Jay-Jay (POV)
Sakura was passed out on the couch. Ella and Freya were unconscious on the counter.
And I was sitting there, waiting for Aries Kuya and Edrix to arrive.
The club was still loud around me, but my mind had drifted somewhere else entirely.
Kiefer.
Money.
Pregnancy.
Freya.
I rubbed my face.
I knew Kiefer was rich even back in high school. I also knew he gave money to Section E whenever they needed it. Hell, half our dinners had probably been paid for by him. Even now.
That wasn't strange.
What was strange was Freya.
Why her?
What reason would he have for giving her money?
They weren't in a relationship... were they?
Then another thought hit me.
What if Freya told him she was pregnant?
Would Kiefer really believe her?
Would he actually accept responsibility if she claimed the child was his?
"Damn you, Kiefer."
I came here to clear my mind.
Instead, I was leaving with even more questions.
"Jay."
I looked up.
Aries was standing in front of me.
"Ari Kuya."
I got up and opened my arms for a hug.
He walked right past me.
Straight to Ella.
Of course. Wife comes first.
"Ella."
Aries gently tapped her cheek.
"Ella."
No response.
She had drunk enough alcohol to knock out an elephant.
Then Aries looked at me.
"Jay."
His voice was dangerously calm.
"Why the fuck is my wife drunk?"
"Because of you," I answered.
His eye twitched.
"And why the fuck does she have bruises on her face?"
"Because she punched someone."
"What?"
"He deserved it."
Before Aries could continue, Edrix arrived.
His eyes immediately landed on Freya.
Then he looked at me.
"Jay. Did Kiefer know you were here?"
I frowned.
"Why are you mentioning that asshole?"
Neither Aries nor Edrix answered.
Edrix simply walked over, lifted Freya into his arms, and headed for the exit.
A smart decision.
Aries carried Ella out a few minutes later.
I grabbed Sakura, and soon we were all in Aries' car.
The drive home was quiet.
Too quiet.
Sakura was asleep.
Ella was asleep.
And I was staring out the window.
Thinking.
Overthinking.
Unfortunately, Aries noticed.
"Jay, why the fuck are you so quiet? Say something."
"Did you know too?" I asked.
Aries glanced at me.
"So you saw the article? Is that why you got drunk?"
I frowned.
"What article?"
Now it was Aries' turn to look confused.
"Then what's this about?"
"Aries, don't change the topic. What article?"
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then he grabbed his phone and handed it to me.
I looked down at the screen.
Photos.
Photos of Kiefer with some girl.
The article was full of rumors and speculation, but I barely paid attention to the words.
I scrolled through the pictures for a few seconds before handing the phone back.
I didn't say anything.
"Why are you so quiet?" Aries asked.
I leaned back in my seat and looked out the window.
"Kiefer might hide things from me," I said finally. "But he wouldn't cheat on me."
Aries raised an eyebrow.
I pointed at his phone.
"Those photos are edited."
"You sound pretty sure."
"I am."
"Then why are you upset?"
I let out a bitter laugh.
"Because everyone seems to know something except me."
"Jay..." Aries said quietly.
"Kuya... did you know Freya almost got pregnant?" I asked.
Aries' head snapped toward me.
"How do you know that?"
I laughed humorlessly.
"So it's true."
"Jay—"
"Is that why Kiefer sent money to Freya in the past?"
The words came out before I could stop them.
I looked away and quickly wiped at my eyes when tears started falling.
"Jay, that's in the past and—"
"Kuya, don't hide it from me."
My voice cracked as I cut him off.
"I know it's in the past. I know that."
I pressed a hand against my chest.
"But for me... it still hurts."
The car fell silent.
My voice was barely above a whisper.
"You know how much Kiefer means to me."
I clenched my fists as tears rolled down my cheeks. I quickly turned my head and stared out the window.
"Jay..." Aries sighed. "Kiefer is just like that. He doesn't know how to express himself."
I didn't respond.
"I always told you to stay away from Kiefer because he's difficult. I've known him since we were kids. Girls were afraid to even talk to him."
I laughed bitterly.
"So you're taking your friend's side?"
"No."
Aries' answer came immediately.
"I hate Kiefer sometimes because he never listens. After Percy's accident, he didn't even ask me what happened. And after your accident..." Aries shook his head. "I hated him even more."
I looked at him.
"But believe me, Kiefer deserves more love than anyone."
I frowned.
Aries kept driving, his eyes fixed on the road.
"His past relationships were a mess. Most people wanted his money, his status, or his connection to Yuri. Very few actually cared about him."
He let out a tired sigh.
"He just wants to be loved."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
"I hate admitting it, but even Ella got close to him at first because of Yuri's mother. And the pregnancy..." Aries paused. "That wasn't Kiefer. Freya told me everything. The money too."
"No."
I cut him off.
Aries glanced at me.
"No, Kuya."
I wiped my eyes.
"I want to hear it from Kiefer."
"Jay—"
"If I hear it from you, it'll hurt even more."
The car fell silent again.
Neither of us spoke for the rest of the drive.
A few minutes later, I finally broke the silence.
"Kuya, I'm taking Sakura with me."
Aries frowned.
"Why?"
"Yuri's in the hospital, and the yakuza were targeting Sakura. It's not safe for her to stay alone."
"It's not safe for you either."
"It's okay."
I looked back out the window.
"Kiefer's with me."
I hated admitting it, but whenever Kiefer was around, fear seemed to disappear.
Maybe it was because I trusted him.
Or maybe I was just a fool hopelessly in love.
Aries didn't say anything after that.
The rest of the ride passed in silence.
When we reached the house, Aries parked in front of the gate.
I carefully helped Sakura out of the car.
"Call me if anything happens," Aries said.
I nodded.
Then I led Sakura inside.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
After making sure all the doors were locked, I took Sakura upstairs and settled her into the guest room.
She was still completely asleep.
I pulled a blanket over her, turned off the lights, and quietly closed the door behind me.
And for the first time all day, I thought I could finally breathe.
I thought I could finally be alone with my thoughts.
Until I saw Kiefer.
He was leaning against the wall outside our room, his arms folded across his chest.
I didn't even look at him.
I walked past him and straight into the bathroom.
The moment the door closed behind me, I turned on the shower without even bothering to take off my clothes, as if washing myself could somehow wash away everything that had happened.
Cold water crashed against my face.
And I broke.
The tears came before I could stop them, mixing with the water as I slid down the tiled wall. Every emotion I had been holding back finally spilled out, leaving me shaking beneath the freezing stream.
Yesterday I had been happy.
Happy with him.
Now I stood in the bathroom, water soaking through my clothes, trying not to cry.
But I couldn't stop myself.
The tears came anyway.
Why was loving him so hard?
And if it was so hard...
Why was it still so easy to love him?
Then the anger came back.
Why did he keep hiding things from me?
He got angry when I didn't tell him about Yuri.
But how many things had he hidden from me?
"Jay."
Kiefer's voice came from outside the door.
A knock followed.
"Jay, open the door."
I wiped my tears.I changed my clothes, and took a deep breath before opening it.
Kiefer was standing there waiting.
"What happened?" I asked coldly.
He stared at me.
"Isn't that my question?"
I frowned.
"My wife comes home with a drunk woman, bruises on her face, won't look me in the eye, and acts like I don't exist. "
His eyes searched mine.
"So what happened?"
"Nothing."
I tried to walk past him.
Before I could, his hand caught my wrist.
A second later, his arms wrapped around me from behind.
"If you're mad at me, then yell at me," he continued. "But don't stand there and tell me it's nothing when I can see you're hurting."
I felt his grip tighten.
"What did I do?"
Something inside me snapped.
I shoved him away and turned around.
"Easy."
My laugh sounded broken even to my own ears.
"You want me to yell at you?"
Kiefer's expression darkened.
"Jay—"
"Why?"
I took a step back as he tried to move closer.
"So you can lie to me again?"
His face went still.
"Jay."
He took another step toward me.
I immediately stepped back.
"No."
Tears rolled down my cheeks.
"You don't get to do that."
His jaw tightened.
"You fucking know everything about me."
My voice shook.
"You know parts of my life that even I didn't know."
I pointed at him.
"You think I don't realize that?"
"Jay, listen—"
"No!"
The word echoed through the hallway.
"Why can't I know my own husband?"
My chest hurt.
"Why do I have to learn everything from other people?"
Another tear slid down my face.
"You know I hate it when people hide things from me."
My voice cracked.
"You know how much it hurts."
I pressed a hand against my chest.
"And you keep doing it anyway."
Kiefer stared at me for a long moment.
"Is this about those articles?"
I laughed bitterly.
"I don't believe some fucking article."
His brows furrowed.
"I wouldn't believe any of it unless I saw it with my own eyes."
I took a shaky breath.
"So tell me."
I pointed at him.
"Why did you send money to Freya?"
Kiefer dragged a hand through his hair.
"Jay... that was years ago."
"Answer me."
He closed his eyes for a second.
"When I was younger, I was an idiot."
I folded my arms.
"Go on."
"I was trying to piss Freya off."
"What?"
"I sent her money whenever I went on blind dates. I'd tell her I was having fun, enjoying my life, seeing other people..."
He laughed humorlessly.
"I wanted to make her jealous."
I stared at him.
The explanation sounded ridiculous.
But somehow it also sounded exactly like Kiefer would do.
"And the pregnancy?"
The room went silent.
"If Freya had said yes..."
I swallowed hard.
"If she had told you the child was yours, would you have accepted responsibility?"
Kiefer froze.
For one second.
Two.
Three.
He didn't answer.
And that silence told me everything.
My chest tightened.
Of course he would have.
Of course he would have taken responsibility.
Of course he would have stayed.
Even if the child wasn't his.
Even if she didn't love him.
Because that was who Kiefer was.
"Jay..."
He took a step toward me.
I hated that my eyes were already filling with tears.
I hated that my heart was breaking over something that happened years before I even entered his life.
"Jay."
He reached for me.
I punched him.
The crack echoed through the hallway.
Kiefer's head snapped to the side.
Neither of us moved.
"At least lie to me, asshole."
My voice shook.
"Fuck you..."
Kiefer slowly looked back at me.
There was no anger on his face.
And somehow that made it worse.
I couldn't do this.
I couldn't stand there and look at him anymore.
So I turned around and walked away.
I grabbed the first set of car keys I saw.
His keys.
Then I ran.
I got into his car with shaking hands.
My vision was blurred from tears.
The engine roared to life.
And before Kiefer could reach me, I drove away.
I didn't know where I was going.
I just knew I couldn't stay.
Because if I stayed in the same room with him for one more minute...
I was afraid of what I might say.
Afraid of what I might hear.
And most of all—
Afraid that despite all the pain, all the anger, and all the secrets...
I would still choose him.
I don't remember how long I drove.
I don't even remember where I was going.
Before I realized it, I was standing in front of Jare's house.
I got out of the car and walked to the front door.
A few seconds later, it opened.
"Jay?"
Ion froze.
I must have looked terrible.
My clothes were soaked.
Water dripped from my hair.
I wasn't even wearing slippers.
The bruise on my face had darkened, and my eyes were red from crying.
"Jay, what happened?" Mia asked as she appeared behind him.
I didn't answer.
I just stepped forward and wrapped my arms around them.
Then I broke.
"I hate Kiefer."
The words came out between sobs.
Mia immediately pulled me inside while Ion closed the door.
A few minutes later, I was sitting on the couch with a towel around my shoulders.
Mia gently dried my hair while Ion sat across from me.
And I told them everything.
The money.
Freya.
The pregnancy.
The argument.
Everything.
When I finished, the room fell silent.
"I just..." I wiped my eyes.
"I would've at least wanted to hear him say no."
My voice cracked.
"I know it happened in the past."
I stared down at my hands.
"I wasn't even jealous because I knew kiefer loved her back then but when Freya said she was pregnant."
That wasn't the problem.
"I was scared."
Ion frowned.
"Scared of what?"
I laughed bitterly.
"What if it had been Kiefer's child?"
The thought alone made my chest hurt.
"What if he chose responsibility over me?"
Tears filled my eyes again.
"What if he left?"
Mia immediately grabbed my hand.
"Jay—"
"Why does it always have to be me?" I snapped. "Why am I always the one trying to fix everything? I keep forgiving him, but nothing ever changes between us. Now I'm scared of what he's hiding from me."
My voice shook.
"What if one day someone shows up with a child and says it's his? What if he accepts them too?"
"Jay, you're thinking too much," Ion said.
Mia nodded.
"Jay... Kiefer isn't like that. He loves you."
I let out a bitter laugh.
"Does loving someone mean hiding things from them? If Jare kept secrets from you, wouldn't you be angry too?"
"I would've broken every bone in his body," Mia replied without hesitation.
"Mia."
"What? I'm being honest."
"You're not helping."
Mia rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath.
"Jay," Ion said gently, "people make mistakes. Sometimes they think carrying a burden alone is the right thing to do. Angelo does it all the time. But running away isn't going to solve anything."
I rubbed my eyes, wiping away my tears.
"No. I'm not going back."
I looked around.
"Where are Jare and Percy?"
As if on cue, laughter came from the front door.
Jare, Percy, and Honey walked in carrying bags of food.
"Baby sis!" Percy exclaimed. "Did you miss my handsome face?"
He wrapped me in a hug while giggling.
"Nope. I'm here to see Mia."
Honey immediately smacked the back of his head.
"Leave her alone."
Then she pulled me into a hug.
"Why are you crying?" Jare asked.
"Nothing."
I forced a smile.
"I'm here because your beautiful sister missed you."
Jare snorted.
"I only have one sister, and she's not beautiful."
I gasped.
He handed me a bag.
"Here. Eat."
"What's this?"
I looked inside and found snacks.
I looked up at everyone.
"So you're all having fun without me? Fine. I'm staying here. I'm not going home."
"Did you tell Kiefer?" percy asked.
"Why would I need to tell him anything?" I shot back. "It's not like he tells me everything."
"Jay, go change your clothes first," Mia said.
"I just took a bath."
"Jay."
The warning in Ion's voice made me sigh.
"Fine."
I went upstairs and changed.
Honestly, I still smelled like Kiefer's shampoo.
Even if he was an asshole, his shampoo was amazing.
When I came back downstairs, I froze.
Kiefer was standing there holding Orion, who was crying loudly.
My stomach dropped.
"Why are you here?"
"Because I'm here to get my wife back."
"I'm not coming home."
"What is going on here?" Jare asked. "Did you two fight?"
I avoided his eyes.
"Get out," Jare said coldly. "If she says no, you can't take her."
Before anyone could say anything else, Orion's crying grew louder.
Kiefer tried to calm him down, but nothing worked.
"Jay," Ion said, "Orion is scared. You two can fight later. The baby is sensitive."
I walked over and took Orion into my arms.
To my surprise, he cried even harder.
"Give him to me," Ion said.
The moment Ion held him, Orion slowly began to calm down.
"Jay, we need to talk," Kiefer said.
"I don't need to talk to you. And I'm not going with you."
A strange smile crossed his face.
"I knew you'd say that."
Before I could react, Kiefer glanced at Ion.
"Ion, take care of him for me."
Ion nodded.
Before I could process what that meant, he suddenly threw me over his shoulder.
"What the hell?!" I yelled, kicking my legs.
I started pounding my fists against his back.
"Asshole! Put me down!"
"Put my sister down!" Jare shouted.
Mia quickly grabbed his arm before he could charge forward.
"Kuya! Help me!"
I looked at Mia and Ion.
Both of them were smiling.
My eyes widened.
"Did you call him?" I shouted.
"No," Mia said innocently. "He called us."
Traitors.
"Kiefer, let me go!"
I kicked my legs and hit his back again, but he didn't even flinch.
"Kiefer, if you don't put me down right now, I'm going to bite you," I warned.
"Go ahead."
My jaw dropped.
"Are you serious?"
He ignored me completely and continued carrying me toward the door.
"Kiefer!"
I shouted the entire way, struggling against his grip.
Not a single person tried to stop him.
Traitors.
Before I could escape, he opened the passenger door, set me inside the car, and quickly locked it.
I immediately grabbed the handle and pulled.
Locked.
"Kiefer, what the fuck are you doing?!"
He calmly walked around to the driver's side, completely ignoring me.
A moment later, he slid into the driver's seat, slammed the door shut, and looked at me.
"Kiefer... leave me alone!" I shouted.
"If you say another word, I'm going to make you shut up," he warned, biting his lip.
"Gago."
I kicked him.
"Jay, that's dangerous. I'm driving."
"Being with you is more dangerous," I shot back.
He pulled the car out onto the road. Then, without warning, he grabbed my leg and pulled me onto his lap.
"Kiefer!"
Before I could protest, he caught my wrists and kissed me.
I struggled immediately, trying to pull away, but he pinned my hands against his chest and held me in place.
I pushed against him and bit his lip.
"Tss. Didn't you want that?" he teased.
"Fuck you, asshole."
He kissed me again.
"If you use another profanity, I'll kiss you so hard you'll run out of breath."
I swallowed hard.
"Kiss your face, ass—"
Before I could finish, I clamped both hands over my mouth.
He smirked.
I wanted to punch him. I wanted to curse at him using every bad word I knew. But I couldn't risk it.
I tried to move away.
He immediately pulled me back.
"Sit."
His voice turned cold.
The other version of Kiefer.
The one that always made me freeze.
I stayed where I was, sitting on his lap while he drove.
Frustrated, I rolled down the window and stuck my head outside.
The cool breeze hit my face.
My hair was still damp from my shower, and the wind swept the wet strands away from my eyes.
I smiled.
For the first time all day, I wasn't thinking about the problems, the arguments, or the mess my life had become.
For a single fleeting moment, I forgot everything around me.
The rushing wind drowned out the noise in my head.
The weight on my chest disappeared.
And for a moment, it felt like I was flying.
"Jay, that's dangerous," Kiefer warned.
I ignored him.
A second later, he slammed on the brakes and grabbed my shoulders, pulling me back inside.
"You hate me enough to get yourself killed?" he shouted.
I rolled my eyes.
That only seemed to make him snap.
"JAY! FUCK IT!"
His voice exploded through the car.
His fist slammed into the steering wheel.
I flinched.
"If you're mad, then yell at me!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "Hit me. Curse at me. Do whatever you want!"
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
"But don't do that."
The anger vanished from his face, leaving behind something far worse.
Fear.
"I can't lose you, Jay."
I froze.
The words hit harder than any scream.
Slowly, I turned to look at him.
And that's when I saw it.
Tears.
One slipped down his cheek.
Then another.
His eyes were red, filled with a pain I had never seen before.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Terror.
As if the thought of something happening to me had shattered something inside him.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
I just stared at him.
For the rest of the drive, neither of us said a word.
When we finally reached home, the silence between us felt heavier than any argument.