Kiefer (POV)
It's been one day.
Jay woke up…
But she still wasn't really there.
She barely talked to anyone.
Most of the time, she just sat beside Clyden and Jare silently for hours, watching them sleep like she was afraid to look away. Sometimes she held their hands. Sometimes she just stared at the monitors quietly.
But she never spoke much.
And somehow…
That scared us more.
Because usually, Jay cried when she was hurting.
Usually she yelled, argued, panicked, or broke down.
But now?
Nothing.
No tears.
No anger.
No complaints.
Just silence.
Like she locked everything inside herself and threw away the key.
Even when we talked to her, she only answered with small nods or short sentences before going quiet again.
It hurt to watch.
Then suddenly—
The door opened.
I looked up immediately.
Cassian walked inside.
The second I saw him, my expression hardened.
"Jay…" he said softly while walking toward her.
"Why are you here?" I asked coldly.
Cassian completely ignored me.
He walked straight to the other side of Jay's bed and stopped there quietly before speaking again.
"Can I talk to you alone?"
My jaw tightened instantly.
"Why?" I asked sharply.
For a second, Cassian and I just stared at each other.
Then—
Jay slowly reached for my hand.
Her fingers wrapped around mine gently before she nodded toward Cassian.
Then she looked at me.
"Kiefer…" she said softly. "I also have something I need to say to him."
I didn't like this.
Not even a little.
Especially not after the way Cassian looked at her before.
The room suddenly felt too small.
Too tense.
Jay squeezed my hand weakly.
"Wait outside, please."
I stared at her for a few seconds.
She looked exhausted.
But determined.
And no matter how much I hated it…
I couldn't refuse her.
Slowly, I let go of her hand and stood up.
As I walked toward the door, my eyes stayed locked on Cassian.
A silent warning.
One wrong move—
And I wouldn't care where we were.
Leaving Jay alone with him made my blood boil.
Cassian (POV)
I left yesterday after getting a call from my company.
I never planned on staying in London this long anyway.
A few meetings had already been delayed because of me, and people at the top of billion-dollar companies don't disappear without consequences.
So, I returned to my hotel, attended the meetings remotely, and handled the mess waiting for me.
At the same time…
I had someone investigating Kiefer Watson and Jay-Jay.
By morning, I had everything important laid out in front of me.
They met during their final year of high school.
Then came Kiefer's accident.
After that accident, Jay lost her memories and left for New York.
Four years later, they met again.
And now…
They had been married for only five months.
Five months.
For some reason, that detail stayed in my mind longer than it should have.
Because from everything I read…
Their marriage felt sudden.
Too sudden.
There was history between them, yes.
But something still felt missing from the middle of the story.
I just didn't know what yet.
Now I was on my way back to the hospital after hearing Jay had finally woken up.
The second I entered the room; I noticed the difference immediately.
Yesterday, even unconscious, she looked softer somehow.
Today…
She looked emotionally exhausted.
Like someone who had cried until there was nothing left.
Kiefer sat beside her bed, holding her hand tightly, like letting go would physically hurt him.
Then I spoke.
"Jay."
The reaction was immediate.
Kiefer's entire expression darkened the second he saw me.
Interesting.
Most men would've hidden it better.
But Kiefer Watson wasn't subtle when it came to her.
He looked at me like I had walked into his territory uninvited.
Which, technically…
I had.
Before he could say anything, Jay lightly held his hand and looked at him quietly.
Then she asked him to leave.
Not because she chose me over him.
No.
I was smart enough to understand that.
She asked because she had something she wanted to say too.
Kiefer clearly hated every second of it.
Still…
He agreed.
And while walking past me toward the door, he looked at me like he was already planning my funeral.
I almost smiled at that.
Because for the first time in years…
Someone saw me as a threat before I had even made a move.
The second he left, Jay looked at me quietly.
"Thanks for yesterday," she said softly. "Because of you, we reached the hospital in time."
"It's my pleasure," I replied calmly.
She gave me a small smile.
But I noticed it immediately.
It wasn't real.
Yesterday her smile had warmth.
This one never reached her eyes.
"So," she said quietly, "what do you want to talk about?"
I studied her for a moment before deciding not to waste time.
"I'll be honest with you."
Now she looked at me properly.
Serious.
Alert.
"You won't ever truly be safe beside Kiefer," I said calmly. " Leave with me . I can protect you."
For one second—
She just stared at me.
Then suddenly she smiled like I'd said something ridiculous.
"Sorry," she said slowly. "What exactly did you say?"
"I'm asking you to come with me to Singapore," I said evenly. "I can give you a better life than this. Peace. Safety. Happiness."
Her expression changed instantly.
"Who said I wasn't happy with my husband?" she asked quietly.
I didn't look away.
"You almost died yesterday because you married Kiefer," I said. "That life will follow you forever. If you divorce him and come with me instead—"
I paused slightly.
"You can have everything you want. No fear. No blood. No running. I'd treat you like a princess."
The room became cold after that.
Jay looked at me silently for a few seconds before speaking.
"I'm only listening to you because you helped me save Clyden," she said quietly. "Otherwise, I would've already thrown you out."
There was no hesitation in her voice anymore.
Then she leaned back slightly against the bed and looked directly into my eyes.
"I knew before marrying Kiefer that one day death might come for us."
Her voice stayed calm.
Steady.
"And I still chose him."
Something about the way she said it felt heavier than anger.
Like a vow she had already accepted long ago.
"I knew there would be danger," she continued softly. "I knew life with him wouldn't be peaceful."
Then her eyes hardened slightly.
"But I also knew he'd stand beside me until the end."
Silence filled the room.
And then she delivered the final blow without even raising her voice.
"You understand what I mean, right?"
Her fingers tightened slightly over the blanket.
"I would rather die as Kiefer Watson's wife… than live safely with someone else."
For the first time since entering the room…
I had no response ready.
Still, I looked at her and asked quietly,
"What does he have that I don't?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"I have money. Power. Influence," I continued calmly. "And I could love you just as—"
"Don't."
She cut me off instantly.
The air in the room changed.
Her voice wasn't loud.
But it carried enough warning to stop anyone.
"Don't even finish that sentence," she said coldly.
For the first time since I met her…
There was genuine anger in her eyes.
"And don't compare my husband to yourself."
Silence.
"I don't even know you," she continued quietly. "You saw me for what? Two days? You built some fantasy in your head and started calling it love."
That hit harder than it should have.
She looked exhausted sitting there in the hospital bed.
Weak.
Pale.
Emotionally destroyed.
And yet somehow…
She still spoke about Kiefer like he was the center of her world.
"He's not just my husband," she said quietly.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the blanket.
"He's my world… my home."
I watched her carefully for a moment before speaking.
"But you forgot that world for four years."
The second I said it, her eyes sharpened.
"So you searched my records," she said calmly.
Not angry.
Just observant.
I didn't deny it.
"Yes," she continued softly. "I forgot him."
For the first time since this conversation started, her voice became quieter.
"But I never let go of him."
That sentence made no sense logically.
And yet…
The way she said it made it sound real.
She slowly looked down at her hands before continuing.
"The life you're talking about?" she asked softly. "I already had it."
Now she looked back at me again.
"I had money. Peace. Family. Stability."
Everything I thought she would want.
"I was happy," she admitted honestly.
Then her expression changed slightly.
Softer.
Warmer.
The first real emotion I had seen from her since entering this room.
"But these last five months with him as his wife…" she whispered.
A small breath escaped her.
"For the first time in years, I felt like I was actually breathing."
Silence filled the room again.
"Living beside Kiefer isn't peaceful," she said with a faint smile. "It's messy, loud, and dangerous sometimes."
Then her eyes met mine steadily.
"But it's real."
Every word landed harder than the last.
"For me…" she said quietly, "he's the kind of person I'd trade my life for without even thinking twice."
That wasn't obsession.
It wasn't dependence either.
It was something worse.
Absolute certainty.
And suddenly I understood something important—
I wasn't competing against a husband.
I was competing against the only place her heart had ever truly belonged.
Love like that came with something dangerous.
Fear.
Because the more someone became your world…
The more terrifying it became to lose them.
I looked at her quietly before speaking again.
"Then what about your family?"
Her expression changed slightly.
"You almost lost your brothers yesterday," I continued calmly. "You're lucky everyone survived."
I leaned forward slightly, my voice lowering.
"But what happens next time?"
Silence.
"What if next time they don't make it out alive?"
That finally hit her.
I saw it immediately.
The way her fingers tightened.
The way her breathing changed slightly.
The way fear flashed through her eyes before she tried hiding it again.
Because deep down…
She already knew everything I was saying was possible.
And that was the cruelest part.
I didn't need to lie to scare her.
Reality was enough.
"And don't you want revenge?" I asked quietly. "The people who did this almost destroyed your family."
Her eyes lowered.
I could see tears slowly gathering now.
Not because she doubted Kiefer.
But because I had touched the one thing strong people could never protect themselves from—
The fear of losing the people they love.
"I can help you," I said calmly. "Resources. Protection. Information."
She still didn't answer.
But she also didn't tell me to stop.
Then before leaving, I looked at her one last time.
"Jay-Jay…" I said quietly.
This time she was too emotionally exhausted to correct me.
"You don't have to trust me today."
I placed my card carefully on the table beside her bed.
"But if you ever need help…"
My eyes met hers steadily.
"Just call me."
I picked up my coat slowly before speaking again.
"Choose me, Jay."
She looked up immediately.
"Make me your ally."
Her expression hardened slightly, but I continued anyway.
"It's okay if you don't love me now," I said calmly. "Feelings change. People change."
I held her gaze without hesitation.
"And I don't lose easily."
That finally made her frown.
"I'll do everything I can to make you fall in love with me," I continued evenly. "Not by forcing you. Not by trapping you."
A small pause.
"But by proving I'm the better choice."
The room became silent again.
Then I delivered the one thought I knew she wouldn't be able to ignore.
"If you truly love everyone around you…" I said quietly, "Then stop dragging them into danger just because you can't let go of one man."
That one hit deep.
I saw it instantly.
The guilt.
The fear.
The horrible possibility she had already been torturing herself with since yesterday.
Her eyes filled with tears again, but this time she looked away from me completely.
Not because she was considering me.
But because a part of her was already blaming herself.
And people drowning in guilt became vulnerable.
I walked toward the door slowly.
Then before stepping outside, I glanced back one last time.
Jay sat frozen on the hospital bed, silent tears sliding down her face while she stared at nothing.
Not because I made her love me.
No.
I wasn't foolish enough to believe that.
But for the first time…
I had made her afraid of what loving Kiefer might eventually cost her.
And fear—
Fear changes people far more than love ever does.
I opened the door and stepped outside.
Kiefer was already there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
Waiting.
The second our eyes met, the atmosphere turned heavy.
Dangerous.
He pushed himself off the wall slowly and walked toward me.
Not rushed.
Not emotional.
Which somehow made him even more threatening.
I looked at him for a second before giving a faint smile.
"She really loves you," I said calmly.
His jaw tightened slightly.
"And honestly?" I added quietly. "I like that now."
He stared at me without saying a word.
Interesting.
Most men would've immediately thrown a punch by now.
But Kiefer Watson understood something important—
Losing control in front of me would've been weakness.
So he stayed silent.
I walked past him slowly.
Because love fascinated me.
The deeper it became…
The more dangerous it became.
Loving someone that much was like drowning in the middle of the ocean.
At first, it felt beautiful.
Then suddenly—
You realize you can't breathe without them anymore.
And now Jay carried something she didn't have before.
Fear.
Not fear of death.
She feared that loving Kiefer so deeply would eventually destroy everyone around her.
That fear would grow slowly.
Quietly.
And once guilt attached itself to love…
People started making desperate choices.
I stopped walking for half a second before speaking one last time without turning back.
"Be careful, Kiefer," I mutted to myslef. "Sometimes love ruins people faster than hate does."
Then I walked away down the hallway.
Because this was no longer about attraction.
It was psychological now.
And I had no intention of losing.
Not to him.
Not after seeing the way Jay looked at him.
I would make her question everything around her.
Not by force.
Not by threats.
But by making her fear the consequences of her own heart.
And once fear enters love…
Even the strongest relationships begin to crack.
Kiefer (POV)
I waited outside the room while Cassian talked with Jay.
And honestly?
It was driving me insane.
I wanted to know what they were talking about.
What he was saying to her.
What she was saying back.
But that bastard locked the door.
And because it was a VIP room, the walls were completely soundproof.
I couldn't hear a single word.
All I could do was stand there and watch through the glass panel.
And even that made my chest tighten.
Because I could see Jay's expression changing slowly while talking to him.
At first she looked cold.
Then defensive.
Then quiet.
Too quiet.
By the time Cassian finally walked out, I already hated him more than before.
"She really loves you," he said calmly while passing me.
Something about the way he smiled made me want to break his jaw.
But I ignored him and entered the room immediately.
Jay was sitting silently on the bed.
She didn't say anything about the conversation.
Not even one word.
And somehow…
That worried me more.
I asked her a few times if she was okay.
She just nodded.
Then later that night, she fell asleep beside me quietly.
Or at least…
I thought she did.
Somewhere in the middle of the night, I suddenly woke up.
The bed beside me was empty.
My chest tightened instantly.
"Jay?"
No answer.
I stood up quickly despite the pain in my side and walked out of the room searching for her.
Then I saw light coming from Clyden and Jare's room.
The second I entered—
My heart shattered.
Jay was sitting between their beds on the floor.
One hand holding Clyden's.
The other holding Jare's.
Her head was lowered while her entire body shook violently from crying.
"It's my fault…" she kept whispering through broken sobs. "It's all my fault…"
Every word sounded destroyed.
Like she'd been holding everything inside until she finally couldn't anymore.
"I should've protected you…" she cried softly. "I should've done something…"
I couldn't stand hearing it.
I walked to her immediately and pulled her into my arms.
The second I touched her—
She completely broke.
Jay clutched my shirt tightly and cried like a child against my chest.
Loud.
Painful.
Uncontrolled sobs.
Like all the fear, guilt, and terror she'd been hiding for days finally exploded at once.
And God…
It broke me.
Because this was the real Jay.
Not the quiet version she'd been showing everyone.
Not the strong version pretending she was okay.
This was my wife falling apart in my arms because she genuinely believed she failed the people she loved.
"It's not your fault," I whispered again and again while holding her tightly.
But she kept shaking her head against me.
"I almost lost them…" she cried. "Kiefer… I almost lost them…"
My throat tightened painfully hearing that.
So I just held her closer.
And that night…
Jay cried herself to sleep in my arms while I sat on the hospital floor beside her brothers' beds—
Feeling completely helpless watching the woman I loved destroy herself from the inside out.