Chapter: The Truth After the Storm
(Kuya Angelo's POV)
I knew something was wrong the moment the front door opened.
The house was usually loud when the kids came back from school.
Ci n would be shouting about food.
Percy would be arguing with someone.
Aries would complain about homework.
But that afternoon…
The house was silent.
Too silent.
Then the door opened.
And Jay walked in.
Her eyes were red.
Her face was pale.
And she looked like someone had taken her heart and crushed it in front of her.
"Jay?"
She didn't answer.
She just walked past me slowly.
Then suddenly—
She broke.
Right there in the middle of the living room.
Her bag slipped from her shoulder and fell to the floor.
Her hands covered her face as the crying started.
Not quiet crying.
The kind that shakes your whole body.
The kind that tells you something inside someone just shattered.
My chest tightened immediately.
"Hey… hey… what happened?"
She didn't answer.
She just kept crying.
Behind her, Aries walked inside quietly.
His expression was serious.
And that was when I knew something really bad had happened.
Jay's voice finally came out between broken breaths.
"He… he said he used me."
My heart sank.
She wiped her eyes but the tears kept falling.
"He said everything was a plan."
Her voice cracked completely.
"He said he never loved me… not before… not now."
For a moment I didn't say anything.
Because I knew exactly who she was talking about.
Keif.
Jay shook her head like she still couldn't believe it.
"I believed him."
I stepped closer and gently put a hand on her shoulder.
"Jay…"
But she kept talking.
"I trusted him."
Her breathing became shaky again.
"I thought he actually cared."
There are moments where you want to say something that will fix everything.
But sometimes there's nothing you can say.
So I just pulled her into a hug.
And she cried harder.
Her head pressed against my shoulder while her hands clutched my shirt.
"It hurts," she whispered.
"I know."
After a few minutes her crying slowly became quieter.
Not because she felt better.
But because she was exhausted.
She wiped her eyes and looked down at the floor.
"I just want to sleep."
I nodded gently.
"Go rest."
She picked up her bag slowly.
Her steps were heavy as she walked toward the stairs.
Before going up she paused for a moment.
But she didn't say anything.
Then she went to her room.
The door closed upstairs.
And the house became quiet again.
Too quiet.
I exhaled slowly and turned toward Aries.
"Alright."
My voice was calm.
"Start talking."
Aries leaned against the wall and ran a hand through his hair.
"You already know Keif told her he used her."
"Yes."
"That wasn't the real reason."
I frowned.
"Then what is?"
Aries hesitated for a second.
Then he said a name I didn't expect.
"Yuri."
My expression hardened.
"You're kidding."
"No."
He continued explaining everything.
How Yuri threatened Keif.
How he told him to break Jay's heart.
How he said he would kill her if Keif refused.
How Keif called Aries and Percy Mariano and told them everything.
And how the three of them made the plan.
When Aries finished, the room felt heavy.
I rubbed my forehead slowly.
"So that idiot decided to sacrifice himself."
Aries sighed.
"He didn't want to risk Jay getting hurt."
"And now she thinks he never loved her."
"Yes."
I leaned back against the couch.
"That kid…"
For a moment I stayed quiet.
Thinking.
Because this situation was dangerous.
Yuri threatening someone's life wasn't a joke.
Then I looked at Aries again.
"Does Jay know any of this?"
"No."
"And Keif?"
"He's probably alone right now."
I nodded slowly.
The poor kid was carrying everything by himself.
Jay upstairs thinking she was betrayed.
Keif somewhere pretending he never cared.
And Yuri out there thinking he had control over everything.
I exhaled slowly.
"Well."
Aries looked at me.
"Well what?"
I crossed my arms.
"We're not letting that psycho win."
Aries nodded slightly.
"Of course not."
I glanced toward the stairs where Jay's room was.
"She needs time."
"Yeah."
"But eventually she deserves the truth."
Aries looked at the floor.
"…I know."
The house stayed quiet for a long moment.
But inside my head one thought kept repeating.
Yuri had just made a very big mistake.
Because threatening someone in my family?
That was the fastest way to start a war.