JAY JAY POV
An hour passed, and it felt like ten years. I was just staring at the TV, watching the smoke from the factory, when Keigan hurried toward me with a look on his face that made my stomach turn into a knot.
"Jay," he said, his voice low and tight.
"What is it?" I asked, standing up so fast I almost tripped on my own feet.
He didn't say anything, he just showed me the security tablet. My eyes widened. Outside the main gates, there were black cars—lots of them—and people were trying to force their way in through the perimeter.
"Who is that over there? The old man?" I asked, pointing at a figure stepping out of a luxury sedan. He looked cold, powerful, and somehow... familiar in a scary way.
"It's our dad," Keigan whispered, and I could hear the fear in his voice.
My heart skipped a beat. Their dad? The one Keifer told me to stay away from?
"ATE!" Keiran suddenly yelled from upstairs. It wasn't his usual playful shout; it was a scream.
Keigan and I bolted up the stairs, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. We burst into Keiran's room, and he was standing by the window, his face pale as a ghost.
"What is it?!" I gasped, rushing to his side.
He pointed outside. Down in the gardens, men in suits were actually climbing over the secondary fences. Our guards were struggling, trying to push them back without it turning into a full-blown war, but they were outnumbered. It looked like a siege.
Gago. Truly! Is this a movie?! Why is this happening while Keifer is away?!
"Lock all the doors and go to the safety room now!" I shouted
"But Ate Jay, what about you?" Keiran asked, his eyes wide with terror.
"I said MOVE!" I pushed them toward the hallway. "Keigan, take the tablet! Keiran, stay behind your brother! Go!"
I watched them run toward the hidden reinforced room at the end of the hall. My hands were shaking so hard I had to clench them into fists. I looked back out the window. The old man—their father—was standing at the front door now.
He wasn't here for a family visit. He knew Keifer was at the factory. He knew the house was "empty."
Jusko. Someone please give me a giant piece of fried chicken because I am about to pass out from fear
I grabbed a heavy decorative vase from the hallway table—the most expensive-looking weapon I could find—and headed toward the top of the stairs.
Mark Keifer Watson, please hurry home, I prayed, my breath coming in short gasps. Because your scary dad is at the door, and all I have is a vase and a prayer!
The sound of the front door being forced open echoed through the mansion.
The sound of the front door being forced open felt like a punch to my stomach. Jusko! They're inside!
I scrambled into our bedroom, my heart trying to beat its way out of my ribs. I didn't think about the vase anymore; I needed to call the only person who could stop this nightmare.
"Where is it? Where is it?!" I hissed, digging through the bedsheets. My hands were shaking so hard I could barely feel anything. Finally, my fingers swiped against the cold screen. Found it!
I hit Keifer's name.
Ring... ring... ring...
"Pick up, Watson! Please, please pick up!" I whispered, tears of pure terror stinging my eyes. The silence on the other end was deafening. I tried again. My thumb was hovering over the screen, praying to every saint I knew.
On the third try, the call finally connected.
"Keifer!" I breathed out, but before I could say another word, a large, cold hand reached over my shoulder and snatched the phone right out of my grip.
"AH!" I screamed, spinning around.
It was one of the men in suits—tall, stone-faced, and looking like he didn't have a soul. He held the phone away from me, his grip like iron.
"KEIFER!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, hoping he could hear me through the speaker.
"JAY-JAY?!" Keifer's voice roared through the phone, sounding distorted and frantic over the noise of the fire in the background. "Jay-jay! What happened?! Answer me, dammit! Jay!"
"Keifer, they're inside! Your dad—!"
The man thumbed the end-call button before I could finish. Silence fell over the room, interrupted only by the heavy thud of footsteps coming up the stairs.
"Gago ka ba?!" I snapped at the guy, my fear turning into a desperate, shaky anger. "Give that back! You can't just barge into someone's house!"
He didn't even blink. He just stepped aside as the bedroom door opened wider. The old man—Keifer's father—walked in. He looked exactly like Keifer, but without the warmth. He looked like a version of Keifer that had been left out in the cold for fifty years.
"So," the old man said, his eyes scanning me like I was a bug under a microscope. "This is the girl who managed to tame my son."
I stood my ground, even though my knees felt like jelly. "I don't know who you think you are, but you need to leave. Now. Before I... before I do something!"
He actually chuckled, and it was a sound that made my skin crawl. "And what would that be, little girl? Teach me a lesson on manners"
Even in a kidnapping situation, I'm getting mocked!
"Where is he?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Why are you doing this while he's at the factory?"
"Because," he said, stepping closer, "Keifer needs to remember what's important. And it seems he's misplaced his priorities. You're coming with us."
"Over my dead body!" I yelled, looking around for anything to throw.
"That can be arranged too," he said coldly. "But I think Keifer would prefer you breathing."
KEIFER POV
"JAY! JAY-JAY!" I screamed into the phone, but the line was dead.
The world around me was a blur of smoke, sirens, and shouting, but all I could hear was that last, terrified scream of hers.
"Keifer, they're inside! Your dad—!"
Everything went cold. The fire in front of me didn't matter anymore. The millions of pesos in equipment didn't matter.
"Sir? Where are you going? The fire captain—!"
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" I roared, shoving past my manager. I didn't care about anything else. My father. He chose the one time I was vulnerable. He chose the one person I had finally let into my world.
I jumped into my car and slammed it into gear. I didn't just drive; I flew. My vision was tunneled on the road, my heart feeling like it was being ripped out of my chest.
If he touches her... if he even lays a finger on her...
"I'm coming, Jay," I rasped, my knuckles white against the steering wheel. "Hold on. Please, just hold on."
I reached for my second phone and hit a speed dial.
"Keigan! Answer me! Are you in the safe room?!"
"Kuya!" Keigan's voice came through, sounding small and terrified. "They're in the house! We're in the room, but Ate Jay... she didn't come in! She went to get her phone!"
"Stay there," I commanded, my voice turning into ice. "Don't open that door for anyone but me. Do you hear me? NO ONE."
I hung up and pushed the pedal to the floor.
I've spent my life building walls to keep people out, but for Jay-jay, I was going to tear the whole world down.
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JAY JAY POV
The men didn't just lead me; they dragged me. My feet were barely touching the floor as they hauled me down the stairs and into the middle of the living room.
Kaizar—that was his name. Keifer's dad. He stood there by the fireplace, looking at the expensive paintings like he already owned them again. He turned toward me, his eyes cold and sharp, like two pieces of broken glass.
"Where are they?" he asked. His voice was low and smooth, but it gave me the absolute creeps.
I blinked at him, my heart still trying to win a marathon inside my chest. "Who?"
"You know who I'm asking for," he said, stepping closer. The air around him felt heavy, like he was sucking all the oxygen out of the room. "Don't play games with me, girl. Where did they go?"
I stared at him, genuinely confused. My brain was a mess of fear and static. Was he talking about the boys? Keifer? The maids? I was so scared that my brain just defaulted to the only things I usually worry about.
"The fries are in the fridge," I said, my voice shaking. "But they're probably soggy now. If you want them crispy, you have to air-fry them for at least five minutes."
He stopped. He didn't move a muscle. He just glared at me like I was the most annoying creature he'd ever encountered in his entire life.
"Do I look like I'm here for snacks?" he hissed, his face darkening with rage. "I am asking about my sons. Keigan and Keiran. I know they didn't leave the house."
I gulped. Oh. He wants the kids.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied, trying to keep my face as blank as a clean chalkboard. "Maybe they went out for—for siomai? You know kids these days. They have a high metabolism."
"She's lying, Sir," one of the guards said, tightening his grip on my arm.
Kaizar leaned in until I could smell his expensive aftershave. It didn't smell like Keifer's peppermint and warmth; it smelled like old money and threats.
"You have five seconds to tell me where they are, or I'll ensure you never teach another class again," he threatened.
I bit my lip. I was terrified. My knees were knocking together so loud I was surprised he couldn't hear them. But there was no way I was giving up Keigan and Keiran. I'd rather eat a bowl of raw ampalaya than let this man near them.
"I told you," I whispered, my voice cracked but firm. "Fries. Fridge. Top shelf. That's all I know."
PAK!
My head snapped to the side so hard I saw stars. The pain exploded across my cheek, sharp and stinging. It felt like my skin was on fire.
"Where are they?" he asked again. His voice wasn't smooth anymore. It was like a snake hissing in my ear.
I tasted something salty and metallic. Blood. My lip was cut. I blinked through the tears that were blurring my vision, my head spinning. I looked up at Kaizar, my breath shaky.
"I… I don't know," I whispered.
PAK!
The second blow hit the other side of my face. I stumbled, my knees finally giving out, but the guards held me up by my arms so I couldn't even fall. My brain felt like it was rattling inside my skull.
"WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY?!" he bellowed. The sound was so loud it made my ears ring.
I looked at him, my vision hazy. I thought about Keiran's terrified face and Keigan's shaky hands. If I told this monster where they were, he'd take them. He'd turn them into cold, heartless versions of himself.
"I told you…" I gasped, a single tear rolling down my bruised cheek. "I don't… know."
Where are you, Keifer? Please... where are you?
I couldn't even keep my head up anymore. My vision was swimming, and the room felt like it was spinning on an axis made of pure pain. My cheeks were throbbing, and I could feel the metallic tang of blood coating my tongue.
But Kaizar wasn't done.
He looked down at me with disgust, like I was a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of his expensive Italian loafs. Suddenly, he brought his heel down—hard—right on top of my foot.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The scream ripped out of my throat before I could stop it. It was a white-hot, agonizing pain that shot all the way up my leg and straight into my chest. I felt like my bones were being crushed into powder.
"Let me ask again," he said, his voice terrifyingly calm while he ground his heel deeper. "Where are they?"
"I... I don't... know..." I sobbed, the tears flowing freely now, hot and salty against my bruised skin.
I was shaking so hard I thought I'd break apart. My breath was coming in short, pathetic hitches. I wanted to give up. I wanted the pain to stop. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw Keiran's face when he asked about a niece or nephew. I saw Keigan's serious eyes when he told me he was only four years younger than me.
If I told this man where the safe room was, I wasn't just giving up "property." I was giving up my family.
"You're a stubborn little thing, aren't you?" Kaizar hissed, leaning down so his shadow swallowed me whole. "Is it worth it? Dying for a son who probably doesn't even love you as much as he loves his assets?"
"he... he loves them. More than you ever... could." I gasped out, a shaky, hysterical laugh bubbling up through my sobs.
His face twisted into something purely demonic. He raised his hand again, and I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the impact.
Keifer, please. Truly... reach me before I disappear.
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