Clyden (POV)
I was talking to one of Watson's directors, trying to confirm the rumors about the share transfers—
But my attention wasn't fully on the conversation.
It couldn't be.
My eyes kept scanning the room.
We were all on our phones—
Yet somehow, we were barely ten meters apart.
Jare and Percy stood off to the side, waiting.
For Jay.
Because Kiefer said she'd be here.
Cole and Angelo were busy with some of Fortis Group's people—
blending in,
watching,
working the room like nothing was wrong.
Another party tomorrow.
That's what they said.
But Watson never allows outsiders on the first day.
Not like this.
Something was off.
I felt it.
Then I saw her—
a girl approaching Kiefer.
Too close.
Too confident.
I looked away.
Didn't think much of it.
He was Kiefer.
A billionaire.
Women always came to him.
And we all knew—
He only wanted Jay.
If she saw this, she'd probably punch him.
The thought almost made me smile.
Then—
My phone buzzed.
I glanced down.
A message.
From Kiefer.
Just two words.
SOS. Drug.
And just like that—
Everything in the room changed.
My head snapped up.
"Kiefer."
His eyes found mine.
A small nod.
I returned it.
That was enough.
Jare and Percy were already moving the second they saw my face.
"What happened?" Percy asked.
"No time," I said, already walking fast. "He's in trouble."
A beat—
then, sharper:
"Someone drugged him."
That was enough.
Everything shifted.
Cole and Angelo caught on instantly, breaking away from the Fortis group without a word.
We moved through the crowd like a shift in pressure—
subtle,
but dangerous.
My eyes locked onto where I last saw him.
The girl.
Still there.
Too close.
Too comfortable.
Wrong.
I stepped forward.
"Stop," Angelo said, catching my arm.
"Why?" I snapped.
"Wait," he said, his voice low but firm. "Kiefer's not that weak. If something's off, he'll react. Give it a minute."
A minute?
My jaw tightened.
Nothing about this felt right.
Cole stepped in, already thinking three steps ahead.
"Jare, Percy," he said, eyes flicking toward the entrance. "You two go. Now. If Jay shows up, you keep her out of here. Don't let her see this."
They didn't argue.
Didn't hesitate.
They just moved.
Fast.
"Where's Aries?" I asked, eyes still on the door.
"He got a call from Ella," Percy replied, already halfway down the corridor.
And then they were gone.
Just like that—
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
We stayed outside the room.
Listening.
Waiting.
Ready to break the door down if something felt off.
Seconds stretched.
Turned into minutes.
Every sound was sharper than it should've been.
A shift.
A breath.
Footsteps inside.
Ten minutes.
Felt longer.
Then—
heels against marble.
Fast.
Familiar.
I turned.
Jay.
Already here.
Too soon.
Too perfect.
My chest tightened.
I moved fast—
closing the distance in seconds—
and pulled her into a hug.
Too tight.
More to stop her than anything else.
"Why are you here?" I said it low, urgently, close to her ear. "You can't be here right now."
She pulled back immediately.
Eyes searching mine.
Sharp.
Suspicious.
"Why are you trying to hide it?" she asked.
No pause.
No hesitation.
"Where is Kiefer?"
Cole stepped in.
Too quickly.
"Jay… Kiefer is not here."
Lie.
Bad one.
And she caught it.
Of course she did.
Then—
a sound.
From inside the room.
A low—
rough—
broken roar.
Kiefer.
Wrong timing.
Everything in me went still.
Jay's head turned instantly.
Locked on the door.
And that was it.
She moved.
No hesitation.
Just that.
"Jay—" I started.
Useless.
She was already walking.
Straight toward it.
My chest tightened harder.
Because the answer—
was right behind that door.
And if she opened it—
Everything would fall apart exactly the way they planned.
But she didn't.
The door opened first.
The woman stepped out—
Breath is uneven, hair disheveled,
The clothes are not right.
And then—
Kiefer.
Right behind her.
Shirt half-open.
Buttons undone.
Wrong.
Everything about it—
wrong.
I looked at Jay.
And then at him.
And just like that—
I knew.
This was it.
This was the moment they wanted.
Kiefer saw her.
Everything in him shifted.
"Jay—"
He stepped forward.
Reaching for her.
Instinct.
She stepped back.
Fast.
Sharp.
"Don't fucking touch me, Kiefer."
Her voice—
cold enough to cut.
And I felt it.
Because I knew what that moment did.
When you see something like that—
when it looks real—
You don't ask.
You don't think.
Your mind doesn't let you.
It just—
decides.
Even I would've doubted.
No matter how much I trusted them.
Because that kind of scene—
It goes beyond anger.
Beyond hurt.
It shuts everything down.
Kiefer tried to speak—
But his body gave in first.
He staggered.
I caught him before he hit the ground.
"Jay…" he forced out.
But she wasn't looking at him anymore.
Not the same way.
And then—
He collapsed.
Completely.
Gone.
And that's when she broke.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just—
a crack.
A tear slipped down before she could stop it.
He didn't even see it.
"...What is happening here?" she asked.
Quiet.
But sharp enough to cut through all of us.
I wanted to answer.
To explain.
But not here.
Not like this.
I looked at Cole.
At Angelo.
They knew it too.
This wasn't the place.
This wasn't the moment.
"I'm going home," Jay said.
No hesitation.
No waiting.
She turned—
and walked out.
And none of us stopped her.
Because we couldn't.
Because whatever this was—
It had already gone too far.
It had already gone too far.
Jay sat in the backseat—
silent,
staring out the window like none of us were there.
Kiefer was beside me,
barely conscious,
whispering her name over and over.
"Jay…"
"Jay…"
Like it was the only thing keeping him here.
She didn't turn.
Didn't respond.
Just watched him from the corner of her eyes—
once—
and looked away.
Didn't touch him.
Not even once.
The drive felt longer than it should've.
Heavy.
Quiet.
Wrong.
When we reached home—
She didn't wait.
Didn't look back.
She got out and walked straight inside.
No hesitation.
No pause.
Just distance.
I took Kiefer's weight, dragging him inside with the others.
He was burning.
Still not fully there.
Still whispering her name.
We laid him on the bed.
And that's when I moved.
Fast.
Out of the room—
toward her.
"Jay… " It's not what you think," I said, trying to catch her before the door closed.
She turned.
Sharp.
Eyes already colder than before.
"Get out."
Her voice didn't rise.
It cut.
She pointed at the door.
No hesitation.
No space for anything else.
"Jay—" Jare started.
"Just listen—" Cole tried.
Her gaze snapped to them.
That was enough.
"Leave me."
One word.
Final.
A beat.
Then—
"Alone."
Silence fell instantly.
No one argued.
No one stayed.
Because the way she stood there—
wasn't angry anymore.
It was something worse.
The door closed behind us.
And for the first time since all of this started—
We were locked out.
Jay and Kiefer were inside.
We were not.
Percy, Jare, Aries, Cole, Angelo—and I—
walked downstairs in silence.
No one rushed.
No one spoke.
Because none of us knew what came next.
I exhaled slowly.
"What do we do now?"
Jare was the first to answer.
"We tell her. Everything. Right now."
Angelo shook his head immediately.
"It's not that simple," he said. "Do you really think Jay-Jay is going to sit there and listen after what she saw?"
Percy let out a breath.
"She wouldn't even touch him," he said quietly. "You saw that. If we push now… we might break something we can't fix."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Then—
Aries spoke.
"No," he said, calmer than the rest of us. "I don't think she's completely gone."
We all looked at him.
"If she didn't believe him at all," he continued, "she wouldn't have let him stay in her room."
That landed.
Because it made sense.
Because it gave us something—
small—
but real.
Cole nodded once.
"Then we wait."
No hesitation.
No debate.
Just that.
Because right now—
whatever was happening upstairs—
was bigger than anything we could interfere with.
And for once—
doing nothing
It was the only move we had.
Jay-Jay(POV)
After Kiefer fell asleep, I moved him slowly—
Be careful not to wake him.
His hand caught my wrist.
Tight.
Too tight.
I frowned.
"This idiot…"
It took me a minute to loosen his grip.
Even unconscious—
He wouldn't let go easily.
I finally pulled free and stepped back.
My neck stung.
I reached up, brushing my fingers over it—
then glanced at the mirror.
Marks.
Everywhere.
Bite marks.
Red.
My collarbone—
worse.
I exhaled slowly.
"If I didn't know you were drugged…" I muttered under my breath, "I'd beat the hell out of you."
I buttoned my pajamas properly.
covering what I could.
Then I walked out.
Downstairs—
They were all there.
Waiting.
Of course they were.
Their eyes lifted the second I stepped in.
Watching.
Reading.
Trying to figure out what happened upstairs—
without asking.
"Why is everyone still awake?" I asked, voice steady—too steady.
Aries leaned back slightly, eyes not leaving mine. "You didn't eat anything… so we thought you'd come downstairs."
A beat.
Silence stretched.
Percy stepped forward just enough to close the distance—not fully, not intruding… but close enough to see through me if I slipped.
"Is everything okay?"
That question.
Simple.
Careful.
Dangerous.
I let out a small breath—not tired, not relieved… controlled.
"How can I be okay after seeing that?" I said, but it didn't come out loud enough to reach them fully—more like something meant for myself.
And then I moved.
Walked straight past them—
didn't stop—
didn't wait—
straight into the kitchen.
"I'm hungry," I said.
Simple.
Like nothing just happened.
Clyden Kuya looked at me for a second longer than usual.
He knew.
He always knew when something was off.
But he didn't ask.
Didn't corner me.
Just gave a small nod. "Sit."
That was it.
No pressure.
No questions.
Just quiet understanding.
The sound of oil hitting the pan filled the space.
Fried rice.
Familiar.
Grounding.
I sat at the table, elbows resting lightly, fingers still… even though my mind wasn't.
Not even close.
Plates clinked softly as he placed the food in front of me.
"Eat," he said.
I nodded once.
And I did.
Calm.
Too calm.
Every bite measured.
Every movement is controlled.
Like if I slowed down—
If I stopped—
Everything upstairs would catch up to me all at once.
They didn't sit.
Didn't speak.
Just watched.
Waiting.
The silence wasn't empty—
It was loaded.
Questions stacking.
Tension building.
Percy leaned against the counter, arms crossed.
Aries stayed near the doorway.
Jare didn't even pretend to look away.
All of them—
waiting for me to break first.
I didn't.
I finished eating.
Washed my fingers clean.
Set the plate aside with a soft clink.
Then leaned back slightly, finally looking at them.
One by one.
Letting it stretch.
Letting them feel it too.
"So," I said, voice even, eyes sharp now,
"Are you going to tell me what happened?"
Silence.
Good.
Cole tried first.
"Jay… it's just a misunderstanding, not what you saw was really—"
I smiled.
Slow.
Sharp.
"Wow."
My eyes didn't leave his.
"I walk into a room… find my husband with a girl who drugged him—"
I tilted my head slightly.
"—and you're still lying to me."
The words didn't rise.
They cut.
Clean.
Cole froze—just for a second—but it was enough.
Enough for me to know I hit exactly where it hurt.
"Jay, listen—" Percy stepped in, voice lower, controlled. "You didn't see the full—"
"I saw enough."
I didn't raise my voice.
Didn't need to.
That made it worse.
Aries pushed off the wall, jaw tight. "Then stop pretending you don't know him. You think he'd—"
"I think," I cut in, finally looking at him, "that something happened."
A pause.
A shift.
Not denial.
Not an accusation.
Something heavier.
My fingers tapped once against the table.
"Either you explain it properly…"
I leaned forward slightly, gaze locking onto each of them again—
"…or I walk into that palace again and get the truth myself."
That landed.
Hard.
Because they knew—
I would.
Percy exhaled through his nose, running a hand through his hair. "He was drugged."
Silence.
Real silence this time.
I didn't react.
Didn't soften.
Just waited.
"Who is the damn girl… who tried to lay a finger on my husband? and why??" I asked.
Cole exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "We don't know that. Not fully… only Kiefer can explain it."
Silence.
Then—
Clyden stepped in.
Careful.
Measured.
"Jay… do you think Kiefer would touch another girl?"
I leaned forward.
"We're talking about Kiefer," I said quietly.
My gaze steadied.
Unshaken.
"He's obsessed with me."
A beat.
"And I know exactly how that looks."
Silence tightened around the table.
"If I doubt him," I continued, voice calm but firm, "then I'm not just doubting him—"
"I'm doubting his love for me."
I held their eyes.
One by one.
"And he knew what I would do if he touched another woman," I said, a smirk pulling at my lips—
sharp.
Certain.
"Because he knows exactly what I'd do."
No hesitation.
No cracks.
Just that.
They all looked at me.
Not confused.
Not questioning.
Measuring.
Clyden's gaze dropped for a second, thinking.
Aries exhaled slowly, like something just clicked into place.
Percy straightened.
And Cole?
Cole looked uneasy.
Because they all reached the same conclusion at the same time.
"Just because I trust him…" I said slowly, "It doesn't mean I can't get hurt."
A pause.
Heavy.
"Jay…" Percy started.
I cut him off.
"If you're trying to protect me by hiding things—by deciding what I should or shouldn't know—don't."
My voice didn't rise.
It steadied.
Worse.
"Don't feed me that."
Jare stepped forward slightly. "Jay, it's not like that, it's just—"
"Then handle it better," I said, sharper now.
Silence snapped into place.
"I'm not a child."
My fingers tightened slightly against the table.
"I'm about to become a mother."
That landed.
Hard.
"So if you think keeping me in the dark is protecting me—" I shook my head once.
"You're wrong."
No one moved.
No one spoke.
"I've been fighting my own battles since I was ten," I continued, quieter now—but stronger.
"I'm not saying I'll do it alone."
A breath.
"But I need to know what's happening in my life."
My eyes moved across them.
One by one.
"Especially when it involves my husband."
Silence followed.
Not empty.
Not awkward.
Just—
real.
Because this time—
They understood.
"I knew someone was trying to kill me…" I said.
The room went still.
Too still.
"You're all acting weird."
No one denied it.
Of course, they didn't.
I let out a quiet breath, leaning back slightly.
"You think I don't notice?" My eyes moved to Everyone. "I studied criminal law. I may have stopped practicing—"
A small pause.
"—but that doesn't mean I stopped thinking."
Silence pressed in.
"I can connect dots."
That landed.
Hard.
I tilted my head slightly.
"So…" My voice dropped, colder now. "Who's the fucking asshole trying this time?"
"Jay…" Jare stepped in quickly, uneasy. "You can't talk like that. You're pregnant—the baby can hear you."
For a second—
I looked down.
At my stomach.
Then back at them.
All of them—
watching me.
Careful.
Measured.
Like I might break.
I almost smiled.
"I really talk less now," I said quietly.
A beat.
"Trust me… this is me holding back."
A beat.
I straightened slightly.
"That's not the topic. Don't divert it."
No one argued this time.
Good.
They told me everything.
Watson's.
Hanamiachi.
The hit list.
Each word—
heavier than the last.
But it made sense.
Too much sense.
When they finished, the room fell quiet again.
Percy looked at me carefully.
"Are you mad at Kiefer?"
I let out a short breath.
A humorless one.
"Of course I am," I said.
My eyes lifted.
Sharp.
"That idiot—I've told him before… I would've helped him."
Silence.
Because they knew I meant it.
Percy nodded slightly. "That's exactly why he didn't tell you. He didn't want to drag you into this. He's blaming himself for all of it."
My jaw tightened.
Not in anger.
Something else.
"He's doing it to protect me," I said quietly.
A pause.
Then—
"Why would I blame him for that?"
No one answered.
Because they couldn't.
I exhaled slowly.
"But I was angry," I continued.
My eyes lifted—
steady,
unshaken.
"Because you're still treating me like I'm fragile."
Silence.
Tighter this time.
"Yes," I said, my voice softer—but sharper underneath, "I'm weak when it comes to love… to my people."
A beat.
Then my tone changed.
Colder.
"But I'm not weak when it comes to protecting them."
That landed.
Hard.
"He got lucky today," I said.
My fingers curled slightly.
Controlled.
"What if I didn't find him?"
No one moved.
No one breathed.
"What if he lost control completely?"
My gaze locked onto them—
one by one.
"Did you think about that?"
Silence answered me.
Because they had.
They just didn't want to say it.
I leaned back slightly.
"And you still think keeping me out of it is the safer choice?"
No anger now.
Just truth.
And that—
hit harder than anything else.
Cole exhaled, stepping in carefully.
"But Jay… we can't let you take risks. You're pregnant. If something happens to you, it's not just you anymore."
I nodded once.
"I know."
A pause.
Then I straightened.
"But listen to me."
My voice didn't rise.
It is grounded.
"Yes—I can get hurt."
No denial.
No illusion.
"But am I alone?"
My eyes moved across them.
One by one.
"You're all here."
A beat.
"Kiefer would stand in front of me without thinking twice."
Silence.
Because they knew that was true.
"So don't confuse hiding me… with protecting me."
My tone sharpened.
"Because it's not the same thing."
I took a step forward.
Closer.
"If you shut me out, you're not keeping me safe."
"You're just pushing me further away from what's happening."
A breath.
Steady.
Controlled.
"And this—" I gestured slightly, "—this is my life."
My gaze locked with theirs.
"I need to know the risks."
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just certainty.
"And it's not like I found him…" I said slowly.
Their eyes lifted.
Watching.
Waiting.
I met their gaze—
one by one.
"Someone wanted me to."
Silence.
Immediate.
Heavy.
I turned—
walked upstairs—
Then came back down just as quickly.
The envelope in my hand.
I didn't say anything.
I just threw it onto the table.
It slid—
stopping right in front of them.
"You think I could walk into that place without an invitation?" I asked.
No one answered.
Good.
"This wasn't for him," Percy said quietly.
My smirk didn't fade.
"No," I agreed.
"It was for me."
A pause.
Then I leaned back, fingers tapping once against the table.
"Someone wanted me to see that," I said.
"Someone wanted me to react."
My eyes darkened slightly.
"To doubt him… or to lose control."
Aries' jaw tightened. "And you didn't."
I tilted my head.
"Not yet… if I had lost control, I wouldn't be here talking to you like this."
That landed.
Because they could all picture it.
Exactly what "losing control" meant.
I held their gaze.
Didn't let a single one of them look away.
A beat.
"And I think you all already know why."
Clyden exhaled slowly.
"They wanted you there," he said.
My eyes didn't leave the envelope.
"They wanted you to see it," he added.
I nodded once.
Cold.
Precise.
"They wanted to break you and Kiefer."
That landed.
Jare picked up the invitation quickly—
reading it again, as it might change.
"Where did you get this?" he asked.
"This morning," I said.
Calm.
"In front of the house."
That did it.
That was the missing piece.
The room shifted.
Not confusion anymore—
certainty.
Planned.
Timed.
Controlled.
I folded my arms.
"They knew I'd come."
A pause.
"They knew I wouldn't ignore it."
My voice dropped.
"And they knew exactly what I'd see when I got there."
Silence.
No one denied it.
Because they couldn't.
I tilted my head slightly.
"So this wasn't just about Kiefer."
My eyes hardened.
"It was about me."
A beat.
"And now they've made it personal."
The room didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Because something had changed.
Not outside—
Inside me.
I picked the invitation back up.
Turned it once.
Twice.
Memorizing it.
Not the paper—
the intention behind it.
"They studied me," I said quietly.
No one interrupted.
"They knew I'd come alone."
A step forward.
"They knew I wouldn't ignore something like this."
My thumb pressed against the edge of the card.
"And they knew exactly what to show me."
I looked up.
Different now.
Not hurt.
Not shaken.
Clear.
"So we stop reacting."
That got their attention.
Finally.
"We start thinking like them."
Silence shifted—
into focus.
Cole leaned forward slightly. "What are you thinking?"
I didn't answer immediately.
Because this—
This had to be right.
"They wanted me emotional," I said. "Unstable. Distracted."
A small pause.
"Good."
Percy frowned. "Good?"
I nodded.
"Let them think it worked."
Now they were listening.
Really listening.
"We don't shut this down."
I placed the invitation back on the table.
Deliberate.
"We continue it."
Jare's eyes narrowed. "You want to walk into another trap?"
I met his gaze.
"No."
A beat.
"I want them to think I already did."
That landed.
Hard.
"They're watching," I continued. "They'll expect distance between Kiefer and me."
My jaw tightened slightly.
"Let's give them that."
Angelo crossed his arms. "You're suggesting we fake it?"
"I'm suggesting we control what they see."
A step closer to the table.
"To them—"
I gestured between myself and the space beside me.
"—we're fractured."
Silence.
Thinking.
Calculating.
"They'll get comfortable," I added. "They'll push harder."
Percy exhaled slowly. "And that's when we catch them."
I nodded.
"Exactly."
Cole looked at me carefully.
"And you?"
I held his gaze.
Steady.
"I'll be exactly where they expect me to be."
A pause.
Then—
"But not the way they expect."
Aries' eyes narrowed slightly. "Jay… you know who sent it, right?"
I held his gaze.
And smiled.
Soft.
Knowing.
"You really read me that well, Kuya."
That was answer enough.
Cole straightened. "So you do know who sent it."
"Yeah," I said simply. "I have one person in mind."
The room leaned in without moving.
"Tell us who," Clyden Kuya said, voice calm—but firm.
I stood up.
Chair scraping lightly against the floor.
"No," I said.
That stopped them.
Not loud.
Not harsh.
Just final.
"Did you tell me everything?" I asked, looking between them.
Silence.
That was my answer.
"I'm going to tomorrow's party," I continued, already turning away. "And if my guess is right…"
My hand rested on the railing for a second.
"They'll be there."
I didn't wait for permission.
Didn't wait for agreement.
"Jay—" they called.
I ignored it.
Each step upstairs is steady.
Certain.
No hesitation left.
Only direction.
I reached the door.
Opened it.
And there he was.
Kiefer.
Asleep.
Like none of this chaos had touched him.
For a moment—
just a moment—
Everything in me softened.
I walked toward him.
Slow.
Quiet.
Careful.
My fingers brushed through his hair, pushing it back gently.
His breathing stayed even.
Unaware.
I leaned down.
Pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.
Lingering just a second longer than I should have.
"Good night, baby."
And this time—
My voice didn't shake.
Because the storm wasn't inside me anymore.
It was waiting for them.
"I hope I meet them tomorrow…"