Aries' POV
It's been two days. Forty-eight hours, two thousand eight hundred and eighty minutes, and every single one of them has felt like a slow leak in my chest.
The Fernandes house feels like a mausoleum. It's too quiet.I find myself staring at the hallway, half-expecting her to walk out in one of my oversized hoodies, mocking my choice of breakfast or complaining that I breathe too loudly while she's trying to read.
Usually, I'm dodging Jay's sharp tongue or rolling my eyes at the way she leaves her shoes in the middle of the hallway like tiny leather landmines. I miss the teasing. I miss the way she'd barge into my room without knocking. I even miss the way she'd call me horoscope..
Now, there's nothing but the ghost of her perfume and the crushing weight of the secret I'm still keeping.
There's just the hum of the refrigerator and the cold, oppressive stillness of a life that feels empty without its center of gravity.
Jay isn't just my sister; she's the person I've spent years trying to shield from the sun so she wouldn't burn.
My phone buzzed on the mahogany desk, the vibration jarring in the silence. I didn't even have to look at the screen to know who it was.
The caller ID confirmed my dread: The Old Man.
I let it ring until the very last second before sliding the icon across the screen
"I told you to stop calling, ," I said, my voice like gravel.
"And I told you that a son should respect his father," the voice on the other end replied, smooth and devoid of the warmth he'd never actually possessed. "I'm in the city, Aries. Meet me at the lounge in the Pierre. One hour."
"I'm busy," I lied, staring at a stack of documents I hadn't touched in hours.
"Don't play games. I know Jay is in New York. I know she's with the Marianos. If you don't show up, I'll find a reason to visit her myself.I am sure she would live to see me after all these years."
The blood in my veins turned to ice. "If you go anywhere near her, I will personally ensure your name becomes a footnote in history."
"Then don't be late."
The lounge was dimly lit, smelling of expensive cigars and old secrets. My so-called father sat in a velvet armchair, looking every bit the patriarch of a dying dynasty.
When I sat down across from him, he reached out as if to pat my hand, his face twisting into a practiced mask of regret.
"Aries, son. I've missed you. I wanted to apologize for how things ended last time. I was stressed, the board was—"
"Save it," I interrupted, leaning back and crossing my legs. I didn't offer a polite smile. I didn't offer a greeting. "I know exactly why you're suddenly interested in a family reunion. You got the news, didn't you? The board confirmed the succession. You found out I'm officially taking over the Fernandez Group."
His mask didn't just slip; it evaporated. His eyes sharpened, the faux-remorse replaced by the cold calculation of a businessman. He let out a short, dry chuckle and signaled the waiter for another scotch.
"You always were the smartest of the lot," he said, his voice dropping the fatherly facade. "Fine. Yes. You have the power now. But power is a fragile thing, Aries. It needs foundation. It needs... legacy."
"It needs you to stay away from Jay," I countered.
Instead he leaned forward, his shadow stretching across the table. "She's a liability, Aries. That 'trauma' of hers? It's a stain on the family name."
"Don't you dare talk about her," I hissed, leaning over the table.
"Why not? I was there, remember?" He smiled, a jagged, ugly thing. "I saw her snap. I saw the way she looked like you were a stranger.
He paused, a cruel glint in his eye. "Maybe I should talk to her. Remind her that what exactly happened that night. If you don't step down and let me have what I want, I'll make sure she remembers every drop of your blood on her hands"
I slammed my hand onto the table, the crystal glasses rattling. I leaned in until we were inches apart, my voice a lethal whisper.
"Listen to me very carefully.You are not a father. You are a ghost I haven't finished exorcising yet. If you so much as breathe in Jay's direction—if you send a single text or whisper a single lie to her—I won't just take take down . I will dismantle your life brick by brick until you're sleeping on the very streets you think you're above."
I stood up, adjusting my jacket, feeling the weight of the Mariano blood I shared with her—the side of me that didn't bow.
"Jay is off-limits. She's finally finding her footing. If you try to trip her, I'll make sure you never walk again. Do we understand each other?"
He stared at me, his face pale, realizing for the first time that the boy he used to control was gone.
I walked out without looking back.
Outside, the cold air hit my face, and I pulled out my phone, looking at the wallpaper—a candid photo of Jay laughing at the beach years ago.
I will protect you, Jay, I thought, my heart aching with a fierce, protective fire. Your Kuya Ari will protect you. From him, from the past, and from the truth if I have to.I'll be your shield, even if the person I'm protecting you from is you yourself.
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Percy's POV
I was leaning against the doorframe of Jay's room in the Mariano mansion, watching her sleep from a distance. She looked so small under the heavy silk duvets—so different from the woman who had demanded a private talk with my father on the rooftop.
I was sitting in my room, the lights dimmed, staring out at the Manhattan skyline. The encounter on the rooftop between Jay and my father had shifted something in the house. The air felt heavy with unsaid words.
My phone buzzed. It was Aries.
"She's okay?" was the first thing he asked when I picked up. No hello, no pleasantries. Typical Aries.
"She's sleeping," I said, leaning my head against the cool glass of the window. "She had a moment with Dad. A big one. She's processing."
"I just met with my biological father.," Aries said, his voice tight. "He's losing it, Percy. He want me to give him Fernandes group share. He tried to threaten me using her. He believes she's a liability."
I sat up straight, my grip tightening on the phone. "He won't get the chance. I'm here. Dad has the house locked down tighter than a vault."
"I handled him for now, but he's desperate. New York is his playground too. Keep your eyes open. Don't let her go anywhere alone. Protect her, Percy. Please."
"You don't have to ask me that, Aries," I said softly. "She's my baby sister. She's my Jay-jay. I've got her."
After we hung up, I stood in the middle of my room, staring at the dark. I thought about Jay's shaky hands on the plane. I thought about the way Jay looked today—brave, fragile, and utterly exhausted.
She's surrounded by people who have lied to her for a decade, myself included to some extent. She's walking into a storm she didn't start, looking for a truth that might burn her.
I looked toward the door, knowing her room was just down the hall.
Let them try to hurt you again, Jay, I whispered to the empty room. Let them make you cry. Let them weave their lies. Because after all the dust settles, I'll be the one standing here. I'll be the one to catch you when you fall. I'll make sure you're never alone in the dark again. I promise.
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Keifer's POV
I'm losing my mind.
I'm staring at my ceiling, and all I can see is her face.I was sitting on my bed, the only light coming from my phone screen. I was scrolling through my gallery, stopping at the photo I'd taken of Jay when she wasn't looking. She was staring out a window, the sunlight catching the gold in her eyes, looking like something out of a dream I didn't deserve to have.
It's been two days, and the silence in the city feels wrong without Jay. I find myself checking my phone every five minutes like a lovesick teenager. I miss her sharp tongue. I miss the way she looks when she's winning an argument. I just... I miss her.
I missed her like hell. The silence in my room felt like a physical weight. We'd talked on the phone earlier, but hearing her voice wasn't enough. I needed to see her. I needed to feel the spark of her temper and the softness she tried so hard to hide.I needed to know she was still there. Still mine.
I couldn't help myself. I opened our chat,my fingers hovering over the keyboard.
Keifer: I miss you.
I stared at the screen. Delivered. One minute. Two. Then, the little typing bubbles appeared. My breath hitched.
Jay: Hmmm.
I grinned. Classic Jay. Short, dismissive, but she replied.
Keifer: Have you eaten?
Jay: Yeah. What about you?
Keifer: I ate. But I really want to eat you.
I bit my lip, waiting. I could practically see her face turning red, her eyes narrowing as she looked at her screen in New York.
Jay: Gago.
Keifer: Language, princess. Profanity doesn't suit a CEO.
Jay: Are you going to claim that "deal" through the phone?
I chuckled, my chest feeling lighter than it had in days. God, I wanted to be in New York right now.
Keifer: I'll collect it the second you come back. For now, go to sleep. And try not to have wet dreams about me.
I watched the "typing..." bubble appear and disappear three times. Finally, she sent it.
Jay: In your dreams, Keifer.
I locked my phone and pressed it against my chest, staring up at the ceiling ,but the smile stayed on my face for a long time.She was miles away, surrounded by a family that was more like a battlefield, but she was still my Jay.
"Soon," I whispered into the dark. "Come home soon."
A/n
Guys a new chapter for you all..Please comment and let me know ??
Well did you guess who is that " she "?
Let me give you all a hint :
The one who is shadow in her nightmares and the architect of her trauma, yet she's the reason she exist. She is a ghost you can't bury, a queen with a crown of lies, and the woman who taught her that "family" is just another word for a weapon.
Did you get it ?? Let me know in comment
Target for next chapter :40+ comment 🎯
I know this is bigger than my previous targets but I believe you all will complete it soon.
Bye 👋 😘