Chapter: The Words We Should Have Said Five Years Ago
(Jay's POV)
I didn't remember leaving the penthouse.
I didn't remember how long I had been driving.
The city moved around me like a blur of lights and noise, but my mind wasn't in New York anymore.
It was five years ago.
Back in that hallway.
Back to the moment Mark Keifer Watson looked me in the eyes and told me he had never loved me.
Back to the moment my heart shattered.
Back to the moment I walked away.
And now…
Now I knew the truth.
My hands gripped the steering wheel tighter.
My chest hurt.
Not just from the old pain…
But from realizing how wrong I had been.
How wrong we both had been.
The mansion gates appeared in front of me.
The guards recognized my car and opened them immediately.
I didn't slow down.
The car stopped abruptly in front of the mansion.
I got out before the engine even finished turning off.
My heart was pounding so loudly it felt like the entire world could hear it.
I pushed the doors open.
The grand hall of the mansion looked exactly the same as always.
Warm.
Quiet.
Elegant.
But today everything inside me was chaos.
"Jay?"
Serina's voice came from the living room.
She and Kaizer were sitting together like they usually did, calm and composed.
But the moment they saw my face…
They knew something was wrong.
I didn't greet them.
I didn't smile.
My chest rose and fell quickly.
Then I shouted.
"MARK KEIFER WATSON!"
My voice echoed through the entire mansion.
Loud.
Desperate.
Angry.
Broken.
Every servant nearby froze.
Serina blinked in shock.
Kaizer raised an eyebrow slowly.
Footsteps sounded upstairs.
Fast.
Then—
He appeared.
Keifer walked down the stairs quickly, his expression confused at first.
But the moment his eyes landed on me…
Everything in his face changed.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Something deeper.
"Jay…?"
I walked toward him.
Fast.
My heart felt like it was breaking out of my chest.
Before he could say another word—
SLAP
The sound echoed sharply through the hall.
My hand burned instantly.
Keifer's head turned slightly from the impact.
But he didn't stop me.
He didn't step back.
He didn't defend himself.
He just looked at me.
His eyes soft.
Almost… relieved.
And that only made me angrier.
SLAP
"You idiot!"
My voice shook.
My chest heaving.
Another slap.
"You absolute idiot!"
Another.
"Why didn't you tell me?!"
My eyes were already filling with tears.
My hands kept hitting his chest and face in weak angry blows.
"You let me hate you!"
"You let me believe you used me!"
"You let me think you never loved me!"
Every word hurt more than the last.
But Keifer didn't stop me.
He just stood there.
Taking every slap.
Every hit.
Like he deserved it.
My arms finally dropped.
I was breathing hard now.
Tears sliding down my face.
My voice cracked.
"Five years…"
I grabbed the front of his shirt with shaking hands.
"Five years I believed you hated me…"
Keifer's hand slowly came up.
But he didn't touch me yet.
His voice was quiet.
"Jay—"
Before he could finish—
I pulled him down.
And kissed him.
Hard.
Desperate.
Like I had been starving for five years.
The moment our lips met…
Everything exploded.
All the anger.
All the pain.
All the love I had buried inside my heart.
The kiss wasn't soft.
It wasn't careful.
It was wild.
Messy.
Emotional.
My fingers tangled in his hair while I pulled him closer.
For a moment he froze in shock.
Then suddenly—
His arms wrapped around me tightly.
So tightly it almost hurt.
Like he was afraid I would disappear if he let go.
His hand moved to the back of my neck.
Holding me close.
The kiss deepened.
Years of longing pouring into that single moment.
When we finally pulled apart…
We were both breathing hard.
My face was wet with tears.
His forehead rested against mine.
But suddenly—
I hit his chest again.
"You idiot!"
Then suddenly I screamed.
Loud enough that my voice echoed through the entire mansion.
"I LOVE YOU, IDIOT!"
My voice cracked completely.
"I LOVE YOU, MARK KEIFER WATSON!"
The words exploded out of me like they had been trapped for five years.
My hands grabbed his shirt again.
My body shaking as I started crying loudly.
Not quiet tears.
Not controlled ones.
Loud.
Broken.
Messy.
I buried my face in his chest.
"Why…"
My voice trembled.
"Why didn't you tell me the truth?"
His arms wrapped around me again.
Holding me so gently this time.
Like I was something fragile.
His chin rested on top of my head.
"I couldn't."
"You could have!"
My fingers clutched his shirt tighter.
"I hated you!"
"I know."
"I cried because of you!"
"I know."
"Do you know how much that hurt?!"
His voice broke slightly.
"Yes."
I looked up at him.
My eyes red from crying.
"Then why did you do it?!"
His hand gently wiped a tear from my cheek.
His voice was quiet.
Because he was struggling to stay calm.
"Because Yuri threatened to kill you."
The words made my chest tighten again.
"I didn't care!"
"I did."
His eyes locked onto mine.
And in that moment…
I saw the truth.
The real truth.
Pain.
Fear.
Love.
"I would rather you hate me forever…"
His voice trembled slightly.
"…than risk losing you."
My heart shattered all over again.
"You idiot…"
My voice was barely a whisper.
"You stupid, stubborn idiot…"
I hit his chest again weakly.
"You suffered too?"
He laughed softly.
"More than you think."
"Then why didn't you come find me later?"
His eyes softened.
"Because by the time the danger was gone…"
He paused.
"…you had already built walls around yourself."
That was true.
I had.
I forced myself to be cold.
Strong.
Untouchable.
I slowly wrapped my arms around him.
Holding him tightly.
"I still loved you."
His arms tightened around me immediately.
"I never stopped loving you."
My tears started again.
"Five years…"
He nodded slowly.
"Five years."
I looked up at him again.
My voice small now.
"You promise you won't lie to me again?"
His hand gently held my face.
"I promise."
"Say it properly."
He sighed softly.
"I, Mark Keifer Watson…"
"…promise Jay…"
"…that I will never lie to her again."
"…and that I will love her for the rest of my life."
My heart melted completely.
"Good."
Behind us—
Serina sniffed loudly.
"Oh my god."
I turned slightly.
She was wiping tears from her eyes.
Kaizer stood beside her looking amused.
"That was very dramatic."
Serina nodded.
"Extremely dramatic."
Keifer groaned.
"Mom…"
She ignored him and walked toward us.
Then suddenly hugged me tightly.
"My poor girl…"
She laughed softly.
"Five years of suffering because of this idiot."
Kaizer nodded calmly.
"Yes."
I laughed weakly through my tears.
Keifer just pulled me closer again.
And for the first time in five years…
My heart finally felt whole again.