Keifer POV ꧁꧂
The house felt empty.
Not quiet.
Not peaceful.
Empty.
There was a difference.
I stood near the edge of my room, staring out at the dark stretch of the estate, the faint glow of the lights outside barely cutting through the stillness.
No footsteps in the hall.
No distant voices.
No movement.
Even the staff kept their distance tonight.
Or maybe it just felt that way.
Keigan wasn't here.
And somehow, that made the entire place feel… hollow.
I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair before turning away from the window.
My thoughts didn't stay still.
They hadn't for a while.
Not since her.
Jay.
My jaw tightened slightly at the thought of her.
Sharp.
Careful.
Unwilling to bend.
Everything about her resisted me.
And yet—
I couldn't stop thinking about her.
"…How do you soften something like that…" I muttered quietly.
A heart like hers wasn't fragile.
It wasn't something you could handle gently and expect it to change.
It was built to withstand pressure.
To resist.
To hold its ground.
So the question wasn't how to reach her.
It was—
How do I make her choose me…
Without breaking her in the process?
My gaze dropped slightly, unfocused.
Because breaking her would be easy.
Too easy.
And that wasn't what I wanted.
Not with her.
Not like this.
How can I soften a heart of stone without making it break in the process..?
A quiet breath left me as I leaned back slightly against the desk.
"…Since when do I even care?" I muttered.
The question felt foreign.
Unfamiliar.
Because-
I just didn't want to say it out loud.
I pushed myself upright again, restless energy settling in my chest.
This—
This feeling—
It wasn't control.
It wasn't calculation.
It wasn't strategy.
It was something else.
Something I hadn't felt in a long time.
Something I didn't recognize at first.
But now—
Now I did.
Fear.
The realization sat heavier than anything else.
I let out a small, humorless breath.
"…That's new."
The last time I felt anything close to this—
My expression hardened.
It came back in flashes.
Not clear.
Not clean.
Just enough.
Blood.
Shouting.
Silence after.
My mom and dad—
Kaizer Watson.
Serina Watson.
My hands clenched slightly at my desk.
That night had carved something out of me.
Something I never got back.
And ever since then—
Fear stopped meaning anything.
Until now.
Because this wasn't fear of getting caught.
Not entirely.
It wasn't fear of Yuri.
Or the case.
Or any of it.
It was—
Losing her.
The thought came uninvited.
Unwanted.
And it stayed.
I closed my eyes briefly, exhaling slowly before opening them again.
"…You're becoming a problem," I muttered under my breath.
Not to her.
To myself.
Because wanting her meant risk.
And risk—
Was something I didn't allow.
Not anymore.
My gaze shifted toward my phone resting on the desk.
A pause.
Then I reached for it.
Maybe—
Just a message.
Simple.
Controlled.
Something that wouldn't complicate things more than they already were.
My thumb hovered over the screen.
And then—
Ding.
I stopped.
A message.
Not from her.
Of course not.
My expression shifted slightly as I looked down.
Yuri.
I'm at ur mansion bro. Let me in!
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"…What?"
That didn't make sense.
Why now?
I typed quickly.
what? Why?
The reply came almost immediately.
let me talk to you. I missed you.
I stared at the message for a second longer than necessary.
Missed me?
Something about that didn't sit right.
Not after everything.
Not after the way he'd been acting.
I pushed myself off the desk and started walking.
If he was here—
I wasn't going to leave him outside making noise.
Not when I didn't know what he wanted.
By the time I stepped outside, the guards were already dealing with him.
"I'm literally his best friend!" Yuri's voice cut through the air, sharp with frustration.
"Well, we still can't let you in without Kuya Keifer's permissio—"
"Let him in."
The words came out before the guard could finish.
All eyes shifted to me.
Yuri's expression changed immediately.
Relief.
Satisfaction.
Something else I couldn't quite place.
The gates opened.
And just like that—
He was inside.
We didn't speak much as we walked in.
Didn't need to.
Not yet.
The tension was already there.
Sitting between us.
Unspoken.
We stepped into the living room, the lights casting long shadows across the space.
Yuri glanced around briefly before looking back at me.
"Keigan's not here again?"
"Not here," I replied. "He had to deal with something at the company."
A small nod.
Like he expected that answer.
"Right."
A pause.
Then—
"So… Keifer…" Yuri said, his tone shifting slightly.
"May we go to your room?"
I didn't think much of it.
Not immediately.
"Sure."
We walked up in silence.
Step by step.
The quiet of the house pressing in again.
He followed close behind.
Too close.
I noticed it this time.
But I didn't say anything.
Not yet.
The door to my room opened.
I stepped in first.
Yuri followed.
And then—
Click.
I turned slightly.
The sound was small.
But sharp.
Final.
The door was locked. By Yuri, duh.
Then.. Yuri just- Smirked?
Something felt very, very wrong.
☆☆☆☆☆☆
To all readers 💛 I'm not really running out of ideas (cuz I already planned the whole story out lolz.) however, I just wanted to get your thoughts because at the end of the day, you readers are the only reason I'm able to keep writing and stay motivated! 🎀
How many chapters would you guys like? And, some ideas? 💡 ✨
Just want your guys thoughts, thank you 🙏
Stay blessed 😇 🫶🫶🫶
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