Jay’s pov
I woke up feeling like shit.
My head was pounding.
My entire body ached.
My shoulders were stiff, my back hurt, and even my legs felt heavy.
I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds.
Then I sat up.
The room tilted slightly.
I immediately grabbed the edge of the bed.
Waited.
Three seconds.
The dizziness disappeared.
I narrowed my eyes.
Jay — thoughts: Great.
I wasn’t going to school.
Not because I was weak.
Because I wasn’t stupid enough to walk into a battlefield when my body wasn’t operating at one hundred percent.
I got up, walked into the bathroom, freshened up, changed into comfortable clothes, tied my hair back, and looked at myself in the mirror.
I looked exhausted.
My eyes were slightly dull.
But my expression?
Calm.
Cold.
Untouchable.
I picked up my phone.
Dozens of messages.
I ignored every single one.
Today, nobody was getting my attention.
I walked toward my bedroom door.
Then I heard voices downstairs.
I stopped.
Someone was arguing.
My expression immediately changed.
Not fear.
Focus.
I opened the door quietly.
The voices became clearer.
I walked toward the staircase.
And when I reached the top…
I stopped.
Five men stood in the living room.
One in the center.
Four behind him.
All dressed in black.
Black suits.
Black gloves.
Black masks.
Weapons.
Professional guards.
My eyes immediately scanned the room.
Four guards.
Military-style positioning.
The man in the middle wasn’t standing like a guard.
He was standing like the person giving orders.
I studied his posture.
His shoulders.
His stance.
The way his right hand rested near his side.
The way he tilted his head whenever someone challenged him.
I knew him.
Even with the mask.
Percy.
My Kuya.
A small, almost invisible smirk touched my lips.
Jay — thoughts: What are you doing here, Perse?
I didn’t move.
I didn’t call his name.
I didn’t expose him.
If he wanted to hide his identity, I would let him.
Because whatever game he was playing…
I wanted to see the entire board first.
Standing opposite him were Angelo, Aris, Mom, and Gemma Tita.
And judging by their expressions?
Things were about to get interesting.
Two documents were lying on the table.
I leaned slightly against the staircase railing.
Silent.
Watching.
Angelo slammed his hand onto the table.
Angelo: “Absolutely not.”
The masked man didn’t even blink.
Percy: “You will sign them.”
Cold.
Simple.
No unnecessary words.
Mom stepped forward.
Jeena: “Who the hell do you think you are?”
Percy slowly looked at her.
Percy: “Someone following an order.”
Gemma Tita crossed her arms.
Gemma: “An order from whom?”
Percy placed his gloved hand on the documents.
Percy: “Mr. Jaspher Mariano.”
My father’s name.
Interesting.
I remained expressionless.
Angelo laughed bitterly.
Angelo: “Then tell Jaspher to come here himself.”
Percy didn’t move.
Percy: “You don’t need him here.”
Angelo: “You walk into my house with armed men and expect me to sign whatever you put in front of me?”
Percy: “Yes.”
Aris stepped forward.
Aris: “You’re insane.”
Percy’s eyes moved toward him.
Percy: “Careful.”
Aris didn’t move.
Aris: “Or what?”
I almost laughed.
Aris had absolutely no idea who he was provoking.
Percy tilted his head.
Percy: “You really don’t know when to stop.”
I stayed quiet.
This was entertaining.
And more importantly…
I wanted to know why Percy had come personally.
He never involved himself unnecessarily.
So this wasn’t random.
Percy pushed the first document forward.
Percy: “Partnership agreement.”
Angelo picked it up.
He began reading.
A few seconds later, his expression changed.
Angelo: “Fernandez Corporation and Mariano Corporation?”
Percy: “Yes.”
Angelo continued.
Then he reached the condition.
His eyebrows shot up.
Angelo: “What the hell is this?”
Mom took the document.
She read the clause.
Her expression immediately hardened.
Jeena: “You’re cancelling Jay’s engagement?”
Percy remained silent for a moment.
Then—
Percy: “If you sign the partnership, the engagement between Mr. Yuri and Ms. Jay will automatically be cancelled.”
Gemma stared at him.
Gemma: “You can’t decide that.”
Percy: “I already did.”
I raised one eyebrow.
Jay — thoughts: Bold.
Angelo slammed the document onto the table.
Angelo: “No.”
Percy didn’t react.
Percy: “Sign it.”
Angelo: “I said no.”
Percy: “Then we have nothing else to discuss.”
Angelo laughed.
Angelo: “You threaten my family, walk into my house with armed men, demand I cancel an engagement, and then tell me there’s nothing to discuss?”
Percy tilted his head.
Percy: “Correct.”
I almost smiled again.
That was definitely my Kuya.
Percy picked up the second document.
He placed it directly in front of Angelo.
Percy: “Second document.”
Angelo looked at it suspiciously.
Angelo: “What’s this?”
Percy: “Guardianship.”
Mom’s expression changed.
Jeena: “Guardianship of whom?”
Percy answered immediately.
Percy: “Ms. Jay Mariano.”
My eyes narrowed.
There it was.
The real reason.
My guardianship.
I had asked Percy to handle this.
But I hadn’t expected him to walk into my house himself.
Apparently…
he had decided subtlety wasn’t necessary today.
Angelo shook his head.
Angelo: “Absolutely not.”
Mom stepped forward.
Jeena: “Jay is my daughter.”
Percy looked at her.
Percy: “I’m aware.”
Jeena: “Then you don’t get to change her guardian.”
Percy: “The order has already been authorized.”
Jeena: “By whom?”
Percy didn’t hesitate.
Percy: “Mr. Jaspher Mariano.”
Mom froze.
Jeena: “Her father?”
Percy: “Yes.”
I remained perfectly still.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Percy was using Dad’s name as the shield.
Smart.
Angelo pushed both documents away.
Angelo: “I’m not signing.”
Mom nodded.
Jeena: “Neither am I.”
Gemma crossed her arms.
Gemma: “This is unacceptable.”
Aris stepped forward.
Aris: “Take your papers and leave.”
Percy looked at all four of them.
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Percy: “Finished?”
Nobody answered.
Percy took one step forward.
Percy: “I’ve been patient.”
Angelo scoffed.
Angelo: “Patient?”
Percy: “I explained both documents.”
He tapped the first.
Percy: “Partnership.”
Then the second.
Percy: “Guardianship.”
His eyes locked onto Angelo.
Percy: “I gave you an opportunity to sign voluntarily.”
Angelo glared at him.
Angelo: “And I refused.”
Percy’s expression became completely emotionless.
Percy: “Correct.”
Angelo smirked.
Angelo: “So what now?”
Percy reached behind him.
Pulled out his gun.
The room went silent.
He raised it.
And pointed it directly at—
Mom.
I didn’t move.
Didn’t gasp.
Didn’t panic.
My eyes simply narrowed.
Jay — thoughts: So that’s the game.
Mom froze.
Aris immediately stepped forward.
Aris: “Put the gun down!”
Percy didn’t even look at him.
Percy: “Everyone stays where they are.”
Mom stared at the weapon.
Jeena: “You wouldn’t shoot me.”
Percy tilted his head.
Percy: “Wouldn’t I?”
Silence.
Then Percy lowered the gun slightly.
Percy: “I don’t want to.”
He pointed toward the documents.
Percy: “But I will not leave without the signatures.”
Angelo stepped forward.
Angelo: “Don’t threaten my family.”
Percy immediately turned the weapon toward him.
Percy: “Then stop giving me reasons.”
I watched silently.
Percy wasn’t bluffing.
But he also wasn’t going to hurt Mom.
I knew that.
He was controlling the room.
Nothing more.
Angelo clenched his jaw.
Angelo: “You’re bluffing.”
A cold laugh escaped Percy.
Percy: “Test me.”
He placed the gun on the table.
Then opened another folder.
Percy: “Bank accounts.”
Angelo’s expression changed.
Percy: “Investments.”
Another page.
Percy: “Loans.”
Another.
Percy: “Contracts.”
Percy closed the folder.
Percy: “I can bankrupt Fernandez Corporation before tomorrow morning.”
Silence.
Angelo stared at him.
Angelo: “You wouldn’t.”
Percy leaned forward slightly.
His voice dropped.
Percy: “One phone call.”
He raised one finger.
Percy: “One signature.”
Percy: “And Fernandez Corporation starts collapsing.”
Angelo’s face hardened.
Mom looked at Percy.
Jeena: “You’re threatening my family over a business agreement?”
Percy shook his head.
Percy: “No.”
His eyes became colder.
Percy: “I’m giving your family a choice.”
Mom narrowed her eyes.
Jeena: “What choice?”
Percy pointed toward the documents.
Percy: “Sign.”
Jeena: “And if we don’t?”
Percy’s voice became dangerously quiet.
Percy: “Then you learn what happens when the Mariano family stops asking.”
I remained silent.
Not because I was afraid.
Because I understood.
Percy wasn’t here to destroy my family.
He was here to make sure nobody could control me.
Mom refused again.
Jeena: “I will not allow anyone to control my daughter’s life.”
Percy looked at her.
For the first time, his voice softened by the smallest amount.
Percy: “You’re right.”
Everyone stared at him.
He pushed the guardianship document forward.
Percy: “She shouldn’t be controlled.”
Mom looked at the document.
Jeena: “Then why are you changing her guardian?”
Percy paused.
Percy: “Protection.”
I lowered my eyes slightly.
Of course.
My Kuya.
Always thinking three steps ahead.
Angelo shook his head.
Angelo: “We’re not signing.”
Percy picked up the gun.
Not pointing it.
Just holding it.
Percy: “Angelo.”
Angelo looked at him.
Percy: “Thirty seconds.”
Angelo: “For what?”
Percy checked his watch.
Percy: “To decide whether Fernandez Corporation survives tomorrow.”
Angelo’s jaw tightened.
Angelo: “You’re a psychopath.”
Percy shrugged.
Percy: “Maybe.”
Percy: “Twenty seconds.”
Mom stepped toward Angelo.
Jeena: “Don’t sign.”
Gemma nodded.
Gemma: “Angelo, don’t let him force you.”
Aris glared at Percy.
Aris: “You can’t force him.”
Percy looked at his watch.
Percy: “Ten.”
Angelo’s fists tightened.
Silence.
Then—
Angelo: “Fine!”
He grabbed the pen.
Mom stopped him.
Jeena: “Angelo!”
Angelo looked at her.
Angelo: “If I don’t sign, he’ll destroy everything.”
He signed the first document.
Percy immediately pushed the second one toward him.
Percy: “Second.”
Angelo glared at him.
Then signed.
Percy picked up both documents.
Checked the signatures.
Percy: “Good.”
Angelo pointed toward the door.
Angelo: “Get out.”
Percy calmly folded the documents.
Percy: “Gladly.”
He turned toward the guards.
Then stopped.
He looked back at Angelo.
Percy: “One piece of advice.”
Angelo frowned.
Percy tapped the documents.
Percy: “Read everything before you sign.”
Angelo’s expression hardened.
Angelo: “I read them.”
Percy tilted his head.
Percy: “Did you?”
Angelo went silent.
I almost smiled.
Percy and the four guards began walking toward the exit.
I looked at the second document.
The guardianship paper.
My eyes moved to the guardian’s name.
I froze for half a second.
Then my lips curved into a slow smile.
Mr Mariano.
Not Dad.
Percy.
My Kuya.
He had done it.
He had made himself my legal guardian without letting anyone realize what he had actually signed.
Smart.
Very smart.
Angelo had signed without noticing.
Mom hadn’t noticed.
Gemma hadn’t noticed.
Aris hadn’t noticed.
Nobody had.
I looked toward Percy.
He stopped near the door.
Slowly…
he turned his masked face toward me.
Our eyes met.
No fear.
No tears.
No weakness.
Just understanding.
I gave him the smallest smirk.
Jay — thoughts: You really are insane, Perse.
His eyes softened for one second.
Then the ruthless mask returned.
He turned away.
The door opened.
The four guards followed him outside.
And just like that…
he was gone.