JAY JAY POV
Kuya Angelo gestured for Keigan and Keiran to leave. They didn't need to be told twice; they scrambled out of the room faster than if the house was on fire, leaving Keifer and me alone to face the firing squad.
"So, explain now. All this engagement drama," Kuya said, sitting down
I took a deep breath. "Me and Jare went to his birthday party in London. Then the elders and our grandparents dropped the engagement bomb. I agreed because... well, why not? It made sense."
Kuya nodded slowly, processing. "So your grandparents arranged this engagement."
I nodded vigorously. Blame the old people, Jay. That's your only exit strategy.
"Out of all the people," Aries muttered, shaking his head in disbelief like I'd just announced I was marrying a literal toad.
I gave him a tight, innocent smile. Finally, Kuya Angelo stood up. "We will be getting going," he said, adjusting his suit. I felt a wave of relief wash over me—until Aries stood up too.
He didn't follow Angelo. Instead, he grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. "Explain now. Everything."
"I already told you the truth! That's everything!" I insisted, trying to look as honest as possible.
Aries didn't buy it. He whipped out his phone and shoved it in my face, showing my latest post from London. "Explain this post," he demanded, his voice dropping an octave. "Were you two sharing a room? And that shirt... is that Keifer's?"
I swallowed hard and nodded. My heart was hammering against my ribs.
"We didn't do anything," Keifer said, stepping up beside me. He didn't look scared anymore; he looked... amused. He draped an arm over my shoulder, pulling me into him. "Your sister made a rule."
Aries narrowed his eyes at Keifer. "What rule?"
"I can't touch her as a punishment until, of course, our wedding night," Keifer said, a mischievous smirk dancing on his lips. He looked Aries dead in the eye, clearly enjoying the way my brother's face was turning a dangerous shade of red.
My jaw nearly hit the floor. Keifer! Are you trying to get murdered?!
Aries's fist clenched at his side, and I could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. He really wants to die in Aries's hands, doesn't he?
"You admit you were in the same bed and the only thing stopping you was a punishment?" Aries hissed, stepping closer to Keifer.
"Aries, stop!" I jumped between them, hands out. "He's telling the truth! Nothing happened! He's been a perfect, suffering gentleman."
Keifer chuckled, leaning down to whisper just loud enough for Aries to hear. "It's been a very long trip, Aries. You should be proud of my self-control."
"I'm going to kill him," Aries deadpanned, looking at Kuya Angelo. "Can I kill him?"
I was bracing for a fistfight between Aries and Keifer, but then the atmosphere shifted from "murderous" to "pure catastrophe" in a split second.
"Aries my baby!"
The glass in the foyer practically rattled as Percy burst into the room
Aries's eyes widened in genuine terror. "Oh shit. Jay, where's the exit? Open a window!" he hissed, looking around frantically for an escape route.
But Percy was faster. He lunged, tackling Aries with a hug that probably cost Aries a few hundred pesos in dry cleaning. "Aries baby! Where are you going?" Percy asked, his voice booming with zero filter. "We haven't seen each other in a whole week and you're already trying to run? I know I'm the best-looking thing in this room, but don't be intimidated!"
"You son of a—let me gooooo!" Aries yelled, struggling like a wild animal. He was trying to pry Percy's fingers off his arm, but Percy was clinging to him, looking completely unfazed by the death threats.
Kuya Angelo stood by the door, watching the circus. He looked at Aries. "Aries, are you coming or staying here for the night?"
Aries stopped thrashing for a second, his eyes darting to Keifer, who was still looking way too smug. "Are you staying here?" he barked at Keifer
Keifer nodded, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Of course. I'm not leaving my fiancée."
"I will stay here, Kuya!" Aries shouted.
Kuya Angelo sighed, probably thankful to be escaping the noise. "Be safe." And with that, he was gone.
The second the door closed, Percy let go of Aries and turned his explosive energy toward us. He didn't even say hi; he just looked at me, then at Keifer, and then at my hand.
"Wow, Jay Jay. That ring is almost as shiny as my personality," Percy said, grabbing my hand to inspect the diamond. "Good job, Keifer. I didn't think you had taste, but this? This is acceptable. Not as good as the one I'd pick for myself, obviously, but it'll do for you."
He then looked Keifer up and down, leaning in close. "You know, if you break her heart, I'll have to make a very long, very loud video about how ugly you are. And trust me, I have the followers."
Keifer actually stepped back, looking slightly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Percy's self-obsession and sudden protectiveness.
"Asshole," Keifer muttered under his breath, though it was drowned out by Percy telling Aries that his eyebrows weren't as symmetrical as they used to be.
The front door swung open again, and Jare walked in. He looked tired, but the second he saw me, his face lit up.
"JAY JAY!" Jare yelled, his voice echoing through the foyer.
I didn't even think. I ran to him and threw my arms around him. "Miss me?" Jare asked, his voice a bit raspy as he pulled me into a rib-crushing hug.
"In your dreams," I teased, burying my face in his shoulder.
"Then I guess I'm dreaming now," Jare said, hugging me even tighter, as if he were trying to make sure I was actually there and not a hallucination
But as he started to pull back, my gaze dropped to his hands. My heart stopped. His knuckles were split, and a steady trail of crimson was smeared across his palms.
I froze. The air in the room suddenly felt very thin. "J–Jare... w–what is that?" I asked, my voice trembling, my finger shaking as I pointed at his hands.
"Nothing," Jare said quickly, tucking his hands behind his back, his expression shifting into that forced, 'I'm-fine' smile he always used when he was lying.
"Jare, what happened?" Aries stepped forward, his protective brotherly instincts flaring up. He caught the look Jare shot him—a sharp, warning glare that screamed 'Not now, not in front of her.'
But it was too late. As Jare moved, the dark fabric of his shirt began to soak through. A thick, wet patch of red bloomed across his side and arm.
"Shit. Jay Jay, look at me. Look at my face, not my arm," Jare said urgently, reaching out with his clean hand to cup my cheek, trying to force me to meet his eyes.
But I couldn't. The sight of the blood—the smell of it—was like a key turning in a lock I had kept buried deep in my mind. The bright lights of the foyer started to flicker in my vision.
"Come, we won't hurt you..."
"Just go, Jay... do as they say..."
"Don't fight... just give in..."
Voices. Cold, clinical voices from a past I tried so hard to forget. The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to stretch and reach for me. My lungs seized up, and the world began to tilt on its axis.
"AHHHHHH!" I screamed, clutching my head as the memories crashed into me like a tidal wave.
"Jay! Jay Jay!" Keifer's voice was there, loud and panicked, but it sounded like he was underwater.
I felt hands on me, but I didn't know whose they were. Everything was red. Everything was pain. The safety of the mansion was gone, replaced by the terrifying whispers of the people
I sank to my knees, the floor feeling like ice, as the screams inside my head drowned out the voices of my brothers.
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KEIFER POV
I was standing just a few feet away, watching Jare and Jay hug. I had been annoyed—jealous, honestly—but that feeling vanished the second I saw Jare's knuckles.
They weren't just bruised. They were raw. Red.
Blood.
Before I could even open my mouth to warn Jare to hide his hands, Jay saw it. I saw the exact moment her eyes locked onto the crimson stains, and the color drained from her face so fast I thought she was going to faint right there.
Then she screamed. Not a small, startled scream, but a gut-wrenching sound that tore through the room.
"Jay Jay!" I lunged forward, catching her as her knees buckled.
She didn't say anything. She didn't even look at me. She was clutching her head with both hands, her fingers digging into her scalp as if she were trying to physically hold her mind together—trying to stop something from getting in.
"Jay Jay," I said, my heart hammering against my ribs. I sat on the floor with her, pulling her into my lap and tapping her cheeks lightly to get her attention. "Hey, look at me. Breathe. Just look at me."
No response. She was sobbing, but it was that breathless, silent kind of crying that meant she was completely lost inside her own head.
"Jay Jay!" Percy's voice cut through the chaos. He wasn't the self-obsessed, loud-mouthed brother anymore. He was deathly serious, his face pale as he knelt on her other side, his hands hovering over her, unsure of what to do.
"Jay Jay, hey, look at me! It's just blood, I'm okay!" Jare said, his voice laced with desperation. He tried to reach for her, but the movement caused more blood to seep through his shirt, making the situation ten times worse.
"Jare, get out! Go get that cleaned up now!" Aries barked, his voice commanding and harsh. He grabbed Jare by the shoulder, physically hauling him away from Jay. He knew what I knew—that Jare's injuries were the trigger, and as long as he was standing there bleeding, she wasn't coming back.
"I'm not leaving her!" Jare snarled, trying to shake Aries off.
"If she sees more blood, she's only going to get worse!" Aries shouted, his voice cracking. He wasn't just being the bossy older brother anymore; he was practically begging. "Please, Jare. Let's get that cleaned up. You're triggering her!"
Jare stopped struggling, his shoulders sagging as he looked at Jay's curled-up form in my arms. The guilt on his face was agonizing to see, but he finally let Aries pull him away. I heard their footsteps retreating toward the kitchen, Aries's voice low and urgent as he called for the first-aid kit.
"Jay, listen to my voice," I murmured, tightening my hold on her. I didn't care if Percy was staring; I didn't care about anything but the girl shaking in my lap. "Focus on my heartbeat. Can you hear it?"
Percy knelt beside us, his usual golden-boy persona completely shattered. He looked helpless. "Jay Jay, baby sister, come back to us," he whispered, his hand shaking as he reached out to stroke her hair. "It's just us. It's just your brothers and your... and Keifer. We're home."
Jay's fingers were still locked in her hair, her eyes wide and unfocused, darting around the room as if she were seeing ghosts.
"Don't... please..." she whimpered, the sound so small it broke my heart. "I'll go... just don't hurt them..."
My jaw tightened, she might be remembering the moment she got kidnaped
I looked at Percy, and I saw the same realization dawn on him. He looked like he wanted to punch a wall.
"No one is getting hurt, Jay," I said firmly, my voice dropping into low, authoritative tone "Nobody will touch you while I'm here"
Upstairs, the house had gone deathly quiet. Keigan and Keiran must have heard the scream because I could hear them hovering at the top of the landing, their footsteps hesitant.
"Keigan! Stay back!" Percy yelled up to them without looking away from Jay.
I kept my forehead pressed against hers, my world narrowing down to just the two of us. "Jay Jay, look at me."
Slowly, her hands relaxed from her head. She blinked, her eyes—usually so sharp and defiant—were now glassy and bloodshot from the strain. "Keifer," she whispered, her voice a broken thread.
She lunged forward, burying her face in the crook of my neck and wrapping her arms around me so tightly I could barely breathe. She started to sob properly then, the kind of heavy, soul-deep crying that happens when the adrenaline finally leaves the body.
"Shhh, it's okay. You're safe now," I murmured, my hand cradling the back of her head. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, holding her there on the foyer floor until the tremors in her racketing chest finally began to subside.
Once she was steady enough to move, I lifted her up and carried her to the sofa in the living room. Percy hovered nearby, looking like he'd aged ten years in ten minutes, and quickly brought her a glass of water.
Just as she took her first sip, Jare and Aries reappeared. Jare had scrubbed the blood off his hands and changed into a fresh black t-shirt. He looked pale, the guilt still written all over his face. He rushed over and dropped to his knees in front of Jay.
"How are you feeling now?" Jare asked, his voice thick with concern.
Jay lowered the glass, her eyes narrowing as she looked at his bandaged knuckles and the way he was favoring his side. "What happened to your hand?" she asked, the old Jay Jay—the one who could sniff out a lie from a mile away—returning.
Jare rubbed the back of his neck, looking everywhere but at her. "I... uh... I scratched myself while removing the car tire. It was a stubborn bolt."
Asshole. He was lying, and he was terrible at it. I knew exactly what those marks were: those were the marks of a man who had spent the last few hours throwing heavy punches in an underground ring or an alleyway.
Jay knew he was lying
She didn't say a word. She just reached out, grabbed his ear, and yanked.
"OWWWWW! HEY! LET ME GO, YOU MONKEY!" Jare yelled, his head tilting awkwardly as he tried to escape her grip.
Monkey? Really? That was the best he could come up with?
Jay looked furious now. Instead of letting go, she twisted her wrist, pulling his ear even harder. "Removing a car tire? In a designer shirt? While we were in London?" she hissed.
"Jay, baby sistah, let go! You're going to rip it off!" Percy said, though he looked secretly relieved that she was back to her usual self.
I leaned back against the arm of the couch, watching the scene. The terror from ten minutes ago was fading, replaced by the familiar chaos. I looked at Jare—really looked at him—and saw the tension in his jaw. Whatever he had been doing while we were away, it wasn't car maintenance.
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