Kiefer (POV)
A week before…
The day after I collapsed, I woke up to the sound of quiet voices filling the room.
The moment I opened my eyes—
I froze slightly.
The entire room was packed.
Cole, Clyden, Cassian, Aries, Percy, Jare, Angelo, and Yuri were all there.
Some stood near the window.
Some leaned silently against the wall.
All of them looked exhausted.
Worried.
Annoyed.
"You're awake, asshole," Angelo muttered while holding a container of takeout food in one hand.
I let out a quiet breath before trying to sit up.
Pain immediately shot through my body.
"Easy," Percy warned quickly.
Before I could move again, Percy and Yuri stepped forward and helped me sit up properly against the bed.
The tension thickened instantly
I rubbed my forehead slowly.
"So…" I muttered hoarsely. "What's going on?"
Clyden stared at me like I had completely lost my mind.
"Shouldn't we be asking you that?"
I frowned weakly.
"What?"
Clyden looked seconds away from throwing something at me.
"About the gunshot?" he snapped. "And the car accident?"
The room instantly turned serious again.
"Who were they?" he demanded.
I looked away quietly.
Because honestly—
I still didn't fully know.
The memories were messy.
Fragments of blood, broken glass, screaming tires, and gunfire flashing through my head all at once.
Then suddenly—
Cole spoke coldly from the side.
"Did you really become friends with him?"
Everyone's attention shifted immediately.
Cole pointed directly toward Cassian, who was leaning silently against the wall with his arms crossed.
"After everything?" Cole finished sharply.
Cassian didn't react.
Didn't even move.
"After he tried to take Jay away from you," Cole finished.
My jaw tightened slightly.
"No," I answered honestly. "I still don't trust him however he helped me."
Cassian stayed quiet in the corner of the room.
Didn't interrupt.
Didn't defend himself.
"But you know Jay," I continued tiredly. "If you tell her no, she becomes even more stubborn."
A few of them sighed because they knew I wasn't wrong.
"And once she decides something…" I muttered. "She'll do whatever she wants anyway."
That earned a small laugh from Percy.
Even Angelo shook his head.
"Yeah," he muttered.
But the mood didn't stay light for long.
Angelo's expression hardened again as he stepped closer to my bed.
"That's not the point right now."
His voice became serious.
"I want to know who tried to kill you."
The entire room fell silent again.
"And more importantly…" Angelo continued quietly, "Why the hell didn't you tell us until now?"
I exhaled slowly and leaned back against the bed.
"Because I was confused too," I admitted tiredly. "I already cleared out every enemy without mercy."
No one spoke.
"I made sure nobody was left who could touch Jay."
The atmosphere in the room became heavier.
Then Percy suddenly frowned.
"Someone knew Jay was alive before we did," he said carefully.
Everyone immediately looked at him.
My expression darkened.
"Did you tell anyone?" Percy asked.
Before I could answer, Aries stepped forward.
His voice was cold.
"Kiefer, don't hide things now."
His eyes locked onto mine sharply.
"If something happens to Jay…" he said quietly, "I'll kill you myself."
I didn't react.
Because honestly—
I'd probably deserve it.
My eyes shifted toward Cassian.
He had been listening silently the entire time without interrupting once.
"Why are you so quiet?" I asked him. "Didn't you give me the file about the people who shot at me?"
The second I said that—
Cole's head snapped toward him.
"So you do know something," Cole said sharply while looking between us.
I ignored him for a second before looking toward Yuri.
"I think it's the Hanamichi family," I said quietly.
"No."
Yuri answered immediately.
Everyone turned toward him.
Jare frowned. "Why?"
"Because the Hanamichi family is already struggling right now," Yuri explained calmly. "They wouldn't dare interfere with the Watsons anymore."
Silence filled the room again.
Then finally, Cassian spoke.
"The people who tried to kill Kiefer are already dead," he said coldly.
Everyone looked at him instantly.
"I tried tracing their profiles afterward," he continued, "but everything disappeared."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"They were professionals."
The room became tense again.
"People who would do anything for money."
My jaw tightened.
"I thought someone from the Hanamichi family hired them secretly," Cassian finished quietly.
The room fell into another uneasy silence.
My eyes slowly shifted toward Yuri.
"Yuri," I called calmly. "Are you hiding something from us?"
For a brief second—
His expression changed.
So slightly that most people probably wouldn't notice.
But I did.
"Nothing," Yuri answered. "It's just a personal matter."
His tone stayed calm.
Controlled.
"I can handle it myself."
I stared at him quietly.
Yuri always had too much pride to rely on anyone.
Even us.
"Yuri," I said, softer this time, "you can tell me anything."
For a second, his eyes met mine.
Then he nodded once.
But he still said nothing.
A few moments later, he turned and walked out of the room.
The door closed quietly behind him.
And somehow—
That silence felt heavier than shouting.
"You think he knows something?" Jare asked while staring toward the door.
"He definitely does," Aries said immediately.
His arms crossed tightly over his chest.
"He's trying to handle it alone," Aries continued. "But he knows something about the Hanamichi family."
"And now it's our job to find out what," Percy added seriously.
My headache worsened instantly.
Too many problems.
Too many enemies.
And not enough answers.
Then suddenly—
I noticed Angelo and Cole exchange a glance.
A bad one.
My eyes narrowed immediately.
"You know something, don't you?" I asked coldly.
The entire room turned toward them.
For a moment, neither of them answered.
Then finally, Cole sighed heavily.
"The current head of the Hanamichi family is dead," he revealed quietly.
The room instantly froze.
"He was killed by the yakuza family."
My expression darkened immediately.
"What?"
Cole leaned back against the wall.
"So now the only person the Hanamichi family can rely on is Yuri."
Everyone went silent.
Then Angelo continued grimly.
"But Yuri made peace by marrying into the Sakura Ryū family."
Even Cassian's expression shifted slightly after hearing that.
"But if the yakuza family is aiming for his head now…" Angelo muttered darkly. "Then Yuri is already standing in the middle of a war".
The implication settled heavily in the room.
My jaw tightened.
"I seriously hate that clan," I muttered irritably. "What's so great about it anyway?"
Cole looked at me seriously.
"Kiefer… It's not just a clan."
His voice became quieter.
"For the Hanamichi family…"
Cole paused briefly.
"Pride is more important than life itself."
"That's what the Hanamichi family teaches their heirs," Angelo said quietly.
His eyes stayed fixed on the floor.
"And I think Yuri doesn't want to drag anyone else into this."
The room fell silent again.
Because deep down—
We all knew that sounded exactly like Yuri.
Then Jare frowned.
"But if all of this is true… then the Hanamichi family barely has any power left now."
His brows tightened.
"So who the hell still wants Kiefer dead?"
Cassian answered almost immediately.
"They probably want to restore their influence."
Everyone looked at him.
"The easiest way to regain fear and authority…" he continued calmly, "…is by killing someone powerful."
His eyes shifted toward me.
"Someone like Kiefer."
My jaw tightened slightly.
"But they can't do it alone," I said immediately.
"No," Cassian agreed quietly. "Which means someone else is helping them."
That sentence alone made the room colder.
Because if another family was involved—
Then this wasn't revenge anymore.
It was a setup.
Then Cassian suddenly looked at me again.
"Do you think you or Jay have any enemies holding a grudge?"
I let out a dry laugh.
Honestly—
That question was almost ridiculous.
"I don't even remember everyone I fought anymore."
No one in the room laughed.
Because they all knew I wasn't joking.
Then suddenly, Angelo spoke.
"Is any Watson still alive in the main family?"
The room became quiet again.
Clyden leaned back slightly before answering.
"I think the main three heirs are here."
His voice stayed calm.
"The first elder grandson died a long time ago."
His eyes shifted briefly toward Angelo.
And that single glance immediately caught my attention.
Because Angelo…
Was the first illegitimate grandson of the Watson family and his last bloodline.
The true first heir.
But nobody knew that.
Not even me—
Until I found my mother's letter.
Cassian continued quietly.
"Clyden became the current first elder grandson."
Then he pointed toward himself slightly.
"I'm the third elder grandson."
His gaze moved toward me.
"And Kiefer is the sixth elder grandson."
The room immediately frowned in confusion.
"What about the second, fourth, and fifth heirs?" Angelo asked.
Cassian's expression darkened slightly.
"The second and fourth families died in accidents."
Something about the way he said "accidents" made the entire room uneasy.
"And the fifth elder never had children," he finished quietly.
Silence followed immediately after.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Because suddenly—
The Watson family no longer sounded powerful.
It sounded cursed.
"No."
Clyden suddenly spoke.
"The third elder great-grandson is still alive."
My head snapped toward him instantly.
"What do you mean?" I asked sharply.
Clyden crossed his arms before answering.
"The second elder family died in a car accident," he explained quietly. "But the wife was already pregnant at the time."
The room immediately stilled.
"And the child survived?"
"He was five years old now," Clyden continued.
A strange feeling settled in my chest instantly.
Because surviving something like that—
Inside the Watson family—
Wasn't luck.
It was fate.
Then Angelo narrowed his eyes.
"Do you know who became his guardian?"
"His mother's side took him away," Clyden answered.
His expression remained serious.
"But he's still a threat," Clyden said quietly. "Because someone could use him."
The room stayed silent as he continued.
"They could become his legal guardian… and gain ownership over the Watson empire through him."
A dangerous tension immediately filled the room.
Then Angelo shook his head.
"But that's highly unlikely."
Everyone looked toward him.
"Because if Kiefer dies," he explained calmly, "ownership transfers to the next heir."
His finger pointed toward Clyden.
"You."
Then his gaze shifted toward Cassian.
"And you."
The room quieted again.
Because both of them were still alive.
Still connected to the Watson bloodline whether they liked it or not.
But Clyden immediately frowned.
"But we already cut ties with the Watson family."
His voice sounded irritated.
Like even hearing the family name annoyed him now.
Cassian stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"Blood ties don't disappear just because you walk away."
That sentence alone made the atmosphere heavier again.
"So where is that kid now?" Cole asked seriously.
The second those words left his mouth—
Something inside me snapped.
"Do you want me to kill that kid?" I shouted angrily.
Everyone froze.
The atmosphere instantly turned suffocating.
"Kiefer," Cole said sharply.
His voice carried a warning this time.
"We're discussing possibilities about who's trying to hurt you."
His eyes hardened.
"Not planning to kill someone," Cole said firmly, his gaze steady. "I mean… we do if it comes to that, however—"
I clenched my jaw tightly.
"I may be a cold-blooded killer," I said sharply, "but I'm not heartless enough to kill a kid."
The room went silent immediately.
Then Cole spoke again, quieter this time.
"And I have kids too."
That single sentence hit harder than yelling ever could.
Because suddenly—
This wasn't about enemies anymore.
It was about children being dragged into a war they never asked for.
"Here are the possibilities," Angelo said seriously.
He started counting on his fingers.
"The Hanamichi family."
"The yakuza."
"And someone from the Watson family itself."
The room stayed completely silent as he continued.
"Because if the Hanamichi family lost their power…" Angelo muttered, "They might try gaining influence through the Watsons or someone else."
That honestly sounded possible.
Too possible.
Then suddenly, Cassian spoke again.
"Jay doesn't have any enemies?"
Everyone immediately turned toward him with confused expressions.
Cassian frowned slightly.
"I mean…" he clarified calmly, "the way Jay fights—"
A few people instantly understood what he meant.
"And with her personality," he continued, "I wouldn't be surprised if someone held a grudge against her too."
I rubbed my forehead tiredly.
Because honestly—
That was also true.
Jay had a habit of charging into problems headfirst without caring who stood in front of her.
"She probably does have enemies," Angelo admitted. "But nobody around her should have enough power to touch the Watson family."
Then Angelo leaned back slightly, his expression tightening again.
"I really hate the Watson's," he muttered bitterly.
The room slowly quieted.
"Everything is repeating…"
The room went quieter at that.
Because five years ago wasn't just history.
It was a scar none of us had fully healed from.
I clenched my fists slightly.
"But this time," I said firmly, my voice low but steady, "I won't lose Jay."
The words came out before I could even think twice.
Not as a promise.
But as a line, I had already decided I would never allow to be crossed again.
And for a moment—
I noticed Percy and Jare suddenly looking at each other strangely.
Whispering.
Trying way too hard to act normal.
Unfortunately for them—
Cole noticed immediately.
His eyes narrowed.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing, kuya. Nothing at all," Jare answered way too quickly.
Beside him, Percy looked like he was fighting for his life, not to panic.
"Kuya…" Percy started nervously.
Jare instantly glared at him to shut up.
That only made the situation more suspicious.
"Tell me," Angelo said slowly. "What did you idiots do?"
The two of them exchanged another guilty look.
Then finally—
Jare coughed awkwardly.
"You know those car races in New York…?"
The room instantly went silent.
"What?" Cole asked flatly.
Before Jare could answer, Percy immediately pointed at Clyden.
"It's all Clyden kuya's fault!"
Clyden looked personally offended immediately.
"What did I do?" he argued. "I just told her to learn something new, so she would stop asking about that guy she kept dreaming about."
I frowned instantly.
"What?"
Everyone suddenly went quiet.
"Dream guy?" I repeated slowly.
The second those words left my mouth—
Angelo panicked.
"That is NOT important right now, Kiefer!"
Now it definitely sounded important.
Then suddenly—
Clyden's expression shifted as realization finally hit him.
His eyes widened slowly.
"…Wait."
He looked between Percy and Jare in disbelief.
"…You two made her join illegal street racing?"
The room instantly exploded again.
"IT WAS ONLY ONE TIME!" Percy defended himself immediately.
"THAT'S NOT HELPING YOUR CASE!" Clyden shouted back.
The room exploded instantly.
"WHAT??What did you just say?" Cole said dangerously.
"Illegal racing?"
Jare, Percy, and even Clyden immediately avoided eye contact.
That alone was enough to confirm everything.
"PERCY," Cole said quietly.
Which was somehow scarier than yelling.
But Percy immediately defended himself.
"Kuya, listen first! Because of that, she even saved Clyden kuya once!" he argued quickly. "Do you know how insanely good she is at driving?!"
Cole looked one second away from strangling all three of them.
"I left her with you so you could keep an eye on her," he said sharply.
His jaw tightened.
"Not drag her deeper into this madness."
Cole dragged a hand through his hair in frustration before glaring at the three of them again.
"Did you hide anything else from me?"
Percy immediately raised both hands defensively.
"Just small fights," Percy said quickly. "You know, Jay. She always jumps into fights if she sees trouble."
Jare nodded beside him.
"Nothing serious, kuya. If something happened, Jare and I handled it."
Then Percy suddenly pointed toward Cassian.
"You know the night the Watson attack happened?" Percy said. "She literally picked a fight even that night."
The entire room immediately looked toward Cassian.
Cassian simply nodded once.
Which somehow confirmed everything without needing another word.
Cole dragged a hand down his face in frustration before pointing directly at Jare, Percy, and Clyden.
"You three spoil her too much."
None of them even denied it.
"I just wanted her to enjoy life a little," Clyden muttered defensively.
That immediately made Angelo snap.
"You call illegal racing enjoying life?" he shouted.
The room instantly went silent again.
"Picking fights? Throwing herself into danger?" Angelo continued angrily. "After everything she went through in the past?"
Clyden's expression tightened slightly.
Because that part—
None of them could argue against.
Jay's past wasn't something simple.
It left scars on her no matter how brightly she smiled now.
But then Percy spoke quietly.
"She smiles more now."
That single sentence softened the room for a moment.
Percy looked down at his hands before continuing.
"She laughs more too."
Even Angelo stopped talking.
Because deep down—
They all noticed it too.
But honestly—
I wasn't surprised at all that Jay picked fights or joined street racing.
That sounded exactly like her.
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
Everyone immediately turned toward me.
"Why are you laughing?" Angelo asked suspiciously.
I shook my head slightly, still smiling.
"I mean… how could she not get into trouble?"
A few of them immediately sighed in defeat.
Because they already knew where this was going.
"We're talking about Jay," I continued. "My wife attracts problems like a magnet."
"She probably saw illegal racing and thought it looked fun," I muttered.
Percy instantly pointed at me dramatically.
"EXACTLY!"
Cole looked ready to disown everyone in the room.
But I couldn't stop laughing quietly.
Because somehow—
Just imagining Jay standing in the middle of illegal street racers while arguing with someone sounded painfully believable.
"She probably picked a fight before the race even started," I added.
"Kiefer," Angelo said flatly. "It's not funny."
I raised my hands slightly in surrender.
"Okay, okay."
But honestly—
It was still hard not to imagine it.
Cole rubbed his forehead tiredly before finally speaking.
"So for now, we protect Jay."
Everyone immediately became serious again.
"And we investigate every possible lead."
No one argued.
Because at that point—
That was the only thing we could do.
Then after that day…
Everything became searching.
We started digging into the Hanamichi family, the yakuza networks, every hidden connection we could trace.
Every name.
Every transaction.
Every erased file.
Every whisper buried inside old records.
And what we found only made things worse.
Yuri's mother had disappeared.
No ransom.
No witnesses.
No trace.
Just… gone.
And Yuri himself—
He completely shut us out afterward.
Every time we tried asking questions, he gave the same answer.
"I can handle it."
Nothing else.
No explanations.
No trust.
Just silence.
And somehow—
That silence felt more dangerous than any enemy we had found so far.
No explanations.
No trust.
Just the distance growing between him and all of us.
Then came another thread.
Sato Rusuka—the man who once held a deep grudge against the Hanamichi clan.
He should've been a major threat.
That changed everything.
Because suddenly, the pattern became clear.
The only real force keeping pressure on the Hanamichi side…
Was Yuri himself.
And yet—
No one had attacked for an entire week.
No ambush.
No assassins.
No movement at all.
That silence wasn't peace.
It was waiting.
Like something was watching from behind a closed door…
Waiting for the exact moment to strike.
The day Jay went out with C-In, things actually felt calm for once.
Too calm.
I stepped outside afterward when Yuri asked to talk.
The cold air hit my face immediately.
Yuri stood near the railing silently, hands inside his pockets.
He looked exhausted.
More than usual.
"What is it, Yuri?" I asked.
He didn't answer.
Not even a glance.
I frowned slightly.
"Are you really not going to tell me anything?" I muttered. "I'm your best friend."
That finally made him speak.
"I killed Sato Rusuka last night."
My entire body stiffened instantly.
"What?"
Yuri finally looked at me then.
His eyes looked empty.
"He tried to kill Sakura."
The way he said her name told me everything immediately.
Not anger.
Not revenge.
Fear.
Real fear.
"What did you expect me to do?" he asked quietly. "Let my wife die?"
I stayed silent.
Because honestly—
I would've done the exact same thing.
Yuri looked away again toward the dark sky.
"And I'm going back to Japan."
My brows furrowed immediately.
"What?"
"I can't stay here anymore," Yuri said tiredly. "Not while this is happening."
His voice lowered slightly.
"I need to find my mother."
For the first time in years—
Yuri sounded like someone carrying a burden too heavy to hold alone.
Then he looked at me quietly.
"Just take care of Sakura for me," he muttered. "I can't leave her alone."
The way he said it—
Like he was already preparing for the worst—
Made something in my chest tighten.
I nodded once.
"I will."
Yuri stayed silent for a second before walking away slowly into the darkness.
And somehow—
Watching his back disappear felt wrong.
Like this conversation was leading toward something neither of us could stop.
Meanwhile, inside the house, Jay was laughing loudly with Section E like nothing dangerous existed in the world.
That girl really knew how to hide fear with chaos.
I spotted C-In nearby and immediately called him over before dragging him away from the others.
He looked annoyed instantly.
"Where did you go earlier?" I asked.
"Why do I need to report everything to you?" C-In muttered back.
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
This idiot really got brave after getting Jay backing him up.
A few months ago, he would never dare answer me like that.
Honestly—
Jay spoiled everyone around her too much.
But right now, I needed to handle this carefully.
Without Jay finding out.
Because the second she realized I was interrogating people behind her back—
She would absolutely start another fight with me.
So instead, I kept my expression calm.
His expression changed immediately.
Got him.
"You know Kiegen mentioned that new PS game," I said casually. "I thought you'd like it."
The brat instantly became suspiciously quieter.
Which meant the bait worked.
"We went to Blaster's house," C-In admitted.
My brows furrowed.
"To meet Kiegen's ex-girlfriend."
Something about that instantly bothered me.
"What did they talk about?" I asked carefully.
C-In shrugged.
"Don't know."
Then he frowned slightly.
"But the girl cried after talking to Jay."
That immediately caught my attention.
"Now where's the video game?" he asked suspiciously.
"I'll send it to you later," I answered.
C-In immediately narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Promise?"
I nodded once.
That was enough.
The idiot instantly brightened before walking back inside while giggling to himself.
Honestly—
Bribing him with video games was way easier than expected.
I watched him disappear inside the house before my expression slowly faded again.
Because no matter how normal things looked—
Something still felt wrong.
on night—
I noticed Jay and Kiegen talking quietly together across the bonfire
I saw Jay and Kiegen talking quietly together.
At first, it looked normal.
But then I noticed their expressions slowly changing.
The atmosphere between them shifted.
And suddenly—
Something felt very wrong.
Even from a distance, I could tell their conversation wasn't normal anymore.
They were still laughing.
Still smiling.
But the smiles never reached their eyes.
It looked forced.
Like both of them were trying to pretend nothing was wrong.
I stayed with Section E, acting like I wasn't paying attention.
But honestly—
My eyes never left Jay for even a second.
Then suddenly—
Her expression changed.
Not anger.
Not sadness.
Something else.
Something that made my chest tighten instantly.
I immediately walked toward them, wanting to interrupt before things got worse.
But before I reached them, Kiegen quietly left with Kiran.
Leaving only Jay standing there.
The second I got closer, she looked up at me.
And then she asked softly—
"Kiefer… didn't I remember everything?"
My entire body went still.
For a second—
I forgot how to breathe.
Because that question dragged me straight back into the worst memory of my life.
Before I killed that monster she called a father…
Jay had been attacked.
After losing her memories.
And then—
She disappeared for an entire day.
Nobody knew where she went.
Nobody knew what happened.
And when we finally found her—
She was covered in blood.
Her neck bruised with marks like someone had choked her.
I still remembered how cold my body felt seeing her like that.
How violently I wanted to destroy whoever touched her.
But even after all these years—
Jay never remembered what happened that day.
At least…
That's what I kept telling myself.
So I lied.
Again.
"Yes," I answered quietly. "You already remembered everything."
For a second, she just stared at me silently.
Then slowly—
She smiled.
And together, we walked back toward the party like nothing was wrong.