(Jay's POV)
The front door clicked shut, and the heavy silence of our house wrapped around us. Only twenty-four hours ago, this house felt like a safe haven after our long flight from the Philippines.
Now, it felt like a cage. I did not even take off my jacket. I just dropped my bag on the floor and walked straight to the living room couch, collapsing onto it.
My mind was spinning. Every single word Professor Alejandro said in the classroom kept playing back in my head like a bad movie on loop.
How did he know about our school? How did he know about the cheap resort vodka? Why did he look at us like he wanted to destroy us?
"Jay, breathe," Keifer's deep voice broke through my thoughts.
He knelt down in front of the couch and gently pulled my hands away from my face. He looked calm, but I knew him too well. His eyes had that sharp, cold look he only got when he was in full billionaire mode.
He was already planning ten steps ahead, but right now, his main focus was me.
"He knows, Keifer. He knows everything," I whispered, my voice shaking. "What if that island really belonged to a family that disappeared? What if we are in huge trouble? What if someone comes after us?"
"Hey, look at me," Keifer commanded softly, cupping my cheeks with his warm hands. "No one is coming after us. I bought that island legally. Every piece of paper is clean. I do not care who this professor thinks he is, or who he is working for. I will not let anything happen to you. Do you hear me?"
I nodded, but my heart was still racing. The thoughts just would not stop. I started thinking about the stone fortress the professor mentioned. I thought about the year 1982.
I wondered if we were sleeping on top of dark secrets when we were on our luxury vacation.
Keifer stood up and unbuttoned my heavy coat, sliding it off my shoulders. "You are overthinking, Jay. Your brain is running too fast. I need you to sit right here. Do not think about the school, do not think about the professor, and do not think about the island. Let me take care of you."
He walked away toward the kitchen. I tried to do what he said, but the moment he left the room, the room felt too big and too scary. I curled into a ball on the couch, pulling my knees to my chest.
A few minutes later, Keifer came back carrying a large wooden tray. The scent of sweet vanilla and warm milk filled the air. He placed the tray on the coffee table. He had made hot chocolate with tiny white marshmallows floating on top, just the way I liked it.
Next to the mugs was a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies."Eat," he said, sitting down next to me and pulling me into his lap. "You skipped breakfast this morning because we were rushing. Your body needs food, and your mind needs comfort."
He picked up a cookie and held it to my lips. I took a small bite. It was warm and sweet, and for a second, the fear in my chest melted a little bit. Keifer held the mug for me while I drank the hot chocolate. He was being so gentle, completely different from the tough businessman he usually was with the rest of the world.
After we finished the treats, Keifer stood up again and grabbed my hand. "Come on. Next step."
He led me upstairs to our large bathroom. He had already turned on the water, and the room was filled with warm steam. The bathtub was full of bubbles, and he had dropped in some lavender oil that smelled amazing.
"Get in," he smiled softly. "I will be right here."I stepped into the warm water and let myself sink down until the bubbles reached my chin. Keifer sat on a small stool next to the tub. He picked up a cup and poured warm water over my hair, then began to gently massage shampoo into my scalp. His fingers moved in slow, soothing circles.
I closed my eyes and let out a long breath. Every time my mind tried to drift back to Professor Alejandro's scary face, the feeling of Keifer's hands reminded me that I was safe.
He dried me off with a big, fluffy towel and helped me change into my softest grey sweatpants and a giant sweatshirt that belonged to him. By the time we got into bed, the sun was starting to set.
Keifer pulled the heavy blankets over us and held me tight against his chest. One of his hands gently stroked my hair, while the other rubbed my back in slow lines.
"Better?" he asked into the darkness.
"Much better," I murmured, pressing my face into his neck. "Thank you for pampering me."
"Always," he whispered.
We lay there for hours. I felt so safe in his arms that the scary events of the morning began to fade away. We talked about random things—our old days at HVIS school, the funny things we Section E used to do , the chaos we created back then, and how much we loved each other.
We completely forgot about the rest of the world. We forgot about the mysterious professor. And, worst of all, we completely forgot about the five-page assignment the professor had told the class to do.
We just fell asleep, holding each other tight.The next morning, the alarm woke us up early. The panic from the day before was gone, replaced by a comfortable laziness.
We got dressed quickly, grabbed our keys, and jumped into Keifer's black SUV. The drive to London University was quiet and smooth.
I felt normal again. I thought we were just going to a regular class.We walked into the large lecture hall just as the bell rang. The room was packed with students, but it was completely silent.
The happy mood I had felt in the car vanished the moment I saw Professor Alejandro standing at the front of the room. He was wearing a dark suit, and his eyes looked cold and mean.
We took our usual seats near the back. I pulled out my notebook and a pen, trying to look normal.
The professor did not even say good morning. He stood behind his desk, crossed his arms, and scanned the room with a sharp gaze. His eyes stopped right on me. My stomach dropped.
"Miss or Mrs. Jay? Whatever you are..," his voice echoed loudly through the room. His Manila accent was thick and heavy. "Let us start with you today. Stand up."
I blinked, my heart instantly racing. I slowly stood up, my hands shaking against the wood of the desk.
"Bring me your five-page assignment on the historical island trade," he said, extending his hand.
My mind went completely blank. Assignment? What assignment?
Suddenly, a memory flashed in my head. Yesterday, right before he gave that scary speech, he had muttered something about a five-page paper due today. But because I had panicked and spent the whole night overthinking, and because Keifer had spent the night comforting me, neither of us had even opened a textbook.
I looked down at Keifer. His eyes were wide. He had just realized it too. We had completely forgotten it.
I looked back at the professor. My throat felt incredibly dry. All the students were turning around to look at me.
"I... I do not have it, Professor," I muttered, my voice barely a whisper. "I am so sorry. I forgot."
The moment the words left my mouth, Professor Alejandro's face turned bright red. The professional look on his face completely disappeared, replaced by pure, ugly rage.
"You forgot?" he screamed, slamming his hand down on the wooden desk. The loud bang made me jump back. "You forgot?! Who do you think you are? You come to this university, you think you can just do whatever you want because you have money? You lazy, stupid girl!"
The insults started flying out of his mouth like venom. He started cursing at me, using horrible words that no teacher should ever use. He was shouting so loud that his voice cracked.
"You are a disgrace to this university! You think you are special? You are nothing! You are just a spoiled, brainless brat who relies on others!" he roared, walking fast up the steps of the lecture hall toward my desk.
I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes. The whole class was dead silent. No one moved. I felt so small, so humiliated.
I just stood there, taking the abuse, completely frozen in fear. Next to me, I heard a low, dangerous sound. I looked down and saw Keifer. His face was pure stone. His veins were popping out on his neck, and his fists were clenched so tight that his knuckles were completely white. He looked ready to kill.
Professor Alejandro reached our row. He was out of his mind with anger. He stood right in front of my desk, leaning over it, his breath hot against my face.
"Look at me when I speak to you!" he yelled.I looked up, terrified. In a split second of absolute madness, the professor raised his right hand high into the air. He was flying into such a blind rage that he was actually about to slap me right across the face.
I shut my eyes tight and pulled my head back, waiting for the blow.
But the slap never came. "Ah!" a sharp cry of pain rang out instead.
I opened my eyes. A hand had stopped the professor's arm in mid-air. It was Keifer. He had grabbed the professor's wrist with a grip of pure steel.
Before the professor could even understand what was happening, Keifer stood up. He did not hesitate for a single second. With his other hand, Keifer swung his fist forward and landed a massive, straight punch right into Professor Alejandro's jaw.
CRACK.
The sound of the punch echoed through the entire hall. The professor stumbled backward, crashing into a row of chairs, his glasses flying off his face. The class gasped. Everyone stood up, moving away in fear.
Keifer did not stop. He stepped over the desks, his eyes burning with a fury I had never seen before. He grabbed the professor by the collar of his dark suit and lifted him up to his feet easily.
"How dare you?" Keifer roared, his voice shaking the walls. "How dare you speak to her like that? How dare you lift your hand to a girl?! She is my wife!!"
"Keifer, please!" I screamed, my voice cracking. I ran out from behind my desk, grabbing his arm. "Stop! Please stop!"
But Keifer was too angry to listen to me. He held the professor tightly by his jacket and began dragging him down the steps of the lecture hall toward the main doors.
The professor was dazed, trying to pull away, but Keifer was far too strong.
"Keifer, stop! You will get expelled! Let him go!" I screamed, running right behind them down the hallway.
We burst through the main doors of the university building and out into the bright morning sun. Keifer finally threw the professor onto the concrete path outside.
"Get out of this university and never come near her again," Keifer growled, breathing heavily.
Professor Alejandro lay on the ground, holding his bleeding lip. He looked up at Keifer, then at me. But instead of looking defeated, a strange, sharp look flashed in his eyes. He realized that everyone inside was still shocked and no one was watching us out here.
Taking full advantage of the chaotic situation, the professor suddenly scrambled to his feet. He turned around and started running as fast as he could toward the campus gates.
"Jay!" Keifer yelled, turning to me instantly. The rage in his eyes shifted into sharp focus. "We need to follow him. This is our chance. He is running because he is hiding something."
"What? Now?" I gasped, still crying from the shock.
"Yes, now! Come on!" Keifer grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
We ran across the campus parking lot to our black SUV. Keifer unlocked it, and we both jumped inside. He slammed his foot on the gas pedal, and the powerful engine roared to life. We sped out of the university gates just in time to see Professor Alejandro jump into a basic grey sedan and speed away down the main London street.
"Keep your eyes on him, Jay," Keifer said, his hands tight on the steering wheel. He was calm now, driving fast but carefully, keeping a safe distance so the professor would not notice us.
We followed the grey car through the busy streets of London for twenty minutes. The professor turned away from the bright, wealthy parts of the city and drove into a much older, poorer neighborhood.
The streets became narrow, and the buildings looked grey and broken. Suddenly, the grey car pulled over to the side of a dirty road.
The professor got out, looking around nervously. He did not see us because we were a few cars behind. He quickly walked into a dark, narrow alleyway between two tall, abandoned brick buildings.
Keifer drove past the alley and parked our black SUV a block away, hidden behind a large delivery truck.
"We need to be quiet," Keifer whispered, turning off the engine. "If he hears the car or sees us, he will run again."
"Keifer, I am scared," I whispered, holding his arm. "This place looks dangerous."
"I am right here, Jay. I will protect you. Let us find out what this guy is really up to."
We got out of the SUV and walked quietly down the pavement. We reached the mouth of the dark alleyway and slipped inside. The air was cold and smelled like old rain. At the end of the alley stood a large, abandoned house with boarded-up windows and a rusted iron door that was slightly open.
Keifer held my hand tightly, guiding me over the broken glass and rocks on the ground without making a sound. We crept up to the rusted door and slipped inside the house. It was dark and dusty.
From the next room, we heard a voice. It was Professor Alejandro.
Keifer pulled me behind a thick, broken concrete wall. We hid in the shadows, holding our breath, and listened.The professor was pacing back and forth on the dusty floor. He had his phone pressed to his ear.
"Yes, yes, the work is done," the professor said into the phone. His voice did not sound professional or cold anymore. It sounded sneaky and proud. He laughed a little bit. "I completely terrified them. I made them believe that they have done a very wrong thing to buy that island. The girl was crying. They think some scary heirs are coming to kill them for their wealth."
I gasped softly, but Keifer quickly put his hand over my mouth to keep me quiet. My heart stopped.
The professor continued talking, his tone mocking. "It is hilarious. That island does not even matter to the Philippine government. It is just a useless, empty piece of rock. Nobody cares about it. It was completely worthless until Keifer brought his billionaire money and bought it. Now the bosses want to scare them so they sell it back for higher amount. They have no idea it is a scam."
Hearing those words, a massive wave of relief washed over my entire body. I felt like I could finally breathe again. The scary stories about the vanishing family, the iron vaults, and the angry heirs hunting us down—it was all a big lie!
It was just a trick to scare us because Keifer had made the island valuable!
The professor laughed one last time. "Alright, I am hanging up now. I need to clean up my face. The kid actually punched me."
The sound of the call ending beeped through the quiet house.
"Now," Keifer whispered in my ear.
Before the professor could even pocket his phone, Keifer stepped out from behind the wall like a shadow. He didn't say a word. He moved so fast it was a blur. Keifer struck the professor hard, grabbing him and throwing him directly onto the dusty floor.
"What the—!" the professor yelled, but he didn't even get to finish his sentence. Keifer landed one more sharp blow to his chest, and the professor's head hit the ground. He groaned once, his eyes rolled back, and he was practically on the ground, completely unconscious.
The house went dead silent again.
Keifer stood over him, breathing heavily, but his face was completely calm now. He reached down and snatched the smartphone right out of the professor's limp hand. He tapped the screen and looked at the call history.
"The number is still here," Keifer said, showing me the screen. "I am going to send this to Edrix. We will track exactly who he called and find out who hired him."
"What do we do with him?" I asked, pointing at the unconscious man on the floor.
"We will call the police," Keifer said, pulling out his own phone. "Attempted assault on a student, fraud, and extortion. He is going to jail for a very long time."
I looked at Keifer, and for the first time in two days, I smiled. The nightmare was finally over, and it was all thanks to him.
Professor was finally handed to Police and I was finally happy. I was about to hug Keifer but I saw him ending a call and his face looked shocked.
He said," Jay , Edrix found who was behind it-"