Angelo POV
We searched every corner of Pasay, but we still could not find a single clue about Jay.
Every street.Every hotel.Every café.Every place she could possibly hide in.
Nothing.
The airport was also checked multiple times, but there was no record under her name. Lola even contacted some of her friends and connections, hoping someone had seen Jay.
But again…
Nothing.
The atmosphere inside the room was heavy. Everyone looked exhausted and frustrated. Keifer kept pacing around while Rory was talking with his team through calls.
Keifer suddenly slammed his fist against the table.
"Where is she?" he asked, his voice shaking. "Why can't we find her?"
Rory sighed tiredly before answering.
"My team searched everywhere in Pasay," he said. "But they returned with no information."
Lola crossed her arms and looked down.
"My friends also found nothing."
Silence filled the room once again until Grace suddenly spoke.
"I got something."
Everyone immediately turned toward her.
Angelo stood up. "What is it?"
Grace took a deep breath.
"I sent Jay's photo to some of my friends and people I know around Pasay," she explained. "One of my friends is an air hostess… and she saw Jay entering the airport."
Everybody froze.
Keifer quickly walked toward her.
"Where did she go?"
Grace shook her head slowly.
"She doesn't know. Her duty had already ended, but she saw Jay inside the international departure area."
The room became dead silent.
International flight area.
That meant only one thing.
Jay had left the country.
Keifer ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"She could be anywhere now," he muttered. "London… New York… Korea… India… Thailand… literally anywhere."
Angelo clenched his jaw before speaking firmly.
"We need a bigger and stronger team searching for her."
Then he looked directly at Keifer.
"And you should do the thing for which you pushed Jay away in the first place."
Keifer lowered his eyes.
Angelo continued, "Use your inheritance and your connections. Don't worry about Kegian and Kerien. I'll keep them safe."
Keifer stayed silent for a few seconds before nodding.
"I'm going to London for the inheritance process," he said quietly. "But I'll keep trying to find her through my contacts."
Angelo stared outside the window.
Jay… where are you?
Jay POV
We finally arrived home.
Well…
Calling it a "home" felt wrong.
It was literally a palace.
Huge chandeliers sparkled above us while the marble floors reflected the lights beautifully. The servants lined up near the entrance, greeting us respectfully.
I stared around awkwardly.
Every single time I came here, I still couldn't believe this place belonged to them.
No correction.
To us.
Thyme suddenly grinned proudly.
"Still shocked?"
I rolled my eyes playfully.
"It's still weird."
Ren suddenly snapped his fingers in front of my face, making me blink.
"Where are you lost?" he asked while staring at me carefully. "And don't lie to me. I can tell you're sad."
I gulped nervously.
Why did he always notice everything?
I forced a smile.
"It's nothing, Kuya Ren," I lied softly. "I'm just thinking about how to surprise Mom."
Ren kept staring at me for a few seconds.
He clearly knew I was lying.
But thankfully, he didn't push further.
Before the awkward silence could continue, Thyme suddenly shouted excitedly while entering the mansion.
"MOM! I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU!"
I giggled at his dramatic behavior while the others laughed.
A few seconds later, Thyme's mother walked downstairs.
"What is it now, Thyme?" she asked before looking at the boys suspiciously. "What did you all do?"
The boys immediately protested.
"We did nothing!"
She narrowed her eyes at them.
"I don't trust any of you."
I tried not to laugh.
Then suddenly, all of them stepped aside dramatically.
"Surprise!"
I stood there awkwardly.
Thyme's mother froze completely after seeing me.
For a moment, she just stared.
Then her eyes slowly filled with tears.
She quickly walked toward me and hugged me tightly.
"You're back…" her voice trembled. "I'm not hallucinating, right?"
My heart softened immediately.
I hugged her back.
"I'm here, Mom," I whispered softly. "You're not hallucinating."
She pulled away slightly before checking my face again as if making sure I was really there.
Then suddenly she looked toward Gorya and Kaning.
"You already know the boys," she said proudly, "but let me introduce the girls properly."
Gorya straightened immediately.
"This is Gorya," she continued dramatically, "my future daughter-in-law."
Gorya's face instantly turned bright red.
"And Kaning," she added with a smile, "another future daughter-in-law since she's dating my friend's son."
Kaning started blushing hard too.
MJ leaned closer to the others and whispered loudly enough for us to hear.
"She comes back and suddenly the whole family changes."
He pointed at Gorya and Kaning.
"Look at them. They literally look like tomatoes."
Everyone burst out laughing.
Thyme's mother smiled before suddenly turning toward me again.
"And Jay," she asked curiously, "do you have a boyfriend?"
Before I could even open my mouth—
"NO."
All four boys answered at the same time.
The entire room exploded into laughter.
I held my stomach while laughing.
"You guys are unbelievable."
Thyme's mother shook her head with amusement.
"Jokes aside, Jay. Do you?"
My smile slowly faded.
"I had one," I answered quietly. "But he only used me to get revenge on Aries."
The room instantly became silent.
"What?" F4 said together.
So I told them everything.
About Keifer.
About the fake relationship.
About the lies.
About the pain.
By the time I finished talking, the atmosphere had completely changed.
Thyme looked ready to punch someone.
MJ looked like he was planning a murder.
Ren and Kevin were already cracking their knuckles angrily.
I immediately raised my hands.
"Kuya, please don't kill them," I said nervously. "Especially Keifer."
Thyme frowned deeply.
"Why are you defending him after what he did?"
I looked down quietly.
"Because when he said those words…" I whispered, "his eyes weren't cold."
Everyone stayed silent.
"They looked sad," I continued softly. "Like his heart was breaking too."
Kevin tilted his head curiously.
"Okay, now tell me something else," he said. "How are you even able to read people's eyes like that?"
Everyone leaned closer, waiting for my answer.
I blinked before smiling slightly.
"From you guys."
MJ immediately nodded.
"Well… that actually makes sense."
I laughed softly.
"I know, okay?"
Then I stretched tiredly.
"Now I'm exhausted. Which room am I staying in?"
Thyme smiled warmly.
"Your old room is still ready," he said. "The same one you used whenever you stayed here before."
My eyes widened slightly.
"You kept it the same?"
"Of course," he answered simply.
Then his expression softened.
"And don't worry about your luggage. A maid will bring it upstairs."
I smiled gratefully.
"Thank you."
As I started walking upstairs, I suddenly stopped and looked back at them.
"And Kuya…"
Thyme looked at me.
"Will you find out why Keifer lied?" I asked quietly. "Because I know he was hurting too."
Thyme stared at me for a moment before nodding seriously.
"I will."
I smiled faintly before finally going upstairs.
The moment I entered my room, memories hit me instantly.
Nothing had changed.
The same curtains.The same bookshelves.The same soft bed near the window.
It still felt like my safe place.
I went to the bathroom, freshened up, and changed into comfortable clothes before lying down on the bed.
The ceiling stared back at me while thousands of thoughts filled my mind.
Are they searching for me right now?
Did they notice I'm really gone?
Is Keifer trying to find me too?
I slowly closed my eyes.
But for some reason…
I couldn't stop thinking about him.
++++++++++ END ++++++++++
sorry for not posting yeastrday suddenly guest arrived and as a older one i was also incarge to make sure everything went perfectly
comment on the chapter
bye