✨ Kiefer (POV)
She whispered my name…
And then—
She collapsed.
"Jay—"
For half a second, I froze.
Then I saw her.
Clearly.
Her shirt—unbuttoned.
Scratches across her face.
Faint bruises on her skin.
Something inside me—
Snapped.
Silently.
Slowly…
I turned.
My eyes locked on Ram.
"You…why did you dragged her??"
He smiled.
Mocking.
Like, none of this mattered.
"Did your friends come with you?" he asked casually.
I stepped forward.
One step at a time.
Heavy.
Controlled.
Deadly.
"You touched her," I said.
Not a question.
A statement.
His smile widened.
"She doesn't even remember you," he said. "And yet… she said your name first."
My hand clenched.
That was enough.
I moved.
My fist slammed into his face—
Hard enough to send him crashing to the ground.
"You fucking asshole!"
I grabbed his collar and dragged him up—
He threw a weak punch.
I didn't even feel it.
"How dare you touch my wife?" I growled.
My fists came down—
Again.
And again.
And again.
Blood covered his face.
He was weaker.
I could feel it.
So I didn't stop.
I hit every weak point.
Every injury.
Every place that would break him faster.
"She's mine," I said, my voice low and dangerous.
"No one lays a finger on her."
A knife flashed—
I caught his wrist.
Twisted.
Kicked his stomach hard enough to knock the air out of him.
Then—
I ended it.
Punch.
Kick.
Again.
Until—
He stopped moving.
Barely breathing.
Unconscious.
Near death.
Silence.
My chest rose and fell heavily.
But I didn't look at him again.
He didn't matter.
Only she did.
I walked back to Jay.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like she might break.
I fixed her shirt.
Buttoned it properly.
My hands… steadier now.
I cupped her face gently.
"Jay… I'm here," I whispered. "Look at me."
No response.
My chest tightened.
I reached into my pocket.
The mask.
The same one from the island.
If she sees me…
Will she remember?
Or will it hurt her more?
I hesitated.
Then—
I put it on.
Hiding my face.
Hiding myself.
✨ Jay-Jay (POV)
My eyes slowly opened.
Everything felt heavy.
My head hurts.
My body ached.
The first thing I saw—
Blood.
Everywhere.
The man from before…
Lying on the ground.
Broken.
Unmoving.
My breath caught.
Then—
A hand gently held my face.
Tilting it upward.
"Look at me," he said softly. "Look into my eyes."
I blinked.
Trying to focus.
He looked… rough.
Dust-covered.
Scarred.
But his presence—
Felt familiar.
"Do you remember anything?" he asked.
His voice was calm.
Careful.
I nodded slowly.
"He kidnapped me," I whispered. "He said something about revenge…"
My head throbbed.
Fragments.
Voices.
"I heard something… in my head…"
I frowned.
Trying to hold onto it.
"I remembered someone…"
My voice faltered.
"…what was his name again?"
Silence.
I looked at him.
His eyes—
Dimmed.
Pain.
Deep.
Unhidden.
"So…" he said quietly,
"You don't remember."
And for some reason—
That hurt—and I didn't even know why my heart felt like it was breaking.
"Who are you?" I whispered.
"Why are you hiding your face? Did you come here to save me?"
"You still talk too much," he said.
Before I could react—
He kissed me.
My eyes widened.
"What the hell?! " I snapped, struggling. "Why did you kiss me?! I don't even know you!"
"Because you talk too much," he said Simply.
"Gago! That's not a reason—I don't even know you!"
Silence.
Then—
He kissed me again.
Slower.
Deeper.
And this time—
I froze.
Not because I wanted to. But because something inside me—
Paused.
Recognized.
"You still curse a lot," he murmured.
My heartbeat raced.
My lips tingled.
Why does this feel… familiar? I turned my face away, breathing unevenly.
"Did you miss my lips?" he teased softly.
I swallowed.
"Do I… know you?" "I asked quieter now.
A pause.
"More than you know," he said.
"You just don't remember me." My chest tightened.
He leaned closer— But stopped just before touching me. Like he was holding himself back.
"I waited," he said under his breath.
"I waited so long to be near you again… and I still can't touch you the way I used to." His voice cracked.
"It's killing me."
"What are you talking about…?" I whispered.
He let out a faint, humorless laugh. "I would've apologized for everything," he said. "I would've given up everything… just so you could remember me."
A pause."If there's one thing you should know…" his voice softened,"I never regretted being with you."
"Not then. Not now. Not ever." Tears slipped down my face before I could stop them.
Why does it feel like I'm falling for someone I don't even remember…?Was that… a confession?
He tilted his head slightly. "You still don't remember…"
Then, quieter— "But you still feel me, don't you?" I swallowed hard.
"Untie me," I said quickly.
"Let me see your face."
"You'll fall the second you do," he replied.
I scoffed.
"Fall for you? Who do you think you are?"
A faint smile touched his voice.
"I'm handsome," he said. "And I'm your type."
"What audacity," I snapped."In your dreams, asshole. You're insane."
"Maybe." A pause.
"Maybe I'm just crazy for you."
My breathing slowed.
Something in my chest hurt.
"I don't even know you…" I whispered. "Why are you doing this?"
A pause.
Then—
"Yeah," he said softly. "That's exactly what hurts the most."
Silence stretched.
Heavy.
Then— Warmth touched my cheek. A tear.
His. "I miss this," he said quietly.
"Kissing you,teasing you without you pushing me away…"
My throat tightened.
"It's my turn now," he whispered."To wait for you."
Something inside me cracked.
"Why am I feeling like I knew you...? Who are you really?" I asked.
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then—
"Me?"
A pause.
"Your husband."
Everything stopped.
My breath.
My thoughts.
My world.
"I don't remember marrying anyone…" I whispered.
But this time—
I wasn't sure.
It didn't sound certain.
He didn't argue.
Didn't push.
He just stood there. Like he had already lost me once. And was afraid to lose me again. Slowly— He reached up. Brushed away a tear from my cheek. His fingers were trembling.
"I won't hurt you," he said softly.
"Even if I want to hold you… I won't force you."
That line—
It broke something inside me.
Because it didn't feel like a stranger.
It felt like someone who knew me.
Someone who loved me.
Then—
He kissed my forehead.
Soft.
Gentle.
Like it meant something.
"I need to go now… take care of yourself," he said quietly.
"Remember… you're mine."
Before I could even react—
He walked away.
Just like that.
But something inside me—
Didn't move on.
It stayed.
Stuck.
Heavy.
No—
Not wrong.
Not fear.
Something else.
Something I couldn't explain.
He wasn't asking.
He wasn't hoping.
He was declaring.
Like it was already decided.
Like I already belonged to him.
And the worst part?
…I didn't hate it.
My fingers slowly curled against my palm.
My chest felt tight.
Too tight.
The way he looked at me—
Like I was everything.
Like losing me once had already destroyed him.
Who is he…?
He came here… saved me…
Held me as I mattered.
Kissed me like he remembered something I couldn't.
Why does it feel like…
Is he right?
"Jay."
The voice broke everything.
Clyden.
Standing there.
Real.
Solid.
Safe.
This time—
I didn't hesitate.
I looked at him like he was the only thing keeping me grounded.
His eyes dropped to the man on the floor—
And something dark snapped inside them.
He walked forward—
And kicked him.
Hard.
"Bastard…"
Again.
And again.
Like he couldn't stop.
Like he wouldn't stop.
"Kuya… stop…" My voice came out weak, shaking.
"You'll kill him…"
When he heard My voice
He froze.
Turned to me instantly.
Everything in his face changed.
"Are you okay?"
He rushed to me.
Untied my hands.
His fingers were careful—
Too careful.
Like I might break.
He helped me stand.
And the moment I was steady—
He pulled me into his arms.
"You've been so brave…" he whispered.
"You're safe now… Your kuya is here."
That was it.
That was the moment.
Everything I was holding—
Collapsed.
My hands clutched his shirt tightly.
My body shook.
"I…" My voice broke completely.
I couldn't even breathe properly.
The tears didn't stop.
They wouldn't stop.
I wasn't crying softly.
I wasn't holding back.
I was breaking.
Right there.
In his arms.
And then—
I saw them.
Jare.
Angelo.
Percy.
Aries.
All of them.
Standing there.
Watching me.
Watching everything, I just became.
"I'll take Jay."
Clyden's voice cut through the air.
Cold.
Sharp.
Final.
"I trusted you to protect her," he said, staring at Angelo.
"And you couldn't even keep her safe."
Angelo's jaw tightened.
"Why would you take her?" he snapped.
Before anything could settle—
Cole stepped forward.
"She's our sister," he said firmly.
"She's staying with us."
Something inside me—
Didn't just snap.
It shattered.
"Why?"
My voice trembled.
But it came out loud.
Too loud.
It echoed.
"Why are all of you deciding for me?!"
I pulled away slightly.
Looking at each of them.
My vision blurred with tears.
"I'm not something you can pass around," I said.
"I'm alive."
Silence.
But this time—
I didn't hold back.
"You all lied to me!"
My hands shook as I pointed at them.
"You said I grew up with love—WHERE WAS IT?!"
My voice cracked so hard it hurt.
"My mom doesn't come near me… she doesn't hug me… she barely talks to me!"
My breathing became uneven.
Sharp.
Painful.
"My dad?"
A hollow laugh escaped.
"I don't even know what it feels like to have one."
"Every time I ask something…"
My voice dropped.
"You avoid it."
"Even in that house…"
"I feel like I don't belong there."
Not a guest.
Not family.
Just…
there.
"You feed me," I said quietly.
"But you don't talk to me."
"I sit at that table…"
My voice trembled again.
"…and it feels like I'm eating alone—even when you're all there."
"I'm not glass."
"I won't break."
"I'm already breaking."
"I start every conversation…"
"I try…"
"I try so hard…"
My voice cracked again.
"But I still end up feeling alone."
Silence pressed in.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
"At least…"
I swallowed hard.
"When I was with Clyden…"
"I didn't feel invisible."
"He talked to me."
"He stayed."
"He looked at me like I mattered."
Then my expression hardened.
"And now you're fighting over me?"
"Like I'm something you can own?"
"I don't even know what's wrong with me…"
My hand pressed against my head.
My fingers are trembling.
"It hurts…"
"I hear voices…"
Fragments flashed—
Laughter.
A memory I couldn't hold.
A feeling I couldn't name.
"But none of them…"
I looked at all of them—
One by one—
"…feel like they belong to you."
"Jay, it's for you—" Cole started.
I laughed.
Broken.
Sharp.
"Does lying on my face make me happy?!"
"You had an accident—" Jare said.
"No."
My voice cut through him instantly.
"No… don't hide behind that."
"If you really care about me—"
My voice shook.
"Tell me the truth."
"We're protecting you—" Angelo said.
I smiled.
But it hurt.
"You're not protecting me."
"You're hiding me."
"You're controlling me."
"You're deciding my life for me—without me."
"I texted you."
"For past fucking three days."
"I waited."
"I told myself you were busy."
"I told myself I was overthinking."
"But I knew."
My voice dropped.
"I knew you were lying."
"And still…"
"I stayed quiet."
"I was waiting for you."
"You think I don't notice?"
"You think I don't see the way you avoid me?"
"I don't know my past."
"You don't tell me."
"When I ask, you look away."
"Then someone kidnaps me…"
"For a revenge I don't even understand?"
My voice broke again.
"How am I supposed to protect myself…"
"If I don't even know who I am?"
I looked at them.
Tears falling without stopping.
"Look at your phones."
"I called."
"I texted."
"No one answered."
"But now…"
"You all want to take me?"
"I don't want your protection…"
"If I can't even reach you."
My voice dropped.
Barely a whisper.
"I just need someone…"
A pause.
A breath that hurt.
"…to stay."
"I have six brothers…"
My lips trembled.
"…but when I feel alone…"
My voice broke completely.
"I can't reach even one of you."
"Then what's the use…?"
Silence.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
I took a shaky breath.
My chest felt like it was collapsing.
"I'm trying to be happy…"
Tears fell faster.
"But why…"
My voice cracked—
so soft this time—
"…does it feel like I'm the only one trying?"
Silence.
Heavy.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
They just looked at me—
like they were seeing me for the first time.
Not the girl they were protecting.
But the girl they were hurting.
Then—
Clyden stepped forward.
Slow.
Careful.
Like, I might break if he moved too fast.
"Jay…" His voice was low—different.
Not commanding.
Not cold.
Just… human.
"We're not hiding things from you because we don't trust you," he said, gently holding my face.
"We're hiding them because we're terrified of losing you again."
His thumb brushed my cheek—
Wiping away tears, I didn't even notice falling.
"And yeah…" he exhaled softly.
"We failed you."
That hit harder than anything.
"We didn't think about your feelings," he continued. "Because we don't even know how to show ours."
A pause.
Raw.
Honest.
"We were never taught how to love properly."
My chest tightened.
Because for the first time—
It didn't sound like an excuse.
It sounded like the truth.
"Just give us time," Cole added, stepping closer. His voice was steady—but softer than before.
"We will tell you everything."
"You do have people who love you, Jay."
Jare ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself.
"Look at us," he said.
"If we didn't care… would we be here right now?"
"Would we run the second you disappeared?"
His jaw tightened.
"We're just… bad at this."
"At showing it."
"At saying it."
Aries let out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck.
"We got you back once," he said quietly.
"And now… we're scared of losing you again."
"That's why we're careful."
"Too careful."
Angelo stepped forward last.
His eyes met mine.
Steady.
Serious.
"If it made you feel controlled…" he said.
"If it made you feel alone…"
He paused.
"I'm sorry."
Not defensive.
Not proud.
Just… sorry.
The silence that followed—
was different now.
Not cold.
Not distant.
But fragile.
Like something was finally… opening.
Then Cole spoke again.
Softer.
"Will you give us a chance?"
I looked at them.
Really looked at them.
Not as people hiding things from me.
But as people who didn't know how to hold me without breaking something.
"You already had chances…" I said quietly.
Their faces fell slightly—
But I didn't stop.
"…but I'll give you another one."
A breath.
Slow.
Unsteady.
"But promise me something."
They all straightened.
Listening.
"Ask me."
My voice was firm now.
"Tell me things."
"Even if it hurts."
"Even if it's messy."
A pause.
"Let me decide what I can handle."
"I don't want to be protected from my own life."
"I want to be part of it."
Silence—
then one by one—
They nodded.
"We'll try," Cole said.
Not perfect.
Not confident.
But real.
Then—
"So… come with us to New York," he added.
My brows furrowed slightly.
"You can't stay here," he continued. "Not when enemies are watching you."
"Not when you can't even live freely."
A softer look crossed his face.
"Dad wants to see you."
"And… Mom's waiting too."
That word—
Mom—
did something to my chest.
"If you come with us…" he said,
"You can start over."
A new beginning.
Jare stepped closer, a small smile forming.
"Come home with me, Jay."
"I want you there."
"With us."
I didn't answer immediately.
My eyes shifted—
to Clyden.
Then Aries.
Both are silent.
Both are watching.
Clyden finally spoke.
"Wherever you go…" he said quietly.
"You can always come back to me."
His gaze hardened slightly as he glanced at the others.
"No one can stop you."
Aries nodded after a second.
"If it keeps you safe… I agree."
Then, softer—
"But when everything settles…"
"You come back."
Not a command.
Not pressure.
Just… a place waiting.
"Then what about Tita?" Angelo asked, glancing between them.
"I already talked to her," Cole replied calmly.
"She agreed to transfer Jay's custody to me."
My breath caught slightly at that.
He continued, softer now—
"Jay-Jay already finished her exams last semester. I spoke with her school… she's cleared to graduate."
A small pause.
Like he was choosing his next words carefully.
"She can continue her studies in New York."
His eyes met mine.
"Start fresh… properly this time."
I stood there—
in the middle of all of them.
For the first time—
not being pulled.
Not being controlled.
But being… asked.
My chest still hurts.
My heart still felt heavy.
But something else was there now—
Something small.
Fragile.
But real.
A choice.
And maybe…
just maybe—
A place to belong.
I nodded slowly.
"I'll come…" I said, my voice quiet but steady.
"But I want to meet Clyden… Aries… Angelo… whenever I want."
Not asking.
Declaring.
Cole didn't argue.
He just nodded.
We started walking out.
Step by step.
But my mind—
Wasn't here.
It was stuck back there.
With him.
The boy who saved me.
The boy who looked at me like I was everything.
The boy who called himself—
My husband.
My chest tightened.
I wanted to ask.
Needed to.
But…
Who do I even ask?
My eyes moved across all of them—
Jare.
Angelo.
Cole.
Aries.
Clyden.
Then—
They stopped at Percy.
He was watching me quietly.
Like he already knew something was coming.
I walked toward him.
Slowly.
"Percy Kuya…" I whispered.
He leaned slightly closer.
"Hm? Tell me, baby sis," he said just as softly.
I hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then—
"Do I… have a husband?" I whispered.
"What the hell?!" Jare's voice almost exploded.
I immediately hit his arm.
"Lower your voice!" I snapped.
"I'm just asking."
The tension shifted instantly.
Percy's expression changed—
Not shocked.
Not confused.
Something else.
Something he hid quickly.
"You're still a minor, Jay," Jare said calmly.
"You can't even legally marry yet."
I held his gaze for a moment.
Searching.
But he didn't give anything away.
I nodded slowly.
"Oh… I was just kidding," I said.
I even forced a small smile.
But inside—
Nothing felt like a joke.
My thoughts drifted again.
Back to him.
Then why…?
Why did he call himself my husband?
Why did it feel so real?
Why did my heart react—
like it recognize him?
His eyes—
The way they softened when he looked at me…
Like I mattered.
Like I was his.
Why did he speak as he loved me…
Not casually.
Not playfully.
But like he mean every word?
Will I see him again?
My fingers tightened slightly at my side.
Because deep down—
Without understanding why—
I felt it.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
✨ Percy (POV)
"Do I… have a husband?"
Her voice was soft.
Too soft.
But it hit harder than anything else today.
For a second—
I forgot how to breathe.
I looked at her.
At Jay.
Now standing in front of me, asking a question she should never have to ask.
About him.
…Kiefer.
That idiot.
He actually told her?
Even after we warned him—
Don't call her your wife.
My jaw tightened.
Not because I was angry.
But because I knew the truth.
Yeah.
You do.
And he would burn the world for you.
For a moment—
I didn't know what to say.
Didn't know how to say it.
Because one word—
One wrong word—
Could bring everything crashing down again.
Luckily—
Jare stepped in.
Answered for me.
Lied for me.
For all of us.
I looked ahead.
Didn't turn back.
But I could feel it.
The silence.
The tension.
Everyone heard her.
Everyone understood what she was really asking.
And we all knew the same thing—
We can't keep hiding this forever.
Because she loved him.
She chose him.
Even when everything was against them.
And that idiot…
He loved her more than his own life.
My chest felt heavy.
Because the real question wasn't what she asked.
It was about what comes next.
When she remembers him—
Will it bring her peace?
Or—
Will it take away that small smile she just started to have again?
I clenched my fists slightly.
Because this time—
We're not just protecting her life.
We're protecting her heart.
And I don't know—
If we can save both.