The Mariano house felt unusually quiet that evening. Percy and Aries had come back from a late errand, and Jay was still upstairs reviewing notes for the case.
Percy nudged Aries. "Something's off with Keifer today."
Aries narrowed his eyes. "I noticed. He's… watching too much. Too tense."
Percy frowned. "Yeah, and he keeps sneaking glances at Jay. He's not… just looking at her strategy. It's weird."
Aries' jaw tightened. "Exactly. I don't like it."
They exchanged a silent understanding. Protective instincts kicking in.
Keifer was sitting in the living room, pretending to scroll through his phone while glancing at the hallway where Jay had just passed.
Percy leaned against the doorway. "Alright, Keifer, spill. What's going on?"
Keifer didn't look up. "Nothing."
Aries stepped forward. "Don't lie to me. I can tell when something's wrong. What are you hiding?"
Percy added, "Yeah, seriously. You've been acting like a… like a bodyguard or something. Weird, even for you."
Keifer finally looked up. His jaw was tight, and there was a flicker of frustration in his eyes.
"I'm not hiding from you," he said evenly. "I'm hiding from her."
Aries and Percy blinked.
"Her?" Percy asked.
Keifer stood up, pacing slightly. "Someone sent her a warning letter. Threatening her. If she continues defending this case…" He didn't finish the sentence.
Aries' face hardened immediately. "A threat? To Jay?"
Keifer nodded. "Yes. And I can't tell her yet. If she knew, she'd panic. She'd… she'd go headfirst into danger without thinking."
Percy's jaw dropped. "Wait—you've known all this and didn't tell us?"
"I found it last night when I came over," Keifer admitted. "I'm keeping an eye on her. Watching for anyone suspicious. That's all."
Aries ran a hand through his hair. "You do realize that keeping it a secret from her could backfire?"
"I know," Keifer said quietly, his gaze hard. "But for now… it's safer if she doesn't know."
Percy shook his head. "You're impossible, you know that?"
Keifer gave a small shrug. "I'm doing my best."
Aries and Percy exchanged a look, silently agreeing: they had to help him, even if Jay didn't know yet.
Aries leaned closer. "Alright. We watch together. If anyone so much as steps near her suspiciously, we act."
Percy grinned. "Finally, some real detective work."
Keifer gave them a small, tired smile. "Just… keep it quiet. Don't let her notice anything."
Percy groaned. "This is going to be fun. Totally fun. Totally not stressful at all."
Aries muttered under his breath: "We need to protect her… before it gets worse."
Keifer's eyes drifted toward the stairs. Jay was still upstairs, oblivious to the danger surrounding her.
She has no idea, he thought. And that's exactly how it has to stay—for now.