Kiefer (POV)
After Angelo knocked, I walked toward the room where everyone was waiting.
The second I entered, Cole looked up at me seriously.
"I heard Cassian came," he said. "And you beat him up."
"Almost killed him," Angelo corrected calmly.
I rubbed the back of my neck tiredly.
"You called me here just to ask that?"
"Kiefer," Clyden said sharply, "we're serious."
Something inside me snapped again just hearing Cassian's name.
"I saw him trying to put his hands on my wife," I said coldly. "What did you expect me to do? Sit there and watch?"
"Kiefer—"
"No." I cut him off immediately. "Nobody—and I mean nobody—touches my wife and walks away as if nothing happened."
My jaw tightened harder.
"If someone lays a hand on her…" I said darkly, "They pay the price."
The anger inside me rose again so violently that I kicked the sofa beside me hard enough to move it across the floor.
Everyone in the room went silent.
"Kiefer, calm down," Clyden said carefully. "You think losing control will solve everything?"
I laughed once.
A cold laugh.
"I don't care anymore," I muttered.
And honestly?
That terrified even me.
"I don't fucking care who it is."
The room became tense instantly.
Because they all knew I meant every word.
Then I looked toward the door and said quietly,
"I'm leaving."
"Kiefer!" someone called behind me.
But I ignored them and walked out anyway.
Right now—
I needed Jay.
Because every second I stayed angry like this, I felt closer to becoming someone she would hate.
The hallway felt too quiet as I walked back toward the room.
My chest was still burning.
My hands were still clenched tightly.
All I could see in my head was Cassian leaning close to her.
Trying to touch what belonged to me.
And the worst part?
For one terrifying second earlier—
I really wanted to kill him.
Do not threaten him.
Not scare him.
Kill him.
The realization made something heavy settle inside my chest.
Then I opened the room door.
And the second Jay saw me—
She walked straight toward me and hugged me tightly.
Just like that.
No questions.
No fear.
No hesitation.
My entire body froze for half a second.
Then slowly…
The anger inside me melted away.
Like ice breaking apart under warmth.
I closed my eyes briefly before wrapping my arms around her tightly and burying my face against her hair.
And suddenly—
I could breathe again.
"Miss me already?" I asked softly before kissing her forehead.
"A lot," she whispered.
And for some reason—
That answer made something stupidly happy inside me.
I tightened my arms around her slightly and let out a quiet laugh under my breath like an idiot.
Then Jay looked up at me again.
"Kiefer… I want to go home."
I brushed her hair back gently before nodding.
"Okay," I said softly. "I'll ask for discharge."
For a moment, she stayed quiet.
Then suddenly—
"Kiefer," she said softly, "stay with Clyden kuya. I'll come back after taking a bath and getting breakfast."
I immediately frowned.
"But Jay, I'll come with you."
The second I said that—
She pulled away from the hug too quickly.
"No."
The answer came out fast.
Too fast.
And something about it immediately made my chest tighten slightly.
I stared at her carefully.
Why did that sound like she was hiding something?
Jay quickly grabbed her bag before I could think too much about it.
"I'll be back soon," she said softly.
But even after saying that—
She still wouldn't properly meet my eyes.
Something felt wrong.
I couldn't explain it.
Maybe it was instinct.
Maybe it was fear after everything that happened recently.
Or maybe I just knew my wife too well.
Still—
I didn't stop her.
I walked her downstairs instead.
The whole way there, my chest felt strangely heavy.
Like something bad was about to happen.
When we finally reached the parking lot, Jay turned toward me and forced a small smile.
"I'll come back quickly," she said.
I nodded slowly.
But my hands still tightened unconsciously at my sides.
Then she got into the car.
And drove away.
I stood there watching the car disappear longer than I should have.
Something was wrong.
I knew it.
But I couldn't understand what.
Eventually, I walked back upstairs.
Honestly…
I don't even remember reaching the room.
My body moved automatically while my mind stayed stuck on Jay's face.
The way she avoided my eyes.
The way her voice shook slightly.
The way she hugged me tighter than usual.
My chest started feeling heavier with every second.
"Kiefer."
Clyden's voice pulled me back slightly.
I looked up.
Everyone was staring at me now.
"What?" I asked distractedly.
Clyden frowned slightly.
"Why do you look like that?"
Cole crossed his arms.
"Something happened?"
I rubbed my face tiredly before answering quietly.
"Nothing."
But even I knew that sounded like a lie.
"Jay went home," I admitted finally. "She insisted on going alone and said she'd come back after eating and taking a bath."
The room became quiet for a second.
Then Percy smirked immediately.
"So you can't survive five minutes without your wife now?"
Normally, I would've insulted him back instantly.
But this time—
I stayed quiet.
And that alone made everyone's expressions slowly change.
I didn't say anything after Percy's joke.
Because suddenly—
That feeling came back.
The same terrifying feeling I got every single time Jay was in danger.
Like something inside my chest was burning.
Wrong.
Everything felt wrong.
Before anyone could stop me, I grabbed my keys immediately.
"I'm going home," I said quickly. "I'll pick Jay up myself."
"Kiefer—"
But I was already gone.
I ran toward the parking lot so fast I almost crashed into one of the nurses.
My hands shook while starting the car.
And the entire drive home—
My heart wouldn't calm down.
Something was wrong.
Something was terribly wrong.
"Please be there…" I whispered while gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Please…"
The second I reached the house, I rushed inside without even properly closing the car door.
"Jay!"
Silence.
My chest tightened painfully.
I walked upstairs quickly and pushed open our bedroom door.
Then—
Everything inside me stopped.
Clothes were scattered everywhere.
Drawers left open.
The closet is half empty.
And right in the middle of the bed—
A note.
My breathing became uneven instantly.
No.
No no no—
My hands shook violently as I grabbed the paper.
Then I read it.
I know what happened.
I know none of you will stop, even if I beg you to.
So I'm leaving somewhere you can't find me.
Please don't search for me anymore.
And please… don't get hurt because of me again.
I want all of you to live happily, even without me.
Time will keep moving forward… so don't stop your lives here because of me.
Don't fight anymore.
Don't chase revenge anymore.
Just… be happy.
Goodbye.
— Jay
For a second—
I couldn't breathe.
My eyes slowly dropped toward the paper again.
Small water stains blurred parts of the ink.
Tears.
She cried while writing this.
Something inside my chest shattered so violently that it physically hurt.
"No…" I whispered weakly.
My knees almost gave out.
"No… no, Jay…"
She left.
Again.
The note slipped slightly in my trembling hands while panic swallowed me whole.
Immediately, I grabbed my phone and called Cole.
He answered almost instantly.
"Kiefer?"
I tried speaking.
But my voice broke.
"Kiefer?" Cole asked again, sounding alarmed now. "Are you crying? What happened?"
I pressed my shaking hand against my mouth for a second before forcing the words out.
"Jay…" My breathing cracked painfully. "Jay left us…"
Silence.
Then suddenly—
"What?" Cole said sharply.
I looked around the room desperately, like somehow she would still appear if I looked hard enough.
"Search the airport," I said brokenly. "She… she must've gone to the airport…"
Every breath started hurting more.
Because now I understand everything.
Why did she avoid my eyes?
Why did she hug me tighter?
Why did she want to go home alone?
Why did my chest keep screaming something was wrong?
She was saying goodbye to me.
Again.
And suddenly—
I broke completely.
"Why, Jay?" I cried helplessly while gripping the note tightly. "Why did you leave me again?"
The room stayed silent except for the sound of my broken breathing.
And for the first time in years—
I felt truly terrified of losing her forever.
Cole (POV)
After Kiefer ran off, I felt something was wrong. Why would he suddenly panic like that? I mean, Kiefer was obsessed with Jay, but the look on his face earlier… It wasn't normal.
"What happened, Cole?" Clyden asked.
"I was thinking about what Kiefer said," I replied.
"Kuya, he's probably just worried. Nothing's going to happen to Jay," Jare said reassuringly.
Then my phone rang.
I glanced at the screen.
Kiefer.
"Speak of the devil," I muttered before answering the call.
"Kiefer," I said.
But instead of a response, I heard sobbing.
Broken, painful sobbing.
"Kiefer?" I frowned. "Are you crying? What happened?"
The second those words left my mouth, the entire room fell silent. Everyone turned to look at me.
Then I heard his shattered voice.
"Jay… Jay left us."
"What?!" I shouted, instantly standing up.
"Search the airport," he said brokenly. "She… she must've gone to the airport…"
After that, all I could hear was him crying as his whole world had fallen apart.
"Kiefer? Hello? Kiefer!" I yelled. "What do you mean Jay left us?!"
But there was no answer.
Only silence… and the sound of his heartbreaking sobs before the call suddenly cut off.
"Cole… what happened?" Angelo asked nervously.
Cole's heart dropped instantly.
For a second—
Nobody in the room moved.
Nobody even breathed.
Because hearing Kiefer cry?
That rarely happened.
And the way he sounded now…
Completely shattered.
"Cole… what happened?" Angelo asked again, standing up this time.
I slowly lowered the phone from my ear for a second, still trying to process the words myself.
My chest felt cold.
"Jay left," I said quietly.
The entire room froze.
"What?" Percy asked first.
Clyden's expression darkened immediately.
"What do you mean she left?" he asked sharply.
I looked back at the phone quickly.
"Kiefer," I called again urgently. "Where are you?"
But all I could hear was his uneven breathing on the other side of the line.
"He's not answering anymore…" I said, lowering the phone slowly.
"Call our men," Clyden ordered immediately. "Search every taxi, every road, every damn route… now. We can't lose her."
"We can still find her," Aries said firmly.
Within minutes, chaos erupted.
I contacted the airport and used every connection I had in London. Meanwhile, Clyden, the director of Watson Group, called in favors from allies across the city. Everyone was searching for one person.
Jay.
"She must've found out about the attack," Clyden muttered darkly.
"That's why she left us," Jare said quietly. "She probably thinks her existence only brings us pain."
"Idiot," Aries snapped at him.
Then suddenly—
My phone rang again.
Everyone froze the second they saw the screen.
It was Jay's number.
But something felt wrong.
I frowned as I stared at it.
"It's not a normal call…" I whispered.
My chest tightened painfully.
"It's an emergency call from Jay's phone."
I answered immediately.
"Hello?" I said.
"Are you the guardian of Jasher Jean Mariano?" a man's voice asked from the other side.
"Yeah… why? Why do you have my sister's phone?" I asked, my heartbeat speeding up.
There was a brief silence.
Then—
"Sir… your sister died in a road accident."
Everything around me went silent.
For a moment, I couldn't breathe.
"Send me the address," I said hoarsely before ending the call.
"Cole, what happened?!" Clyden shouted when he saw my face turn pale.
My lips trembled.
"They said… Jay died in an accident."
The second those words left my mouth, Angelo shot up from his chair and grabbed my collar violently.
"What did you just say?!" he demanded, his voice breaking.
At that moment, the location arrived on my phone.
"I'm going to check," I said quickly.
"No," Clyden said firmly. "We're all going."
And then we rushed out.
The drive felt endless.
Every second felt like torture.
We kept trying to call Kiefer, but he wasn't answering any of us.
Not a single call.
When we finally reached the location…
We froze.
The taxi had completely burned down. Nothing was left except twisted metal and ashes.
A police officer approached me slowly and handed me a familiar passport.
Jay's passport.
"We found this inside the taxi along with her luggage," the officer said quietly.
The moment I saw her name printed on it, my entire body went numb.
We were shattered.
"Sorry, sir…" the police officer continued softly. "She was already dead before we arrived."
The second those words left his mouth, Angelo snapped.
He grabbed the officer by the collar so violently that the man stumbled backward.
"How dare you say that?!" Angelo roared, his voice echoing through the entire area.
The police officer looked shaken himself.
"Sir, please calm down—"
"How do you expect us to calm down?!" Angelo shouted while tightening his grip on the officer's collar.
His eyes were completely red now.
"That's my sister!"
"Angelo!" Percy grabbed his arm quickly before things got worse.
But honestly—
None of us was thinking properly anymore.
Because the car in front of us…
It didn't even look like a car anymore.
It was destroyed.
Burned.
Twisted metal covered in black ash.
The smell alone made my stomach turn violently.
And somewhere inside that wreck—
They were telling us Jay had died.
No.
No no no—
My mind rejected it instantly.
Jare suddenly staggered backward slightly before gripping his head tightly.
"No…" he whispered brokenly. "No… my sister can't die like this…"
Clyden looked even worse.
Completely pale.
Like all the blood had drained from his body.
"She promised she would come back," he whispered hoarsely.
Then his breathing became uneven.
"She promised…"
Percy immediately held him before he collapsed completely.
Meanwhile, Angelo still looked ready to kill someone.
"You're telling me this from a passport?!" he shouted furiously at the officers. "Where's the body?!"
Silence.
That silence terrified me more than anything else.
The officer slowly lowered his eyes.
"The fire spread too quickly…"
My chest tightened so hard it physically hurt.
No.
No.
I immediately pulled out my phone again and called Kiefer.
Once.
Twice.
Ten times.
Nothing.
"He's not answering," I whispered.
That made everyone freeze again.
Because if Kiefer had heard all of this alone—
God.
I didn't even want to imagine what state he was in.
But then another terrifying realization hit us.
Kiefer had disappeared the same day Jay went missing.
And no one knew where he was.
A few days later, we returned to the Philippines.
Everyone was already waiting for us.
Section E.
Kiegen.
Kieran.
Amy.
Mia.
Honey.
Ion.
Kai.
Dad.
Mom.
Tia.
All of them were there.
Waiting.
Hoping.
And none of us had the strength to say a single word.
"Coco… why did you ask all of us to gather here?" Amy asked slowly.
"Where's Jay-ate?" Kieran asked immediately.
Silence filled the room.
No one could answer him.
"Cole, what happened? Why are you so quiet?" Amy asked again, her voice colder this time.
"Jare… where's Jay?" Mia whispered nervously.
"She's gone," Percy suddenly said.
His voice cracked as tears fell from his eyes.
Then he broke down crying.
"Is this some kind of prank?" Honey asked shakily.
"No…" I forced out. "She's gone."
"What do you mean, gone?" Yuri asked, standing up.
I couldn't stop my tears anymore.
"Jay is dead."
The entire room froze.
It felt like the world itself had stopped moving.
Then suddenly—
"Who said my wife is dead?"
Everyone turned toward the door instantly.
"Kiefer…" Clyden breathed out in shock.
He was standing there.
Pale.
Exhausted.
But his eyes…
His eyes were terrifyingly calm.
"Where the hell did you go?!" Angelo asked.
But Kiefer ignored him completely.
Instead, he looked straight at me.
"Who said my wife died?" he asked again, his voice cold enough to send chills through the room.
"Kiefer… we saw the cab—" I started, but he cut me off immediately.
"Did you see her body?"
No one answered.
Because we didn't.
Kiefer slowly pointed at his chest.
"As long as my heart is beating," he said firmly, "she's alive."
His voice cracked for the first time.
"And I'll bring her back."
Kieran and Kiegen immediately ran toward him and hugged him tightly.
"Kuya…" Kieran sobbed. "Is Jay-mom really dead? Am I really that unlucky?"
Kiefer instantly pulled him into his arms.
"Trust your kuya," he whispered while holding him close. "I'll bring your mom back."
Then he looked at me.
"Please protect my brother until I return."
And after saying those words—
Kiefer disappeared, too.