Jay's POV
I don't remember leaving the building.
I remember air hitting my face. I remember my feet moving. Everything else felt distant, muffled, like I was trapped inside my own head.
I used you.
The words replayed over and over.
I walked without direction. Past gates. Past people. Past the world continuing like nothing had happened.
Cars passed. Conversations floated by. Life moved on.
I didn't.
My vision blurred again. I wiped at my eyes with the sleeve of my uniform, breathing unevenly, trying to stay upright.
I stepped off the curb without thinking.
A horn blared.
Tires screeched.
"SHIT—ARE YOU OKAY?!"
Something yanked me back hard. My shoulder jolted, my balance snapping as a car rushed past—too close. Too loud. Too real.
My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.
"Hey—hey, look at me," the voice said, fast and panicked. "Did it hit you? Are you hurt? Say something. Can you stand?"
I blinked, the world tilting.
I looked up.
For a split second, the noise faded—the horns, the rushing blood in my ears, the shaking ground beneath my feet. All of it narrowed down to the face in front of me.
I knew that face.
The panic in his eyes didn't look borrowed. It didn't look curious or distant. It looked real—raw, like he'd been scared long before the car ever came close.
My chest tightened.
Percy.
The way he said my name—like he'd been searching for me, like he'd already lost me once today—cracked something open.
I tried to speak. I tried to hold myself together just long enough to stand.
I couldn't.
My legs gave out.
Arms caught me before I hit the ground.
I buried my face into a familiar chest and broke.
My fingers clutched fabric like it was the only thing keeping me from disappearing.
"I'm here," the voice said firmly. "I've got you. You're safe."
The word shattered me.
I cried harder.
He guided me toward a car, opening the door and helping me inside like I was made of glass.
"Sit. Just sit," he said. "Breathe. I'm not going anywhere."
The door closed softly.
Silence wrapped around us.
"Drive…"
My voice trembled so badly it barely sounded like mine.
"…Where?"
"Somewhere far."
He glanced at me. "What?"
"I SAID SOMEWHERE FAR!" I screamed suddenly, the sound ripping out of my chest.
The engine started instantly.
"Okay—okay," he said quickly, softer now. "I hear you. We're going. Just breathe. Please."
The city faded.
Streetlights blurred into long streaks of gold. At some point, the shaking stopped, replaced by a hollow ache that sat heavy in my chest.
The car slowed.
He nudged my shoulder gently.
"Hey."
I realized my cheeks were wet.
"…Where are we?"
"The beach," he said quietly. "Somewhere far. Like you asked."
The air smelled like salt and night. Waves crashed in the distance—steady, endless.
We sat on the sand. He didn't rush me. Didn't ask too fast.
Finally, he spoke.
"What happened?" His voice was careful. "Talk to me. I'm listening."
My hands clenched.
"It's okay," he added, patting my shoulder. "You're allowed to fall apart."
The words undid me.
"K—Keifer…" My voice cracked. "H-he used me."
The sentence collapsed into sobs. I cried until my chest hurt, until the waves were the only thing louder than my thoughts.
"You don't have to cry over him," he said softly. "Not someone like that."
I wiped my face. "How did you find me?"
He hesitated. "…I found out you were going to get hurt."
Something snapped.
I grabbed a rock and threw it.
It hit his shoulder.
"OUCH—WHAT THE HELL?!"
I stood, shaking. "How can I trust you?! You knew something! What if you're part of it? What if you planned it too?"
"No," he said immediately. "I swear. I only found out today. The moment I did, I came here as fast as I could."
"…Then why were you there?"
He swallowed.
"Because I have to tell you something."
The night felt colder.
"Aries… is your brother."
The truth followed—slow, painful. About his grandfather. About cruelty disguised as power. About forced marriages. About secrets buried so deep they poisoned everyone.
"And me," he said quietly. "I'm your stepbrother."
I cried again.
Hours passed. My sobs faded into quiet shakes.
When we stood, he drove again—this time to a familiar golden sign.
"What are we doing here?" I asked weakly.
"I know you're hungry," he said. "Crying burns calories."
I smiled despite everything.
He ordered twelve burgers.
"What the hell," I muttered. "Are you a McDonald's kid?"
I smacked his shoulder.
"Ouch! Six for me, six for you. Stop ruining my handsomeness."
We ate.
Then silence.
Then laughter.
When we finally reached home, the lights were on.
Cars everywhere.
Something raged inside me the moment I saw the house.
I didn't wait.
I hurried forward and shoved the door open so hard it banged against the wall.
They all turned to look at me.
Worried faces. Tense shoulders. People pretending they cared.
Like I cared.
All of them were there.
Section E.
The living room felt crowded, suffocating. Whispers died the second I stepped inside. No one spoke. No one moved. They just stared—like I was something fragile. Something already broken.
My eyes scanned the room anyway.
I wasn't looking for everyone.
I was looking for one familiar face.
I saw Yuri first.
His eyes widened slightly when they landed on me, guilt flashing across his face before he looked away.
Then my gaze moved.
I searched instinctively, already knowing.
And there he was.
Keifer.
Standing near the wall. Arms crossed. Expression closed off. Like he didn't want to be there. Like this whole thing was an inconvenience.
Cold.
Exactly how he looked when he said he used me.
Something inside my chest twisted violently.
I took a step forward.
And the room held its breath.
Before anyone could say anything—before I could stop myself—footsteps rushed toward me.
Mom and Tita.
They came at the same time, voices overlapping, hands reaching for me like I might disappear again.
"What happened?"
"Where were you?"
"How can you go out and come back this late at night?"
"Are you okay?"
The questions hit me all at once.
I laughed.
It was short. Empty. Nothing like happiness.
I looked at them—really looked at them—and something ugly rose from deep inside my chest.
"Am I an illegitimate child?"
The room froze.
Every breath stopped.
Every sound vanished.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
All of Section E stood perfectly still, eyes darting between faces. Mom's color drained from her face. Tita's hand fell slowly to her side.
I watched their silence like an answer.
And it hurt worse than anything Keifer had said.
Sorry guys if you think im copying all of book 2 im really sorryy i will change it laterr i really needed to start off the book 2 so i can match everything and later i will make the story different.🤞💝