed up at his funeral, which made Kaizer suspicious. I tried my best to make sure he never found out the reason why he didn't receive his inheritance."
Mom looks at me—or rather, the camera—but it feels like she's looking directly into my eyes.
"If he gets his inheritance and all of the Watson money, the entire Watson family will lose their resources. Including the people they support—my family too. The schools, hospitals, and livelihoods your grandfather built—they'll all be gone."
A lot of people are depending on us.Is that why Mom fought so hard for that money?
"Keifer... this isn't just about the money. It's also about the other people who supported and believed in us. My family and I tried our best to protect you and every single property that will soon be yours."
Mom and Uncle Sin. They sacrificed their own lives—for my grandfather and for the Watsons.
Does this mean I'm supposed to do the same?
That's it! I understand now.
My grandfather didn't leave me his wealth as an inheritance. He left it to me to protect—just like how Mom did.
This is not all about the money. This is about protecting the people.
"Oh my gad..." I whispered to myself.
"But there's another thing you should know. You must take action before your father and the elders find out." Mom's eyes were serious, and it felt like this was a huge problem.
Please don't tell me...
"Your Dad has a child before you..."
Damn!
I ran my hands down my face out of sheer frustration. So it's true— that bastard really had a child before me. I thought it wasn't real since we never found any lead on who that person might be.
"...your father or the elders will use him if you don't act first. You need to find him, and if necessary..." She closed her eyes for a moment. "...kill him."
My jaw dropped at what she said. I can't believe she's asking me to kill someone. I never knew my Mom was capable of something like this.
"If you don't do it, there's a chance he might kill you and your siblings." A tear fell from her eye.
I understand. She just wants to make sure we're safe. Even until the very end, we're still the ones on her mind.
She wiped her tear and took a deep breath. "...I don't have a clue where to find that child, but I know someone who does. The mother of your friend Aries—Gema Fernandez."
What does Aries's mother have to do with this?
"Talk to her and ask her about your Dad's child."
But why her? Why do I have to talk to her—Angelo?
Everyone keeps saying we have similarities—in the way we move and look. Even our attitudes, sometimes, seem alike.
Could it be—no! Impossible!
That only happened because we practically grew up with him. And besides, he himself said he knows his father, but never got the chance to meet him because he was already buried underground.
So it's impossible he's the one! He's not the child Mom is referring to.
Mom forced a smile and took another deep breath.
"I hope you and your brothers are alright." She smiled sadly. "...Maybe you have a girlfriend now. I hope you're no longer giving your friends a headache."
How I wish you were here with me. Maybe you could've helped us back when we had that accident with Percy. Maybe we wouldn't have ended up in the situation we're in now.
I wish you were here—I want to introduce someone to you. The girl who keeps occupying my thoughts. I imagine her talking to you, smiling, having cute conversations about us.
If only you were here, Mom, I'd tell you how karma came back for me. How I fell for her without even realizing it. How she drives me crazy with her nonsense. How she curses like she's always in a fight. How she makes me lose my mind—and how she can make me cry, too.
I want to protect her. I want to protect my life, my world... my Queen. She's my everything.
"Just to be fair. I want you to know that your Dad used to love me..."
What she said stopped me.
Love? He loved my Mom? That guy knows nothing about love. He had the nerve to say he loved her? I can't believe this.
"...but I never loved him back. Maybe that's why he ended up the way he did with us. If I had been strong enough, I would have never let your Dad hurt you."
No. If I had been strong enough... maybe he wouldn't have hurt you. Maybe we wouldn't have lost you, me, Keigan, and Keiren.
Mom smiled, as if she were smiling directly at me.
"I'm leaving everything to you now. The card that you got along with the remote control is your password."
I looked at the card I got earlier. Now that it was dark, I could finally read it clearly.
"Press the end button now, Keifer. It's time for you to decide."
The video slowly faded to black. I did what Mom told me. A light turned on to my right—not too bright, just enough for me to see the door and a small monitor next to it.
I walked closer and looked at what was on the screen.
'Scan the barcode.'
There was a small arrow pointing toward an infrared light at the edge of the monitor.
What barcode?
I looked at the—
I looked at the remote I was holding. There was no barcode attached. I checked the card too, but I couldn't find any barcode. I flipped it over and stopped when I saw a silver color.
It shimmered under the dim light, unlike the gold print on the front. I tilted it back and forth and noticed faint lines. I think this is the barcode. I scanned it through the infrared light. The screen display suddenly changed.
'Read the code.'
What code? I don't understand anything from this process. All I know is I need to see the vault. No one told me there was a process like this.
I sighed. I can't believe I have to go through all this. My head was starting to ache.
I looked again at the card I was holding. I had to stand in the dark just to read the gold print. I memorized it before going back to face the monitor.
"Love is not free, it's the most expensive thing in the world. It costs more than a life and you're paying it without realizing it."
I paused for a moment because of what I just said. What's the connection of love in this?
The screen display changed again.
'State your name.'
I hope this is the last one. My head is really starting to hurt from everything I have to go through.
This might be the only bank I know that uses such a ridiculous process. Other banks only need a bank account or an ATM card.
"Mark Keifer Watson." I stated my name.
Out of nowhere, a robotic voice like Siri spoke. "Welcome Mr. Keifer." It seemed to come from the monitor. I was about to mess with it when I heard the door lock.
It opened automatically, and the vault door revealed itself. It opened on its own as well.
As I peeked inside, the lights began to turn on one by one. Slowly, I stepped inside.
I ran a hand through my hair. I'm speechless. I don't exactly know what to say. Now I know why my relatives are dying to get their hands on this.
It wasn't money inside the vault—it was gold. And it wasn't just an ordinary vault.
It was a room. Bigger than my own room, and it was full of gold bars. They were arranged neatly. Each stacked pile of gold was numbered.
I thought it was just gold in here, but as I walked around, I saw even more. A table full of diamonds, jewelry, and a cabinet full of antique vases and plates which I think cost more than a million.
This is what treasure looks like.
I sat down on one of the piles of gold. It was so damn cold. It gave shivers to my skin.
I still can't believe this. This is what my Mom died for. And all of this—I also have to protect.
My knees are melting. I don't think I can protect this much gold. What am I supposed to do with this?
Where am I even going to use all of this?
I need to think hard about whether I'll accept all this.
I stood up and walked toward the door. As I exited, I immediately faced the monitor beside the door.
I pressed the button labeled 'Close' and the vault door shut automatically, followed by the outer door opening.
I immediately walked toward the exit. My eyes were slightly blinded by the sudden brightness.
"How is it?" Uncle Sin asked while handing me a bottle of water.
I rejected it. "Not good. I-I don't know what to do."
"Relax... You can still think until your birthday."
I looked at him in disbelief. "My birthday is next month."
He smiled. "So? It means you have a month to think."
A month is not enough to think. I need more than that. If possible, I want a whole year.
"I don't even know what to think." I said and started walking toward the tunnel.
"Keifer." Uncle Sin called me. "You have to think wisely."
I faced him. "Don't fvcking pressure me!" I shouted and walked faster.
I reached the gate and immediately approached Mr. Ryder, who was patiently waiting. He was just standing by the car, slightly leaning on it.
"Keifer... What happened?" he asked.
Honey came out of the car and approached me.
"I want to go back to the hotel," I said and got inside the car.
They both didn't say anything. They got in too and didn't ask any more questions. I kept to myself in silence. I'm starting to have a headache.
I think I'm going crazy from all this thinking.
Almost half an hour passed before we reached the hotel we were staying in. I got out of the car before them and was the first to enter the elevator.
I waited for no one. I just want to be alone.I wait for no one. I just want to be alone.
I walk out of the elevator when it reaches my floor. I was about to open the door when I noticed it was already slightly ajar. I took a step back, but someone pushed me inside. I was about to fight back, but then I saw a very familiar person standing in my room.
"What are you doing here?" I said in a plain tone.
"Don't play stupid with me. You know exactly why I am here," my cousin Clyde answered.
He's the current CEO of Watson Enterprise. He claimed the position before anyone else could. I don't know if I should thank him for that, but I do know one thing—he's not going to let go of that title so easily.
"You'll get nothing from me. You can leave now," I said while removing my coat and tossing it to the nearest chair.
He moved his hand forward, showing a picture to me. I froze.
It's Jay-jay.
He smirked. "Now, shall I visit your girl? Or we can settle everything here?"
I clenched my fists. "Don't you dare."
"I will. You know me."
"You son of a b*tch!"
He suddenly laughed, like he was enjoying watching me burn in fury.
"You're turning into a beast. You must be in love."
I looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
He smirked again. "It's a family curse. Once a Watson falls in love, he turns into a beast."
I laughed bitterly. "That's a fvcking myth."
"But half true. Just look at you and your father. Both of you are the living proof."
Ridiculous! That was just something people used to say. What they called a family curse. It was stupid. They say a Watson should never fall in love because he becomes weak.
"I don't care about that curse," I said and pointed a finger at him. "Leave!"
"Don't test me, Keifer. Give me what I want!"
I met his stare without blinking. He knew I had no intention of speaking.
What he wanted was the password to the vault. But he's not getting anything. I'll make sure he never will.
His brows furrowed in anger. "You asked for this. I'll make you pay," he said and ripped Jay-jay's picture in half.
Suddenly, fear shot through me.
No! No! Not Jay-jay.
Out of nowhere, a man grabbed me from behind. Another man appeared and punched me in the stomach. They didn't give me time to react—they hit me again.
And again.
They hit me multiple times until I couldn't take it anymore. Barely breathing, unable to stand properly, they finally stopped and left me lying there.
"This is your first warning. The next one will be for your girl," my cousin said and walked out along with his men.
I couldn't fight back. They caught me off guard. All this time, I thought Jay-jay was just a pawn to threaten me.
I need a plan. They can't drag Jay-jay into this. She can't get hurt because of me.
I have to make sure she's safe. I need to protect her.
But how?How will I do that when I'm too far away from her?