Jay-Jay (POV)
I leaned against the wall, using it to support my weight.
Getting to my feet wasn't even an option.
My stomach felt like it had been ripped apart from the inside.
Now that the drug was wearing off, every injury was waking up with it.
The pain was unbearable.
I wanted to hold my stomach.
Wanted to ease the agony somehow.
But my arms were still tied behind my back.
A shaky breath escaped my lips.
For the first time, I truly felt how close I had come to dying.
I forced myself to look up at the man standing in front of me.
My throat burned.
Every word hurt.
I forced myself to look at him.
My vision blurred.
My lungs still ached from the lack of air.
"Who..." I gasped for air.
My voice cracked.
"...are you?"
The words barely left my throat.
Every syllable felt like broken glass.
The man didn't answer.
Instead, he crouched in front of me.
His dark eyes studied my face.
Then his gaze moved to the bruises around my neck.
The fingerprints.
The blood on my lip.
His expression darkened.
Slowly, he reached out and brushed his thumb against the corner of my mouth.
A streak of blood stained his finger.
For a moment, he simply stared at it.
Then his eyes shifted toward Cyrus's body.
Something dangerous flashed across his face.
"How dare he."
BANG.
The gunshot made me flinch.
Even though Cyrus was already dead, the man fired another bullet into his corpse.
Then another.
And another.
Each shot filled the room with deafening echoes.
Not because Cyrus needed to die.
Because this man needed to release his anger.
My stomach tightened.
This wasn't justice.
This was obsession.
Finally, he lowered the gun.
His breathing steadied.
Then he turned back to me.
With a snap of his fingers, several men immediately rushed into the room.
"Take care of it."
His voice was calm.
The men didn't hesitate.
They dragged Cyrus's body away and began cleaning the blood from the floor.
Efficient.
Almost like they had done this many times before.
My stomach twisted.
Then I realized something.
They weren't just cleaning the room.
They were cleaning it before I could look at it for too long.
Before the blood could make me panic.
Before the sight could overwhelm me.
As if he already knew.
As if he knew exactly how much I hated blood.
One of the men stepped forward and reached for the ropes around my wrists.
The man's expression instantly darkened.
"Don't touch her."
The single word froze everyone.
The guard immediately stepped back.
No one argued.
No one questioned him.
Slowly, he crouched in front of me.
Then he reached behind my back and untied the ropes himself.
The moment the ropes fell away, pain shot through my numb arms.
I winced.
A bottle of water was brought over.
The man took it and held it out to me.
My hands trembled too badly to grab it.
The drug.
The pain.
The exhaustion.
Everything was catching up to me.
He sighed.
"Still as stubborn as ever."
Carefully, he lifted the bottle to my lips.
I hated that I needed the help.
But my throat felt like it was on fire.
I took a few small sips.
The cool water burned all the way down.
I couldn't tell if he was helping me because he cared...
Or because he wanted me alive.
Neither answer made me feel better.
His eyes never left mine.
Then he laughed.
A cold, humorless laugh.
"How dare you sleep with him and have his child when you were supposed to be mine?"
My blood ran cold.
Slowly, he pointed toward Orion.
My heart stopped.
Then the barrel of his gun followed.
Directly at my son.
"Don't."
The word tore out of my throat.
Pain exploded through my damaged vocal cords.
I didn't care.
Just not Orion.
The man's eyes narrowed.
Interesting.
As if my reaction had confirmed something for him.
He grabbed my jaw suddenly.
Hard.
Pain shot through my face.
"Didn't I tell you?"
His grip tightened.
"You're mine."
I glared at him.
Even as fear crawled through every inch of my body.
"It was my choice whether you lived or died."
His voice dropped lower.
More dangerous.
"You chose to live."
His eyes burned with something far worse than anger.
Obsession.
"And while I was gone..."
His gaze flickered toward Orion.
Then back to me.
"You built an entirely new life."
The room felt colder.
"I can forgive many things, Jay."
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
And somehow it terrified me more than his anger.
"But that..."
He tilted his head.
"I haven't decided whether to forgive."
For the first time that night...
I wasn't sure if surviving Cyrus had actually saved me.
"You said you would love me."
His voice cracked.
"You said you'd do everything I asked."
He took another step forward; his eyes locked on mine.
"Then why him? Huh?"
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"Did you forget what happened to you because of him?"
My heart pounded.
What was he talking about?
"You said you'd never leave me." His voice dropped to a whisper. "That's why I left."
His hands clenched into fists.
"I left so I could become stronger. So I could protect you. So I could take care of you."
His eyes were filled with hurt.
"How could you do this to me?"
I stared at him, completely frozen.
Every word sounded like it was meant for me.
But none of it made sense.
I didn't remember making promises to anyone.
I didn't remember loving him.
I didn't even know who he was.
My throat tightened.
A thousand questions raced through my mind.
I wanted to ask who he was.
I wanted to ask why he was blaming me.
I needed answers.
But my throat felt destroyed.
Every breath hurt.
Every swallow burned.
No words came out.
The man watched me struggle for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"Do you want to ask if I know you?"
His voice was almost amused.
I nodded weakly.
A sharp pain shot through my neck.
Damn it.
Cyrus had really done cracked me.
I should have killed him myself.
The man chuckled softly.
"Who am I?"
He tilted his head.
"Someone who would do anything for you, my love."
My stomach twisted.
His fingers slid beneath my chin and lifted my face.
I wanted to pull away.
I couldn't.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Orion crawling toward me.
Slowly.
Unsteadily.
Still crying.
Relief flooded through me.
At least he was okay.
But that relief didn't last.
Because the man's eyes followed him.
And the look on his face made my blood run cold.
"I really hate him."
His voice remained calm.
Too calm.
"He looks too much like Kaiser son."
My heart skipped a beat.
He knew Kiefer father.
Who the hell was this man?
Orion finally reached me.
The moment his tiny hand touched my leg, some of the panic inside me eased.
Just a little.
I wanted to hold him.
Wanted to pull him into my arms.
But I couldn't even lift my hands properly.
And all I could think was—
Kiefer...
Where are you?
The man's gaze lingered on Orion for another moment.
Then he looked back at me and smiled.
A warm smile.
One that somehow terrified me more than his anger.
"So."
He sat down in front of me.
"Let's talk."
His thumb brushed across the back of my hand.
"It's been a long time since we last met."
I flinched when he took my wrist.
Pain shot through my bruised arm.
He ignored it.
Slowly, he lifted my hand to his cheek and closed his eyes.
As if he had missed this.
As if he had dreamed about it.
"I really missed you touch."
Then he pressed a kiss against my knuckles.
Disgust crawled through my skin.
My entire body tensed.
He noticed.
Of course he did.
But instead of getting angry, he laughed.
"Don't look so scared."
His fingers tightened around my hand.
"I'm not going to kill you."
His eyes darkened.
"Not now."
A chill ran down my spine.
Then he leaned closer.
And smiled.
"I want to give you a choice."
A smile tugged at his lips.
"Because you gave me a new life."
He tilted his head slightly.
"A new reason to live."
My heart sank.
Every instinct in my body screamed that something was wrong.
"You trust the Watsons, don't you?"
His gaze locked onto mine.
"Especially Kiefer."
The smile on his face widened.
"Let's see if that trust survives the truth."
My body felt too heavy.
Too broken.
But one thing became clear.
He wasn't only talking about Kiefer.
The way he said it...
He knew Clyden kuya.
Cassy too.
The realization sent a chill down my spine.
The man leaned back slightly.
"I really hate the Watsons."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"But you..."
His eyes darkened as they locked onto mine.
"Out of everyone in the world, you married one."
Before I could react, his hand came up and gripped my arm.
I froze.
The hatred in his eyes was impossible to miss.
Why?
Why did he hate Kiefer so much?
His jaw tightened.
"I even watched you tonight."
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
"I watched you stand beside him."
His fingers tightened slightly.
"I watched you look at him like he was your entire world."
My stomach twisted.
"And then..."
His gaze dropped to my lips.
"I watched you kiss him."
The room suddenly felt colder.
Every nerve in my body went rigid.
The way he said it didn't sound jealous.
My stomach dropped.
He was there.
At the party.
Watching.
His fingers curled into fists.
"I wanted to rip his throat out for touching you."
The hatred in his voice made my blood run cold.
"You shouldn't look at him like that."
He took another step closer.
"Because every second you love him..."
His eyes darkened.
"He gets closer to death's door."
A chill shot down my spine.
For the first time since meeting him, his calm mask cracked.
The controlled smile was gone.
The patience was gone.
What remained was something far worse.
Rage.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
Possessive.
"Don't trust them."
His voice became softer.
More dangerous.
"Kiefer."
He counted on his fingers.
"Clyden."
Then another.
"Cassian."
"They've all been hiding things from you."
I stared at him.
Confused.
What was he talking about?
He studied my expression carefully.
As if searching for something.
Then he laughed.
"You don't believe me."
His smile returned.
"Good."
He tilted his head.
"You never trusted me either."
His eyes became distant.
Almost nostalgic.
"But if you remembered..."
His gaze locked onto mine.
"If you remembered what happened back then..."
The smile disappeared.
"You would've never believed them."
My heart skipped a beat.
Back then?
What back then?
Was he talking about my missing memories?
The pieces I still couldn't remember?
The room suddenly felt smaller.
I wanted answers.
Needed answers.
But my body was beginning to give out.
My eyelids felt heavy.
Everything hurt.
Then he spoke again.
And every trace of exhaustion vanished.
"You know Kiefer was shot recently."
My body froze.
The man's smile widened.
"That was me."
The room fell silent.
"I pulled the trigger myself."
My blood ran cold.
What?
"I wanted him dead."
There was no hesitation.
No regret.
Only satisfaction.
"But I left him alive."
His eyes gleamed.
"Because I knew that monster wouldn't die so easily."
Rage exploded inside me.
If I could move...
If I could stand...
I would've killed him myself.
"Jay."
His voice sounded almost amused.
"Don't look at me like that."
He crouched in front of me.
"Kiefer survived."
He spread his arms dramatically.
"See? Everything worked out."
I wanted to scream.
Instead, pain tore through my damaged throat.
The man laughed.
Then his expression slowly turned thoughtful.
"You really think entering a Watson mansion is easy?"
My heart sank.
"No."
He tapped his temple.
"I had help."
The room spun.
His smile widened.
"You left London unexpectedly."
He watched my reaction carefully.
"Who do you think told me? That Kiefer was alone"
My blood turned to ice.
Nobody knew.
Nobody.
Only Kiegen and Kiran knew I was leaving.
The thought hit me like a truck.
No.
No way.
The room suddenly blurred.
My body was shutting down.
The pain.
The drug.
The exhaustion.
Everything crashed into me at once.
The man noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
Before I could fall forward, he caught me.
One hand supporting the back of my head.
Almost gently.
Almost.
His fingers brushed through my hair.
"Sleep."
My vision darkened.
"We'll continue this conversation later."
His voice sounded far away now.
The last thing I saw was his smile.
Then he leaned close and whispered into my ear.
"Next time..."
A strange smile appeared on his face.
"I'll tell you the part they never wanted you to remember and who I'm??."
My heart stopped.
Remember?
Before I could ask what, he meant, Pain exploded through my body.
The room spun.
My vision blurred.
For a second, I thought it had all been a nightmare.
Until I heard his voice.
Calm.
Patient.
Terrifying.
"Go home."
I froze.
He was standing in the shadows a few feet away.
Watching me.
His eyes met mine.
And he smiled.
"We'll meet again."
A chill ran down my spine.
He took a step back into the darkness.
"Because no matter where you run..."
His gaze never left mine.
"I'll find you."
Another step.
"And when the time comes..."
His smile widened.
"I'll come for you again."
The shadows swallowed him whole.
Leaving me alone.
Shaking.
And more terrified than I had ever been in my life.
then darkness.
Clyden (POV)
We brought Jay home.
Orion had a fever, and Jay hadn't woken up for almost a day.
The bruises covering her body had darkened into ugly shades of purple.
Every time I looked at them, rage burned inside my chest.
Whoever that bastard was...
He was dead.
Nobody touched my sister and walked away from it.
Kiefer hadn't spoken to anyone since we found her.
Not a single word.
He stayed beside Orion the entire time.
The kid was exhausted from crying himself sick, and Kiefer refused to leave his side for even a second.
A doctor was staying in the house in case Jay's condition worsened.
The whole mansion felt suffocating.
Silent.
Waiting.
But one question kept haunting all of us.
If someone truly wanted Jay...
Why didn't they kill her?
They had the perfect opportunity.
They had her alone.
Defenseless.
Unprotected.
So why let her go?
Why leave her alive?
Why only hurt her?
The answer terrified me more than anything.
Because maybe hurting her was never the goal.
Maybe they wanted something else.
Something we had buried long ago.
A secret.
A past.
One we had spent years hiding from her.
My jaw tightened.
No.
It couldn't be.
He couldn't be back.
Could he?
The thought alone made my blood run cold.
Then suddenly—
"DOCTOR!"
Jare's voice echoed through the house.
Panic.
Pure panic.
Every one of us rushed toward Jay's room.
The moment I stepped inside, my heart nearly stopped.
Jay was thrashing violently on the bed.
Her chest rose and fell in frantic gasps.
Sweat covered her face.
Her hands clawed at the sheets as if she were fighting something none of us could see.
The sight punched the air from my lungs.
It was happening again.
Exactly like that day.
The day we prayed she would never remember.
The day everything changed.
"Is she okay?" Jare asked, panic clear in his voice.
The doctor rushed to Jay's side, checking her pulse while Jay continued to gasp for air.
Her body trembled violently.
Tears streamed down her face even though she wasn't awake.
"She's having a severe panic attack," the doctor said urgently. "She may be trying to remember something... or she's trapped in a nightmare that's triggering a traumatic response."
"Then sedate her," Cole snapped. "Control her body."
The doctor shook her head.
"I already gave her two doses."
The room fell silent.
"If I give her another injection, it could become an overdose. Her breathing is already unstable. More medication could make things much worse."
Fear settled heavily over the room.
Nobody knew what to do.
Jay's breathing became more frantic.
Her hands clawed desperately at the sheets.
As if she were fighting invisible demons.
Then Kiefer spoke.
"Get out."
His voice was low.
Deadly calm.
Every head turned toward him.
He was sitting on the bed, holding Jay tightly against his chest, refusing to let her hurt herself.
"Kiefer..." I warned.
He looked up.
The glare he gave us froze everyone in place.
There was desperation in his eyes.
Fear.
Determination.
And something else.
Something dangerous.
"Get. Out."
Nobody moved.
I felt my stomach tighten.
Then I removed my hand from his shoulder.
"Let's go."
"But Jay is having a panic attack—" Cassian started.
I grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door.
"Trust him."
One by one, everyone left the room.
The doctor hesitated.
Then even she walked out.
The door closed behind us.
And for a moment, nobody spoke.
"Is she going to be okay?" Percy asked quietly.
The fear in his voice broke my heart.
I pulled both Percy and Jare into a hug.
"Trust Kiefer," I said.
"He'll find a way."
I wanted to believe my own words.
I really did.
But as I stared at the closed door, dread settled deep inside my chest.
Because I wasn't afraid Jay would die.
I was afraid of something far worse.
I was afraid she would fall back into that darkness again.
And this time...
She might not find her way back to us.