The hospital room felt lighter now.
Keifer was awake.Jay was beside him.Everyone was finally breathing again.
For a moment… it almost felt normal.
Keiren plopped onto the chair dramatically.
"You know, Kuya almost died and Ate Jay almost died with him."
Jay froze.
"…what?"
Keigan grinned. "Yeah. She fainted. Full drama."
Jane added, "Crying, shaking, saying his name every two seconds."
Percy smirked proudly.
"My Sunshine was devastated. I almost beat up the doctors for taking too long."
Jay's face turned red.
"STOP TALKING."
Keifer looked at her, amused and soft at the same time.
"…you cried that much?"
Jay glared. "Don't get used to it."
Keifer chuckled weakly. "Too late."
Percy suddenly stood up, fixing his hair using his phone camera.
"Honestly, in all that chaos, I still managed to look good."
Aries sighed. "This is not the time."
Percy ignored him.
"I mean, imagine being this handsome under pressure."
Keigan snorted. "Bro thinks he's the main character."
Keiren added, "You got punched twice."
Percy pointed at him. "Still handsome."
Jay threw a pillow at Percy. "GET OUT."
Jay sighed and looked back at Keifer.
"You should eat something."
Keifer raised an eyebrow. "Bossy already?"
"Yes," she said simply.
She picked up some food from the tray and held it near him.
"Eat."
Keifer looked at her for a second… then opened his mouth.
Jay fed him gently.
The room went quiet again—
Then—
Keigan whispered loudly, "Oh this is so romantic."
Keiren clutched his chest. "I'm crying again."
Jane giggled. "Look at Sugar taking care of her man."
Jay glared at all of them.
"I will throw all of you out."
Keifer leaned slightly closer to her.
"…I don't mind staying."
Jay tried to stay serious—
Failed.
Then…
Aries spoke.
"Enough joking."
His tone changed everything.
Serious.
Heavy.
"We need to talk."
The room fell silent instantly.
Jay frowned. "About what?"
Aries looked at Keifer.
"Tell her."
Keifer's expression darkened slightly.
Jay noticed immediately.
"…tell me what?"
Keifer looked at her.
Then away.
Then back again.
"There were threats," he said quietly.
Jay blinked.
"…what?"
"Letters. Warnings. Blackmail."
Her heart dropped.
"And you knew?"
Keifer nodded slowly.
"I found out before all this started."
Jay stood up.
"You knew… and you didn't tell me?"
Her voice shook—not from fear this time.
From anger.
"Keifer, I got attacked… I almost died… YOU got shot…"
Her eyes filled with tears again.
"And you thought I didn't deserve to know?!"
Keifer sat up slightly despite the pain.
"I was protecting you."
Jay laughed bitterly.
"By lying?"
"I didn't lie—"
"You hid it!" she snapped.
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Painful.
Jay stepped back.
"I trusted you…" she whispered.
Keifer's jaw tightened.
"I was trying to keep you safe."
Jay shook her head.
"You don't get to decide things for me like that."
Her voice broke.
"I'm not weak."
"I KNOW THAT," Keifer said, louder than intended.
Everyone froze.
"I know you're not weak," he continued, softer now.
"That's exactly why I didn't want you dragged into this."
Jay stared at him.
"…I was already in it."
Aries stepped forward again.
"There's more."
Jay looked at him.
"The gang?"
Aries shook his head.
"They're not random."
Percy added, serious now.
"They were hired."
Jay's stomach dropped.
"By who?"
Silence.
Then—
Keifer spoke.
"…someone connected to your case."
Jay's mind raced.
Her biggest case.The one she was fighting in court.
Her eyes widened.
"No…"
Aries nodded slowly.
"This wasn't just intimidation."
Percy's voice darkened.
"They want you to lose."
Jay stood there, frozen.
Everything started to connect.
The threats.The attacks.The shooting.
This wasn't random.
This was planned.
Targeted.
Personal.
She looked at Keifer again.
Hurt still in her eyes.
But now—
Something else too.
Determination.
"This isn't over," she said quietly.
Keifer met her gaze.
"No," he replied.
"It's just getting started."