The hall didn't go quiet after the guests left.
It went still.
The kind of stillness that pressed against your ears, that made every breath feel too loud, every heartbeat sound like a confession. I stood near the glass wall, fingers spread against the cold surface, watching the city lights below flicker like they didn't know my world had just cracked open.
I was still in heels.
Still bleeding—just a little.
Still pretending I wasn't tired.
Behind me—
"So you're a CEO."
"And a gang leader."
"And apparently immortal."
"And you thought hiding ALL of this was a good idea?"
I closed my eyes.
Counted to three.
Then turned.
Section E stood there in a messy half-circle, staring at me like I'd just admitted to being a serial killer who also did charity work on weekends. Percy looked impressed. Aries looked betrayed. Angelo—
Angelo looked furious.
He walked toward me without saying a word.
Didn't shout.
Didn't hesitate.
He grabbed my ear.
Hard.
"OW—KUYA ANGELO!" I yelped, my voice echoing off the glass. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"
"What I am," he snapped, tugging my ear, "is your BROTHER—who just found out his little sister runs the UNDERWORLD."
"Let go of her," Keifer said sharply, already moving.
Aries joined in from the other side and grabbed my other ear.
"This is a family problem now," he said seriously.
"WHY ARE YOU HELPING HIM?" I screeched. "YOU ARE NOT FAMILY."
"You are literally bleeding," Angelo shot back. "And you still didn't think to tell me?"
"I WAS BUSY," I protested. "Also NINE when this started!"
"That makes it WORSE," Aries said.
They finally let go.
I rubbed my ears, glaring at both of them.
"I didn't hide me," I said, my voice dropping. "I hid danger."
Angelo didn't joke this time.
"You hid it from me," he said quietly. "Do you have any idea what it feels like to realize your sister walks into rooms people don't walk out of?"
That hit harder than the bullet ever did.
My chest tightened.
Before I could answer, my phone vibrated.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
_
Unknown number.
11:34 PM
They're waiting, Queen.
_
I lifted my head.
"There's another party," I said.
Angelo groaned. "I KNEW IT."
"At midnight," I added.
Percy frowned. "Who throws parties at midnight?"
I smiled without humor.
"People who crown queens."
I turn my heels to the dressing room
I locked myself in the dressing room.
For thirty seconds.
Then Angelo banged on the door.
"You better not come out wearing a cape."
"I SWEAR TO GOD, KUYA—"
I stripped out of my clothes and slid into the satin dress slowly. It clung to me like a second skin, backless, cool, unapologetic. I stepped into my Louboutins—red soles flashing like a warning.
When I opened the door—
Silence.
Real silence.
Angelo blinked. "Absolutely not."
"Cover your eyes," he told Aries.
Aries peeked anyway. "Too late."
Keifer didn't speak.
He just looked at me like he was realizing something permanent.
"You're still grounded," Angelo muttered.
"I'm literally a CEO."
"Grounded CEO"
(THE UNDERWORLD)
The warehouse smelled like metal, salt, and money.
Black cars lined the docks. Men and women in sharp suits watched us with eyes that calculated instead of admired. The moment I stepped inside, whispers followed.
"That's her."
"Serina's girl.
"She survived Keizer."
Serina Watson.
My mentor.
The woman who taught me strategy before emotions and consequences before comfort.
I didn't look back.
I climbed the platform.
The music died.
I spoke softly.
"This world was built on fear," I said. "But fear without control is just noise."
Someone laughed.
I turned my head slowly
"If you interrupt me again," I whispered, "you'll learn how loud silence can be."
The laugh died.
I continued
"I am Jasper Jean Fernandez Mariano," I said.
"Serina Watson was my menter."
"S&J's creator."
I inhaled.
Then I spoke with pure rage, every word deliberate.
"And from this moment on—I rule."
They bowed.
Not all at once. One by one.
Even the powerful ones.
Even the doubters.
The crown wasn't placed on my head.
It was placed on my name.
"I didn't inherit power," I continued. "I earned it. I buried my childhood for it. I learned how to end wars before they start—because Serina Watson taught me better than violence."
The room leaned in.
"I am Jasper Jean Fernandez Mariano," I said. "And from tonight—this world answers to me."
"Oh my God," Percy whispered.
"My sister," Angelo muttered. "Rules criminals."
I almost smiled.
I walked down stage
Four figures stepped from the shadows.
Adam.
Michael.
Samuel.
Me.
"The Aces," Angelo muttered. "Why do they look like a warning?
Adam smirked. "Because we are."
Music rose.
Section E immediately forgot where they were.
Angelo argued with a dangerous-looking man about my shoes.
"They are Louboutins," he snapped. "They are on my sister. Speak properly.
Aries grabbed drinks and whispered, "We might start a war."
Percy leaned toward me. "So if I insult someone—"
"Run," I said.
Angelo and Aries grabbed my ears again.
"You HID THIS," Angelo hissed
"For YEARS," Aries added.
"I WAS PROTECTING YOU."
"You don't protect family by lying," Angelo snapped.
I laughed—loud, sharp, unfiltered.
Even queens can still be Jay
After the formalities,
Keifer's gaze didn't leave me.
His voice was calm, but I could hear the question buried under every syllable:
"Jay… how do you know my mother?"
I inhaled slowly. Not because I was nervous—because some truths deserved the weight they carried.
"Back at my old school," I began, voice low, measured, "Greenwood. That's where the Aces and I first met Serina."
I saw his brow raise. He wasn't angry. He was curious.
"She… she wasn't just a mentor," I continued. "She was… a fairy godmother. At least, that's how it felt. She made snacks for us, taught us to fight, and never let us break—even when everything wanted to break us."
I paused, looking down at my hands. They weren't shaking, but my chest remembered.
"Keifer… she came to us because she wanted to protect you and your brothers from Keizer. She taught us strategy, how to fight, how to plan. But I… I already knew how to fight. Guns, knives, gangs… I'd lived it. She just polished it. Made it smarter."
Keifer leaned closer, his eyes narrowing slightly. "So… you knew her personally?"
I nodded. "Yes. Greenwood was… chaotic. The Aces and I ruled that school in our own way. But Serina… she was the calm in it. She would walk into the park where we used to meet, bring snacks, lecture us, scold us—whatever we needed. And she trusted us to protect your brothers at night. We'd hide in rooms and keep watch so Keizer couldn't hurt them. Once…"
I swallowed, letting the memory settle like ice in my chest,
"once your brother and you were in a room, and your father was about to… hurt you. The door wasn't locked. I… I risked coming out of my hiding spot and locked the door myself. So Keizer couldn't touch you."
Keifer's jaw tightened, a storm behind his eyes.
"We used to meet her at the park," I said, a faint smile touching my lips. "But one day… a letter came. Not from her. It said: Don't try to find me. Protect your brothers. Always stay together. Become strong. That's all. And then… she disappeared."
I swallowed. The memory felt heavy, like a hand pressing on my chest.
Adam stepped forward then, his voice calm but steady. "We were all broken by that," he said. "Especially Jay. She cried all night. Something she'd never done before we met Tita Serina. She skipped meals. She barely spoke. She got into fights that didn't matter, wasting herself."
I let my hand drift to my face, hiding the sting behind a fist. "It… it was hard. And that's why… that's why Kuya Angelo transferred me to Holy Saints. To give me a fresh start. To stop me from hurting myself or others because I didn't know how to cope."
Keifer's hand hovered near mine, but he didn't touch. He let me speak, let the story sink in.
"And that's why I am here," I whispered. "All of us… the Aces, me… we survived because of her. Every skill I have, every fight I've won, every empire I've built… traces back to her."
Adam stepped closer, voice soft but full of pride. "She made us strong. She made us family. And she trusted us with the most important thing in her world: her son… and her legacy."
I looked at Keifer. His eyes glistened, faintly catching the light of the chandeliers above.
"I know now why she left," I said quietly. "So we'd survive. So we'd grow. So we'd be ready for what came next. And… we are. We're ready."
Silence fell after that. Heavy. Respectful. Even Section E, loud and chaotic as they were, felt it.
I blinked, and for the first time that night, I felt… weightless. Strong. Angry. Loved. Ready.
Because Serina had believed in us.
And we hadn't failed her.
Keifer didn't say anything at first.
He just stood there, hands in his pockets, eyes fixed somewhere between the floor and me—like he was afraid that if he looked straight at me, something would break
I hated silence.
But this one… I let it stay.
"She trusted you," he said finally.
Not a question.
Not an accusation.
Just the truth.
I swallowed, my throat suddenly tight.
"She did," I replied softly.
For a second, neither of us moved
Then Keifer stepped forward and pulled me into a hug.
No warning.
No hesitation.
Just arms around me, firm and steady.
I stiffened for half a second—old habits—but then I relaxed, resting my forehead against his shoulder. I didn't sob. I didn't shake. I just let the tears sit quietly in my eyes, slipping out without sound.
He breathed in slowly.
"Thank you," he murmured. "For protecting us. For staying.
I nodded against him. "I promised her,"
I whispered. "I couldn't break that."
His hand tightened slightly at my back.
Just once.
That was it.
No dramatic confessions.
No long speeches.
Just truth.
Just trust.
We pulled apart almost at the same time.
And right on cue—
"OKAY WOW," Percy's voice exploded from behind us. "I look away for FIVE SECONDS and suddenly we're hugging??"
I gasped dramatically. "PERCY."
Aries leaned in, eyes narrowed. "So this is the famous emotional bonding moment? Should we clap? Cry? Start charging tickets?"
Kuya Angelo pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear to God, I raised you better than this.
"You didn't raise her," Aries shot back. "She raised us."
"I regret everything," Angelo muttered.
Keifer cleared his throat, his ears very clearly red.
I wiped the corner of my eye and turned, folding my arms. "You all have exactly three seconds to stop being annoying."
They didn't.
Percy grinned. "So. Does this mean we're allowed to tease you again or is the emotional growth phase still active?"
"Tease me and I'll throw you out the window," I said sweetly.
"See?" Aries nodded. "She's healed."
Adam chuckled from the couch. "That was fast."
"Emotional processing," I replied. "Speedrun version."
Michael raised an eyebrow. "Is that healthy?"
"No," I said cheerfully. "But it's effective."
Keifer finally relaxed, shaking his head slightly. "You're unbelievable."
"And you love it," I shot back.
Kuya Angelo stepped closer and placed a hand on my head, ruffling my hair like I was still twelve. "You okay now?"
I looked up at him and smiled. A real one. "Yeah, Kuya. I am.
He nodded once, satisfied. Then immediately frowned. "Good. Now explain why Section E is currently eating in a restricted area of your building."
I turned slowly.
Percy froze mid-bite. "In our defense—"
"No defense," Angelo snapped.
Aries pointed at me. "She owns the building."
"That does not make this a cafeteria!"
"Technically—" Percy began.
"OUT," Angelo barked
They scattered like pigeons.
I laughed. Loud. Unfiltered.
The kind of laugh that filled the room and chased away the heaviness completely.
Keifer watched me, a small smile on his face.
"You bounce back fast," he said.
I shrugged. "Life's too short to stay quiet."
I leaned closer and whispered, "Also, if I don't keep them in check, they'll burn the place down."
As if summoned by my words, a loud crash echoed from the hallway.
Angelo shouted, "WHO TOUCHED THAT?"
Percy yelled back, "IT LOOKED EXPENSIVE!"
I winced. "Yep. That's my cue."
I grabbed Keifer's hand and pulled him along. "Come on. Before Kuya actually murders someone."
He laughed—soft, genuine.
And just like that, the truth settled into its place.
No weight.
No fear.
Just trust… and chaos.
The way it was always meant to be.
We were already halfway out of the restricted corridor when Keifer suddenly stopped.
"Wait," he said.
I turned back, confused. "What?"
He looked around once—empty hall, quiet lights—then met my eyes with that look. The one that always made my stomach flip.
"I forgot something."
Before I could ask what, he stepped closer.
Really close.
"Keifer—" I started.
Too late.
He cupped my face gently, thumbs brushing my cheekbones, and kissed me.
Not rushed.
Not shy.
The kind of kiss that stole your breath first—and then your thoughts.
I froze for exactly half a second.
Then I kissed him back.
My hands slid up to his shoulders, fingers gripping his jacket as if grounding myself. His forehead rested against mine for a moment, breath warm, shared, uneven. The world shrank down to just us and the quiet hum of the building.
I pulled back just enough to breathe.
"You really forgot something that important?" I whispered.
He smiled. Soft. Dangerous.
"Very."
I shook my head, smiling despite myself. "You're unbelievable.
He leaned in again, just brushing his lips against mine this time, teasing.
"Jay," he said quietly, voice low and sincere, "you were breathtaking today."
I raised an eyebrow. "Today?"
He didn't hesitate. "No. Always."
I scoffed, cheeks warm. "Careful. Keep talking like that and I'll start believing you."
He laughed softly, resting his forehead against mine for a second longer before stepping back.
"Come on," he said. "Before your brother finds us."
As if summoned by the universe—
"JAY."
Kuya Angelo's voice echoed from somewhere far too close..
I jumped back instantly. "WE WERE JUST WALKING."
Keifer coughed, very innocently.
Angelo appeared at the end of the hall, eyes narrowing. "Why do you both look… guilty?"
"Because we're teenagers?" I offered.
He stared.
Then sighed. "I don't want to know."
I grabbed Keifer's hand and dragged him away, laughing as Angelo muttered threats under his breath.
Behind us, the city lights waited.
Ahead of us—chaos.
And somehow, between secrets and kisses, it all felt perfectly normal.
____
Ok soo readers
HOW WAS iT 😚😚
It's the longest chapter I wrote.....till now.
Do you like it plz comment 🤧 i love to read your comments...
So how was your reaction to our barakuda acting.😁😂😂
I was laughing so hard I tripped over nothing but open air 🤣🤣