Jane's POV
The room was suffocatingly quiet, save for the heavy, uneven sound of Jay's breathing. She was finally asleep. Her face was pale, her long eyelashes still damp from the tears that had refused to stop falling for hours.
She looked so small buried beneath the heavy blankets, completely stripped of the fierce, untouchable aura she usually wore like armor.
My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an iron fist. I sat on the edge of the mattress, gently brushing a stray lock of hair away from her forehead.
My own hands were trembling. I wanted to scream. I wanted to break down and sob until my chest felt empty, but I choked the tears back.
I couldn't cry. I couldn't. If Jay woke up right now and saw me falling apart, she would instantly lock her own pain away. She would pretend to be fine just to protect me, just like she always did.
She had been carrying the weight of a two-year battle with cardiovascular disease, a traumatic past, and a broken heart all on her own. I had to be her anchor now. Even if the waves were threatening to pull me under, I had to stand tall.
But god, it hurt. Every single breath felt like inhaling shattered glass. The silence of the bedroom only made the thoughts in my head louder, echoing with a cruelty that made my stomach turn.
As the silence stretched on, my mind drifted back to the Watson Mansion. To Yuri.
The memory felt like a physical blow to my chest. I closed my eyes, and all I could see was his face. I had truly loved him. I hadn't just fallen for a boy; I had planned my entire future with him. Every dream I had for the years ahead included Yuri by my side. I remembered the quiet conversations we used to have about what came next, the silly promises about a life built together, and the small, quiet moments where I felt completely safe in his arms. It was all a mirage. A perfectly crafted illusion designed to lower our guard.
And it wasn't just him. Section E... they were our family. We ate together, laughed together, and fought together. We shared our secrets and defended each other against the rest of the world. We trusted them with our lives, only to find out it was all a sick, calculated lie.
They had used us. They had looked at our loyalty and treated it like a tool for their own games. They had betrayed the one thing Jay and I valued above everything else: loyalty.
A sudden wave of terror washed over me, sharper and colder than the heartbreak. What if I lost her? Hearing about Jay's heart condition and seeing her in the ICU had completely shattered my reality. The monitors, the wires, the pale skin—it was a sight that would haunt me for the rest of my days.
I couldn't imagine a life without her. I didn't want to. Jay wasn't just my twin sister; she was my entire world. If she left this world, she would take my soul right along with her.
The thought of an empty room, an empty house, a life where her sharp wit and protective presence didn't exist was a nightmare I couldn't survive.
Ring... Ring...
The sharp vibration of my phone startled me. I quickly grabbed it from the nightstand, checking the screen before pressing it to my ear. I kept my voice a hushed, strained whisper so I wouldn't disturb Jay.
"Hello?"
" Ms.Jane! Thank goodness you answered," my manager, Olivia, said, her voice buzzing with excitement. "I just wanted to give you a final reminder. The day after tomorrow is the grand dance competition. Everything is set. Your songs are approved, the dresses are ready, and this is your moment. Are you ready?"
I looked down at Jay. She winced slightly in her sleep, her fingers clutching the blanket tightly as if fighting off a nightmare. Her breathing hitched, a tiny, pained sound escaping her lips.
The dance competition had been my dream for as long as I could remember. I had spent countless sleepless nights practicing, dancing, and pouring my soul into every single step choice. But looking at my sister right now, none of that mattered.
"Cancel it," I said flatly.
There was a long, stunned pause on the other end of the line. I could hear Olivia's sharp intake of breath. "What? Ms.Jane, did I hear you correctly? Cancel it? But Ma'am, this is your dream! You have worked yourself to the bone for months for this specific title. The scouts, the judge —they are all going to be there! This could launch your entire career on an international level. You can't just throw it away!"
"I won't repeat myself, Olivia," I whispered, my voice dripping with an icy finality I didn't know I possessed. "A title is not so great for me than my sister. Nothing in this world matters more than her. If the whole world is on one side and my sister is on the other, I will choose her every single time. Cancel the registration. Now."
"I... I understand, Ma'am. I will take care of it right away," Olivia replied quietly, hearing the raw emotion and steel in my tone. She knew better than to argue when I spoke like that.
The line went dead. I let the phone slip from my fingers onto the bed. The sacrifice didn't even feel like a sacrifice. If giving up my dream meant I could stay by Jay's side for even an extra hour to ensure she was breathing, I would do it a thousand times over. Fame, titles, and success meant absolutely nothing if I didn't have my sister there to share them with me.
Climbing onto the bed, I carefully curled up next to Jay, wrapping an arm around her protectively. I pulled her close, anchoring myself to the steady rise and fall of her chest.
The dam finally broke, and silent, heavy sobs shook my shoulders. I buried my face in the pillow, letting the tears ruin the fabric, hiding my grief in the shadows of the room.
Between the crushing weight of Yuri's betrayal and the terrifying fear for my sister's life, I let my tears flow into the dark, quiet room until exhaustion finally dragged me into a restless sleep.
------------------------------
Jay's POV
The morning light was harsh, burning behind my eyelids. When I woke up, the heavy ache in my chest was the first thing to greet me, closely followed by the suffocating memories of yesterday.
Every single detail of the confrontation at the mansion was burned into my mind. The shouting, the hidden truths about my childhood, the look of horror on everyone's faces—it felt like a recurring nightmare that I couldn't wake up from.
Keifer.
His face, his voice, his laugh—every single moment we had shared flashed through my mind like a cruel reel of film. The sweet words he had whispered to me, the way he held my hand when things got tough, the promises of protection—they all felt like venom coursing through my veins now.
He was a Watson. A liar. A heartless piece of trash who had looked at my broken pieces and decided to break them even further. He didn't love me. He was just playing a part in a twisted game of revenge, and I had been stupid enough to let my guard down.
I stood up abruptly, the anger giving me a sudden burst of energy. My legs were shaky, but I forced myself to walk into the bathroom. Standing in front of the sink, I gripped the edges of the marble and stared at my reflection.
My eyes were bloodshot, surrounded by dark circles. My skin was pale, almost translucent. I looked weak. I looked like a victim. And I despised weakness more than anything else in this world.
Turning the faucet on full blast, I cupped the freezing water in my hands and violently splashed it over my face. The shock made me gasp. I did it again. And again. And again. I rubbed at my skin until it burned red, desperate to wash away any trace of Keifer's touch, any trace of the tears I had cried the night before. The numbing cold shocked my system, forcing the tears back into their locked chambers.
"It's over, Jay," I whispered fiercely to the mirror, water dripping down my chin and splashing into the sink. "It is over. Stop crying over a ghost. Stop mourning a lie. Focus on yourself. Focus on Jane. Nobody else matters."
I dried my face with a rough towel, my expression hardening into stone. The girl who had cried in the ICU was gone. The girl who had begged for answers was dead. In her place stood someone made entirely of ice.
I walked over to the closet and pulled out my school uniform. Every piece of fabric felt heavy, but I put it on deliberately, smoothing down the skirt, straightening the collar, and buttoning the blazer up to the top. I refused to hide in my room. I refused to let them think they had destroyed me or that I was too afraid to look them in the eye.
When I walked down to the dining table, the mansion was quiet. The staff moved around on tiptoe, sensing the fragile peace. A few moments later, Jane descended the stairs.
She was also fully dressed in her school uniform. Her eyes were slightly puffy, a clear sign that she had been crying while I slept, but the set of her jaw was firm. She was trying to be strong for me, and I appreciated her for it more than words could say.
Aries, who was already sitting at the table sipping his coffee, looked up at us in complete shock. He nearly dropped his cup when he saw our uniforms. "Are you two actually coming to school today? After everything that happened? After the hospital?"
Jane sat down, her posture perfectly straight, refusing to look weak in front of anyone. "Why won't we? We didn't do anything wrong, Aries. We are not the ones who should be ashamed to face anyone. The ones who lied should be hiding, not us."
Angelo walked into the dining room just in time to hear her words. He looked at me, his eyes full of deep, paternal worry. He knew the volatile storm brewing beneath my calm exterior. He knew that when I got too quiet, it meant the explosion would be devastating.
"Jay," Angelo said, his voice soft but commanding, stopping me before I could grab my bag. "Control yourself today. Don't be aggressive towards them. Don't let them bait you into making a scene. You are my sister, A Mariano, A Fernandes, remember that."
I didn't argue. I didn't smile. I simply nodded once. No words. No promises. Just a cold acknowledgment of his warning.
The drive to school was silent. Jane and I looked out opposite windows, watching the city pass by in a blur. When the car pulled up to the academy and we walked through the iron gates, the whispers started almost instantly.
The students huddled in groups, pointing and murmuring about the drama at the hospital and the rumors surrounding Section E.
We ignored them all, keeping our heads held high, walking with a synchronized, rhythmic pace that demanded space.
We walked down the familiar hallway and pushed open the heavy doors to the Section E classroom.
The moment the door swung open, the heavy silence inside the room snapped. Everyone's face instantly lit up with a mixture of relief, guilt, and desperate hope.
They all stood up or leaned forward, expecting us to yell, to demand answers, or to show some sign of the bond we used to share.
Cin scrambled up from his desk, his eyes wide as he stepped out into the aisle, blocking our path slightly. "Jay! Jane! You're back, we—we were so worried. Please, we need to talk to you—"
We didn't even blink. Jane and I walked right past him as if he were a hollow statue, our shoulders completely clearing him without a single glance. We didn't slow down, nor did we acknowledge his presence.
The hurt expression that crossed his face was palpable, a mix of shock and rejection, but it meant absolutely nothing to me. He was just background noise now.
My eyes instinctively scanned the room as I walked toward my desk. My gaze landed on Keifer's usual seat near the window.
Empty. He was absent today.
Better, I thought, a cold sneer forming in my mind. At least I don't have to look at his pathetic face. At least I don't have to breathing the same air as that liar.
Beside me, I noticed Jane's eyes linger on another empty desk. Yuri wasn't present either. A tiny, sharp flicker of pain crossed her features before she masked it perfectly.
We sat down in our respective seats, pulling out our books with rhythmic, robotic movements, setting up our workspace as if it were just any ordinary Friday.
The rest of Section E looked at each other, desperate, uncomfortable, and visibly anxious. They whispered among themselves, trying to figure out who should approach us next.
Finally, Felix stood up, swallowing hard as he walked over to my desk. The others hovered closely behind him, using him as a shield.
"Jay... please," Felix said, his voice cracking slightly under the weight of the tension. "We know you hate us. We know we completely ruined everything and broke your trust. We know we shouldn't have kept the secrets, but we had our reasons. Please, just let us explain. Don't just shut us out like this."
I stopped writing. The scratch of my pen ceased, and the entire room grew so cold you could almost see your breath.
Slowly, I tilted my head up, my eyes locking onto Felix with a freezing intensity. A dark, amused smile slowly spread across my lips.
Then, I laughed. It wasn't a joyful sound; it was an empty, chilling laugh that echoed off the classroom walls, making several students flinch.
"Me? Hate you all?" I asked, my voice smooth, quiet, and deadly. I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms as I looked at Felix, then let my gaze wander over the rest of the class. "You flatter yourselves too much. I only hate those who actually matter. I only waste energy on people who mean something to me. And none of you matter to me. You are nothing."
The words hit them like physical bullets. Felix flinched, stepping back a half-step as if he had been slapped across the face.
Behind him, the others looked completely devastated. A few of the boye turned away, looking down at the floor to hide their watery eyes, while the other clenched their jaws in silence. They wanted my anger. They wanted my rage, my screams, and my accusations because anger meant I still cared enough to be mad. But indifference?
Indifference meant they were dead to me. And that was a far worse punishment than anything else I could have devised.
The rest of the school day passed in a blur of agonizing silence. Nobody dared to approach our desks again. No one tried to hand us notes or sit with us during breaks. We were entirely isolated, two ice queens sitting in a room full of ghosts, entirely self-sufficient and completely untouchable.
------------------------------
Keifer's POV
I woke up with a pounding headache and a dry, burning throat, the distinct, bitter taste of cheap alcohol lingering on my tongue. The world felt heavy, tilted on its axis, and for a moment, I didn't know where I was. But as my vision cleared, I realized I was resting my head on someone's lap.
My mother, was sitting on the floor of the private bar, her back against the lounge sofa. She had stayed with me through the entire night, watching her son drown himself in bottles of regret, listening to my slurred confessions and broken promises. Her eyes were closed, her face lined with exhaustion, a few strands of hair falling out of her usually perfect styling.
As I shifted slightly, trying to sit up, her eyes fluttered open. She looked down at me, her gaze full of a profound, aching sadness, but there was no judgment in her eyes. Only a mother's unconditional love for a foolish, broken boy. Slowly, she leaned down and pressed a soft, warm kiss against my forehead.
"Go, baby," she whispered, her voice a soothing balm to my shattered mind. "Go win my daughter-in-law back. Prove to her who you really are. Don't let your father's blood define your future."
My chest tightened, a raw, burning determination flaring up amidst the cold ashes of my grief. The hangover faded into the background, replaced by an absolute certainty. "I will, mom. I promise I will. I'll do whatever it takes."
I stood up, the fog in my brain instantly clearing as the adrenaline took over. I couldn't afford to sit here and wallow in pity anymore.
Drinking wouldn't change the past, and crying wouldn't bring Jay back to me. Angelo had given me a condition, a lifeline disguised as an impossible challenge: if I wanted Jay, if I wanted to keep her safe from the toxic, manipulative reach of my family, I had to take control of the Watson empire. I had to overthrow my father and strip him of his power.
To do that, I needed to understand the current layout of the businesses, and I needed to consult Angelo. But first, I had to establish my presence where it mattered most. I had to show my father's loyalists that a new player had entered the game.
An hour later, dressed in a sharp, tailored black suit that felt more like a heavy suit of armor than clothing, I stepped into the headquarters of Watson Enterprises.
The employees and executives stared in utter shock as I walked through the lobby. I didn't go to the family's main suite; instead, I bypassed the executive elevators and walked straight into the secondary archives and legal departments.
I spent the next few hours burying myself in corporate documents, financial ledgers, acquisition papers, and secret family holdings, mapping out exactly how my father controlled the board and where his weaknesses lay.
While taking a brief analytical break at a secluded desk, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a video call from Edrix
I picked it up immediately, desperate for any glimpse of Jay, any sign that she was okay.
"Keifer," Edrix reported, his voice low. "Jay and Jane are here."
The screen flickered, showing a live angle of the Section E classroom. My heart leaped into my throat as I saw Jay sitting at her desk. She looked breathtakingly beautiful, but her eyes were entirely void of life, cold and distant.
Then, I watched Felix approach her. I watched the class gather around, trying to beg for her forgiveness. I heard Felix say, "We know you hate us."
And then, I heard her laugh. That hollow, terrifying laugh that didn't sound like her at all.
"We only hate those who actually matter," Jay's voice rang through my phone's speaker, sharp as a razor blade, cutting through the quiet office space. "And none of you matter to me."
The phone almost slipped from my hand, my fingers losing their grip for a fraction of a second. My heart dropped into my stomach, the words stabbing straight through my chest and twisting deep into my soul.
None of you matter to me. Was I included in that blanket statement? Did I no longer even warrant her hatred? Had I become so insignificant to her that she wouldn't even waste her anger on me?
A heavy, suffocating pain pressed down on me, making it hard to draw a full breath, but I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white and my nails bit into my palms.
No. I won't let it end like this. I won't let her forget me. I will win her back at any cost. Even if I have to tear down the world my father built, brick by brick, and hand it to her on a silver platter just to prove my loyalty.
By late afternoon, I gathered my mother and Yuri.
Yuri looked just as broken as I felt, his eyes hollowed out and bloodshot from losing Jane, his usual confident posture completely gone.
Together, we drove over to the Fernandes Mansion. I needed a formal strategy meeting with Angelo to coordinate our moves against my father's factions, to ensure we didn't step on each other's toes during the upcoming corporate war.
As we sat in the main foyer, waiting for Angelo's assistant to call us in, the heavy oak front doors of the mansion swung open.
Jay and Jane walked in.
My breath caught in my throat, the entire world stopping for a single beat. I stood up instinctively, taking a half-step forward, my lips moving before my brain could stop them. ..
"Jay..."
Neither of them even blinked.
They walked past Yuri and me as if we were made of thin air, their eyes fixed straight ahead. The complete and utter absence of recognition in Jay's eyes tore another piece of my soul away.
She didn't look angry; she looked like she was looking at a blank wall. However, they both stopped when they reached my mother, who was standing a few feet away.
"Good evening, Tita Serina," Jay said, her voice softening just a fraction out of respect for my mom. Jane offered a polite, sad nod, acknowledging her presence with grace.
"Good evening, sweethearts," my mother replied softly, her eyes full of immense sympathy and regret for what her family had caused.
Without giving Yuri or me a single glance, the two sisters turned on their heels and walked down the hallway toward the private wings of the house, their footsteps fading into the distance.
A few minutes later, Angelo called us into his private study. The atmosphere inside was thick with tension and the scent of old paper and leather. For three hours straight, we went over corporate maps, legal loopholes, board member alliances, and security protocols. It was a grueling, clinical meeting.
Angelo wasn't gentle; he was testing my resolve, pushing me to the absolute limit to see if I truly had what it took to dismantle the Watson throne or if I would break under the pressure. I didn't break. I answered every query with sharp, calculated precision, proving that my love for Jay was the ultimate fuel.
When the meeting finally concluded, we stepped out of the study, stretching our tired muscles, and walked back toward the main living area of the mansion.
The living room was quiet, lit by the warm glow of the evening lamps. Jane was sitting on the large sectional sofa, surrounded by Freya, Ella, Mica, Grace, and Aries. They were speaking in low, hushed tones, trying to comfort her. My mom was sitting across the room, sharing a quiet conversation with Tita over tea.But Jay was missing.
I scanned the room twice, my anxiety rising when I didn't see her among the others.
Click. Click. Click.
The sharp, distinct sound of boot heels clicking against the polished marble floor echoed from the grand staircase, drawing everyone's attention.I looked up, and in that exact second, my brain completely short-circuited. I literally forgot how to breathe, my mouth parting slightly in sheer disbelief.Jay was descending the stairs
She was wearing a short, vibrant red frock dress that hugged her curves perfectly, the bright color standing out dangerously against her pale skin. It was contrasted sharply by a structured black leather jacket thrown casually over her shoulders, and on her feet were knee-high black leather boots that clicked with absolute confidence with every single step she took. Her hair fell in perfect, glossy waves around her shoulders, and her makeup was flawless, highlighting her sharp, dangerously beautiful features.
(Check comment)
She looked magnificent. She looked fierce. She looked damn too hot.I was completely mesmerized, my eyes locked onto her as my chest hammered wildly against my ribs.
The sheer beauty of her took my breath away, making me forget about the business, the betrayal, and the war ahead for a brief, fleeting moment. But right after the awe came a sudden, roaring wave of intense possessiveness and panic that made my blood run hot.
No. Absolutely not. She cannot go out looking like that.
The thought flared up wildly in my head, turning into a protective fire. Every single man out there is going to stare at her. She is a walking target of pure perfection, and I won't have other people looking at what belongs—or what used to belong—to me.
Before I could stop myself, the protective anger took over my senses. "Where the hell is she going dressed like that?" I demanded under my breath, though the room was quiet enough for my voice to carry clearly to everyone present.
Angelo stepped forward from the study doorway, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at his cousin outfit.
He shared my concern, though for very different, brotherly reasons. "Jay, where are you going?"
Jay didn't stop walking. She reached the bottom of the stairs, casually adjusting the lapel of her black leather jacket without a care in the world.
"Out."
Angelo's tone hardened, his protective fatherly instincts kicking in fully. He stepped into her path, demanding an explanation. "Out where?"
"Somewhere on this world," she replied smoothly, her voice completely detached, unbothered, and cool as winter ice. She didn't even look him in the eye.
Angelo snapped, his patience wearing thin after a long day of stressful meetings. "Jasper Jean, answer my question properly. You are not going out late without telling me where."
Jay finally paused, her cold, beautiful eyes sweeping slowly across the room. She looked past me as if I were a piece of furniture, not even pausing on my face, before landing her gaze squarely on Angelo.
"To meet my friends," she said coldly, her voice leaving no room for argument. "I'll be back home late. Don't wait up."
Without waiting for a response, without hearing another word from anyone in that room, she turned on her heel. Her black boots clicked sharply against the floor as she walked toward the main exit.
The massive front door opened and shut with a heavy, resounding click, leaving nothing behind but the fading, sweet scent of her perfume and the echoing, stunned silence of her departure
---------------------------------
A/n
Hey everyone, I am so, so sorry for the lack of updates over the past few days! 😭
Writing has been incredibly difficult recently because Ihave been again suprised and dealing with severe menstrual cramps that completely drained my energy and kept me glued to my bed, alongside a mountain of school works, assignments, and exams that I absolutely couldn't put off any longer.
Thank you all so much for being so incredibly patient, understanding, and supportive during my short absence. Your sweet messages and check-ins truly mean the world to me and kept my spirits up!
Let's keep the momentum going for this emotional roller coaster— I promise I will be back very soon with the next chapter, and things are about to get even crazier!
Sending you all so much love and appreciation!
Love you 😘
See you soon ❤️
Stay safe! ✨
Bye 👋