Ang Mutya ng Section E – Book 3: The Unwritten Destinies
Chapter 5: Words I Wasn't Allowed to Say
(Angelo's POV)
The night felt unusually quiet.
Too quiet.
I stood on the balcony of my house, my phone in my hand as I stared at Jay's number on the screen.
I shouldn't be doing this.
But I couldn't just stay silent anymore.
Not after everything that had happened.
Not after seeing what Keifer had become these past weeks.
The once fearless guy who used to laugh loudly with us now barely spoke. He kept everything inside. His eyes always looked tired, like someone who had already given up fighting.
And the worst part?
Jay still didn't know the truth.
Everything that happened between them… it was all Yuri's doing.
I clenched my jaw.
This had gone too far.
Someone had to tell her.
Even if it meant risking Yuri's wrath.
I finally pressed the call button.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Then the call connected.
"Hello?"
Jay's voice.
For a second, I almost forgot what I wanted to say.
She sounded the same.
Calm.
Soft.
But something in her tone felt distant… like she was speaking from another world.
"Jay," I said.
"Oh… Angelo."
There was a brief pause.
"How are you?"
I rubbed the back of my neck.
"I've been better."
She gave a small laugh on the other side.
"Same here."
Silence followed.
The kind that carried too many unsaid things.
I took a deep breath.
"Jay… there's something important I need to tell you."
My voice turned serious.
"This is about Keifer."
Another pause.
I could almost feel her hesitation through the phone.
"What about him?"
My heart pounded.
This was it.
The truth.
The thing that could change everything.
"Jay… what you think happened between you and Kei—"
Before I could finish my sentence, someone suddenly grabbed the phone from my hand.
"What the—"
I turned around instantly.
Keifer.
He was standing right behind me.
His expression was cold.
Colder than I had ever seen.
"Kei—"
He ignored me and put the phone to his ear.
"Jay."
My eyes widened slightly.
His voice had changed.
It was calm.
Too calm.
"Keifer…?"
Her voice sounded surprised.
There was a brief silence before he spoke again.
"Whatever Angelo was about to tell you… forget it."
I frowned.
"Keifer—"
He raised a hand, stopping me.
His eyes never left the ground.
"I'm not letting you get involved in this again, Jay."
Jay sounded confused.
"What are you talking about?"
Keifer exhaled slowly.
"You already made your decision."
Another silence.
Then Jay spoke quietly.
"I did."
Those two words felt heavy.
But Keifer didn't react.
Instead, he said something that made even me freeze.
"I would die for you."
Jay gasped softly.
But before she could respond, he continued.
"But I'm not letting you die in Yuri's hands."
My heart skipped.
He was getting too close to the truth.
"Keifer…" Jay whispered.
His grip on the phone tightened.
"Yuri is acting like this because he's your fiancé."
The word felt bitter coming from his mouth.
"So let him act."
I stared at him.
What was he doing?
Why was he protecting Yuri now?
Jay sounded shaken.
"What do you mean by that?"
Keifer closed his eyes briefly before answering.
"It means you should stay away from me."
My chest tightened.
He was lying again.
Sacrificing himself again.
"For your own safety."
Jay didn't speak for a long moment.
Then she whispered something so soft I barely heard it.
"…okay."
The call ended shortly after that.
Keifer slowly lowered the phone.
The silence between us was suffocating.
I finally snapped.
"What the hell was that, Keifer?!"
He handed my phone back calmly.
"You were about to get her killed."
My fists clenched.
"She deserves to know the truth!"
He looked at me.
And for the first time… I saw something terrifying in his eyes.
Acceptance.
"I already made my choice."
"What choice?!"
His voice turned quiet.
"If Yuri thinks Jay hates me… he won't touch her."
My anger faded slightly.
"You're letting her believe you used her."
"Yes."
"You're letting her walk away."
"Yes."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"You're destroying yourself for this."
Keifer looked toward the dark sky.
His next words were almost a whisper.
"I can live with that."
Then he added something that made my chest tighten.
"But I can't live if something happens to her."
For the first time in my life…
I realized Keifer had already accepted the worst fate possible.
Losing the person he loved.
Just to keep her alive.