KEIFER’S POV
I didn’t sleep last night.
Not even for a minute.
Every time I closed my eyes…
I saw him.
Percy.
Alive.
Standing in front of us.
Calling Jay—
Baby.
I still couldn’t understand it.
Four years.
Four fucking years…
I had believed he was dead.
And yesterday…
he walked into that hospital like death had never touched him.
But there was something else bothering me.
Jay.
The way she looked at him.
The way he looked at her.
The way she trusted him.
And that word…
Baby.
My hands clenched.
No.
I didn’t like it.
Not even a little.
Jay was mine.
I knew I had no right to say that anymore.
I knew I had hurt her.
I knew I had pushed her away.
But none of that changed what I felt.
She was still the girl I loved.
The girl I had protected from my father by making her hate me.
The girl I had planned to return to after London.
My future.
My future wife.
I knew I had to wait.
I would wait.
Months.
Years.
However long it took.
But one thing would never change.
She was mine, Keifer.
Not because I owned her.
Because my heart had already chosen her.
And I wasn’t giving up.
Not yet.
THE NEXT MORNING…
The classroom was unusually loud.
Everyone was talking about yesterday.
About Percy.
About Kaizer.
About Jay.
About the masked men.
Nobody knew who the others were.
We only knew two names.
Jay.
And Percy.
I was sitting quietly when the classroom door opened.
Everyone stopped.
Ten people entered.
All dressed in black.
All wearing black masks covering their noses and mouths.
Only their eyes were visible.
Percy walked first.
And then—
Jay.
I forgot how to breathe.
She looked…
different.
Her long hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders.
Black fitted top.
Grey wide-leg trousers.
Black bag.
Calm expression.
She didn’t look like the Jay who had been crying days ago.
She looked like someone who had already decided where her life was going.
My eyes stayed on her.
Beautiful.
That was the only word my mind could form.
Then jealousy hit me again.
Because Percy was walking beside her.
One of those masked men was beside her.
Another was behind her.
And six more were surrounding her.
Who were they?
Why did they protect her like that?
Why did Jay look so comfortable with them?
And why…
why did Percy act like she belonged with him?
My jaw tightened.
Who are these people?
PERCY
Percy walked directly toward Sir Alvin.
“Sir, I need your signature on this document.”
His voice was calm.
Cold.
Like none of us existed.
Sir Alvin nodded.
He took the papers.
I watched him carefully.
He wasn’t behaving like a student.
He wasn’t even behaving like someone who had returned to school.
He looked like someone who owned the entire room.
Sir Alvin checked the documents.
Then pulled one form out.
“You have to fill this.”
Percy looked at it.
“Sir, do you have a pen?”
“No. I just have one and I’m using it.”
Immediately— several people offered Percy pens.
Ci-N.
Drew.
David.
Yuri.
Josh.
Even I had one in my hand before I realized what I was doing.
But Percy didn’t even look at us.
He simply turned his head.
“KK.”
One of the masked men immediately stepped forward.
“Here.”
He handed Percy a pen.
Percy took it.
“Thanks.”
I stared.
KK?
Who the hell was KK?
Sir Alvin suddenly asked—
“Is Jay here?”
My heart jumped.
Percy answered calmly.
“Yeah. She’s waiting outside.”
Sir Alvin nodded.
“Call her inside. I need her signature.”
Percy shook his head.
“No need, sir. I’ll go outside and take her signature.”
Sir Alvin looked at him.
“Please call her.”
Percy paused.
Then— he turned slightly toward the door.
“Baby.”
My entire body went rigid.
Jay’s voice came from outside.
“Yes, Perse?”
Again.
That name.
That softness.
That familiarity.
My fingers curled into fists.
Percy said,
“Come inside.”
“Coming.”
The door opened.
Jay walked in.
And for a second…
I forgot everything.
She looked stunning.
Not because of the clothes.
Not because of the hair.
Because she looked…
free.
Like she had already left something behind.
She walked toward Percy.
He handed her the paper.
“Sign here.”
Jay nodded.
She signed.
Then stepped back.
She stood behind Percy.
There was a small gap between them.
I kept watching. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Then one of the masked men suddenly walked toward her.
He covered her mouth with one hand.
My body immediately tensed.
But Jay didn’t fight.
Instead— her eyes lit up.
The man had chocolate ice cream in his other hand.
I stared.
Seriously?
Jay recognized him immediately.
She was trying desperately not to smile.
Percy didn’t even turn.
“Take that back.”
The masked man immediately stepped backward.
Another one came forward.
He took the ice cream from him…
and placed it into Jay’s hand.
Jay immediately took a bite.
I stared.
What the hell is happening?
Percy still didn’t turn around.
“Baby.”
Jay stopped.
“Hmm?”
“No ice cream.”
Jay swallowed.
“I know, Perse.”
“Really?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Then stop eating.”
The entire classroom went silent.
Percy hadn’t even looked at her.
Yet he knew.
He knew she was eating it.
Jay looked at the ice cream guiltily.
Then the two masked men immediately took it away.
Jay tried grabbing it.
Failed.
Her expression became adorably annoyed.
“I hate you all.”
She walked out.
And Percy— and two masked man all said at exactly the same time:
“Love you too.”
My stomach twisted.
Not because of the ice cream.
Because of the familiarity.
Because Jay wasn’t uncomfortable around them.
She belonged with them.
And I had no idea who they were.
THE QUESTIONS
The moment Jay disappeared outside…
Felix stood up.
“Percy.”
Percy stopped.
He slowly turned.
Felix stared at him.
“Who are they?”
Percy looked at him.
“Who?”
“The people with you.”
Percy said nothing.
Felix pointed toward the door.
“The masked people.”
Yuri immediately joined.
“Yeah. Who are they?”
Percy casually looked at the others.
“My people.”
That answer made the entire room silent.
Drew frowned.
“Your people?”
“Yes.”
Ci-N asked,
“Are they your friends?”
Percy looked at him.
“No.”
“Then?”
Percy’s eyes became colder.
“They’re the people I trust.”
Nobody spoke.
I finally asked.
“Why are they protecting Jay?”
Percy looked directly at me.
His expression didn’t change.
“Why do you care?”
My jaw tightened.
“Because she’s our friend.”
Percy gave a cold smile.
“Friend?”
He looked toward the door.
“Interesting.”
Yuri frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Percy stepped closer.
“It means if you were really her friends…”
His voice became dangerously calm.
“She wouldn’t have needed protection from the people standing here.”
Silence.
That hit everyone.
Felix stepped forward.
“What happened to you?”
Percy looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
“You died.”
Percy’s expression changed.
Not sadness.
Not anger.
Something colder.
“You believed I died.”
Felix swallowed.
“We all did.”
“That’s your problem.”
Felix looked hurt.
“Kuya—”
Percy immediately cut him off.
“Don’t call me that.”
Felix froze.
Percy’s eyes hardened.
“You don’t have that right anymore.”
Felix’s face fell.
Percy continued.
“I didn’t teach you to use a girl for your anger.”
Everyone went silent.
Felix looked confused.
“What?”
Percy’s voice became sharper.
“You were angry because she was Aris’s sister.”
Felix didn’t answer.
“You thought Aris pushed me.”
Percy laughed once.
A bitter laugh.
“He didn’t.”
Everyone stared.
Percy continued.
“I pushed him.”
Yuri’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“I pushed him away because I was trying to save him.”
Silence.
“He tried to save me.”
Percy looked around the room.
“But you guys?”
His voice became colder.
“You made your own assumptions.”
Nobody moved.
“You didn’t even ask him what happened.”
Felix lowered his eyes.
Percy continued.
“And then…”
His eyes hardened.
“You used Jay.”
Everyone froze.
“Even when you knew Aris and Jay had problems.”
His voice became dangerously quiet.
“They don’t even like each other.”
He shook his head.
“Seriously?”
Nobody answered.
Percy stepped back.
“You were angry.”
He looked directly at Felix.
“So you used the easiest person to hurt.”
Felix’s eyes became wet.
Percy didn’t soften.
“Jay.”
I couldn’t speak.
Because he was right.
Not about everything.
But about the way we had made assumptions.
And now…
I had another question.
I looked at Percy.
“Then who are they?”
Percy stared at me.
“The people with Jay.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to know.”
He studied me for several seconds.
Then smiled slightly.
“You don’t need to know.”
My anger rose.
“Why?”
“Because you haven’t earned the answer.”
The room went silent.
I stepped forward.
“Where were you all these years?”
Percy’s expression turned cold.
“Somewhere you couldn’t find me.”
“Why didn’t you come back?”
“Because I had reasons.”
“What reasons?”
“None of your business.”
I clenched my fists.
“Do you know how many people thought you were dead?”
Percy stared at me.
“Yes.”
“Then why?”
His eyes became darker.
“Because being dead was safer than being found.”
Nobody spoke.
I stared at him.
Then my eyes moved toward the door.
Jay.
Something about this entire situation felt wrong.
She was hiding something.
Percy was hiding something.
And these people…
they weren’t ordinary.
JAY RETURNS
Jay suddenly walked back into the classroom.
She looked completely calm.
She stopped beside Percy.
“Done?”
Percy nodded.
“Done.”
Jay looked around.
She noticed everyone staring.
“What?”
Nobody answered.
Yuri finally asked—
“Jay…”
She looked at him.
“Who are they?”
Jay glanced toward the masked men.
Then at Percy.
Then back at Yuri.
“My friends.”
Yuri frowned.
“We’ve never seen them.”
Jay smiled slightly.
“That’s because you’ve never met them.”
David asked,
“Why are they always around you?”
Jay’s smile disappeared.
“Because they need to be.”
Drew asked,
“Are you in trouble?”
Jay looked at him.
“No.”
“Then why?”
Jay’s voice became calm.
“Because I don’t wait until I’m in danger to protect myself.”
Nobody answered.
Percy looked at her.
Proud.
Everyone slowly started leaving.
Jay suddenly stopped.
Her eyes landed on Denzel.
“Denzel.”
He turned.
“Yeah?”
Jay walked toward him.
She had a gift box in her hand.
Denzel looked confused.
“What’s this?”
Jay handed it to him.
“I don’t know.”
He blinked.
“What?”
Jay smiled.
“I’m not sure.”
She looked at him carefully.
“But I have an intuition.”
Denzel frowned.
“About what?”
Jay smiled softly.
“I think you’re going to have a girl.”
Denzel froze.
The entire group looked at her.
Jay continued,
“Grace.”
Denzel’s expression changed immediately.
Jay placed the box in his hand.
“This is for her.”
Denzel stared at the gift.
“Jay…”
Jay smiled.
“Don’t ask.”
Denzel looked at her.
“Thank you.”
She nodded.
“Take care of her.”
Denzel nodded slowly.
“I will.”
Jay smiled.
“Good.”
She turned around.
And walked back toward Percy.
Something about that moment bothered me.
Jay had always cared about people.
Even after everything…
she still gave gifts.
Still remembered people.
Still smiled.
And somehow…
I was still hoping that one day that smile would be mine again.
I watched her walk toward Percy.
My chest tightened.
She’s mine.
I immediately corrected myself.
No.
Not mine.
Not yet.
But someday…
If I had to wait—
I’d wait.
If I had to fight—
I’d fight.
If I had to face my father—
I’d face him.
Jay was my future.
My future wife.
And I would earn the right to stand beside her again.
But as she walked toward the door…
something felt wrong.
She looked back once.
At the classroom.
At everyone.
Almost like…
she was saying goodbye.
I frowned.
Why would she do that?
I didn’t know.
None of us knew.
Jay walked out.
Percy followed.
The masked men surrounded her.
The doors closed behind them.
And just like that— she was gone.
I stared at the empty doorway.
Not knowing…
that I had just watched Jay for the last time without knowing it.
Not knowing she was leaving.
Not knowing tomorrow night…
she would disappear from this city.
And not knowing that the next time our paths crossed…
everything would be different.
But one thing inside me remained unchanged.
Jay was still the girl I loved.
And somewhere deep inside my heart…
I still believed— one day…
she would come back to me.