Kiefer (POV)
I thought after learning the truth, Angelo would kill me.
But I never expected this.
I never expected him to trust me this much.
Because when I first took Jay—
The very first person who figured it out was Angelo.
He saw through me immediately.
Of course he did.
He was the one who raised me.
And even now, I could still remember how terrifying he was when I was younger.
If he were still the same Angelo from back then—
I would've already been dead.
I lowered my head silently.
Because for the first time since all of this started…
I truly felt like I had made a selfish decision.
My body was already numb from the pain.
From his punches.
From the way he slammed me against the wall.
From the pressure around my wrist after trying to catch myself earlier.
But honestly—
None of that hurt as much as hearing the disappointment in his voice.
"And now," Angelo continued, his voice rough with emotion, "you put me in a position where I can't even decide whether I should hate you for hiding my sister… or be grateful that she's alive."
I couldn't even meet his eyes anymore.
Because he trusted me.
Like family.
And I betrayed that trust completely.
So instead—
I looked down at the blood on the floor and spoke quietly.
"You can hate me."
I closed my eyes briefly.
Because deep down…
I knew exactly when I crossed the line.
Not when I hid her.
Not when I lied.
But when I realised there was no more threat.
I had already cleared the elders.
Destroyed every danger around her.
It only took me three months.
Three.
I should've brought her back after that.
I knew it.
But I couldn't.
How could I?
Those months were the only time I truly had her.
No missions.
No Section E.
No people surrounding her every second.
Just us.
And the moment I brought her back—
I knew she would slowly return to everyone else again.
Her family.
Her brothers.
Her people.
So I told myself…
A little longer.
Just a little longer.
Angelo suddenly let out a hollow laugh.
The sound pulled me out of my thoughts immediately.
I slowly lifted my head and looked at him
"You think I don't?" he asked coldly.
I stayed silent.
But my mind didn't.
Because the worst part was—
He wasn't wrong.
Every word he said was true.
Because deep down—
I knew I deserved it.
Every bit of his anger.
Every punch.
Every hateful word.
He trusted me enough to leave Jay around me.
Trusted me enough to believe I would protect her.
And I did protect her.
But I also took her away from them.
But that was the moment I crossed the line.
Because no matter how much I convinced myself I did it to protect Jay—
There was still one ugly truth I couldn't escape
The moment I realised—
I didn't want to bring her back.
That was the truth I could never say out loud.
Because once I had Jay beside me—
Breathing.
Sleeping next to me.
Laughing again.
Looking at me like I was her home—
I became greedy.
Selfish.
I wanted more time.
One more day.
Then another.
And another.
Months passed.
I knew it was wrong.
But every time I imagined bringing her back—
I imagined losing her again, too.
And I couldn't survive that twice.
"I don't want you in my sister's life anymore."
"Not when I can't trust you enough anymore," Angelo continued.
"Not when I can't handle another betrayal from you."
That sentence made my body go numb for a second.
Not because of the pain.
But because of what he was trying to take away from me.
Jay.
The thought alone felt suffocating.
I didn't want that.
I couldn't accept that.
"Kuya—"
"I trusted you like family," Angelo snapped. "And you hid her from me."
I stayed silent.
Because one thought kept repeating over and over again.
She's mine.
And I'm not leaving her.
Before I could say anything—
Jay suddenly stepped in front of me.
Her eyes were already red and swollen from crying too much.
"Kuya… I know you love me," Jay whispered shakily. "And I trusted everyone, too."
Angelo's eyes immediately moved toward her.
"You believe me, right?" she asked desperately. "Can't you just overlook this one thing? I know I made a mistake, but please… don't say something you'll regret."
She was begging for me.
For my sake.
And somehow—
The next words that came out of her mouth actually amused me.
"In this room, everyone knows what Kiefer is," Jay said softly. "What can he do for me."
She looked back at me for a second.
Like she truly understood exactly who I was.
Exactly what I was capable of.
And for some reason—
That made something warm spread through my chest.
My wife was defending me against her own family.
Saying nobody could look down on me.
Honestly…
I knew this was the worst possible moment to think like this.
The room felt seconds away from exploding again.
But I still couldn't stop the small satisfaction rising inside me.
"You think he can't fight back against you?" she whispered. "He's standing there taking everything because he knows he was wrong."
A faint smile almost appeared on my face.
Hmm.
My wife really did know me too well.
And she was making sure nobody mistook my silence for weakness.
What a cute wife I have.
"But I don't regret being with him," she admitted honestly. "Even if my life was at stake."
Yeah.
If this were any other situation—
I would've recorded that.
Then replayed it every single time Jay claimed she hated me later.
"So don't do this, Kuya," she begged softly. "Don't ask me to choose sides… when you already know I can't."
That sentence immediately erased every amused thought in my head.
Because suddenly—
I felt like absolute shit.
I was so focused on keeping her beside me…
I forgot what position I forced her into.
Now she was standing between the man she loved—
And the family she would die for.
Because of me.
I wanted to stop her.
Pull her away from all this.
Hold her before she cries any harder.
I reached for her hand—
But before I could touch her—
"Jay," Angelo said coldly, "go upstairs."
Jay froze instantly.
"You're staying here from now on," he continued.
"And that's final."
My eyes darkened immediately.
Why would she stay here?
Then Angelo looked at me coldly.
"You jerk," he said darkly. "Get out before I kill you."
I forced myself to stay calm.
Because when it came to losing Jay—
I knew I wouldn't stay sane.
I slowly wiped the blood from my lips before speaking.
"Why would I?"
Jay looked at me like she couldn't believe I was still standing after Angelo's punches.
But my eyes never left him.
"She's my wife," I said coldly.
Then I stepped forward slightly despite the pain shooting through my body.
"And I have every right to stay beside her."
"You think I'll let you?" Angelo shot back instantly.
My eyes darkened further.
The kind that warned everyone in the room, I was done holding back.
"Try me," I said quietly, stepping closer.
The room went deadly silent.
"You might've forgotten," I continued coldly, "but I'm a Watson."
A dangerous smirk slowly appeared on my face.
"And I can become a living beast when it comes to my wife."
Within seconds—
Angelo grabbed my collar harshly and glared at me.
"Then did you forget whose blood runs in me?" Angelo whispered darkly.
I could only smile slightly.
Because when we were kids—
Everyone used to say I looked more like Angelo's real brother than Aries did.
And in the end…
Turns out we really did share the same blood.
"Then what's stopping you?" I asked quietly.
"Kiefer, stop," Cole warned sharply.
But my eyes never left Angelo's.
And neither did his.
The tension between us felt violent enough to tear the entire room apart.
Then suddenly—
Something felt wrong.
My chest tightened sharply.
Like, some instinct inside me was screaming that something bad was happening.
A warning.
My eyes shifted away from Angelo for the first time.
Then Mia suddenly screamed—
"IT'S BLOOD!"
Everything stopped.
I looked toward Jay instantly.
And my entire body went cold.
She was barely standing.
Blood stained the floor beneath her.
My mind went blank for a second.
"...Kiefer…"
Her voice sounded weak.
Fragile.
She tried reaching toward me—
And my hand immediately loosened from Angelo's grip.
"JAY!"
The shout tore out of my throat violently.
Jay's knees suddenly gave out.
I ran toward her instantly.
And before her body could hit the floor—
I caught her in my arms.
One hand cradled the back of her head protectively while the other wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her against my chest instinctively.
Like I was terrified she would disappear if I loosened my grip even a little.
But the force of her falling still dragged both of us down hard onto the floor together.
"Jay—!"
My voice cracked this time.
Her face had already gone pale.
Too pale. then i holder her face and said..
"Jay— Jay, look at me."
My hands were shaking.
Actually shaking.
"Kie… Kiefer…" she whispered weakly.
"I'm here," I said immediately, pulling her closer carefully. "I'm not going anywhere."
But the second my eyes dropped—
I saw the blood still falling onto the floor from her stomach.
And my mind completely spiralled.
"It hurts…" Jay whispered while weakly touching her stomach.
My chest felt like it was being crushed alive.
"Nothing's going to happen to you," I said quickly.
But even while saying it—
I knew.
I made a mistake.
A huge one.
I should've stopped this earlier.
I should've known better.
Jay was already anxious before we even entered this mansion.
And then I let this turn into a war right in front of her.
Shouting.
Fighting.
Threats.
Stress.
Too much stress.
I knew how sensitive she was when it came to emotional pressure.
So why the hell did I keep provoking Angelo?
Why did I keep talking back?
My breathing became uneven.
Then suddenly—
Someone tried to reach for Jay.
Before I could even think—
My hand instantly snapped around their wrist.
"Don't touch her."
My voice came out darker than I intended.
Dangerous.
"I can take care of my wife."
I pulled Jay closer against my chest protectively, lowering my head toward hers instinctively like I was trying to shield her from the entire world.
My mind was barely functioning anymore.
All I could see was blood.
Too much blood.
"YURI!" I shouted violently.
Within seconds, Yuri rushed toward me.
"Kiefer—"
"Start the car," I cut him off immediately. "Jay needs to go to the hospital."
My voice cracked slightly on the last word.
And that terrified me more than anything.
Because I never lost control like this.
Never.
I carefully lifted Jay into my arms.
She winced weakly from the pain, and it nearly destroyed me.
"I'm sorry," I whispered unconsciously while carrying her out of the mansion quickly.
Nobody stopped me this time.
Nobody argued.
The entire family looked frozen in shock.
Cassian was already outside with the car ready.
For once—
I didn't care about fighting him.
Didn't care about pride.
Didn't care about anything except Jay breathing in my arms.
I got into the back seat immediately with her still against my chest.
Then I adjusted her carefully, making sure she stayed warm before tightly holding her hand.
Her fingers felt cold.
Too cold.
"It's okay, Jay," I whispered shakily while brushing her hair away from her face. "I'm here."
I pressed my forehead lightly against hers.
"I'll take care of you."
But even while saying those words—
Fear was slowly destroying me inside.
Because for the first time in years…
I truly felt helpless.
And all I could think was—
Please.
Not her.
Not the baby, too.
"Kie… Kiefer…" Jay whispered weakly against my chest.
"I'm here," I answered immediately, tightening my grip around her hand.
Her breathing trembled painfully.
Then she looked at me weakly.
"If something happens to—"
"Nothing is going to happen," I cut her off instantly.
My voice came out harsher than I intended.
"It's blood, Jay… just blood."
But my hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold her properly.
"I'm not losing you," I whispered desperately. "And I'm not losing our baby either."
Jay stared at me quietly for a second.
Then her fingers weakly tightened around mine.
"Kiefer… let me finish."
My chest tightened painfully.
"If something happens to me…" she whispered weakly, "don't blame yourself."
"No."
"And don't drown yourself in me," she continued softly while tears filled her eyes. "You need to look after your brothers, too."
My throat burned instantly.
"And don't blame my brothers," she whispered shakily. "They just love me."
That sentence nearly broke me completely.
Because even now—
Even while bleeding in my arms—
She was still worrying about everyone else.
"Jay," I said, my voice cracking badly now, "don't talk like that."
Tears were already falling down my face, no matter how hard I tried to hold them back.
"Nothing is going to happen to you," I whispered desperately.
I pressed my forehead against hers carefully.
"And I promise you…"
My voice broke completely.
"We're going to live happily. You, me, and our baby."
Cassian was driving dangerously fast through the streets.
But every second still felt too slow.
"Can't you drive faster?!" I shouted suddenly.
"Damn it, I'm trying! I just don't know the route!" Cassian shouted back immediately.
"Then use the damn GPS!" I snapped.
"I'm trying, asshole!" he shouted back.
The car fell silent again after that.
Except for Jay's weak breathing.
And the sound of my own heart slowly breaking apart in fear.
Then suddenly—
I felt her body growing heavier against me.
My eyes immediately dropped toward her—
And my entire chest tightened in terror.
She was falling asleep.
No.
I couldn't let that happen.
Not now.
Not like this.
"Jay… don't do that," I whispered quickly while holding her face carefully.
Her eyes were barely open anymore.
"I can't, Kiefer…" she murmured weakly against my chest. "I'm sleepy…"
Fear hit me so hard I could barely breathe.
"No," I said immediately, shaking my head. "No, no… stay awake for me."
No.
No, no, no.
"JASPER JEAN!" I shouted sharply.
A small hum left her lips.
"Hm…"
"Don't close your damn eyes right now," I said desperately.
She smiled faintly.
Actually smiled at me.
Then her eyes slowly started closing.
Panic exploded inside me instantly.
"Jay—"
I rubbed her hands and feet frantically, trying to warm her body.
She felt too cold.
Way too cold.
"Jay....Jay, stay with me," I whispered shakily while gently tapping her cheek.
"Look at me."
Her head weakly fell against my chest again.
And I swear—
I stopped breathing for a second.
"We're here!" Cassian shouted suddenly as the car screeched to a stop in front of the hospital entrance.
Before the car fully stopped—
I already opened the door.
Then I carried Jay into my arms and ran inside.
"Doctor! Doctor!" I shouted, bursting through the hospital doors with her in my arms.
Everything after that became chaos.
Nurses immediately rushed toward us.
"She's losing too much blood!"
"Get a stretcher!"
"Call the gynaecologist now!"
"Prepare the emergency room!"
Their voices echoed around me, overlapping so fast I could barely process anything.
But none of it mattered.
Because all I could see was Jay.
Her pale face.
The blood staining my hands.
The way her head rested weakly against my chest was like she didn't even have the strength to hold herself up anymore.
"Sir, you need to let go so we can treat her," one of the nurses said urgently.
But I couldn't let her go.
My arms tightened around her instinctively.
I couldn't.
Because it felt like the second I let her go—
Something terrible would happen.
"Kiefer."
Cassian grabbed my shoulder firmly.
I turned slightly and saw him standing behind me.
His expression was tense.
But his voice stayed steady.
"They need to help her."
My breathing became uneven.
Every instinct inside me screamed not to let go of her.
But Jay was trembling in my arms.
And the blood—
There was too much blood.
Then finally—
I carefully placed Jay onto the stretcher.
Her hand weakly slipped from mine.
And somehow—
That terrified me more than all the blood.
The stretcher was about to move—
Suddenly, Jay grabbed my hand tightly again.
"Kiefer…" she whispered fearfully.
Tears slowly slipped from the corners of her eyes.
"Stay."
That sentence shattered something inside me instantly.
I immediately walked beside the stretcher and held her hand tightly.
"I'm not leaving you," I said quickly.
My voice was shaking badly now.
I leaned down and kissed her forehead gently despite my trembling.
"I'm right here, Jay."
Then I slowly brought her hand toward my face and held it there tightly.
Like I needed her touch to breathe.
Her fingers were cold against my skin.
And that terrified me even more.
The doctors and nurses quickly rushed her toward the ICU while I walked beside her desperately, refusing to let go until the very last second.
I followed immediately without thinking—
But the moment we reached the doors, a doctor suddenly stopped in front of me.
"Sir, you can't enter here."
"What?" I snapped instantly.
The stretcher kept moving farther away from me.
"But she needs me!" I shouted.
My voice echoed through the hallway loudly enough to make several nurses freeze.
The doctor looked startled for a second.
"My wife needs me more than anything right now," I said desperately.
I could hear my own voice shaking.
"Please—"
"But you can't enter the ICU right now," the doctor repeated firmly.
Before I could force my way inside—
Cassian suddenly grabbed me tightly from behind.
"Kiefer," he said sharply.
I tried pulling away immediately.
"Let go of me!"
But Cassian held me harder and gave the doctor a look.
Within seconds—
The ICU doors closed.
Right in front of me.
And the moment they did—
My knees finally gave out.
I collapsed onto the floor.
Completely helpless.
The nurses quickly surrounded me, asking questions I could barely hear.
Then suddenly—
One of them pushed a waiver into my hands.
"Sir, you need to sign this immediately."
My fingers were shaking so badly the paper nearly slipped from my hand.
I signed it anyway.
I didn't even read what was written on it.
Because all I could think about—
Was Jay.
The hospital corridor slowly started filling with people.
Section E.
My brothers.
Her family.
Everyone arrived one after another.
But the entire world around me sounded distant.
Muffled.
I just sat there against the cold wall—
Covered in Jay's blood.
Waiting.
Waiting for the ICU doors to open.
Waiting for her to call my name again.
Then suddenly—
The doors opened.
Every person in the hallway stood instantly.
A doctor walked toward us quickly.
Her expression alone made my chest tighten violently.
"Sir…" she started carefully. "Her condition is critical."
My heartbeat stopped.
"She already lost a dangerous amount of blood," the doctor continued. "And her body temperature is rising from severe stress."
The hallway became completely silent.
"She also suffered a panic attack during the bleeding."
Every word felt like another knife being pushed into my chest.
Then the doctor looked directly at me.
"And right now…" the doctor said quietly, "she may go into premature labour."
The hallway instantly became silent.
"But she's already in critical condition," the doctor continued carefully. "It will be very difficult for her body to survive that kind of pain."
Every word felt unreal.
Cold.
Distant.
"And even if the baby is delivered…" she whispered, "there's no guarantee the baby will survive either."
My mind went completely blank.
No.
For a second—
I genuinely stopped understanding anything around me.
Because all I could hear was—
Neither of them might survive.
The words echoed violently inside my head.
Jay.
The baby.
Gone.
No.
No, no, no.
That couldn't happen.
Not to her.
Not after everything she survived already.
My breathing became uneven again.
Like my lungs forgot how to work.
The doctor lowered her eyes slightly before speaking one final time.
"So… you need to prepare yourself for the worst."
I genuinely couldn't hear anything anymore.
It felt like the entire world went silent around me.
Like someone had ripped the air out of my lungs.
"So…" she asked quietly, "what do you want us to do?"
My eyes slowly dropped toward the papers in her hands.
Those papers decided everything.
Jay.
The baby.
Life.
Death.
I couldn't respond.
I genuinely couldn't.
Because suddenly—
I couldn't breathe.
"Kiefer."
Someone was calling me.
"Kiefer!"
But their voices sounded far away.
Like I was drowning underwater.
How was I supposed to answer that?
How was I supposed to choose between them?
Then suddenly—
A fist slammed hard into my face.
The impact snapped my head sideways instantly.
And finally—
My senses came back.
When I looked up—
Angelo was gripping my collar tightly.
His eyes were red.
Not with anger anymore.
With fear.
"You're her guardian now," he said harshly.
His voice was shaking.
"You said you'd protect her."
My chest tightened violently.
"Now get my sister back," Angelo shouted brokenly. "And sign that damn paper!"
My hands started trembling again.
Because how could I choose?
But the cruellest part was—
There was a chance neither of them would survive anyway.
Neither.
The word alone felt like a knife twisting inside my chest.
My fingers trembled violently.
Because how was I supposed to answer that?
How was I supposed to choose—
When there was a possibility I could lose both of them, no matter what I signed?
"How can I…?" I whispered weakly.
My voice completely broke.
"How can I sign that…"
My hands trembled violently while staring at the paper in front of me.
"When it doesn't even change anything?"
The hallway stayed completely silent.
Because everyone understood what I meant.
This wasn't a choice anymore.
Not really.
Not when the doctors themselves couldn't promise either of them would survive.
Not when both of them were already slipping away.
"How am I supposed to choose…" I whispered shakily, "When signing this, still might not save either of them?"
My breathing became uneven again.
"It's not a decision anymore," I said hollowly.
"It's just waiting to see who I lose first."
Everyone stay silent
"Kiefer… do something," Percy said desperately.
I slowly looked around.
Everyone was staring at me.
Waiting.
Desperate.
Terrified.
And somehow—
That made everything feel even heavier.
My breathing became ragged.
No.
No, no, no.
I couldn't think like this.
Jay was still inside.
Fighting.
I suddenly slapped both my cheeks hard with my hands.
The sound echoed sharply through the hallway.
Then I forced myself to stand up despite my shaking legs.
The doctor immediately stepped toward me again.
"Sir, we need your decision now—"
"I won't sign it."