Jay's POV:
The car came to a slow stop in front of the house. Percy didn't say a word, just kept staring at the steering wheel like it had all the answers. His eyes were still slightly red from crying earlier — the whole Honey situation had left him shaken.
"Thanks for the ride," I said quietly, unbuckling my seatbelt.
He just nodded. "Text me when you're inside, okay?"
I gave him a tired smile and stepped out. The night air felt oddly heavy, pressing against my skin as I walked to the door. My legs felt like they were moving on autopilot
— my mind still replaying Keifer's words, the kiss, the confusion, the heartbreak — all of it tangled like a storm inside me.
When I opened the door, I froze.
Stella, Cole, and David were in the living room — surrounded by half-open suitcases and neatly stacked boxes. Clothes, documents, and a few of their personal things were spread across the couch.
"Wha—what's going on?" I asked, walking closer.
They all turned to me at once. Stella gave me a small smile, the kind that doesn't reach her eyes. Cole sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck, while David looked like he'd been pacing for hours.
"Jay, sit down," Stella said softly, patting the seat next to her.
I hesitated before obeying, my heart pounding again.
Cole spoke first. "We didn't want to tell you like this, but we have to leave for a while. Something came up… important."
"Leave? What do you mean 'leave'? Where are you all going?" I asked quickly.
David exchanged a glance with Cole. "My family called — it's urgent. I need to go back home immediately."
Stella's hand tightened around mine. "And… Mom's sick. We need to take care of her for a bit. Cole and I have to handle some things at the company too."
I swallowed, trying to process everything. "But… all three of you? At the same time?"
"I know," Stella said softly. "It's bad timing, but we can't ignore it."
A silence fell between us. The sound of the ticking clock filled the room, loud and merciless.
"So… I'll be here alone?" I asked, forcing a laugh that cracked midway.
Cole shook his head immediately. "No, Jay. You're not staying here alone. It's not safe — not with everything going on."
"What do you mean?" I frowned.
Stella's tone turned gentle but firm. "You'll be going back with Angelo for a while."
I blinked. "Kuya house? ? As in…where Aries my so called brother ,my mom and my mom's fiancé are living?"
They all nodded.
My chest tightened. "No. I'm not going back there."
"Jay—" David began, but I cut him off.
"I'm not going there!" I snapped. "You know Aries is there — and Mom — I can't just walk in like everything's fine."
"Jay…" Stella's voice broke a little as she took my hands in hers. "We know it's uncomfortable. But we can't risk you being here alone. Please, just until we get back. We promise it won't be long."
I looked at each of them — the worry in their faces, the exhaustion in their eyes — and the argument died in my throat.
"Fine," I whispered, my voice trembling. "But only until you come back."
Cole gave a small nod. "We'll come back soon. You have my word."
Stella brushed a strand of hair from my face and smiled faintly. "You'll be safe there. And Percy's still here in the city — he'll check in on you."
"Yeah," David added, forcing a grin. "He'll probably annoy you more than protect you but still he'll be here."
Despite myself, I chuckled softly. The laughter eased the ache in my chest — even if just a little.
As they went back to packing, I sat quietly, watching them. The thought of waking up tomorrow to an empty house made my stomach twist. Everything had been so chaotic lately — and now, even the people I leaned on were leaving.
But I knew they wouldn't go if they had a choice. So I just sat there, silently promising myself — I'd manage. Somehow.
Cole's POV:
Jay's figure disappeared into the hallway after Percy's car pulled away. I exchanged a glance with Stella and David — none of us said a word, but the same thought hung heavy in the air:
She can't know. Not yet.
When the door opened and she walked in, the exhaustion on her face almost broke me. She looked fragile — smaller somehow — and I could see the dullness in her eyes. The last few days had been brutal on her.
Still, when she froze at the sight of our half-packed bags, I felt guilt crawl up my spine.
"Wha—what's going on?" she asked, voice small.
I forced a calm expression, even though my chest felt tight. Stella smiled, soft but strained. "Jay, sit down."
When she did, I took the lead — I always did when lying was necessary. "We didn't want to tell you like this, but we have to leave for a while. Something came up… important."
Her brows furrowed, confusion clear in her eyes. "Leave? Where are you all going?"
I glanced at David. He caught the cue immediately.
"My family called — it's urgent. I need to go back home immediately," he said. The lie rolled off his tongue smoother than expected, but I knew his heart wasn't in it either.
Then Stella added softly, "Mom's sick. We need to take care of her. Cole and I have to handle some things at the company too."
Jay's eyes darted between us. She was trying to connect the dots, and I hated myself for being the one who had to draw them.
"So… I'll be here alone?" she asked quietly.
I shook my head. "No, Jay. It's not safe — not right now."
Her frown deepened. "What do you mean?"
I hesitated. She couldn't know the truth — not about Keifer, not about the threats, not about what we were walking into. If she found out we were heading to London to help him fight the Watsons, she'd go after him. And that would only put her in more danger.
"Angelo's family," Stella said before I could answer. "You'll stay with them for a bit."
The reaction was instant — her body stiffened, her eyes wide. "No. I'm not going there."
"Jay—" David started, but she cut him off sharply.
"I'm not going there!" she shouted, voice breaking. "You know Aries is there — and Mom— I can't just walk in like everything's fine!"
Her pain hung in the air like shattered glass. Stella's hand reached for hers, voice trembling slightly. "We know it's not ideal, but you can't stay here alone. Please, just for a little while. We promise we'll be back soon."
Jay's shoulders slumped. The fight drained out of her. "Fine," she whispered, looking down. "But only until you come back."
That was the part that hit hardest.
Because when she said until you come back, I didn't know if we actually would.
I forced a small smile, the kind you wear to hide fear. "We'll be back soon. You have my word."
She nodded faintly. Stella tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her touch tender, motherly. "You'll be safe there. And Percy's still around. He'll keep an eye on you."
David chuckled softly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "He'll probably annoy you more than protect you."
Jay let out a weak laugh, and for a moment, everything felt almost normal.
But as soon as she turned her head toward the window, her attention somewhere else, I met Stella's gaze — and the weight in her eyes mirrored mine.
We weren't leaving because of family emergencies or company work.
We were going to London.
To Keifer.
To stand beside him in the war he'd been silently fighting — against his father, against the Watson empire, against the nightmare that had already bled into Jay's life.
And we'd do whatever it took to make sure when she found out the truth… she'd still have all of us to come back to....
---
Stella's POV:
Watching Jay's face crumble when we told her broke me more than I expected. She looked so lost — like she'd just started piecing her heart together and now we were about to take away the glue.
I hated lying to her. But this lie was necessary.
Because if Jay knew we were going to London to stand with Keifer — the same man who shattered her — she'd never let us go. And if she followed… she'd end up in danger.
Her voice trembled when she asked, "So… I'll be here alone?"
I shook my head immediately. No matter what, she wasn't going to be left unprotected. Angelo's family wasn't ideal, but they had resources — and Aries, despite everything, wouldn't let anyone touch her.
Still, when she said fine through clenched teeth, it hurt.
"Please, just trust us," I whispered, squeezing her hand. "We'll be back before you know it."
She nodded, pretending to be strong, but her eyes said it all — she was terrified. And it made me silently promise myself that we'd come back — no matter what happened in London.
For her. For Keifer. For the truth that connected them both, whether they liked it or not.
---
David's POV:
The moment Jay walked in, I wanted to leave the room. I hated lying — I always had. But tonight, it felt like it was the only way to protect her.
Keifer's message from Cole's phone still rang in my head. The situation in London was getting worse. Kaizer was moving fast, lawyers were being bought, and Keifer was cornered.
We couldn't sit still. Not after everything we knew.
Jay's expression when she saw us packing — it was pure confusion and fear. I could feel her staring at me when I said I had a "family emergency." It wasn't even a convincing lie. But she didn't question me — not really.
When Stella told her she'd have to stay with Angelo's family, she almost broke down. I couldn't blame her. That house was full of ghosts from her past — but it was also the safest place we could think of for her right now.
I caught Cole's eyes once Jay turned away. His jaw tightened — the same guilt I felt mirrored in his expression.
She deserved the truth. But right now, truth could get her killed.
As she went to her room after we reassured her, I let out a shaky sigh. "She's going to hate us when she finds out."
Cole didn't look up from the documents he was hiding in his bag. "Better hate us alive than love us dead."
And just like that, silence filled the room again.
We were leaving at dawn.
To help Keifer fight back against the man who destroyed his life — and to make sure Jay's name never ended up on the Watsons' list of casualties.
Jay's POV:
The early morning air was heavy — the kind that clings to your skin, making it hard to breathe. The house was quiet except for the sound of bags being zipped and footsteps moving across the floor.
Cole, Stella, and David were getting ready to leave.
Even though they'd told me last night, some part of me still hoped they'd change their minds by morning. But as I stood there watching them, reality hit harder than I expected.
Cole was double-checking passports.
Stella was folding a jacket into her suitcase.
David was talking to someone on the phone, probably confirming flight details.
And there I was — standing in the doorway, arms crossed, trying not to let the ache inside me show.
"So that's it?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. "You're really going?"
Cole looked up, guilt flickering in his eyes. "Jay… we told you, it's important. We'll be back soon."
I forced a smile. "Yeah. That's what people say before they disappear for months."
Stella's face softened as she came closer, brushing my hair back like she always did when I was upset. "Hey… don't say that. You know we'd never leave you if we had a choice."
Her touch was warm, comforting — and it made it harder to keep my walls up. "You guys are all I have left," I whispered. "And now even you're leaving."
David slipped his phone into his pocket, stepping forward with that familiar calmness of his. "We're not leaving you, Jay. Just… stepping away for a bit. You'll be safe with Angelo."
I let out a shaky laugh. "Safe, sure. Surrounded by people I don't even want to see."
Stella sighed, glancing at Cole — silently asking him to say something.
Cole walked over, placing his hands gently on my shoulders. "Jay… you've been through enough. You need a break, and you need safety. I know it doesn't feel right, but this is just temporary."
"Everything's temporary," I muttered. "That's what makes it hurt."
For a moment, none of them spoke. The sound of the clock ticking filled the silence. Then Stella suddenly wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug.
I froze for a second before hugging her back — harder than I meant to.
"Please take care of yourself," she whispered. "Eat properly. Sleep. And don't think too much."
"Impossible," I mumbled against her shoulder, earning a soft laugh through her tears.
When she pulled back, Cole ruffled my hair, trying to act normal even though his eyes glistened. "Don't forget to give Percy too much trouble, alright?"
I smirked faintly. "promise."
Then David came closer and placed something in my hand — a small silver bracelet. "For protection," he said. "And a reminder that we'll always come back."
My throat tightened. "You guys are making it sound like you're going off to war."
Cole's gaze flickered for a split second — too quick for me to read. "We'll be fine."
But something in his tone… something in the way Stella looked away told me otherwise.
When they started loading their bags into the car, I followed them out. The sun was barely up — a faint orange glow stretching across the sky. I stood there on the porch, watching as they closed the trunk.
Cole turned and gave me a small nod. "You'll be okay?"
I nodded, forcing a brave smile. "Yeah. I'll be okay."
But when Stella hugged me again before getting in, I couldn't hold it anymore. My voice cracked as I said, "You guys better come back. I mean it."
David leaned out of the car window, smiling softly. "You'll get tired of us before we even leave the airport."
"Liar," I whispered, smiling through the tears.
The engine started. I waved as the car rolled away, my vision blurring. Their silhouettes grew smaller and smaller until they vanished around the bend.
And then the silence hit.
The kind that settles into your bones.
I stood there for a long time, barefoot on the cold porch tiles, staring at the empty road. The morning wind brushed past me, but it didn't feel fresh — it felt hollow.
They were gone.
Everyone always left eventually.
And even though I told myself they'd come back… a part of me couldn't shake the fear that maybe this time, they wouldn't.
I pressed my palm against the bracelet David had given me. It was cold — almost heavy — like the promise it carried.
"Be safe," I whispered into the wind. "Please."
Then I turned back inside, the echo of my own words following me into the emptiness of the house...