Tita's POV
I walked back into the living room where the air was still thick with tension. Angelo was pacing like a caged lion, and Aries sat in the corner, his jaw set in that stubborn, angry line. They were ready for a fight, ready to blame Keifer for every bruise and every tear.
"I just went in there," I said softly, my voice making them all freeze.
"And?" Angelo demanded, stopping his pace. "Is she decent? Is he following my rules?"
I looked at my sons, then at Gemma, who was nodding as if she already expected the worst.
"She's asleep," I told them, "but not the way you think. She is lying on his bare chest, without a single piece of clothing on her. She is completely vulnerable.
Gemma gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "How could you let—"
"Listen to me!" I cut her off, my voice gaining strength. "I tried to touch her. I just wanted to check her temperature. But as soon as I got close, she flinched. She looked terrified in her sleep, like she was still running from all of you. But Keifer... he didn't even look at me. He just held her tighter. He whispered to her that she was safe, and the second she heard his voice, the terror vanished. She melted into him."
Percy let out a long breath, a small, sad smile touching his lips. "He's her anchor, Angelo. Can't you see that? He's the only thing keeping her from drifting away."
Ci-N nodded beside him, her eyes misty. "She doesn't need a CEO's suit or a brother's lecture right now. She just needs him."
But the understanding stopped there. Angelo's face turned a dark, dangerous red.
"Vulnerable? That's exactly what I'm afraid of. He has her completely under his thumb. This isn't healing, it's an obsession."
Aries stood up, his fists clenching. "He's taking advantage of her being weak. If she's 'scared' of us, it's because he's put those thoughts in her head. I don't buy this 'safe' act for a second."
Gemma shook her head, her lips thinned into a judgmental line. "It's improper. Sick or not, no man should see her like that."
I sighed, looking at my two eldest sons and my niece. They were so blinded by their own pride and "protection" that they couldn't see the girl who was finally breathing again.
ᕙ༼Keifer's༽ᕗPOV
I kept my back to them, focusing on the sizzle of the eggs, but I could feel Angelo and Aries burning holes in my spine. I was playing the perfect host, but my ears were tuned to the hallway.
"Don't go in there," I warned, my voice steady. "She finally fell into a deep sleep an hour ago. She needs the rest."
Gemma stepped forward, looking restless. "I just want a quick look, Keifer. To make sure she's actually... okay."
I hesitated, but I knew if I said no, Angelo would take it as a challenge. "Fine. One look. Be silent.Don't touch her."
As Gemma slipped away, I plated the food, the silence in the kitchen heavy enough to suffocate. But then, a sound shattered the quiet. A sharp, broken sob. My heart dropped. Jay Jay.
I didn't even think. I dropped the spatula and bolted toward the bedroom.
Angelo's POV
I followed Keifer, my blood boiling. I expected to see chaos, but when I reached the doorway, I stopped dead.
Jay Jay was sitting up, wrapped only in that silk sheet—her "shield"—clutching it to her chest. Tears were streaming down her face, her eyes wide and frantic. She looked like a child lost in a storm. But she didn't look at me. She didn't look at Gemma, who was standing there awkwardly.
She looked only at Keifer.
He didn't hesitate. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her into his lap, silk and all. I waited for her to push him away, to demand her dignity back, but she didn't. She buried her face in his neck, her hands clutching his shoulders like he was her only lifeline.
"I don't want it," she sobbed, her voice sounding small and nonsensical. "The sky is too loud, Keifer. Make it stop. Everything is moving."
"Shh, butterfly, I know," Keifer whispered, his voice so soft it didn't even sound like the man I'd been glaring at all morning. He started rocking her, ignoring us entirely. "The sky is quiet now. I've got the windows shut. You're okay, my little bird. Just breathe."
He was talking to her like she was a toddler, a fragile thing that would break if he raised his voice.
"I'm hungry," she whimpered, then immediately gagged, her face turning pale. "No... I'm nauseous. My stomach feels like it's full of glass. Make it go away, Keifer. Tell the glass to leave."
"I'll tell the glass to leave," he murmured, rubbing her back in slow, soothing circles. "We'll just have some plain toast, okay? Just a tiny bit for me?"
I stood there, my hands frozen at my sides. My sister, the woman who took down rival corporations without blinking, was talking about "loud skies" and "glass stomachs." And the only person she allowed to see her this way—the only one she trusted to hold her while she fell apart—was him.
ᕙ༼Keifer's༽ᕗPOV
I sat at the table with them, the atmosphere still thick enough to cut with a knife. I forced myself to eat, keeping my movements calm despite the way Angelo and Aries were tracking my every breath. After thirty minutes, I prepped a light tray—just toast and water—and headed back to the sanctuary of the bedroom.
Angelo's POV
We followed him, standing by the open door like shadows. We weren't invited, but I couldn't look away. I watched as Keifer practically carried her to the bathroom to brush her teeth, supporting her weight as if she were made of porcelain.
When it came time for her to drink, she turned her head away like a stubborn child. "It tastes like metal," she complained, her bottom lip poking out in a full-blown pout.
"One sip for me, Jay Jay," Keifer coaxed, holding the glass to her lips. "Just one."
She let out a dramatic, exaggerated groan, throwing her head back."You're so mean to me! I'm an invalid and you're torturing me with hydration!"
Then, she laughed. It wasn't the polite, calculated laugh she used at galas. It was a real, bubbly sound that made her eyes sparkle—a sound I hadn't heard in years. My heart pinched. She was being a total spoiled brat, showing him tantrums that she would never dare show us.
When he started feeding her the toast, she acted like it was the hardest task in the world. "It's too crunchy, Keifer! My jaw is tired!" she cried out dramatically, flinging an arm over her forehead like a tragic actress.
"Eat the toast, you menace," Keifer chuckled, completely unfazed by her theatrics.
She stuck her tongue out at him, but she took the bite. I leaned against the doorframe, my protective anger starting to feel... unnecessary. She wasn't just recovering; she was unwinding. She was showing him the messy, bratty, "nonsense" side of herself that she usually kept locked behind a CEO's desk.
Aries muttered something under his breath about her being "ridiculous," but even he didn't look like he wanted to jump in and stop it anymore.
Keifer noticed me hovering at the door and, instead of blocking me, he gave me a small, tired nod and stepped aside. "She's all yours, Angelo. I'm going to go clear the kitchen."
The second he moved, Jay Jay tensed, her eyes tracking him with a desperate focus until he disappeared around the corner. Only then did she turn those big, glassy eyes toward me. My heart, which I'd kept like stone for years, literally melted. I didn't see the CEO. I saw the little girl who used to hide behind my legs when the thunder got too loud.
I sat on the edge of the bed, and for a moment, the room was filled with our whole chaotic family. Percy and Ci-N were already hovering, their faces lit up with childish grins, while Aries leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, his "grumpy" mask still on—though I could see his eyes softening.
I sat on the edge of the bed, and for the first time in years, I didn't see the woman who ran a business empire. I saw my "baby" sister. I reached out, and she didn't flinch—she leaned into my palm, her cheek cool against my hand.
"You really scared me, Jay," I whispered, my voice cracking in a way I never let anyone hear.
"I'm sorry, Kuya," she murmured, using the old pet name that always turned my heart to mush. She looked up at me with those big, watery eyes. "I just... I forgot how to turn my brain off. Keifer had to do it for me."
Percy hopped onto the foot of the bed, his usual mischievous energy softened into something sweet. "Well, he did a good job. You look less like an Ice Queen and more like a soggy marshmallow now."
"A soggy marshmallow who is still your boss, Percy," she joked weakly, throwing a plush pillow at him.
Ci-N giggled, crawling up to sit cross-legged next to her. "A very cute marshmallow! Can we stay? We can be your backup shields. Angelo can be the wall, I'll be the pillow, and Percy can be... the annoying alarm clock."
Aries finally stepped forward. He didn't say much—he never does—but he sat on the edge of the bed and let Jay Jay rest her feet on his lap. He started absentmindedly rubbing her ankles, his rough hands being incredibly gentle. "You're too thin," he grumbled, but his eyes were shining. "When you're better, I'm cooking. No more of Keifer's 'toast diet.'"
Jay Jay laughed, a small, musical sound that filled the room. "I missed you guys. Even when you were screaming at the door."
"We only scream because we don't know how to tell you we love you without making it weird," Percy admitted, leaning over to boop her nose.
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a side-hug. "He's right. We were just scared, Jay. From now on, if the sky gets too loud, you don't have to hide in a cupboard. You call us. All of us."
She tucked her head under my chin, her small hand clutching mine and Aries' at the same time. "I know. But can Keifer still stay? He's really good at the 'quiet' part."
"He can stay," I sighed, kissing the top of her head. "As long as he knows he's officially the lowest-ranked member of this family."
ᕙ༼Keifer's༽ᕗPOV
The rest of the family finally trickled out, the house becoming eerily quiet after the storm of voices. But the silence didn't feel like peace. Angelo and Aries remained, standing in the kitchen like two sentinels. Their presence was heavy, a reminder that the "sanctuary" I'd built for Jay Jay was still under their jurisdiction.
Angelo leaned against the counter, his eyes hard and unyielding as he looked at me. This wasn't the worried brother from the bedroom anymore; this was the protector setting the law.
"Listen close, Keifer," Angelo started, his voice a low rumble. "We're letting her stay tonight because she's too fragile to move. But don't think this is a permanent victory for you."
Aries stepped up beside him, his arms crossed over his chest. "When we call, she answers in a second. No excuses. If we find out you're blocking her or 'protecting' her from us, we're coming back with a locksmith and a crowbar."
Angelo nodded. "Here is the deal. We take her home once we know she's stable and not terrified of us anymore. And after that? You don't see her. You don't call her. You don't even breathe in her direction for two weeks."
My heart physically ached at the words. Two weeks. In Jay Jay's world, two weeks of silence could feel like a lifetime, especially when she was this raw.
"Two weeks?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Angelo, she's still healing. If she wakes up and I'm gone—"
"If she wakes up and you're gone, she'll learn to lean on her family again," Angelo interrupted sharply. "If you want her to stay here tonight and finish her recovery in peace, you say yes to the rule. If you say no, we're waking her up right now and taking her with us. Choose."
I looked toward the bedroom door, thinking of her small hand clutching mine in her sleep, her "silk shield" tucked around her. The thought of losing her for fourteen days felt like a physical weight pressing on my chest, a dull, throbbing pain that made it hard to swallow. But I knew her brothers. If I fought them now, they'd tear her away before she could even take a full breath.
"Fine," I choked out, the word tasting like lead. "Yes. Two weeks. Just... let her sleep."
Angelo gave a curt nod, satisfied with the kill. "Good. We'll be back at dawn. Don't make me regret this, Keifer."
I slumped against the table, the silence of the house suddenly feeling like a prison. My heart didn't just hurt; it felt hollowed out.