Chapter 51 — The Secret Above Them
Jay's POV
I knocked on Aries's door.
"Come in."
I opened it and walked inside.
Aries looked up from his phone.
"Jay?"
"Horoscope."
He immediately frowned.
"Don't."
I smiled.
"You're Aries. Horoscope."
"That's not how that works."
"It works for me."
He sighed.
"Why are you here?"
My smile faded.
"We need to talk about our childhood."
His expression changed.
He put his phone down.
"About my father?"
I nodded.
For the next few minutes, we finally talked about everything we'd avoided for years.
The kidnapping.
My trauma.
The moment I lost control.
The injury he suffered.
The hatred he felt when he woke up.
And, eventually, the understanding that came afterward.
When we finished, there was no anger between us anymore.
Just an old wound that had finally been allowed to breathe.
Aries looked at me.
"We're okay, Jay."
"I know."
"But I'm glad we finally talked about it."
"Me too."
I took a breath.
"There is something else."
He raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"I'm part of the Mafia."
Aries stared at me.
"I know you have connections."
I smiled.
"No, Horoscope."
I leaned forward.
"I'm not just part of the Mafia."
His expression changed.
"I'm the Mafia Queen."
Silence.
"And my organization is the Shadow League."
Aries froze.
His eyes widened.
"The Shadow League?"
I nodded.
"The rumors you've heard?"
"Those rumors were about you?"
"Yes."
He stared at me like he'd never seen me before.
"Jay..."
I laughed softly.
"That's the reaction I was expecting."
Before he could say anything else, the door opened.
Percy walked in with Yuri.
"Why is Aries looking like someone just told him the world is ending?"
Aries pointed at me.
"Ask her."
Percy looked at me suspiciously.
"What did you do?"
I smiled.
"I'm the Mafia Queen."
Percy froze.
"...What?"
"The Mafia Queen."
He stared at me.
"You're serious?"
I nodded.
"And my organization is the Shadow League."
Percy stood there for a few seconds.
Then—
"WAIT."
I laughed.
"Yes."
"You?"
"Me."
He looked at Aries.
"You knew?"
"She told me five minutes ago."
Percy looked back at me.
"And you never told me?"
"I couldn't."
He slowly sat down.
"Okay. I have about a thousand questions."
"I'll answer the important ones."
I explained the Shadow League, its structure, and the people working under me.
I gave him the names of the people he needed to know.
The commanders.
The organization.
The people who protected me.
The people who worked with me.
Percy listened carefully.
For once, there was no joke on his face.
"So all this time..."
"Yes."
He shook his head.
"I knew you were hiding something."
"You had no idea how much."
He laughed nervously.
"Clearly."
Aries finally sat back down.
"I still can't believe this."
"Believe it."
"I am trying."
I smiled.
"Good."
---
Yuri's Truth
Percy glanced toward me.
"Then why did you bring Yuri into all this?"
Yuri's expression became serious.
I explained everything.
His mother.
His younger sister.
Lucian Blackwood.
The danger surrounding his family.
Then I told them what my team had discovered.
"The Hanamichi Family is connected to Lucian."
Yuri looked down.
Aries's expression hardened.
Percy stopped joking.
I continued.
"After Yuri and I ended our engagement, the Hanamichi Family felt humiliated."
Yuri's hands tightened.
"They blamed me."
"They blamed you," I confirmed.
"They wanted you killed."
Yuri looked at me.
"And they put Keifer on the list too."
Percy's expression changed.
"Because of the engagement?"
"Partly. They already had business rivalry with Keifer, and they blamed him for what happened between Yuri and me."
I paused.
"And eventually, the Hanamichi Family and Lucian joined forces."
Aries looked at Yuri.
"You didn't know?"
Yuri shook his head.
"No."
For the first time, Percy looked genuinely concerned.
"Yuri..."
Yuri gave him a small smile.
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not."
Yuri looked away.
I stepped closer.
"You're not dealing with this alone anymore."
Aries nodded.
"He's right."
Percy crossed his arms.
"Unfortunately, you're stuck with us now."
Yuri laughed quietly.
"Unfortunately?"
"Very unfortunately."
Everyone laughed.
And just like that...
something changed.
We weren't simply friends anymore.
We were a team.
The four of us.
Jay.
Aries.
Percy.
Yuri.
---
The Shadow League
Later, I took them to my Mafia base.
The moment the doors opened, Percy stopped walking.
"Okay..."
He looked around.
"This is much bigger than I expected."
Aries was equally stunned.
Yuri simply smiled.
"I told you."
They met my seven commanders.
My main inner circle.
The people who had stood beside me through everything.
Percy looked around.
"So these are the people who actually listen to my sister?"
One of the commanders raised an eyebrow.
"Unfortunately."
I laughed.
Percy placed a hand over his heart.
"I feel respected."
Aries shook his head.
"You shouldn't."
After the meeting, we returned to my private space.
Aries suddenly looked at me.
"Why don't Angelo and Keifer know?"
Percy nodded.
"And Tiger too."
I became quiet.
"They all know about the Mafia."
They looked at me.
"Angelo, Keifer, and Tiger are already part of the Shadow League."
Percy frowned.
"But they don't know you're the Queen?"
"No."
"Why?"
I sighed.
"Because I'm not ready for them to know."
I continued.
"They've all completed their responsibilities and proved their loyalty. But there's a certain level they have to reach before they learn who the Queen actually is."
Aries nodded slowly.
"So they're still unaware that you're the person above them."
"Exactly."
Percy thought for a moment.
"What about Keifer?"
I smiled faintly.
"He's already overwhelmed with his own business."
I shook my head.
"He's busy with Watson Enterprises, so I don't even give him specific Mafia missions right now."
"Because you don't want to add more pressure?"
"Exactly."
Aries nodded.
"And Angelo?"
"Same principle. He's protective by nature. If he discovered I'm the Queen, he'd probably try to interfere in everything."
Percy laughed.
"That sounds like Angelo."
"It is."
"And Tiger?"
"He's loyal. But he's not ready to know either."
I looked at all three of them.
"When they're promoted and reach the level where they're supposed to know..."
I paused.
"Then they'll learn."
Aries nodded.
"Until then, their Queen remains a secret."
I smiled.
"Exactly."
Yuri looked at me.
"You really carry a lot."
I shrugged.
"Someone has to."
---
The Next Day
The following morning, I entered Section E with Yuri.
Immediately, I noticed something.
Keifer was sitting in his own chair.
Not mine.
He was staring down at his phone.
Lost in thought.
I walked closer.
"Good morning."
He looked up.
"Good morning."
His voice was colder than usual.
Yuri noticed too.
I sat down.
Keifer went back to his phone.
Around us, Section E had already noticed.
Nobody said anything.
They had been suspicious ever since the attack on Fernandez Mansion.
They knew something was happening.
But they also knew Jay.
And they weren't going to force her to talk.
A few minutes later, Percy appeared at the door.
"I'm bored."
I stared at him.
"Why are you here?"
"Mariano Mansion is empty."
He dropped into a chair.
"Dad Jasper and Mom are in New York on a business trip."
He sighed dramatically.
"So I came here to suffer with you people."
Yuri laughed.
Percy glanced toward Keifer.
His smile disappeared for half a second.
He noticed.
Keifer was different.
Colder.
Quieter.
Percy looked at me.
I gave him a small glance.
We both understood.
Something was wrong.
---
After School
I sent a message to the group.
Jay: Fernandez Mansion. We need to talk.
A few hours later, Aries, Percy, and Yuri were sitting with me.
Percy crossed his arms.
"It's Keifer."
I nodded.
"I know."
Yuri sighed.
"He's been different since yesterday."
Aries nodded.
"He's hurt."
I looked down.
"I know."
I looked at all three of them.
"You all are his best friends."
They looked at me.
"You should talk to him."
Percy smiled.
"Then distract him."
"I do talk to him."
"Then we'll distract him."
I smiled.
"You have an idea."
Percy grinned.
"Obviously."
He picked up his phone.
"Yuri's been back for a week."
Yuri looked at him.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"Because you're the excuse."
"For what?"
"A celebration."
Aries sighed.
"I already regret this."
Percy started typing.
Percy: K-Y-A-P meetup. Café. No excuses.
A few seconds later, Keifer replied.
Keifer: Fine.
Percy smiled.
"Operation Cheer-Up-Keifer begins now."
I laughed.
But somewhere inside...
I still felt guilty.
Because I knew exactly why he was hurt.
And I knew the truth I was keeping from him.
One day, Keifer would know everything.
But not today.
Not yet.
---
Later
Jay stayed behind at Fernandez Mansion.
She had a business meeting for JJM Corporation.
She opened her laptop in her room and joined the meeting.
Hours passed.
Finally, the meeting ended.
Jay closed the laptop and leaned back.
"I'm exhausted."
She stood and decided to get coffee.
As she walked downstairs, she passed Angelo's room.
She suddenly heard his voice.
"I know we've been through a lot..."
Jay slowed down.
Then she heard him say,
"You should give our relationship another chance."
Jay smiled.
She quietly continued walking.
At least one thing in everyone's life seemed to be going right.
She reached the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee.
But even as she took the first sip...
her thoughts returned to Keifer.
She knew he was hurt.
She knew he was confused.
And she knew she was keeping something enormous from him.
But for now...
she could only hope he'd trust her long enough to let her tell him when the time was right.
________________________________________
The End
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