JAY-JAY POV
After the ice‑creme shop, we went straight to Percy's house to drop off Raffy.
I knocked once.
The door flew open like Percy had been standing behind it the whole time.
"Miss me already, Baby Sistah?" he said, pulling me into a tight hug before I could even answer.
I laughed, patting his back. "Percy, we literally saw each other an hour ago."
He pulled back just enough to look past me — and the moment he saw Keifer, his whole face lit up.
"Keifer baby!" Percy announced, grabbing him into a hug so aggressive it was basically a tackle.
Keifer stiffened immediately. "Jay— Jay, get your brother off me," he said, trying to wiggle free while Percy squeezed him like a long‑lost soulmate.
Keigan burst out laughing.
Raffy joined him, clutching his stomach. "Kuya Percy's gonna break him!"
I shook my head, because honestly? They weren't wrong.
Percy finally let Keifer go, patting his shoulders like he'd just finished wrestling a wild animal.
Then he turned to Raffy with the fakest innocent face I'd ever seen.
"Raffy, what are you doing here?" he asked, pretending he had no idea.
"Kuya, I already told Ate," Raffy said, confused.
Percy's eyes snapped to me.
I glared at him so hard he actually flinched.
"You asshole," I said, stepping closer, "why did you let him come to the Philippines when you knew it was dangerous for him?"
Percy raised both hands like I was pointing a gun at him. "Jay—Jay, listen—"
"No," I snapped. "You knew. You fucking knew. And you still let him come."
Keifer shifted behind me, quiet, but I could feel his eyes on my back.
Raffy and Keigan went silent instantly — the kind of silence only siblings know, the oh shit kind.
Percy sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Jay… he begged me. What was I supposed to do? Tie him to a chair?"
"Yes!" I said. "Preferably!"
Percy blinked. "You're insane."
"And you're irresponsible."
"And you're dramatic."
"And you're stupid."
"And you're—"
Keifer finally stepped between us, hands up. "Okay, okay, can we not fight on the doorstep like a telenovela?"
Percy pointed at him. "Shut up, this is family business."
Keifer pointed back. "I am family business."
Raffy whispered to Keigan, "This is better than TV."
I exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of my nose.
Of course this was happening.
Of course.
"Ate, why do you want me to stay there in New York with Grandma and Grandpa?" Raffy asked, his voice small in a way that made my chest tighten.
I looked at him. Really looked at him. My baby brother who tried so hard to act grown but still didn't understand how ugly the world could get.
"Why do you think?" I said quietly. "If our Aunt finds out about this, we're doomed."
Percy and Raffy both went silent instantly.
Because they knew.
They knew exactly how far our Aunt would go.
How far she had gone before.
The air shifted — heavy, tense, like the whole house was holding its breath.
"What…" Raffy started, swallowing hard, "what do you think she'll do?"
"She would do everything to stop me," I said quietly.
Raffy's face fell.
Percy's jaw tightened.
Even Keigan stopped smiling.
"Jay, what is happening?" Keifer asked, stepping closer.
I forced a smile — small, soft, fake.
I didn't want him worrying.
He'd already been through enough.
He didn't need my family's mess on top of his own.
Before I could answer, Percy jumped in.
"Nothing big to worry about, Keifer. We can handle it," he said, but the way he glanced at me told the truth — he didn't want Keifer worrying either.
Keifer looked between us, clearly unconvinced, but he didn't push. "Okay… but please tell me if you need any help."
We both nodded.
He checked his watch. "Keigan, I think we should go. Keiran will be home alone."
"Yeah, bye everyone!" Keigan said, giving me a tight hug.
"Talk to your brother," I whispered to him.
He nodded, understanding exactly what I meant.
Then Keifer stepped toward me.
He cupped my cheek for half a second — barely a touch — then leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. Another on my forehead. And then he wrapped his arms around me, warm and grounding.
"Bye, wifey," he murmured against my hair.
My heart stuttered.
"Bye," I managed, even though a hundred other words sat heavy on my tongue.
The door closed behind Keifer and Keigan, and the house felt too quiet. Too still. Like all the noise had walked out with them.
Percy looked at me immediately — not with judgment, not with teasing, but with that older‑brother stare that meant he saw everything I was trying to hide.
He cleared his throat. "Raffy, go upstairs and check out your room."
Raffy paused, eyes flicking to me instead of moving.
He could tell something was off.
He always could.
"Ate… you okay?" he asked softly.
I forced a smile — the kind that didn't reach my eyes. "Yeah, Raff. Go on. I'll be up in a bit."
He hesitated, like he wanted to stay, like he didn't trust leaving me alone with whatever was about to happen.
Percy stepped in gently. "Raff, go. I'll talk to her."
Raffy finally nodded and headed upstairs, but he kept glancing back until he disappeared around the corner.
The moment Raffy disappeared upstairs, Percy crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at me — the older brother look, the one that meant he wasn't letting this go.
I sank onto the couch, elbows on my knees, trying to breathe past the knot in my chest.
"Are you still thinking about Aunt Eden?" Percy asked, voice low.
"Percy, you know she would do anything to stop me from getting the inheritance," I said, staring at the floor. "Anything."
He nodded slowly, jaw tightening. "Yeah. I know."
Then he hesitated — just for a second — before asking, "What about Jare?"
My head snapped up.
Jare.
The name alone felt like someone pressing a bruise I'd been pretending didn't hurt.
I didn't answer.
I couldn't.
Percy watched me, his expression softening. "Jay…"
I looked away, blinking hard. "Don't."
"Jay, you can't keep avoiding that conversation forever."
"I'm not avoiding it," I said, even though we both knew I was lying.
Percy sat beside me, not touching me, just close enough to let me know he was there. "Aunt Eden is one problem. The inheritance is another. But Jare… that's the one that's eating you alive."
My throat tightened.
I swallowed, but the words still wouldn't come.
"Don't talk about him," I said sharply, barely above a whisper. "Raffy might hear you."
Percy's expression softened immediately.
"Are you staying here tonight?" he asked, quieter now.
I nodded. "Let me call Kuya Angelo."
I dialed his number, and he picked up on the second ring.
"Hello, Jay — where the hell are you?" he demanded, sounding half‑worried, half‑annoyed, which was basically his default setting.
"Kuya, I'm with Percy," I said, trying to sound calm. "Can I stay here for the night?"
There was a pause — the kind where I could practically hear him rubbing his forehead.
"Fine," he said finally, "but only because tomorrow is Saturday."
Relief washed over me. "Thank you so much, Kuya."
I hung up and let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
"Jay, you can still ask Section E for help," Percy said gently.
I looked at him, tired in a way that felt older than I was. "How many times do I have to tell you not to include Section E in this?" My voice cracked, just a little. "I already told you this is dangerous."
Percy didn't argue — which somehow made it worse.
"I don't want anyone in Section E to be in trouble," I said, softer now. "Not because of me. Not because of Aunt Eden. Not because of this stupid inheritance."
He just nodded, lips pressed together, eyes full of things he wasn't saying.
Percy wasn't scared of much.
But he was scared of this.
Of her.
Of what she could do.
And he knew I was right.
The silence stretched between us — heavy, familiar, the kind that came from years of surviving the same person.
Finally, Percy exhaled. "Okay. No Section E."
But the way he said it…
It wasn't agreement.
It was surrender.
And that scared me more than anything.