KEIFER'S POV
It started with a call.
Not just any call—the kind that makes your entire body go still before your mind even catches up.
"Sir… I think I found something," Jeff's voice came through, low, cautious, like he knew exactly what he was about to set in motion.
I didn't sit down. I didn't breathe properly. "Talk."
"A confirmed sighting of Mr. Jashfer Mariano was found…in Seoul, South Korea."
For a second—everything inside me went silent.
Then my grip tightened around the phone. "Don't jump to conclusions," I said sharply, even though my pulse had already spiked. "I want confirmation. I want the exact information—not guesses."
"I'm on it."
The call ended and just like that—the storm started moving again.
I didn't waste a second. My fingers were already dialing before the line even settled.
"Edrix."
"Yeah?"
"Drop whatever you're doing," I said, my voice colder than it had been in weeks. "We might have her."
Silence.
Then—"How!???,Where?"
"Seoul."
Rory joined the call within seconds, his tone already alert. "Say that again."
"She's in Seoul," I repeated. "Or at least her family is. I want confirmation in the next few hours,work with Jeff..."
There was no hesitation after that.
"Give us access," Edrix said immediately. "We'll tear through every system if we have to."
"You already have it just fucking start...."
Hours passed—but it didn't feel like time.
It felt like pressure.
Rory and Edrix were buried in systems, tracking signals, cross-checking movements, breaking through layers that weren't meant to be touched. Jeff was on the ground, moving through Seoul like a ghost, following trails no one else could see.
And me?
I stood there.
Waiting.
For the first time in three months—hope felt dangerous.Then—My phone rang again.
Jeff.
I picked up instantly. "Talk."
"Sir,I found them."
Everything in me stilled.
"Say it again."
"I found them," he repeated. "The Mariano family—her grandfather, parents… Percy." A pause. "And her.I found Miss Jay..."
My chest tightened so hard it almost hurt.
"Where."
"It's a private hospital.SMF Group of hospitals..there's high security across every point of the building.There is no access to public records— I need Edrix and Rory to track the entry logs."
Before I could respond, another voice cut in—Edrix.
"Keifer," he said sharply, "I'm already in their their system."
"What did you find?"
A few seconds of typing.
Then—
"Jasper Jean Mariano~Special Case (Confidential patient file)"
My name for her echoed in my head like something sacred.
"It's a high end confidential patient file. It's totally locked—but it's her."
That was it.That was all I needed.
"I'm leaving for Seoul," I said, already moving. "Now."
Rory exhaled sharply. "We're coming with you and informing the rest of section e."
"No," I snapped immediately. "The more people, the bigger the risk. She already hates us—I'm not making it worse."
"Too late," Edrix muttered. "We're already packing right now,and leave a text for them when we reach there..."
I didn't argue again because right now—nothing mattered more than reaching her.
By the time we got to the airport, everything was ready.Private jet. No delays. No questions.
"Wipe our trail," I told them as we boarded.
Rory smirked slightly, already pulling out his laptop. "Already ahead of you."
"I have already changed our names in the flight records...," Edrix added. "We were never on this flight...."
Good.Because this time—
I wasn't losing her again.
As the jet took off, my gaze stayed fixed ahead, my jaw tight, my thoughts louder than anything else.
I'm coming, Jay Jay.
---
JAY'S POV
Freedom had never felt this fragile.
The moment I stepped out of the hospital after a month, the air felt different—lighter, softer, like I could finally breathe without something pressing against my chest.
"I swear if I see that room again, I'm suing someone," I muttered, adjusting my hoodie as Percy rolled his eyes beside me.
"You say that like you didn't threaten to escape three times," he shot back.
"I would've succeeded the fourth time," I said proudly.
"Yeah, sure. With what strength? You can barely open a water bottle."
I gasped. "Excuse you, that was ONE time."
"Three."
"Details."
He snorted softly, shaking his head, but his hand stayed close—like he was still making sure I didn't disappear.
I leaned back into the seat, watching Seoul pass by outside the window, the city finally feeling real instead of something I only saw through glass.
And then—
"Stop the car."
Percy blinked. "No."
"I haven't even said where—"
"You don't need to. The answer is still no."
I turned to him slowly. "You're actually unbelievable."
"No, I'm responsible."
"I want cake."
"You just got out of the hospital."
"And I survived. Celebrate that."
"Jay—"
"I want that cake," I cut in, pointing dramatically at the shop we passed. "The one I've been staring at for weeks like a deprived child."
He groaned. "Doctor said no junk."
"Doctor also said I need emotional stability," I shot back instantly. "This is emotional stability."
"That's not how it works!"
"It should be!"
We stared at each other.
Silence.
Then—
He sighed, defeated. "Fine,but only one slice you are still in the chemo and we are not taking risk at this point you have just started to recover."
I grinned. "Thankk youuu kuyaa Percyyyy...you really love me."
"I really don't."
"You do."
—
The shop was bright. Warm. Full of color.
For the first time in weeks—it felt normal.
We ordered, sat down, and when the cake arrived, I didn't even pretend to be patient.
"This—this is happiness," I said dramatically, taking the first bite.
Percy watched me like I was a ticking time bomb.
"Eat slowly."
"Don't ruin this for me."
"I'm serious—"
"I'm eating, not running a marathon."
He opened his mouth to argue—
But his phone rang.
He frowned slightly, glancing at the screen before answering. "Yeah?"
I didn't pay attention at first.
Until I saw his expression change.
Subtly.
But enough.
"Yes… okay," he said, his voice lower now. "We're heading back."
He hung up.
I narrowed my eyes. "What."
"Nothing," he said too quickly. "We need to go."
I blinked. "I literally just got my cake."
"There's an issue with your reports," he replied, already standing. "Doctor needs you back."
My brows furrowed. "He can wait."
"He said it's urgent."
"Everything is urgent with him."
"Jay—"
"No," I shook my head, taking another bite. "I'm finishing this."
And that's when he snapped.Not loudly.But enough.
"Jay, we need to go. Now."
Something in his tone made me pause.
But I still didn't move.
"Let me just finish—"
He grabbed my wrist.
Firm.
Not hurting—but not gentle either.
"Percy—what the hell?"
"Come on."
"Wait—"
I barely had time to react before he was already pulling me toward the door.
Annoyance flared instantly. "You're being ridiculous—"
The door opened.
And Percy stopped.
Completely.
I frowned. "What now—"
Then I looked up.
And everything inside me—
Dropped.
Because standing right there—Like something out of a memory I had tried so hard to bury—
Was him.
Mark. Keifer. Watson.
My breath caught.My heart stuttered.
And for a second—The world didn't exist.
Not the shop.Not Percy.Not the people around us.Just him.Standing there.
Looking at me—Like he had finally found something he had been searching for.
And suddenly—I couldn't breathe.
PERCY'S POV
The moment my phone rang, something in my chest tightened.Not because of the sound—but because of who it was.
Grandpa.
I stepped a little away from the table, still keeping Jay in my line of sight as she happily dug into the cake like the world hadn't been trying to break her for the past three months.
"Yeah?" I answered, my tone low.
There was no greeting on the other end.
"Percy," Grandpa's voice came, calm—but too calm. The kind that always meant something was already wrong. "Bring Jay back. Now."
My grip on the phone tightened instantly. "What happened?"
A pause.
Then—
"That Watson boy has entered Seoul."
Everything inside me went cold.
For a second, I didn't even process the noise around me anymore—the chatter, the clinking plates, Jay's soft complaints about how I wasn't letting her enjoy her food properly—it all blurred into nothing.
"When?" I asked quietly, already knowing I wasn't going to like the answer.
"An hour ago," Grandpa replied. "My people just confirmed it."
My jaw clenched.
Of course.
Of course he found her.
"He's not here for business," Grandpa continued, his tone dropping even lower. "He's tracking. And if he's here, it means he's already close."
I looked at Jay.
She was still sitting there, completely unaware, licking frosting off the spoon with that small, satisfied smile like this moment was the most normal thing in the world.
And for the first time in days—
She looked happy.
"Percy," Grandpa's voice cut through again, sharper now. "The doctor was clear. No stress. No emotional shock. If she sees him like this—"
"I know," I interrupted, my voice tight.
Because I did.
I knew exactly what it would do to her.
After everything she had barely managed to hold together—
This?
This would shatter her.
"Get her home," he said. "Immediately."
The call ended.
And I stood there for a second—
Frozen between two choices.
Truth… or protection.
I exhaled slowly, forcing my expression back into something neutral before turning around and walking back to the table.
Jay didn't even look up properly. "If you say we have to leave, I'm disowning you."
I almost smiled.
Almost.
"There's an issue with your reports," I said instead, keeping my tone steady. "Doctor went back and called us in. It's urgent."
She blinked, unimpressed. "He can wait."
"Jay—"
"No," she cut in, taking another bite. "I'm finishing this. I earned this cake."
God.Of all the moments.
My patience snapped—not out of anger, but out of fear.
"Jay," I said, firmer this time, "we need to go. Now."
She finally looked at me properly.
Confused.Suspicious.
"Why are you acting weird?" she asked slowly.
Because the past was walking toward us.Because the one person she wasn't ready to face was already too close.Because if I didn't move now—It would be too late.
"Come on," I said, grabbing her wrist—not harsh, but enough to make her stand.
"Percy—what the hell?"
"I'll explain later."
"You always say that!"
"And I will this time too," I muttered under my breath, already pulling her toward the exit.
Every second felt heavier.Every step slower than it should've been.My eyes were already scanning ahead—
And then—The door opened.
And I stopped.Not because I wanted to.Because I had to.Because standing right there—Like the worst possible timing this world could've chosen—Was him.
Mark. Keifer. Watson.
For a second, my mind went completely blank.Then everything hit at once.
My grip on Jay's wrist tightened instinctively as I stepped slightly in front of her, just enough to block—not completely, but enough to create distance.
My entire body went rigid.Of course he looked the same.Cold.Controlled.But his eyes?
His eyes weren't on me.They were on her.
Like he hadn't blinked in months.Like he had finally found something he wasn't willing to lose again.
And that?
That pissed me off more than anything.
"Move," I said, my voice low but edged with something dangerous as I stepped forward slightly, placing myself fully between them now.
My gaze locked onto his.Unyielding.
"You shouldn't be here."
Not a question.A warning.Because I could already feel it—
The shift in the air.The tension pulling tighter.
The past forcing its way back into the present and I wasn't about to let it touch her.
Not like this.Not when she was barely holding on.
Not when I had promised—That no one gets to break her again.
Not even him....