Cassia (POV)
It's been three days since Jay came home.
Three days of nightmares.
Three days of waking up to her screams in the middle of the night.
Cole and Angelo were busy with the investigation.
Aries had returned to the Philippines, saying he had an emergency meeting.
Clyden was buried in Watson business matters.
Jare and Mia had practically taken over caring for Orion because Kiefer was constantly with Jay.
She still woke up shouting from her dreams.
And everything in the house felt purple.
Heavy.
Bruised.
Broken.
I didn't have the courage to face her.
But eventually, I forced myself to.
I knew Jay would understand me.
Kiefer, however, was guarding her like a national treasure.
When I asked if I could talk to her alone, he stared at me for a long moment before finally agreeing.
I wasn't mad at him.
I had no reason to be.
I blamed myself too.
So, when Kiefer left us alone, I walked toward her bed.
Jay looked up from where she was sitting.
The bruises were fading.
The fear in her eyes wasn't.
"Jay..." I swallowed hard. "How are you?"
She raised an eyebrow and gave me a confused look.
Then she gestured for me to continue.
"I'm sorry."
My voice cracked.
"I'm sorry I left you."
Tears burned behind my eyes.
"You got dragged into all this because of me."
Jay immediately shook her head.
"No."
That was what she was trying to say.
But the injury to her throat stopped the words from coming out.
She looked around the room before reaching toward the bedside table.
I followed her gaze.
A small sticky-note pad.
I grabbed it along with a pen from my pocket and handed them to her.
Jay smiled softly before taking them.
Then she started writing.
I waited.
The room was silent except for the scratching of the pen.
A minute later, she turned the note toward me.
"You're alive? I thought you died because you couldn't show your fucking face to me."
I couldn't help it.
A smile escaped me.
"I was busy," I lied.
Jay narrowed her eyes at me.
Then she scribbled something else and shoved the note into my hands.
"Why are you blaming yourself? I ran away, and you literally told me not to."
She wrote another line.
"And I'm alive and kicking."
Then she lifted both fists and threw a few pathetic punches into the air.
I laughed despite myself.
"So, how are you feeling?" I asked.
Jay immediately grabbed the pen again.
A few seconds later, she showed me another note.
"I was scared I was going to turn into a fish."
I frowned.
"Why?"
She rolled her eyes dramatically and wrote again.
"Kiefer only feeds me water and soup."
Another line.
"I'm dying."
And another.
"I want lechon."
A laugh burst out of me.
A real laugh.
The first one in days.
"Kiefer said he'll feed you everything you want when we get back to Manila."
Jay nodded seriously before writing again.
"If I survive until then."
I shook my head.
"Drama queen."
She rolled her eyes.
Then she wrote something else.
When she turned the note around, my smile faded.
"You finally smiled."
My chest tightened.
Of course she noticed.
Even now.
Even after everything she'd been through.
She was trying to make me feel better.
Jay lowered her gaze and began writing again.
This time, she took longer.
When she finally handed me the note, my eyes immediately burned.
"You were the one who found me."
My fingers tightened around the paper.
She wrote one more sentence underneath.
"So stop feeling guilty."
Then another.
"I don't die that easily."
Jay reached over and squeezed my hand.
Her grip was weak.
But her smile wasn't.
And for the first time since she came home...
I believed her.
A few moments later, Jay grabbed the notepad again.
"How did you find me? I was in the left-wing mansion. Nobody uses that place anymore, right?"
"Because of Adrian," I said.
The change in her expression was immediate.
Her eyes widened.
Not because she knew him.
Because she didn't.
She stared at me for a second before looking down at the pad again.
Then she quickly scribbled something and shoved it toward me.
"You said you're feeling guilty."
I nodded cautiously.
She continued writing.
"Then I need something from you."
"What is it?" I asked, moving closer.
Jay wrote a single sentence.
"Take me to that kid. He must be waiting for me."
I nearly choked.
"What?"
She pointed at the note.
"I know what it says!"
I ran a hand through my hair.
"Jay, what do you mean take you to him?"
She tapped the paper impatiently.
"Do you know him?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"Then why—"
Before I could finish, she started writing again.
" i cant explain details now However ,when I saw him, something felt wrong."
Another line.
"He looked scared."
Another.
"Nobody looked worried about him."
I sighed.
"If Kiefer finds out I helped you sneak out, he'll kill me this time."
Jay rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck.
Then she wrote:
"He won't."
Another line.
"I'll protect you."
I laughed.
"That is not reassuring."
She ignored me and kept writing.
"If I tell him, he'll stop me."
Another line.
"He'll say I'm meddling again."
Her smile faded slightly.
"But I'm worried about that kid."
The sincerity in her eyes made my stomach twist.
Even after everything she'd been through...
She was worried about someone else.
maybe that's why everyone like her.
"I'll handle it," I said. "If you want to meet him, I'll bring him here tomorrow."
Jay immediately frowned.
Then she wrote so aggressively I thought she might tear the paper.
"That won't do."
Another line.
"I want to see where he lives."
Another.
"I want to find something myself."
I stared at her.
"Jay..."
She crossed her arms.
"No."
She pointed at the note.
I groaned.
"But it's hard enough hiding things from Kiefer."
She smirked.
I didn't like that smirk.
Not one bit.
Then she slowly raised a finger.
And pointed toward the window.
My eyes followed.
Then I looked back at her.
Then at the window.
Then at her again.
"Absolutely not."
Jay pointed at the window again.
"Absolutely not."
She nodded.
Like she'd already made the decision.
"Jay..."
She pointed again.
"Jay, do you want to die?"
She shook her head.
"Because that's the second floor."
She shrugged.
"Your legs will be crippled for life."
Jay stared at me for a moment.
Then she calmly picked up the pen.
"That's why you're coming too."
I blinked.
"What?"
She handed me another note.
"You can catch me."
I stared at her.
She stared at me.
"Have you hit your head?"
Jay's smile widened.
And for the first time since I'd walked into the room...
I realized something terrifying.
Getting kidnapped hadn't changed Jay at all.
She was still completely insane.
I wasn't scared even during my toughest meetings.
But Jay?
Jay was reckless.
A completely different kind of terrifying.
"What happened?" Percy asked.
He placed a hand on my shoulder.
"You look like you're sneaking out."
He said it with a smile.
Which was exactly the problem.
If Percy found out what Jay was planning, he wouldn't stop her.
He'd join her.
And handling one troublemaker was already difficult.
I couldn't survive two.
"Nothing," I said quickly. "I just remembered I forgot something important."
Percy narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Before he could start reading my mind, I immediately spoke again.
"Kiefer said he cooked something really delicious."
Percy's attention shifted instantly.
I continued.
"And he said he wanted to test recipe, and he wants to hear your jokes. So go entertain him."
Percy stared at me for a second.
Then he dramatically placed a hand on his chest.
"Kiefer baby..."
He pointed toward the kitchen.
"I'm coming."
I didn't wait for another word.
I practically ran away.
A few minutes later, I stepped outside.
And there she was.
Jay.
Standing by the window.
Waving excitedly at me.
I opened my mouth to tell her to wait.
Before I could say a single word—
She jumped.
"JAY!"
I lunged forward.
Thankfully, I caught her.
Unfortunately, we both hit the ground.
Hard.
"Damn it, Jay!" I groaned.
"At least say one, two, three before jumping!"
Jay grinned.
Actually grinned.
As if nearly giving me a heart attack was funny.
It probably was to her.
I helped her up and immediately carried her to the car before she could come up with another terrible idea.
"I hope Kiefer never finds out about this."
Jay patted my shoulder reassuringly.
For some reason, that only made me feel worse.
We got into the car, and I started driving.
Jay rolled down the window and rested her head against the frame, watching the world pass by.
"Jay, I swear, every time you run into trouble, you completely forget about Kiefer," I said. "You're not even fully recovered yet, and you're already creating another problem."
She scribbled something on her notepad and held it up for me to read.
I glanced at it briefly while keeping my eyes on the road.
"I know he hates it when I run off and get into trouble. But I also know he'll always come for me when I need him. I can't change who I am, and he knows that. That's probably why he hides things from me sometimes. Maybe that's just our love language."
I shot her a grumpy look.
"That's the stupidest logic I've ever heard."
She rolled her eyes and quickly scribbled another message.
"Believe me. You'll understand when you meet someone who can make you miserable and happy at the exact same time."
I let out a long sigh.
After that, the rest of the drive passed in silence.
When we finally reached the house entrance, I slowed the car.
But before I could park beside the curb, Jay suddenly grabbed my arm.
I stopped.
She pointed outside.
Then she opened the door and stepped out.
"Jay, wait—"
She ignored me.
Of course she did.
I got out and followed her.
Jay wasn't looking at the house.
She was staring at the wall surrounding it.
The excitement from earlier had completely vanished.
Now she looked focused.
Calculating.
And that terrified me.
"Jay..." I warned.
She looked at me.
"Don't say what I think you're about to say."
Her smile widened.
Oh no.
"You are not seriously thinking about climbing that huge freaking wall, are you?"
Jay immediately grabbed her notepad.
A few quick scribbles later, she held it up.
"Then how else am I supposed to sneak in?"
I stared at her.
She stared back.
Completely serious.
I covered my face with my hand.
"You're unbelievable."
Jay looked very proud of herself.
Of course she did.
"You're forgetting who I am," I said. "I'm Cassian Watson. I can just ask to meet him, and while everyone's distracted, you can sneak in. Use that fucking brain of yours."
Jay immediately scribbled something on her notepad and held it up.
"You're cursing a lot."
I stared at her.
"Is that really what's important right now?"
She grinned.
I groaned and got out of the car.
After parking, we headed toward the building.
As planned, Jay slipped around to the back entrance while I walked through the front door.
Jay-Jay (POV)
When I heard about that kid, I completely forgot about him at first.
But then I remembered.
The way he kept asking me to come see him.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Most people would've asked their family.
A friend.
Someone they trusted.
But Adrian had asked a complete stranger.
Me.
That didn't sit right with me.
If I asked Kiefer to bring me here, he would've done it.
But he also would've looked me straight in the eyes and said:
"Stay out of it, Jay."
The problem was...
I couldn't.
Not after seeing how tightly Adrian had held that tiny cupcake.
Like it was the most important thing in the world.
Like losing it would break him.
A kid doesn't cling to something like that unless it means something.
Unless he's scared.
So I wanted to see for myself.
What was he afraid of?
And why did I have such a bad feeling about all of this?
My throat still hurt.
The injury was healing, but talking was impossible.
The bruises on my body had started fading too.
At least now I could move without feeling like I'd been hit by a truck.
Eventually, I asked Cassian for help and sneak into the building.
I knew I was being reckless.
If Kiefer found out about this, he'd be furious.
But I had to do it.
If there was something I could do to help, then I couldn't just walk away.
I didn't want that kid to have a childhood like mine.
Or Kiefer's.
I still remembered what Kiegen had said—that he felt sorry for Adrian because he was alone.
And maybe that was why I couldn't stop thinking about him.
Why was he so desperate that he asked a complete stranger to adopt him?
What kind of life had pushed him to that point?
I wanted answers.
I had thought about asking Clyden Kuya for help, but ever since I woke up, he'd been acting strange around me.
Like he couldn't even look at me properly.
I didn't know what had happened while I was unconscious, but once I was fully recovered, we were going to have a long talk.
The house was bigger than I expected.
Too big.
Too quiet.
I looked around.
The problem was...
I had absolutely no idea which room Adrian was in.
Very helpful.
I stayed close to the walls and scanned the property.
Then I noticed a maid leaving through a side door carrying a laundry basket.
Kitchen entrance.
My eyes lit up.
Perfect.
I waited until she disappeared around the corner.
Then I quickly crossed the yard.
Every step made my heart beat faster.
Not because I was scared.
Slowly, I pushed the door open.
The kitchen was empty.
The smell of food still lingered in the air.
Pots hung from the ceiling.
Fresh vegetables covered one of the counters.
Somewhere deeper in the house, I could hear voices.
I slipped inside and quietly closed the door behind me.
Now came the hard part.
Finding Adrian.
I moved through the hallway as silently as possible.
I spotted Cassian talking to someone downstairs.
The moment the person approached him, his entire demeanor changed.
He turned cold.
Professional.
For a second, I barely recognized him.
Whatever he was saying seemed important, because the other person listened without interrupting.
Not wanting to get caught, I hurried up the stairs before anyone could notice me.
The problem was...
I had no idea which room I was supposed to search.
"You here."
I froze.
Slowly, I turned around.
Adrian was standing at the end of the hallway.
Relief flashed across his face.
I smiled and followed him into his room.
The room was nice.
Too nice.
But it didn't feel like a child's room.
There were no toys scattered around.
No drawings.
No signs that a kid actually lived there.
Even my room had more stuffed animals than this.
"Why are you late?" he asked.
I quickly scribbled on my sticky note.
"I can't talk right now. But I'm sorry for being late. I had an accident."
He nodded as if that explanation was enough.
Then footsteps echoed from the hallway.
My eyes widened.
Adrian immediately pointed toward a wardrobe.
I slipped inside just before the bedroom door opened.
Through the narrow gap, I watched a man in his forties walk in.
"Did you call your Tito?" he asked.
My stomach tightened.
Was this the person Cassian had been talking to?
"No," Adrian answered quietly.
The man's expression darkened.
"Then why did he come home?" he demanded. "Didn't I tell you to behave properly?"
Adrian immediately lowered his head.
"I'm sorry..."
The man's face twisted with anger.
"Sorry?" he spat. "Sorry won't bring my sister back."
My entire body went still.
"You're the monster who killed her."
"You're cursed."
"Worthless."
My hands clenched into fists.
Each word felt like a punch.
Not because of him.
Because I had heard those words before.
Different people.
Different voices.
The same cruelty.
Suddenly, I wasn't standing in Adrian's room anymore.
I was back in my own childhood.
Back to the whispers.
The blame.
My stepfathers abusing me
My head started to ache.
The room felt smaller.
The man's voice became distant, but every word still cut through me.
Adrian didn't move.
Something inside me snapped.
Before Adrian could answer, the man struck him.
I nearly burst out of the wardrobe.
But I forced myself to stay still.
Didn't cry.
Didn't even raise his hands to protect himself.
Like he already knew where the blows would land.
Like this wasn't the first time.
Something inside me broke
Then he hit him again.
Not on the face.
Not anywhere visible.
The kind of hits meant to leave no evidence.
Something inside me snapped.
The wardrobe door flew open.
I kicked it so hard it slammed into the man.
Before he could react, I crossed the room and drove my fist into his jaw.
He stumbled back in shock.
"Who the hell are you?" he shouted. "What are you doing in my house?"
Damn it.
If I could speak right now, I would've cursed him until he wished he'd never been born.
Instead, I stepped in front of Adrian.
The man laughed coldly.
Then he attacked me.
His fist connected with my face, and pain exploded across my jaw.
I stumbled backward.
Damn it.
My body was still sore from the accident.
Every movement hurt.
When had I become this weak?
I shoved him away with all the strength I had left.
He crashed into a nearby table.
A vase fell.
Glass shattered across the floor.
For a moment, everything went silent.
Then I saw it.
Blood.
It was dripping from his hand.
My stomach twisted.
The smell.
The sight.
The sound of broken glass.
Suddenly, I wasn't in Adrian's room anymore.
I was somewhere else.
Somewhere I had spent years trying to forget.
Voices filled my head.
Too many voices.
Too loud.
Too familiar.
"Bitch."
The man's voice snapped me back for a second as he lunged toward me again.
My hands were shaking.
"D-Don't move."
My voice came out broken.
Pain shot through my throat.
I barely had control over my body.
My fingers closed around a pen lying on the desk.
I pointed it at him.
"D-Don't cooome any clo.se r."
He scoffed.
I tightened my grip.
"I'll stabb youu."
But he kept walking toward me.
The smell of blood grew stronger.
The voices in my head became louder.
Faster.
Until I couldn't tell what was real anymore.
I swung the pen wildly.
For a second, I looked down.
My hands were covered in blood.
My breath caught.
Blood splattered across my skin.
Someone was screaming.
Or maybe I was.
A body hit the floor.
Motionless.
A growing pool of red spread beneath it.
My stomach twisted violently.
No.
That wasn't right.
There wasn't that much blood.
Then I saw him.
Kiegen.
Standing in the corner.
Crying.
My heart stopped.
What...?
Why was Kiegen here?
What was happening?
The room spun.
My head felt like it was splitting apart.
I couldn't breathe.
I couldn't move.
And then I realized something that terrified me even more.
Adrian was staring at me.
Afraid.
I was scaring him.
The same child I had come here to protect.
The pen slipped in my trembling hand.
The guardian was still shouting.
The voices were still screaming inside my head.
Everything blurred together.
Then someone rushed into the room.
The last thing I saw was a figure grabbing my raised arm.
Something hit the back of my head.
Darkness swallowed everything.
...
When I opened my eyes again, bright fluorescent lights greeted me.
I blinked.
Confused.
Disoriented.
A familiar face came into focus.
"Are you okay, Jay?" someone asked.
I frowned.
My head was pounding.
"How... am I here?"
The last thing I remembered was Adrian's room.
"Weren't we at the kid's house?"
My vision was still blurry.
I couldn't tell if what I was seeing was real or just another nightmare.
Everything felt distant.
Like I was watching someone else's life.
"Miss?"
A voice pulled me back.
I blinked.
A police officer was standing in front of me.
Only then did I realize where I was.
The police station.
"Do you know why you're here?" he asked gently.
I stared at my hands.
My heart began to pound.
Had I...
Had I hurt someone?
Had I killed someone?
Before I could think any further, a familiar voice shouted from across the room.
"That fucking bitch tried to kill me!"
I looked up.
Adrian's guardian.
His face was bruised.
One side was swollen.
"I want to file a case against her!" he yelled.
I stared at him.
Then back at my hands.
My stomach dropped.
"Did... I do that?"
The room went silent.
Everyone looked at me.
But none of it made sense.
I remembered pushing him.
I remembered punching him once.
But this?
I didn't remember this.
Not at all.
"See?" the man snapped. "She's crazy!"
My chest tightened.
"No."
Cassian's voice cut through the room.
Everyone turned toward him.
"I hit him."
I looked at Cassian.
His expression didn't change.
"It wasn't Jay."
The guardian immediately started arguing.
But I barely heard him.
My head was spinning.
Cassian had been talking to the police this whole time.
Trying to fix whatever mess I had caused.
Yet I couldn't even remember what happened after the vase broke.
My body didn't feel like mine anymore.
Like I had stepped outside of myself.
I shook my head hard.
No.
I needed to get a grip.
I raised both hands and slapped my cheeks.
Once.
Twice.
The sting helped.
A little.
I took a deep breath and finally looked up at everyone.
Before I could say anything—
"Wife..."
My heart stopped.
I turned around.
Kiefer.