Chapter: The Boy Who Ran – Jay's POV
The next day felt strangely calm.
Too calm.
After Yuri's visit, I expected something dramatic to explode immediately. A business call. A confrontation. A fight.
Instead, the house moved quietly.
Kuya Angelo was in his office room again.
Aries was downstairs arguing with someone on the phone about football.
And I was sitting in the living room, staring at nothing, trying not to overthink.
That's when the doorbell rang.
Once.
Twice.
Impatient.
Aries groaned. "Who even comes this early?"
He walked toward the door casually.
I didn't pay attention at first.
Until I heard his voice change.
"Hey— wait— what the hell happened to you?"
My heart skipped.
I stood up immediately.
When I reached the doorway, I froze.
Ci N was standing there.
But not the usual loud, smiling, mischievous Ci N.
His hair was messy.
His lip was slightly cut.
There was a faint bruise forming near his cheekbone.
And his eyes…
His eyes looked scared.
"Jay…" he said softly when he saw me.
Something inside me shattered.
I rushed forward without thinking.
"What happened?" I asked, holding his face gently. "Who did this?"
He looked down.
"I ran away."
The words didn't register immediately.
"What?"
"I escaped from home," he said, voice trembling now. "Kuya was… he was angry again."
My stomach dropped.
His elder brother.
The one who always controlled him.
The one I never trusted.
"He hit you?" Aries asked, his tone already rising.
Ci N flinched slightly at the volume.
That told me enough.
My chest burned.
"Come inside," I said immediately.
He stepped in slowly, like he wasn't sure he was allowed to.
Aries shut the door hard behind him.
"What do you mean you escaped?" Aries demanded.
Ci N swallowed.
"He locked me in my room last night. Said I was embarrassing the family. Said I talk too much about… about coming here."
My heart twisted painfully.
"He doesn't like you being close to us?" I asked softly.
Ci N shook his head. "He said I don't need new family."
The word family echoed heavily in the room.
Aries ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "That psycho—"
"Aries," I warned gently.
Ci N's fingers grabbed onto my sleeve suddenly.
"I didn't know where else to go," he whispered. "I came here."
I didn't even think.
"You did the right thing," I said immediately.
He looked at me like he needed confirmation.
"You're not mad?" he asked.
Mad?
I wanted to burn his brother's house down.
"Of course I'm not mad," I said softly. "You're safe here."
That's when Kuya Angelo stepped out of his office.
"What's going on?"
His eyes landed on Ci N.
On the bruise.
On the tension in the room.
"What happened?" he asked calmly.
Ci N immediately straightened like he was in trouble.
Aries stepped forward before he could speak.
"Kuya," Aries said firmly, "he ran away from home. His brother's been hurting him."
Kuya Angelo's face darkened.
"Hurt how?"
Ci N hesitated.
I gently squeezed his hand.
"It's okay," I whispered.
"He locks me in," Ci N said quietly. "He throws things. He says I'm useless."
Aries muttered something under his breath that definitely wasn't polite.
Kuya Angelo walked closer, studying Ci N carefully.
"How long has this been happening?"
"Since… since I started coming here more," Ci N admitted.
Guilt stabbed through me.
Because of me.
Because he felt safe here.
Because he said I felt like…
He suddenly turned to me, eyes glossy.
"I told him I like being here," he said softly. "I told him Jay feels like my mother and my sister at the same time."
The room went silent.
Mother.
Sister.
I felt tears rush to my eyes instantly.
I knelt in front of him.
"You don't have to choose words," I whispered. "You're allowed to feel safe."
Aries looked at Kuya Angelo seriously.
"Let him stay," Aries said firmly. "He thinks of Jay as family. And Jay won't feel alone either."
Kuya Angelo crossed his arms, thinking.
"This could cause trouble," he said quietly.
"He's already in trouble there," Aries shot back.
Ci N's fingers tightened around mine.
"I'll behave," he rushed to say. "I won't cause problems. I'll stay quiet."
That broke me.
"You don't have to stay quiet," I said immediately. "You're not a burden."
He looked at me like he didn't fully believe that yet.
Kuya Angelo sighed deeply.
"If his brother comes here making accusations—"
"Let him," Aries interrupted. "We'll deal with him."
Kuya Angelo gave him a look.
Then he looked at Ci N again.
"You want to stay?" he asked directly.
Ci N hesitated.
Then he nodded.
"Yes."
Kuya Angelo studied him for a few more seconds.
Then finally—
"Fine."
Aries let out a breath like he had been holding it for years.
"You can stay here," Kuya Angelo continued. "But we'll contact your family. This won't stay hidden."
Ci N's face paled slightly.
I squeezed his hand again.
"You're not going back there tonight," I said firmly.
He looked at me again.
And for the first time since he arrived—
He smiled.
Small.
Relieved.
Aries clapped his hands once. "Okay! Chaos officially added to the house."
I almost laughed through my tears.
Kuya Angelo shook his head slightly. "Prepare the guest room."
"No," Aries said quickly. "He's staying in my room. Jay's already there too."
I blinked. "Wait— what?"
Aries grinned slightly. "You think I'm letting both of you overthink separately? No way."
Ci N looked confused. "I can sleep on the floor."
"You will not," I said instantly.
Kuya Angelo pinched the bridge of his nose.
"This house was peaceful three days ago."
"It was boring," Aries corrected.
Ci N let out a small laugh.
A real one.
And that sound alone made everything worth it.
But chaos wasn't done.
Not even close.
Because barely ten minutes later—
There was loud knocking at the gate.
Not a doorbell.
Knocking.
Aggressive.
Everyone froze.
Ci N's hand gripped mine tightly.
"That's him," he whispered.
Aries' expression darkened instantly.
Kuya Angelo walked toward the door calmly.
"Stay here," he ordered.
But none of us listened.
We followed anyway.
When Kuya Angelo opened the door—
Ci N's elder brother was standing there.
Angry.
Red-faced.
Demanding.
"Where is he?" he snapped.
Kuya Angelo didn't move. "Lower your voice."
"You have no right to keep my brother here."
"He came here on his own," Aries shot back.
The man's eyes flicked toward Ci N behind me.
"You," he barked. "Come here."
Ci N flinched.
I stepped slightly in front of him without thinking.
"He's not going anywhere," I said firmly.
The man laughed mockingly. "And who are you? His savior?"
"No," I replied calmly. "Family."
The word echoed again.
His brother's expression twisted. "He belongs to me."
"He's not an object," I snapped.
Kuya Angelo stepped forward slightly now, voice steady but dangerous.
"If you raise your voice one more time in front of my house, we'll involve authorities."
The man went quiet for a second.
"You're interfering in private matters."
"Abuse stops being private," Aries replied coldly.
The tension was explosive.
Ci N's brother glared at him.
"You're brainwashing him."
"No," I said quietly. "We're giving him safety."
The man looked around, realizing he wasn't winning.
"You think you can keep him forever?" he asked bitterly.
Kuya Angelo answered calmly.
"No. But we can protect him long enough for him to breathe."
Silence.
The man scoffed.
"This isn't over."
And then he left.
Just like that.
The gate closed.
The house felt shaken.
Ci N was trembling.
I turned and pulled him into a tight hug.
"You're safe," I whispered.
Aries stood beside us protectively.
Kuya Angelo exhaled slowly.
"This house just declared war," he muttered.
Aries smirked slightly. "Good. It was getting boring."
Despite everything—
Despite the chaos.
Despite the threats.
Despite the storm building outside these walls—
I looked at Ci N's relieved face.
At Aries standing like a shield.
At Kuya Angelo silently choosing protection over convenience.
And I realized something.
This house wasn't falling apart.
It was expanding.
Messy.
Loud.
Complicated.
But real.
And for the first time in days…
I didn't feel like the only one fighting.
Because sometimes family isn't the one you're born into.
It's the one that stands in front of you when someone tries to drag you back into fear.
And today—
We chose each other.