Jay-Jay (POV)
When I woke up, my brain felt frozen.
It felt like I'd been hit by a truck.
Every part of my body ached.
"Hangover?"
I looked up and saw Jare standing beside my bed.
In one hand was a glass of honey water.
In the other was Orion.
"Caretaker..." I mumbled.
I immediately reached out to hug Orion.
But Jare stepped back before I could.
"Bath first. You smell like alcohol," Jare said with a look of disgust.
"You're so mean."
"Bath."
Grumbling under my breath, I dragged myself to the bathroom.
By the time I came out, dressed and slightly more human, I could hear laughter from downstairs.
Mia was sitting on the floor, playing with Orion.
The moment Orion saw me, his face lit up.
He stretched both arms toward me.
"Baa!"
My heart melted instantly.
I scooped him into my arms.
Orion giggled as I covered his cheeks with kisses.
"Good morning, baby."
More giggles.
At least someone in this house still loved me.
Looking at Orion's face reminded me far too much of Kie--- knwanan.
No.
I wasn't thinking about him.
Absolutely not.
I kissed Orion's chubby cheek instead.
He giggled and grabbed my nose.
"Traitor," I muttered.
Orion only blinked at me, looking thoroughly confused.
"Hmph."
Mia crossed her arms and pouted.
"After seeing Mommy, you're abandoning me already?"
I gasped dramatically.
Then I changed my voice and lifted Orion slightly.
"Hmm... I like Tita, but I want Mommy too."
Mia immediately pointed at him.
"See? He chose both of us. Smart baby."
Orion giggled, completely unaware of the custody battle happening over him.
I rolled my eyes and sat down beside Mia on the floor.
"So what's with the sudden surprise visit? Why are all of you here?"
Mia adjusted the pillow behind her back.
"I wanted to come with Jare. He had work here, so I came along."
I stared at her stomach.
"You shouldn't be traveling while pregnant."
Mia narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, now you remember that?"
Uh-oh.
"You don't even come visit me."
I opened my mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
No defense came out.
"That's because—"
"Nope."
"Mia—"
"Nope."
I pointed at Orion.
"Your witness is intimidating me."
Orion happily clapped his hands.
Traitor.
"See?" Mia said. "Even Orion agrees with me."
Across the room, Jare and Cole suddenly burst out laughing.
Loudly.
Suspiciously.
I narrowed my eyes.
"What are you two laughing at?"
"Nothing," Cole said immediately.
Which obviously meant it was something.
Before he could hide it, I reached over and snatched the phone from his hand while balancing Orion on my hip.
"Jay—"
Too late.
My eyes landed on the headline.
THE POWERFUL MR. WATSON, RULER OF EUROPE'S BUSINESS EMPIRE, KNOCKED DOWN BY HIS WIFE AT CHARITY GALA
Underneath was a photo of Kiefer flat on the floor.
And me standing over him.
My first raised.
My heels missing.
Looking completely insane.
"..."
I scrolled down.
There was a video too.
Me throwing my heels.
Me punching him.
Me trying to go after him again.
"..."
Jare was already wheezing.
Cole had tears in his eyes from laughing.
"You punched one of the most powerful men in the world in front of hundreds of people," Angelo said.
"Twice."
"Three times if Clyden hadn't stopped you," Cole corrected.
I ignored them and kept scrolling.
Then another article appeared.
My smile disappeared.
WATSON DIVORCE RUMORS GROW STRONGER AFTER PUBLIC FIGHT
MARRIAGE APPEARS TO BE REACHING ITS BREAKING POINT
My fingers tightened around the phone.
Another article.
Another headline.
Another prediction.
Divorce.
Separation.
Affairs.
Betrayal.
It was everywhere.
My chest suddenly felt heavy.
Last night came rushing back.
The kiss.
The lipstick.
The unanswered calls.
The way Kie--knwanan. never explained anything.
Orion shifted in my arms and rested his head against my shoulder.
I stared at the screen.
Then I quietly handed the phone back.
I didn't laugh this time.
"You idiot."
Mia smacked Jare on the back of the head.
"What?" Jare complained.
I forced a smile.
"I'm okay."
Nobody looked convinced.
Before anyone could ask more questions, I stood up.
"Come on, Orion."
I picked him up and headed toward my room.
The second the door closed behind us, the smile disappeared.
I gently placed Orion on the bed.
Then I flopped down beside him.
"That jerk..."
I stared at the ceiling.
"I swear, if he doesn't show his face soon, I'm going to punch him again."
Orion crawled toward me.
Tiny hands reached for my face.
Pat.
Pat.
Pat.
I blinked.
"Are you consoling me now?"
He responded with a happy squeal.
I turned my head toward him.
Immediately, he crawled closer until our faces were only inches apart.
Then he leaned forward and pressed a sloppy little kiss onto my forehead.
Before pulling back and giggling proudly.
My heart melted.
"Oh no..."
I grabbed him and kissed both his cheeks.
"You learned how to weaponize cuteness."
Orion laughed harder.
Then he climbed right on top of me.
Like a tiny, determined mountain climber.
He settled against my chest and pressed his cheek against mine.
Giggling the entire time.
I wrapped an arm around him.
The warmth.
The trust.
The way he clung to me without hesitation.
It chased away some of the heaviness in my chest.
Maybe he'd missed me.
Or maybe he simply knew I needed him today.
Either way, I held him a little tighter.
And for the first time since the gala—
I smiled without forcing it.
"Today, we're spending the whole day together, okay?"
Orion immediately clapped his hands.
I laughed.
"Good. No complaints accepted."
I dressed him in a fluffy bunny outfit with little ears.
The moment I finished, I took at least twenty photos.
Because he looked ridiculously cute.
After packing everything we needed, I strapped him into his baby seat.
"Let's go, Caretaker."
Orion squealed in approval.
Our first stop was the park.
I spread a blanket across the grass and surrounded him with soft toys.
Milk bottles.
Snacks.
Everything a baby could possibly need.
Orion spent the first twenty minutes trying to eat the ears on his bunny outfit.
I considered that a successful outing.
Later, I lifted him onto my shoulders and walked around the park.
He was still small, but his little hands held onto my head like his life depended on it.
Every now and then, he'd lean down and pat my hair.
As if checking whether I was still there.
After that, we went to the mall.
A terrible decision.
Because I bought him so many stuffed animals that I could barely carry the bags.
Then groceries.
Then home.
The house was empty when we returned.
Everyone was out.
Just me and Orion.
"First, we need a bath."
I picked him up and carried him upstairs.
The moment he saw the bathroom, he started kicking his little legs excitedly.
"Someone's happy."
I removed his clothes and brought out his small bathtub.
After checking the water temperature twice, I filled it with warm water.
Perfect.
I carefully placed him inside.
Immediately, his eyes widened.
"Tada."
I reached behind me and pulled out a new bath toy.
A yellow duck.
"I bought you a new friend."
I set it on the water and pushed it gently.
The duck floated across the tub.
"Quack. Quack."
Orion stared at it.
Then his face lit up.
A huge smile appeared.
"There it is."
His tiny hands immediately reached for the duck.
Splash.
The duck tipped over.
Orion giggled.
I picked it up and made it swim again.
"Quack. Quack."
He laughed even harder.
Soon the bathroom was filled with splashing, giggling, and ducks floating everywhere.
After washing his hair and making sure he was clean, I sighed in relief.
Mission accomplished.
Or at least that's what I thought.
Because somehow I was wetter than he was.
My shirt was soaked.
My hair was dripping.
My face had been attacked by approximately ten liters of water.
I looked at Orion.
He looked at me.
Then we both looked at the bathtub.
"Move over."
Orion squealed happily as I climbed in beside him.
For the next fifteen minutes, we played with toy ducks, floating animals, and little plastic dolls.
Every time his tiny hands slapped the water, droplets flew everywhere.
And every time that happened, he laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.
Honestly...
It was adorable.
Eventually I checked the time.
"Okay, little man. Bath time is over."
Orion immediately disagreed.
Very loudly.
I ignored the protest.
Because if he stayed in any longer, he'd catch a cold.
After a brief battle, I wrapped him in a fluffy towel and carried him to the bedroom.
Fresh clothes.
Fresh diaper.
Changed him into fresh pajamas.
Done.
Meanwhile, I threw on a simple T-shirt and shorts.
Orion sat proudly on the bed looking like he'd won the argument anyway.
I carried him downstairs.
Then I sat him in his chair while I cooked lunch.
Fed him.
Gave him his milk.
And eventually, we ended up on the couch watching anime together.
Orion sat between my legs while I wrapped my arms around him.
Every now and then he'd point at the screen and babble nonsense.
Like he was giving me a detailed review.
It was peaceful.
Comfortable.
The kind of day I hadn't realized I needed.
Then suddenly—
Orion started crying.
I immediately paused the anime.
"Hey, hey..."
His face scrunched up.
Tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Dada..."
I froze.
"Dada."
His tiny hands reached toward the door.
"Dada... da..."
My heart sank.
He wasn't hurt.
He wanted Kiefer.
I swallowed hard.
Throughout the entire day, we'd passed families in the park.
Families in the mall.
Parents holding hands.
Fathers carrying their children.
And every single time—
I'd thought about Kiefer.
I just hadn't admitted it.
Now Orion was doing exactly what I'd been trying not to do.
Missing him.
"You miss your dad, huh?"
I pulled him into my arms.
He buried his face against my chest.
Still crying.
And suddenly the house felt too quiet.
Too empty.
I rocked him gently.
"I miss my husband too."
My voice cracked.
I kept swaying him.
Trying to calm him down.
Trying to calm myself down.
"It's okay mama here..."
But it wasn't.
No matter what I did, Orion kept crying.
"Dada..."
Again.
And again.
Like he needed Kiefer.
Like he couldn't understand why he wasn't here.
Something inside me finally broke.
Because I understood exactly how he felt.
I hugged him tighter.
"It's okay, caretaker."
Orion only cried harder.
"Dada..."
My heart cracked.
"Okay, okay."
With trembling hands, I grabbed my phone.
Maybe if he saw Kiefer, he'd calm down.
I opened my gallery.
The first photo was me and Kiefer.
His arm around my waist.
My head resting on his shoulder.
I swallowed.
Then turned the screen toward Orion.
"Look."
I wiped his tears.
"Daddy is right here."
Orion immediately grabbed the phone with both hands.
"Dada!"
His eyes lit up.
For a second, I thought it worked.
Then he started crying again.
Harder.
Reaching for the screen.
Tiny fingers touching Kiefer's face.
"Dada..."
The sound that came out of him was so desperate it hurt.
I scrolled through more photos.
Kiefer carrying him.
Kiefer asleep on the couch with him on his chest.
Kiefer feeding him.
Kiefer laughing.
Kiefer hugging both of us.
Photo after photo.
Memory after memory.
Every picture felt like a knife twisting deeper into my chest.
Because I hadn't realized how many there were.
Most of them were us.
Me and Kiefer tangled together on the couch.
Kiefer teasing me while I tried to take a picture.
Us hugging.
Us laughing.
Us lying in bed.
Us being happy.
I stared at the screen.
At the life we'd built together.
And suddenly it felt impossible to breathe.
"Dada..."
Orion pressed his little hand against Kiefer's face on the phone.
Then looked behind me.
Like he expected him to appear.
When he didn't—
he cried again.
And before I knew it, tears were falling down my own face.
I laughed weakly through them.
"You're not supposed to make Mommy cry too."
I laughed weakly through the tears.
Orion cried.
I cried.
And soon we were both sitting on the couch, crying so loudly that anyone walking past the house would think the world had ended.
Maybe for us—
it felt a little like it had.
"Jay, what happened?"
I looked up.
Mia had just come in from outside.
Behind her were Jare, Clyden Kuya, Angelo, and the others.
The moment Clyden saw Orion crying, he immediately took him from my arms.
Orion reached for me.
Still crying.
And somehow that only made me cry harder.
Mia sat beside me and pulled me into a hug.
"Hey, hey..."
Her hand rubbed my back.
"What's wrong?"
I couldn't answer.
Not right away.
Because if I started talking, I knew everything would come out.
"Is it about Kiefer?" she asked softly.
That was it.
The final crack.
"It's so suffocating, Mia."
My voice broke.
I buried my face against her shoulder.
"It hurts so much."
Mia tightened her arms around me.
"Jay..."
"Even Orion misses him."
I looked toward Clyden.
Orion was still crying and reaching toward me.
Toward the door.
Toward someone who wasn't there.
"He keeps calling for his dad."
Fresh tears rolled down my face.
"I can't even be upset about it."
Because I understood.
I missed him too.
"I can't see him."
My chest tightened.
"And I'm hurting because he's not here."
The confession came out in pieces.
Broken.
Messy.
Honest.
"Why am I the one crying?"
I wiped my face.
"Why was I worried sick while he wasn't answering me?"
Another sob escaped.
"Why does it feel like I'm the only one missing him?"
The room fell silent.
Nobody had an answer.
Because none of them knew what had happened either.
Jare walked over and gently bounced Orion in his arms.
"Jay, stop crying."
He nodded toward the baby.
"Orion's crying because you're crying."
I laughed bitterly through my tears.
"Sorry, baby."
Orion answered with another loud cry.
Great.
Now we'd both lost control.
I leaned back against the couch.
Exhausted.
Emotionally drained.
"I'm really tired, Kuya."
My voice was barely above a whisper.
Everyone looked at me.
Not because I was crying.
But because of how defeated I sounded.
"I'm tired of pretending I'm okay."
I stared at the ceiling.
Every room in this house had a memory of him.
Every song reminded me of him.
Every meal.
Every stupid little thing.
No matter where I looked—
Kiefer was there.
"I try not to think about him."
A tear slid down my cheek.
"But every time I see something..."
I let out a shaky laugh.
"He just won't get out of my head."
For the first time since the gala—
nobody tried to give me advice.
Nobody told me to calm down.
Nobody told me to wait.
Because they could finally see it.
This wasn't anger anymore.
It was heartbreak.
I wiped my face angrily.
Then looked at everyone in the room.
One by one.
Clyden.
Jare.
Angelo.
Cole.
All of them suddenly looked uncomfortable.
My stomach dropped.
"You all know something."
Nobody answered.
The silence was answer enough.
"You all know something and you're not telling me."
My voice trembled.
"I feel like I'm dying missing him."
Orion reached for me.
Still sniffling.
I immediately took him from Clyden and hugged him against my chest.
Rocking him gently.
Kissing his forehead.
Trying to calm him down.
Trying to calm myself down.
"You all knew?"
Nobody spoke.
The room became suffocatingly quiet.
Then—
"I'm done with this."
Mia stood up so abruptly that everyone looked at her.
"I'm done watching her cry."
"Mia," Jare warned.
"No."
She pointed at all of them.
"No."
Her voice shook with anger.
"I can't sit here and watch her break like this."
"Mia."
"Because of all of you, Kiefer is staying away from her."
The room froze.
Even Orion stopped fussing for a second.
I blinked.
"What?"
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
I looked at Mia.
"What are you talking about?"
Mia stared right back at me.
Then she said the words that made my heart stop.
"Kiefer was here."
The world seemed to go silent.
"What?"
My voice came out as a whisper.
"He was with you for the entire fucking three days."
I laughed.
A confused, disbelieving laugh.
"That's not funny."
"I'm not joking."
The smile vanished from my face.
My fingers tightened around Orion.
"What do you mean he was here?"
Mia glanced at the others.
None of them stopped her.
None of them corrected her.
Which terrified me more.
"We were in London too."
My chest tightened.
"Kiefer was with Orion."
The room spun.
"We stayed at the Watson Hotel."
I stared at her.
Unable to process the words.
No.
That couldn't be right.
Because if Kiefer had been there—
I would've known.
Wouldn't I?
I searched everyone's faces.
Looking for someone to tell me Mia was lying.
Nobody did.
Not a single person.
The realization hit me slowly.
Then another thought struck me.
I looked around the room.
"Where are Kiegen and Kieran?"
Nobody answered.
My stomach dropped.
I looked at Clyden.
Then Angelo.
Then Cole.
"Didn't you tell me they were visiting their uncle?"
My voice became quieter.
More dangerous.
"You lied to me about that too?"
The silence was deafening.
Nobody met my eyes.
Nobody denied it.
That was all the answer I needed.
Something inside me snapped.
Without another word, I grabbed my keys.
Lifted Orion into my arms.
And headed straight for the door.
"Jay."
Clyden caught my wrist.
I stopped.
Slowly turning toward him.
"Let go."
"Jay, listen—"
"No."
"Please."
His voice cracked.
"Don't go."
I stared at him.
For the first time, I noticed fear in his eyes.
Not guilt.
Fear.
My grip tightened on Orion.
"Kuya..."
My voice shook.
"Don't."
"Jay—"
"It was my decision."
I pulled my hand free.
"My choice."
The words came out harsher than I intended.
"I Need to See my Damn got husband Now."
The room fell silent.
Nobody argued.
Nobody corrected me.
Then Angelo spoke.
"It's not for you."
I frowned.
"What?"
His jaw tightened.
"It's for him."
A cold feeling settled in my chest.
I looked from Angelo to Cole.
Then back again.
Nobody would look at me.
Suddenly I didn't want the answer anymore.
Because whatever it was—
it was bad.
"What do you mean?"
Cole swallowed.
Then finally looked at me.
"The day you ran..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Kiefer got attacked."
The keys slipped from my hand.
They hit the floor with a sharp clatter.
"What?"
The word left my mouth before I could stop it.
My ears rang.
The room blurred.
"What did you say?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Because they could see it.
The exact moment the anger disappeared from my face.
And fear took its place.
"Kiefer got attacked," Cole repeated.
"He was in the hospital because of his injuries."
I stared at him.
Waiting for him to laugh.
Waiting for someone to tell me it was a joke.
A misunderstanding.
Anything.
"Don't lie to me, Kuya."
My voice barely came out.
Nobody answered.
And that terrified me more than anything.
"No," Cole said quietly. "He was attacked."
The room felt smaller.
Harder to breathe in.
"He almost died."
My knees nearly gave out.
"He what?"
"Angelo got there in time," Cole continued. "That's why you couldn't reach him."
The world went silent.
Every unanswered call.
Every ignored message.
Every moment I spent staring at my phone.
Waiting.
Crying.
Wondering why he wasn't answering.
My chest hurt.
Then anger exploded through me.
I laughed.
A broken, disbelieving laugh.
"Then why?"
Everyone flinched.
"Why did you hide it from me?"
Nobody answered.
I looked at each of them.
One by one.
"You all knew."
My voice shook.
"And none of you told me."
"Jay—"
"No."
I stepped back.
Holding Orion tighter against my chest.
"No."
His little hands gripped my shirt.
While my entire world tilted beneath my feet.
"His condition was critical," Jare said quietly. "We didn't want to tell you."
I stared at him.
Unable to believe what I was hearing.
"You didn't want to tell me?"
The laugh that escaped me sounded almost hysterical.
"He was my husband."
The words came out louder this time.
"I'm his legal guardian."
I pointed at my chest.
"I was supposed to be there."
Tears blurred my vision.
"You don't get to decide that for me."
Nobody spoke.
"What if I never saw him again?"
The room froze.
My eyes burned.
"What if I never got another chance?"
A tear slipped down my cheek.
"What if he died?"
The word shattered coming out of my mouth.
"What?"
My breathing became uneven.
"You were going to tell me after?"
I looked directly at Clyden.
At Angelo.
At Cole.
All of them.
"Were you going to tell me when he was dead?"
"Jay—"
"DON'T."
My voice echoed through the room.
Even Orion startled.
I immediately kissed his head.
"I'm sorry, baby."
Then I looked back at them.
Furious.
Heartbroken.
Betrayed.
"Don't fucking call me Jay."
The room went silent.
Because they had never heard me speak to them like that.
"Do you have any idea what those three days were like?"
My voice cracked.
"You watched me cry."
Another tear fell.
"You watched me blame myself."
Another.
"You watched me think he didn't want me."
My chest rose and fell rapidly.
"And you knew."
Nobody could meet my eyes.
"You knew he was fighting for his life."
The silence was unbearable.
"You knew."
I shook my head.
Unable to understand it.
Unable to forgive it.
"Even after seeing how badly, I was breaking..."
My voice dropped to a whisper.
"You still hid him from me."
The room was silent.
Then I looked at everyone.
"If you think I would've just sat alone while something happened to him..."
My voice cracked.
"You don't know me at all."
"Jay..." Jare started.
"Don't."
Before he could continue, Clyden stepped forward.
"Jare."
The warning in his voice was clear.
"Stop."
"No."
Jare turned toward him.
His own patience had finally snapped.
"No."
The room went silent.
For the first time, even Clyden looked uncertain.
I looked between them.
My heart pounding.
"What?"
Nobody answered.
The fear in my chest grew.
"Why are you still hiding things from me?"
Silence.
"Tell me."
"Jay—"
"TELL ME!"
My voice echoed through the house.
Orion flinched in my arms.
I immediately hugged him closer.
But my eyes never left Jare.
"Let her know, Kuya."
Jare's voice was shaking now.
Not with anger.
With frustration.
"Why are you still stopping me?"
"Jare."
"No."
He pointed toward me.
"She deserves to know."
My stomach dropped.
Because suddenly—
I wasn't sure I wanted to know anymore.
Jare looked directly at me.
"What do you think happened, Jay?"
I frowned.
"What?"
"Why do you think Kiefer got attacked in the first place?"
The room froze.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
A cold feeling crawled down my spine.
"What do you mean?"
Jare laughed bitterly.
Not because it was funny.
Because it wasn't.
"It wasn't random."
The words hit me like ice water.
My grip tightened around Orion.
"What are you talking about?"
Jare looked away.
For a second, he seemed to regret speaking.
Then he looked back at me.
His eyes full of anger.
And pity.
"The attack happened because of you."
The world stopped.
"What?"
The word barely left my mouth.
I couldn't have heard that right.
Jare swallowed.
Then said the words that shattered the room.
"The people who came after Kiefer..."
His voice dropped.
"They weren't looking for him."
My heart stopped.
"They were looking for you."