Keifer's POV
"You keep tagging along with Yuri, but he's a coward," Percy said and taking a sip from his glass.
I just shook my head. I'll just pretend he's drunk. He's answering things I didn't even ask.
How did I become gullible?
"I don't care about Yuri's cowardliness. I'm here for my Jay-jay's phone number," I said and motioned to the bartender for another round.
"I've got a lot of concerns and things to say before I give you her number."
I massaged my temple from the headache. Why am I even bothering to sit beside him?
"You know what? I think I'll just find another way to get her number," I said and took out my wallet for some cash.
"Okay… then I'll just tell Jay-jay to change her phone number." He said it while smiling like a lunatic.
I couldn't believe it. This guy's doing it on purpose. I put my wallet back.
"Fine, tell me all your concerns. Quit the drama already!"
He suddenly slammed his glass down on the counter table. It made a loud noise that caught the bartender's attention.
Percy's seriousness was back.
"I just don't understand why you let Aries suffer like that," he said, chuckling bitterly. "You were supposed to be the first ones to stand by his side—yet you were the first ones to leave."
I frowned. "Don't talk like it's all our fault. If you let us know you were alive, this would never have happened to us."
"If you still don't know, my mom never let me contact anyone from here! Not even my family!"
"You should've at least tried. Just one freaking sign that you were alive!"
"And then what? I still couldn't show up. It's useless!"
"But we could've searched for you. Aries, Yuri, Angelo, and I—we could've searched for you."
I can't believe I'm saying this. I didn't know this conversation would turn into a blame game.I know he's aware that I have a lot of things to throw back at him. And I know the others feel the same.
"...but obviously, it's pointless to fight because of that. What happened, happened. We can't change it anymore." I added and drank.
He shook his head. "Turns out my death caused a lot more damage than I thought."
So much damage that even the reputation of Fer. Corp was ruined. Because everyone knew Aries was a Fernandez and about the accident involving the four of us. A lot of their investors and stockholders backed out. That's when their downfall began. They tried their best to save the company, but the problems got worse because of the Hanamitchis.
Poor Angelo.
"A lot of damage..." I whispered. I took another sip from my glass. "What's the real reason you came back? Obviously, you're not here to get your life back."
"I plan to take Felix and bring him to the US. My crazy dad left some money for them, but they can't claim it because the insurance company can't find them," he explained. "...I'm also going to bring Jay-jay to her dad."
"Do you plan to tell her?"
"Tell her what?"
"That her father has cancer."
He froze and looked at me. He probably couldn't believe I knew about it.
When I told Jay-jay I'd help her find her father, I meant it. But I didn't stop like she thought I did. I searched for him using what little resources I had. It just became more difficult because her father was based overseas.
The Mariano family was too private. They even used a different name for their business ventures. There were barely any photos of their family. I can't believe someone like him could hide himself from the business world.
If anything, Rory and Edrix were lucky they managed to get even the slightest bit of information about him and Percy back then.
"Wow..." he said sarcastically. "...I'm really impressed with what you can do. You even found that out."
"It was my lawyer who found out. He was in New York back then, looking for someone who could help me. Then he saw Mr. Fernandez at the hospital taking his chemotherapy."
"How did your lawyer recognize him?"
I cleared my throat. "I had asked him to look for him before—for Jay-jay. When I got a photo of him, I gave it to my lawyer to help find more information."
"Tough stuff!" he said, smiling annoyingly. "You're ready to do anything, huh? Is that love?"
Yes. It is!
I ignored him and kept drinking. I asked for another after I emptied mine. Percy did the same.
"Can I have her number now?"
"Kiss first!" he replied.
I almost threw the glass I was holding at him—thankfully I hesitated because I didn't want to waste the drink.
"Just tell me if you're drunk," I said, almost in a commanding tone.
"Not yet! You came here before me, remember?"
I shook my head and took a sip. It takes a long time for me to get drunk. Something I seem to have inherited from the Watsons. I only found out recently that it ran in our family. I used to think it was just because my body got used to alcohol.
There's a lot of things I still haven't discovered about the Watson family. It's terrifying to dig into them, but it's even scarier not to know anything at all.
What else do they have that I don't know? I don't want to know—but at the same time, I do.
I feel like I can use it against them.
One dark little secret.
"Freya..." he said.
That's what I've been waiting for him to bring up.I just need to explain, and I'll finally get Jay-jay's number.
"Was she happy when I was gone?"
I gently swirled the glass in my hand. I hate to say this, but there's no point in hiding it.
"She didn't even cry when we thought you were dead. I thought she was just putting up a strong front—but I was wrong." I took a sip from my glass. "...I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I will. She wasn't really into you back then."
I heard his soft laugh. Then he suddenly downed his drink—swallowed it like it was just water.
He signaled to the bartender. "Give me something hard."
Give him a solid earth rock.
The bartender set down a glass with ice in front of him, poured something into it, then slid it closer. He drank it before speaking again.
"Because she was into Yuri," he said and drank again. "...I didn't see it back then, but I knew she had a hidden crush on Yuri."
My forehead creased. "Did she date you just to get closer to Yuri?"
He shook his head. "I don't know, but..."
He clearly couldn't continue the sentence. Probably too painful.
"That's what it looks like," I finished for him, and he nodded.
"She had her chance with him, but Yuri screwed up."
"He's a fvcker!" he shouted and slammed his glass on the counter. "He took advantage of my Freya! If he didn't really like her, he shouldn't have done what he did!"
He buried his head on the table as he continued ranting, but I couldn't understand what he was saying anymore.
I signaled the bartender for another glass. He looked at me, probably trying to check my condition.
"You're not drunk yet, Sir?" he asked while pouring into my glass.
"Nope. Still not drunk," I said proudly.
Suddenly, Percy stood up. I thought he had fallen asleep or passed out drunk. But he looked wide awake.
"How did you and Freya become a thing?" he asked in a serious tone.
"I really liked Freya. So when I saw her crying because of their breakup, I took advantage of the situation and comforted her." I shook my head.
Remembering what I did makes me regret that part of our past. I should never have approached her back then. I should've let her fix herself first. She was a mess—and starting a relationship while in that state is a big NO.
"Did you take good care of her?"
"With my best," I answered shortly, taking a drink.
"Did you make her cry?"
I did...
I didn't know if I should answer him. I was ashamed of what I did to her in the past.
I promised myself I'd take care of her. In the name of Percy— whom we thought was dead. But I failed because of my anger management issues.
"Silence means yes." he said, and the next thing I know, I was on the floor with a sting of pain on my cheek.
He punched me! He fvcking punched me while I was off guard. Is this why he came here? Just to punch me?
"That feels good." he said while looking at his fist.
He went back to his seat and I stood up. I grabbed my glass and pressed it against my cheek. If I didn't need something from him, I would've punched him back.
I sat back down too, still holding the glass to my face.
"Why did you hurt her?"
"It was an accident." I tried to massage my face. "...I was furious because of jealousy. I kept seeing her with different people. I even saw her flirting with another guy."
"So you punched her?"
I looked at him in shock. "What? I never punched her!"
"That's what she told me."
"I pushed her too hard against the wall, then I punched the wall beside her! I would never do such a thing to her!"
I can't believe this. No wonder the stories reaching me are all different—because she says different things to everyone. Some even called me a sadist. I just chose to ignore it.
"...and it only happened once!" I added.
I swallowed my drink. I regret that we fought that day. That's when all our problems began. If I hadn't shoved her that hard, maybe she wouldn't have gotten so scared of me. Maybe I wouldn't have punched the wall out of anger.
I know she was hurt, but she chose to cry silently. I'm so stupid! If only I had given her the freedom she was asking for, things could've turned out differently.
I tried to fix what was between us. I bought her a penthouse, a car, and gadgets her parents couldn't
afford. She accepted them and we made up, but I didn't know she was up to something else again.
"So, who's who and who's not?" he asked, sounding uninterested. "It's useless to point fingers at who should be blamed. Think whatever you want." He took out his phone. "As I promised."
I was about to take it from his hand, but he slightly moved it away.
"I'm telling you, Keifer. If Jay-jay comes running to me crying again because of you..." he pointed his finger at me, "...I'm going to tell her dad."
I quickly snatched his phone from him. As I unlocked it, Jay-jay's phone number appeared. I immediately sent it to my own phone before handing his back.
I quickly grabbed my phone when I heard it ding. I stared at her number for a while. I wanted to hit the call button and hear her voice.
But I'm scared. Fvck this! I'm Keifer Watson, and for the first time, I'm scared to call a girl on
the phone.
I thought Watsons turn into beasts. Why does it feel like the opposite for me? Why do I feel like I'm turning into a coward?
I'm starting to hate this feeling. Is this what being in love really feels like? Does it mess with your
head? I wasn't like this with Freya or Ella.
Maybe because it's different. She's different.
I put my phone back in my pocket. That's better. Otherwise, I might get tempted to call her. It's not good if she finds out I have her number.
I glanced at Percy when I noticed he was already drinking straight from the bottle. I shook my head.
To be honest, I envy him. He's so close to Jay-jay. Before, I envied him because he could make other people laugh. Even my own problems I'd forget because of his craziness.
That's why I always preferred being with the four of them. It helped me escape the problems at home. I bit my lip. Because of that escape, I ended up neglecting Mom and Keigan. If only I had been stronger back then.
And now, I hope I can finally do what I couldn't before. To protect the people I love and stop being weak. For my brothers and for her.
"Do you think I'm weak?" I asked Percy, almost whispering.
"Why'd you ask?"
"Because I can't protect her without hurting her feelings."
"That's not weakness, that's stupidity."
I didn't know if he was teasing me or what. He just straight up told me that everything I was doing was stupid.
I wish he was drunk. It's like he didn't even know what he was saying anymore.
"Thanks," I said sarcastically. "Not to mention that I'm also suffering."
He laughed while shaking his head. "You're only looking at the easiest option."
"It's not an easy option. It's actually the hardest—for me and for her."
"By hurting her? Bullshit." He said it calmly.
"Easy for you to say."
"Yet you still haven't let her go."
I looked away. Because I fvcking can't.
All of this is just temporary. This is just what my enemies need to see—but that doesn't mean I'm really letting her go.
"What am I supposed to do? I can't completely let her go." That would kill me!
"Haven't you thought that what you're doing now hurts her more? You show her that you're not really in love with her, but in reality, you still keep her close." He chuckled bitterly. "...you're like tying an invisible rope around her neck. And that rope will soon strangle her!"
"I won't let that happen!"
He set down the bottle. "It already happened! That's exactly what you've been doing these past few days!"
I wiped my face with my hands. My actions speak exactly what he's saying.
"You're fvcking killing her inside."
"You think I haven't thought of that? It hurts me too, but I have no choice!"
He suddenly stopped and stared at me. He signaled the bartender, and the bartender looked over at us. I didn't like the way he looked at me.
"Leave us," he said, and the bartender left.
"What is that for?"
"Tell me, Keifer. Who are you trying to protect Jay-jay from?"
I looked away. I had no intention of telling him the truth. I didn't want him getting involved either.
He shook his head. "Did you get yourself into some mess and drag her with you?"
"No. It's not like that. I'm trying to protect her from my old enemy."
"From your father?"
I nodded shortly. I wasn't lying. He's one of the people I've been fighting against—for her and for my brothers.
"Fvck! So your fight's not over yet?" He let out a long sigh. "I missed so many things about you."
My lips tightened into a thin line. "Yeah. I think so."
He took another swig from his bottle. It was nearly empty now.
"If you truly want to protect her, I suggest you let her go—for real. You're too obvious. It's like you don't love her, but you also can't sit still."
I held my temple. He's drunk—obviously. His eyes were blinking slowly, nearly closed, until the bottle finally emptied.
Suddenly, he laughed loudly.
"I have a joke. Wanna hear it?" he said while laughing.
Oh fvck!
"No," I said and started to leave, but he grabbed me.
"Wait... No one's gonna listen to my joke. It's a waste!"
I forced his hand off. "Save it for the future."
He shook his head hard. "Nope."
I took out my phone and dialed Felix's number. He answered after a few rings.
["What?"]
"Pick up your brother here at KingsGround," I said.
"Hey... Listen to my jokes. Jay-jay loved my jokes," Percy begged.
["Is he drunk? Damn! Just leave him by the highway."]
I shook my head. I couldn't believe he was disowning his own brother. Who would even want to take this drunk man home? Full of corny jokes.
"Just pick him up," I said before ending the call.
"I have sooooooo many jokes."
I sighed deeply. I can't stay here any longer.
I saw the bartender coming back—the one Percy told to leave earlier.
"There's the bartender. He's ready to listen to your jokes."
He let go of me and went to meet the bartender, who looked confused at him. I placed some cash on the counter before leaving.
I quickly headed toward my car, now surrounded by people eyeing it like they were planning to steal it. I walked up and pressed the unlock button right in front of them.
The people quickly dispersed. I got in and drove off fast.
I enjoy talking to Percy, but I don't like his advice. Let go of Jay-jay for real. How? Isn't pushing her away already enough? Do I really need to completely let her go too?
I pressed harder on the gas. My car sped up without me noticing. I didn't even know where I was going. I kept driving until the tallest building in front of me caught my attention.
I was in the business district. My grip on the steering wheel tightened.
Is it time to tell Yuri? I don't want to involve him, but I'm out of choices. Even just a little advice from him would mean a lot to me. I just need someone to listen about this.
I turned the steering wheel and headed toward Yuri's building. I drove straight into their basement parking. The guard let me in quickly after recognizing me.
After parking, I went straight to the elevator. Unlike other elevators, this one doesn't lead straight to Yuri's place. Someone from security runs a face recognition scan. If your face isn't familiar or not authorized by the Hanamitchi Family, you're not getting in.
It's a good thing I always visit Yuri. That's why I no longer go through all their security procedures.
When the elevator door opened, I was greeted by Yuri's mother. Which is kinda weird.
"Tita..." I said and gave her a brief hug.
She smiled at me. "Visiting Yuri?"
"Yeah. Is he home?"
She smiled again and shook her head. "Maybe on his way." She held my arm. "I'll walk you to his room. Come on."
This is really new. Her pace was slow, and I had to force myself to match it. I was uncomfortable. I didn't like the way she held me—it felt awkward.
"You and Yuri have been friends for a long time. I still remember how Angelo scolded you both in front of us. Quite painful, because I don't like seeing my son hurt or being scolded. But I guess it had a good result," she said and forced a smile. "I really don't like it when someone yells at or hurts him. I feel the pain for my son. Especially when he cries—it breaks me."
What every mother feels for their child. But I honestly didn't understand why she was telling me all of this.
The last time she talked to me like this, it was about Ella. Who is it now?
"That's why I regretted it so much when I saw him cry because of Ella. I thought I did the right thing for him. But I saw him change. My sweet son turned into someone I no longer recognize. I can't afford to see him like that again."
I stopped in place, and she slowly released my arm.
This is about Jay-jay.
"I know you know what I'm trying to say. That Jay-jay girl. She has to be with my son," she said with teary eyes.
"No." I answered shortly and was about to leave, but she stopped me again.
"I'll tell the Watson the truth!" she shouted.
I turn back to face her in shock. How on earth does she know about the Watsons?
"There have been several calls from the Watson company. We thought it was about your investment in us—but it was more than that."
Her teary eyes turned fierce. "They keep asking about Jasper Jean. We gave them the same answer that we keep giving them. She's my son's fiancée."
Fvck them!They're making a move!
I tried my best not to show any emotion. But I was fuming inside.
"But I know that Clyde—your cousin—is waiting for a different answer. I can give it to him."
My fist clenched. I didn't want to speak ill of Tita. She's been so kind to me that I almost see her as my own mother. But my patience has limits.
It's true—Yuri's mother is a genius. She knows exactly when to use someone's weakness.
"Fine. I'll do what you want," I said, and she smiled in relief.
"I'll tell your son what you want him to hear." I started walking toward her until I was close enough. "...but if Jay-jay got married to Yuri before I receive my inheritance, I will burn your family alive and turn them into ashes."
Her smile disappeared. "You can't do such thing."
"You don't know me, Mrs. Hanamitchi. I'm a Watson, and I'm more powerful than you think I am."
She shook her head and smirked with arrogance. "Not without your inheritance. You're still a kid claiming to be powerful." She pointed her finger at me. "They'll still get married—before or after you get your inheritance. The Headmaster of our family wants to meet her, and that is not a good sign for you."
I smirked. "You think I'll let that happen? I assure you—someone will be on checkmate. And it won't be me."
I walked past her and headed straight to Yuri's room.
I didn't know Yuri's mother would get involved. But I don't give a fvck. What I said will be done. She threatened the wrong person.