Yuri's POV
The atmosphere in the mansion's living room was still loud and buzzing with energy, but my attention snapped to the grand staircase the moment footsteps echoed down the hall.
Keifer walked into the room first. He had a proud, insufferable smirk plastered across his face, looking exactly like a man who had just won the entire world in a single lottery ticket.
A second later, Jay stepped out behind him. Her face was completely flushed, a deep pinkish hue coating her cheeks. She was keeping her eyes trained strictly on the floor, refusing to look at anyone while trying desperately to look nonchalant and casual.
I didn't need a map to figure out what had just happened. They had clearly been up to something private during that sudden, quiet disappearance into the hallway.
Catching Keifer's eye as he reached the bottom of the stairs, I let out a slow, knowing grin. Keifer's smug smirk immediately vanished, replaced by a sharp, icy glare that told me to mind my own business. I just chuckled softly and turned my head away, letting him off the hook for the moment.
My eyes naturally drifted across the crowded room until they landed on Jane.
She was sitting comfortably on the couch, laughing brightly at some animated story Ava was telling. Her face was absolutely glowing under the warm living room lights. Watching her smile like that made a sudden wave of longing hit me. The living room was way too crowded, the noise level was giving me a headache, and all I really wanted right now was to spend some quality time alone with her.
Pulling out my phone from my pocket, I quickly typed out a text message under the edge of the table.
"Meet me in the guest room upstairs right now."
I slid the phone back into my pocket, stood up casually, and walked away from the chaos without drawing any unnecessary attention to myself.
The guest room at the end of the hall was quiet and cool. I paced around the polished floorboards for a couple of minutes, counting the seconds until the heavy brass door handle finally jiggled. The door pushed open, and Jane stepped inside, looking around the dim room with a curious expression.
Before she could even utter a single word, I reached out, grabbed her wrist, pulled her inside, and shut the heavy wooden door behind her. I twisted the lock with a sharp, echoing click.
Jane's breath hitched in her throat. Her back pressed gently against the locked door as she looked up at me, her eyes wide with surprise.
"What are you doing, Yuri?" she whispered, her voice a mix of sudden shock and quiet anticipation.
"Nothing," I murmured, leaning down to bridge the gap between us.
I didn't give her any time to argue or question me further. I leaned in and kissed her. It wasn't a gentle, polite kiss; it was deep, intense, and incredibly hot, fueled by all the waiting I had done downstairs while watching everyone else talk to her.
Jane gasped against my mouth in surprise, but within a fraction of a second, she was responding back just as fiercely. Her hands moved up, her fingers tangling tightly into my messy hair, pulling me closer until there was absolutely no space left between our bodies.
The world outside that locked room completely faded away. We stayed like that for what felt like hours, just breathing each other in, until the sheer lack of air forced me to reluctantly pull back.
Jane looked up at me, her lips slightly swollen and her cheeks flushed a beautiful crimson.
A slow, knowing smirk played on her lips as she caught her breath. "So... this was your urgent work?" she teased, her voice slightly breathless.
"Yeah," I said, a rough smile breaking across my face as I leaned back down toward her neck. "It's very important. And it's still not done."
I lowered my head, my lips just a millimetre away from hers, ready to pull her back into the heat, when a sudden, loud BANG BANG BANG violently shook the wood of the door.
"Kuya Yuri!"
I froze instantly. I groaned loudly, letting my forehead drop against Jane's shoulder in pure, unadulterated frustration. Jane, on the other hand, didn't show an ounce of sympathy. She just burst out laughing, the melodic sound ringing through the quiet room.
I stepped back, muttered a string of curses under my breath, and unlocked the door. Opening it revealed Keiren standing in the hallway, looking completely oblivious to the terrible timing he had just displayed.
"Kuya Yuri, Keifer kuya is calling you downstairs," Keiren said simply, blinking innocently.
"Fine," I grumbled, running an agitated hand through my hair.
Jane slipped past me with a playful, teasing wink, heading back down the stairs to find Jay.
I followed a few paces behind her, my romantic mood completely ruined. As soon as I stepped back into the living room, I spotted Keifer.
He was sitting comfortably on the armchair, looking directly at me with a massive, mocking smirk on his face. He knew exactly what he had done by sending Keiren up.
I glared at him thoroughly, wishing looks could kill, but he just chuckled low in his throat and looked away, satisfied with his revenge.
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Jay's POV
Breakfast was a chaotic, noisy affair filled with Ava's loud laughter and the boys trying to out-eat each other. Once the plates were cleared by the staff, we all migrated back to the spacious sitting area.
I sat on the plush sofa, trying my best to ignore the dull, nagging ache of my cramps while Ava clung tightly to my right arm like a human koala, chattering away about something that happened back in our hometown.
As I looked around the room, I began counting heads out of habit. Section E was loud, messy, and almost entirely present. Except for one notable person.
"Guys, where is Eman?" I asked, my voice cutting through the chatter.
The laughter in the room died down instantly. The boys all exchanged brief, uncomfortable glances, shifting in their seats as if deciding who should be the one to speak up.
Finally, Rory cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well... his family is facing some really heavy financial problems lately," he explained quietly, his usual cheerful tone dropping. "So, he started working double shifts at his family's restaurant to help them stay afloat. He's barely been getting any sleep at all."
Jane frowned, leaning forward from her seat next to Yuri. "Why don't we just help him out? We have the resources to fix that easily."
"We tried," Yuri answered, shaking his head with a sigh. "We offered to cover all the debts, but he's too proud. He completely refused to take a single cent from us, saying he won't take charity."
A heavy quiet fell over the room. Eman was stubborn to a fault, and trying to force money on him would only hurt his pride and damage his relationship with the group. I shifted slightly, pushing Ava's tight grip off my arm, and stood up straight from the couch.
"Then we will help him the way he can't refuse," I stated firmly, my mind already setting the coordinates for a solution.
Keifer tilted his head, looking up at me from his seat across the room. A dangerous, amused smirk began to tug at the corner of his lips. "You planned something, didn't you, wifey?"
"Maybe," I replied, letting a matching smirk play on my lips.
From the large armchair near the window, Tita Serina smiled warmly, nodding her absolute approval of whatever I was cooking up. "All the best, babies. And Jay, darling, please take care of yourself. Don't overexert your body today."
"I will. Thank you," I gave her a polite, respectful nod.
I headed upstairs to my room to get ready, swapping my comfortable lounge clothes for something highly practical and easy to move in. (Check comment)
When I came back down, Mica had arrived at the mansion, standing by the front door and looking ready to join whatever trouble the group was getting into.
With our destination set, we all piled into the cars and drove down to the commercial district where Eman's family restaurant was located.
The small brass bell above the door jingled sharply as we walked inside in a massive single file. The restaurant wasn't very large, filled with simple wooden tables, faded menus, and the rich, comforting aroma of home-cooked food.
Eman was standing near the back counter, standing in his cook ettire wiping down a wooden table with a tired, strained expression.
The moment he looked up and saw the massive group of us walking in, his jaw dropped. He dropped his cleaning rag onto the table and marched straight over to us, his posture highly defensive.
"Are you guys here to cause trouble?" Eman demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm in the middle of a busy shift here."
"We are here to help, Eman," Jane said gently, stepping forward with a reassuring smile.
Eman groaned loudly, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. "I told you all before, I don't need your money. I'm not taking charity from my friends. I can handle my family's mess."
"We won't help you financially," I interrupted, crossing my arms and looking him dead in the eye, matching his stubborn energy. "We are going to work here today as part of your staff."
Keifer's head snapped toward me, his eyes widening slightly as the pieces of my plan finally connected in his head. "So this was your grand plan?"
I simply nodded at him, unbothered.
"Oh, I totally agree to this, baby!" Ava cheered loudly, raising her hand high in the air. "It sounds like a total blast! I've always wanted to wait tables!"
"Count me in too," Yuri said, stepping up next to Jane. "I can handle the heavy lifting in the kitchen or clean the floors."
"Me too," Jane added with a bright, enthusiastic smile.
One by one, the rest of the Section E boys chimed in, nodding their agreement and rolling up their sleeves. Soon, every single person in the room was completely on board, leaving only Keifer standing silent and brooding at the back of the crowd.
Everyone turned their heads simultaneously, putting the spotlight directly on him.
Keifer looked at the expectant faces of Section E, then looked down at me, seeing the challenge in my eyes. He let out a long, defeated sigh, tossing his hands up in the air. "Whatever. Fine. I'm in."
Eman stood there, completely stunned and speechless, looking at the crowd of wealthy, influential teenagers suddenly volunteering to bus tables, wash dishes, and take orders for free.
Realising he couldn't exactly fire us or throw us out without a scene, he shook his head in sheer disbelief, a faint soften to his eyes.
"Just... don't cause any trouble or break the expensive dishes," Eman warned, a small, grateful tint hidden beneath his gruff voice.
Cin quickly raised his hand to his forehead, snapping a perfect, over-the-top military salute. "Got it, captain! Team Section E is on duty!"
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Author's Note (A/N)
Hey everyone! 😭 I am so, so sorry for not uploading over the past few days! Life got a bit hectic, but I am back now and promised to keep the story rolling.
As we approach the next major arc, I really need some advice and suggestions from all of you. To reveal Jay's hidden trauma and illness, I have two different plots running through my mind, and I can't decide which path to take. Please read them and comment on which one you want to see!
* Plot Option 1: Jay starts secretly avoiding taking her prescribed medicine. Because of this, she ends up fainting right in front of Section A and Aries. Everyone panics completely and rushes her to the school clinic. The nurse examines her, realizes how serious it is, and she is immediately rushed to the hospital where her actual illness is finally revealed to everyone.
* Plot Option 2: The story will first focus on revealing Keifer's secret plan over the next few chapters. We will see Jay and Jane's intense reactions to it, followed by the dramatic arrival of Jeana. The stress causes Jay to faint, leading to Percy's sudden entry into the storyline, which finally exposes the truth about her illness.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Your feedback helps shape the book.
And I also want to inform you all that currently I'm working on 4 books.And also I'm board student.
So I decided to upload two book daily , if possible. If I get enough time I will be uploading all four or only two. I hope you all will understand me and support me.
And all I want to thank my lovely readers for supporting me and loving the chapters 💝🫂Your review means a lot to me. A special thank to all of you from core of my heart ❤️
See you soon 💕
Bye 👋
Stay safe ✨
Love you all! ❤️
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