ᕙ༼Jay Jay's༽ᕗPOV
.The room was pitch black, the kind of suffocating darkness that feels heavy against your skin.
My heart hammered in my chest as I realized the silence was wrong—Ella, Freya, Honey, Kuya Angelo, Aries, Yuri, and even Keifer were gone. The entire Section E had been taken. A wave of cold weakness washed over me, my knees trembling as the reality of being alone in that eerie atmosphere set in.
Suddenly, rough hands grabbed me. Before I could scream, a blindfold was shoved over my eyes, plunging me into a total void. I felt myself being dragged, the friction of the floor and the hushed movements of my captors making my blood run cold. Pure terror surged through my body; I was paralyzed by the thought of what was coming next.
The movement stopped abruptly. The blindfold was ripped away, and for a second, the light blinded me. As my vision cleared, I saw the "kidnappers" pulling off their masks. My breath hitched—it wasn't strangers. It was the Ulupongs of Section E, grinning ear to ear.
The fear instantly curdled into a mix of massive relief and white-hot rage. Without thinking, I swung a sharp kick at Cin, my voice cracking as I started scolding them at the top of my lungs for scaring me half to death.
But they just laughed, unfazed by my temper, shouting "Surprise!" as they revealed the cake. It was my birthday, and the idiots had actually managed to pull off the ultimate prank without me suspecting a thing.
They all are here,mica,raki, honey, Ella , freya.
"It's your birthday! Surprise!" they all shouted in unison, their grins wide and completely unapologetic.
I stood there, chest still heaving from the adrenaline, looking at their laughing faces. My relief quickly turned into a lecture. "Are you guys insane?!" I yelled, my voice cracking. "I actually thought we were in danger! My heart is literally pounding out of my chest! Do you have any idea how badly you scared me?"
I was mid-sentence, pointing a finger at the group, when they all stepped back and pointed simultaneously at one person."Don't look at us," Cin muttered, rubbing the spot where I kicked him. "It was all Keifer's plan."
I turned my gaze toward Keifer, my eyes narrowing into a death glare that could have withered a field of flowers. My breath was still coming in ragged hitches, and as the adrenaline faded, a different kind of intensity took over. I stepped toward him and started hitting his chest with my fists—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to show him I was losing it.
"You idiot! You absolute jerk!" I sobbed, the first tear finally spilling over. My hands shook as they struck his steady chest. "I thought... I thought I lost you. I thought they took all of you and I was never going to see you again!"
The teasing, annoying grin that had been plastered on Keifer's face vanished instantly. Seeing the raw terror in my eyes and the tears streaming down my face, his expression softened into something deeply regretful. Before I could land another weak blow, he caught my wrists and pulled me into a tight, crushing hug.
I buried my face in his shirt, my voice muffled by his chest. "I got so scared, Keifer. Don't ever do that again. Please."
"I'm sorry," he whispered into my hair, his voice low and genuinely pained.
"I didn't mean to take it that far. I just wanted it to be a surprise you'd never forget, but I hated seeing you cry." He pulled back just enough to wipe a tear with his thumb. "I'm so sorry, birthday girl. I'm right here. No one is taking me anywhere."
The sweet, quiet moment was abruptly broken by a loud, synchronized clearing of throats.We both looked up to see the rest of the family watching us.
The atmosphere shifted from romantic to high-tension in a heartbeat. Kuya Angelo was standing with his arms crossed, his face a mask of pure fury. His jaw was set so tight I thought his teeth might crack.
He looked ready to throw Keifer out of the window for making me cry."You're lucky it's her birthday, Keifer," Kuya growled, stepping forward. But Honey quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him back.
"Baby, stop," Honey whispered soothingly, rubbing his shoulder as she watched us. "Look at them. She's okay now. Let them have this minute." She gave him a look that silently told him to stand down, and slowly, the tension in his shoulders began to bleed away.
On the other side of the room, Aries looked even worse. He was staring at Keifer like he was visualizing ten different ways to end him right now. His fists were clenched white. "If I see one more tear because of your 'plans,' Keifer, Section E is going to be short one member," Aries hissed.
Ella stepped in front of him, placing a hand on his chest to keep him from lunging. "Easy, Aries. He messed up, but she's happy now. Don't ruin the cake," she joked lightly, though her eyes warned Keifer to be careful.
Yuri and Percy exchanged nervous glances. "Note to self," Percy muttered, "Never let Keifer plan a 'surprise' involving kidnapping ever again."
Keifer looked at my brothers and then back at me, giving my hand a small, reassuring squeeze. "I think I'm going to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of the night," he murmured to me with a small, shy smile.
"You deserve it," I sniffled, finally cracking a tiny smile of my own. "But... thank you for coming back."
The room was filled with the usual energetic atmosphere of Section E. Percy and Yuri were engaged in their typical banter, while the rest of the group shared stories and laughter, moving past the tension of earlier events.
Keifer handed me the box, his fingers lingering against mine as I took it. Before I could even open it, he leaned down, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear. His voice dropped into that dark, dangerously smooth tone that always made my breath hitch.
"Wear this one for the crowd," he whispered, his breath warm and teasing against my skin. "But remember... the real dress, the one you're wearing only for me, is already waiting in your room."
My room.
The implication in his voice—the raw, possessive heat of it—sent a shiver straight down my spine. I didn't dare look him in the eye as I retreated to the room to change.
When I finally stepped in front of the full-length mirror, I barely recognized the girl staring back. The midnight-black gown Keifer had chosen was a masterpiece of silk and shadows.
(A/N:-her dress➡️)
Looking at myself, I felt a strange mix of power and vulnerability. If this was the "public" dress, the thought of what was waiting in the room made my heart race. My cheeks flushed a deep rose, and my eyes had a dark, expectant glitter I'd never seen before.
He was leaning against the far wall, a glass in his hand. The moment I appeared, his annoying grin vanished, replaced by a look of intense, smoldering focus. His eyes raked over me from head to toe, slow and deliberate, marking me as his in front of everyone.
He choked on his drink, his face turning a shade of protective red. "Keifer! What is this? Is there even enough fabric on that thing?" Kuya barked, looking like he wanted to wrap me in a trench coat immediately.
He looked like he was about to go into cardiac arrest. "No. Absolutely not. Change. Now,"Arie snapped, his protective brother instincts reaching a boiling point. He glared at Keifer, his hands clenching as if he were imagining Keifer's head on a platter.
Honey and Ella They both let out high-pitched squeals. "You look absolutely stunning!" Honey cheered, stepping in front of Kuya to block his view so I could show off the dress. Ella gave Aries a sharp nudge in the ribs. "Shut up, Aries, she looks like a queen. Let her have her moment!"
Amidst the chaos, Keifer caught my eye from across the room. He didn't say a word, but the smirk that returned to his face told me exactly what he was thinking: The best part of the night hasn't even started yet.
The celebration was in full swing, the air filled with the sweet scent of frosting and the chaotic laughter of Section E. As the "Happy Birthday" cheers faded, I picked up the knife to cut the cake. I made sure to give the first few bites to the people I loved most—Lola and Tita gave me warm smiles, while Kuya and Aries took their pieces with protective, lingering looks.
I even fed Cin, who was still playfully rubbing his ribs from my earlier kick.
Then, I turned to Keifer.
The room was buzzing, and for a split second, everyone's attention was on the cake or their own plates. Keifer took a small piece of the cake and fed me the first bite, his eyes locked onto mine.
As I swallowed, he didn't pull away. Instead, he leaned in, his hand cupping the back of my neck, and pulled me into a deep, searing kiss. It was hidden by the angle of his body, a private fire burning in the middle of a crowded room. When he finally broke away, his thumb brushed my lower lip.
"It's delicious," he whispered, his voice a low, gravelly hum that vibrated through me. "But it tastes much better now that it's off your tongue."
Shortly after, the music shifted to a slow, rhythmic beat. Keifer didn't ask; he simply took my hand and led me to the center of the room. As we danced, his touch was anything but casual. His hands rested firmly on the small of my back, pulling me flush against the silk of my dress—and him.
He leaned down, his lips ghosting against my ear, completely ignoring the fact that my brothers were only a few feet away. The playful teasing was gone, replaced by a raw, direct hunger.
The music was a low thrum in the background, but all I could hear was the heavy, rhythmic beat of Keifer's heart against my chest. His hands were like branding irons on the small of my back, pulling me so close that I could feel every line of his body. He leaned down, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin of my earlobe, and his voice dropped to a low, predatory growl that made my entire body flush.
"You have no idea how much of a distraction you've been all evening," he murmured, his voice dropping to a low, rough velvet that vibrated against the skin. "The way the light catches the silk of this dress, tracing every line... it's captivating. You look like a masterpiece stepped out of a gallery, and every person in this room is staring, but I'm the only one who truly sees you."
He leaned in, his gaze lingering on the curve of a shoulder and the elegance of the collarbones, as if memorizing the sight. "Your grace tonight is unmatched. This color against your skin makes you look ethereal, almost untouchable. But I don't want to just look at you from across a room anymore. I want the world to disappear so it's just the two of us."
He paused, his eyes dark with a hunger that had been carefully restrained until now. "We're leaving. Right now. I've reached my limit of playing the patient gentleman, and once we're behind that door, I intend to show you exactly how much I've been holding back."
The cool night air feels amazing against my skin as I stand there, the weight of the diamond necklace from Kuya and the pearls from Aries catching the moonlight.
Everything is so quiet now that everyone has gone up to the mansion. Even though my eyes are heavy and I'm exhausted from the day, I don't want to go inside yet.
I want this moment with Keifer to last.I look out at the waves, but something feels different. The shoreline, the way the sand feels under my feet—it's not the same as before.
"This place..." I whisper, turning to him. "It's different from the last time we were at the shore."
Keifer steps closer, his eyes reflecting the stars. "That's because it is different," he says softly. "I bought this island for you. The other one was nice, but I wanted you to have a place that was completely yours. This is my gift."
My heart skips a beat. A whole new island, just because he knew how much I loved the sea. I feel a rush of warmth that completely ignores how tired I am. Standing here on a shore that belongs to me, with the man who went to such lengths to make me happy, feels like a dream I never want to wake up from.
I squeezed him tight, feeling the steady beat of his heart against mine. When he pressed a soft kiss to my forehead, everything felt perfect. We wandered along the shoreline for a while, the sound of the waves matching our pace, but the mood shifted the moment we reached his property.Instead of leading me toward the grand silhouette of the mansion, he steered me away.
He guided me toward a, secluded cottage tucked far back from the main house. Before I could ask why, he ushered me inside and firmly closed the door, shutting out the rest of the world.
The latch clicked into place, and the silence of the cottage felt heavy compared to the crashing waves outside.
I turned to face him, my heart racing."Why are we here?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "The mansion is right there."
He didn't move away from the door. He just leaned against it, watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read. "The mansion has too many eyes," he said softly. "Too many expectations. Here, it's just us."
I took a step toward him, sensing a tension in his shoulders that hadn't been there on the shore. "You're acting like we're hiding."
"Maybe I am," he admitted, finally reaching out to tuck a stray hair behind my ear. His hand lingered on my cheek. "I needed to know that for one night, the rest of the world couldn't get to you. Is that okay?"
I nodded.