Keifer's Pov
The text from Mom came during dinner with Jay's family.
MOM: Family meeting tonight. 7 PM. Important.
ME: What about?
MOM: Can't explain now. Just be there.
I stared at my phone. Mom never texted like that. Short. Serious. No emojis.
"Keifer?" Jay looked at me. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Fine."
"Your face says otherwise."
"My face is fine."
"Your ears are pale. Not pink. PALE. That's your worried color."
I almost smiled. She knew me too well.
"Family meeting tonight. Mom's being mysterious."
Jay's face scrunched. "Ominous."
"Probably nothing."
"Probably EVERYTHING."
"Same thing."
"STOP."
"Make me."
She kissed my cheek. "There. Made you."
My ears went pink. She grinned.
"Gotcha."
7:00 PM – Watson Mansion
I walked into the living room and knew immediately something was wrong.
Mom was sitting stiffly on the couch. Victor beside her, hand on her knee. Mia was already there, looking confused. Keigan was trying to look cool but failing. Keiren was uncharacteristically quiet.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"Sit down, Keifer." Mom's voice was gentle but firm.
I sat.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then Mom pulled out a photo.
A photo of me and Jay. From the fair. Crowns on our heads. Her laughing. Me looking at her like she was the only person in the world.
"This is beautiful," Mom said quietly. "You love her."
"I do."
"I know." She put the photo down. "And that's the problem."
My blood went cold.
"What?"
Victor leaned forward. "Keifer, you turn 18 in one month."
"I know."
"Do you know what that means?"
"I become CEO of Watson Enterprises."
"Yes." Mom's voice was shaking. "And you know what Watson Enterprises is. What it represents."
I knew.
Watson Enterprises wasn't just a company. It was an institution. A legacy. Founded centuries ago. Connected to the British royal family. It basically owned half of London. Had ties to the crown since Queen Elizabeth's time.
Our family wasn't just rich. We were ROYALTY-adjacent. Invisible royalty.
"And?" I asked.
Mom looked at Victor. He nodded.
"Your father," Mom said slowly. "Mark Keizer Watson."
I stiffened. My biological father. The man who left when I was five. Who Mom divorced for good reason.
"What about him?"
"He wants Watson Enterprises. He's always wanted it. And now that you're about to inherit..." She trailed off.
"He's planning something."
"Yes."
"Using what?"
Mom picked up the photo again. "Using HER."
The room tilted.
"What?"
"His people have been watching. They know about Jay. They know what she means to you." Mom's eyes were wet. "They're planning to use her as leverage. As a weakness. To get to you."
"No."
"Keifer—"
"NO. I won't let them touch her."
"You can't protect her if you're with her."
I stared at her. "What?"
"Think about it. If they know she's your weakness, they'll use her. Threaten her. Hurt her to get to you. The only way to keep her safe is to make them think she doesn't matter."
"Make them THINK? Or actually push her away?"
Mom didn't answer.
"MOM."
"I'm saying... for now... maybe you need to create distance."
I stood up. "No. Absolutely not."
"Keifer—"
"I'm NOT pushing her away. I can't. She's—she's everything."
"I know. But if they hurt her—"
"Then I'll protect her."
"How?! You can't be everywhere at once! You can't stop every threat! These people have resources. Connections. They've been planning this for YEARS."
"So what am I supposed to do? Break her heart to save her?"
"If that's what it takes."
I wanted to scream. To punch something. To break everything in sight.
But instead, I just stood there. Frozen.
Mia spoke for the first time. "Mom... is there really no other way?"
"I wish there was." Mom was crying now. "I've been trying to find one for months. But every path leads back to the same conclusion. If they think she matters, they'll use her. If they think she doesn't, she's safe."
"Until I inherit," I said quietly.
"Yes. Once you're officially CEO, you'll have power. Protection. You can bring her back."
"BRING HER BACK?!" My voice cracked. "You want me to DUMP HER? Break her heart? Make her HATE me? And then WHAT? Show up in a few months like 'hey, just kidding, I still love you'?!"
"I know it sounds cruel—"
"It IS cruel. To her. To me. To US."
"It's the ONLY way."
"There has to be something else."
"There isn't."
I looked at Victor. He looked pained but nodded.
"Keifer, I've dealt with people like your father. They don't play fair. They'll use anything. Anyone. And Jay—she's fierce, but she's also vulnerable. If they target her—"
"Then I'll fight them."
"With what? You're not CEO yet. You don't have the authority. The resources. The protection."
"So I'm supposed to just... wait?"
"Yes."
"While breaking the most important person in my life's heart?"
Silence.
I sat down heavily. Put my head in my hands.
"I can't," I whispered. "I can't do that to her."
"Keifer." Mom knelt in front of me. "I know this is impossible. I know it's unfair. But if anything happened to her because of us—because of THIS family—would you ever forgive yourself?"
I thought about it.
Jay, hurt. Jay, scared. Jay, crying because someone hurt her to get to me.
"No," I whispered. "I wouldn't."
"Then you know what you have to do."
I looked up. At my mom. At Victor. At Mia, who was crying. At Keigan, who looked lost. At Keiren, who didn't understand but knew something was wrong.
"I need time," I said. "A few days. To figure out how."
"Take whatever time you need."
"But eventually..."
"Eventually, yes."
I nodded. Stood up. Walked out of the room.
Behind me, I heard Keiren whisper, "What's wrong with kuya?"
And Mia's broken voice: "Everything, baby. Everything."
Three Days Later
The Residence – Section E Boys' Common Room
I'd gathered everyone.
Jare. Aries. Percy. Yuri. The whole Section E squad. Jay's parents. Even Jeana.
They sat in a circle, looking confused. Worried.
"Thanks for coming," I said. Voice rough.
"Keifer, what's going on?" Jare asked. "You've been weird for days. Jay's worried."
"I know." I swallowed. "That's what this is about."
I told them everything.
The family meeting. My biological father. The threat. The plan to use Jay as leverage. Mom's suggestion to push her away temporarily.
When I finished, the room was silent.
Then Percy spoke. "So let me get this straight. Your psycho dad wants to use my sister to get to you. And your solution is to BREAK HER HEART?"
"It's NOT a solution. It's the ONLY option."
"There has to be another way."
"There isn't. I've looked. My mom's looked. Victor's looked. If there was ANY other way, I'd take it."
Jare's voice was quiet. "You want to hurt my sister to protect her?"
"I want to KEEP HER ALIVE." My voice cracked. "If they get to her—if they hurt her—I can't—I won't—"
I broke.
Right there. In front of everyone.
The tears I'd been holding for three days poured out.
"I love her," I choked. "I love her so much it's killing me. And I have to make her think I don't. I have to make her HATE me. Because if she knows the truth, she'll fight. She'll butt in. She'll try to help and she'll get HURT."
The room was silent except for my sobs.
Then Aries stood up. Walked over. Sat next to me.
"You're doing the right thing."
"IT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT."
"It never does. But it's the only way." He put a hand on my shoulder. "I just found her. Found both of them. If something happened to her because of this..." He shook his head. "I'd never forgive myself. Or you."
Jare stood next. Then Yuri.
Then, somehow, the whole Section E squad surrounded me.
"We're with you," Calix said.
"Whatever you need," Eman added.
"Even if it means pretending to hate you," Felix said, crying. "I'll do it. For Jay."
Ci-n grabbed my hand. "I'm 14 and I don't fully understand, but I know you love her. And that means we help."
Percy was last. He knelt in front of me.
"Keifer. Look at me."
I looked.
"You break her heart, you fix it. You push her away, you bring her back. You make her cry, you spend the rest of your life making her smile. UNDERSTAND?"
I nodded.
"Good." He pulled me into a hug. "Because if you don't, I'll find you. And I'm very creative with revenge."
Despite everything, I almost laughed.
Jay's parents stepped forward.
Papa spoke first. "We don't like this. But we understand."
Mama Reycee was crying. "Just... promise us. Promise you'll come back to her."
"I promise."
"And when this is over, you marry her."
I blinked. "What?"
"You HEARD me. You put her through this, you MARRY HER."
"I—we're 17—"
"I don't care. You love her, she loves you. Make it official."
Victor stepped in. "Maybe let them graduate first."
"FINE. But after graduation. ENGAGEMENT."
I looked at Jare for help. He just shrugged.
"She's not wrong."
"JARE."
"She's your future wife, Keifer. Accept it."
Jeana spoke quietly. "Keifer. Can I say something?"
I nodded.
"I missed most of Jay's life. I wasn't there when she needed me. And it's my biggest regret." Her eyes were wet. "You're doing this TO be there for her. To protect her. That's not weakness. That's love."
I didn't know what to say.
"She'll be hurt. She'll be angry. She'll probably hate you for a while. But when she learns the truth—and she WILL learn it—she'll understand. She'll forgive you." Jeana smiled. "Because that's who she is. That's my daughter."
I nodded. Swallowed.
"Okay."
Yuri pulled me aside later.
"You good?"
"No."
"Same." He leaned against the wall. "But you're not alone. We're all in this. We'll help you pretend. We'll be the villains if we have to."
"I don't want you to be villains."
"Then what do you want?"
I thought about it.
"I want her safe. That's all. Just... safe."
"She will be. Because of you."
"Or despite me."
"Same thing."
I almost smiled. "Don't use my lines."
"They're OUR lines now."
That Night
I sat alone in my room.
Stared at my phone.
At her contact. ❤️ Gagong Baliw ❤️
I typed a message. Deleted it. Typed again. Deleted.
Finally:
ME: Can we talk tomorrow? Alone?
Three dots appeared.
JAY: Of course. Everything okay?
ME: Yeah. Just need to talk.
JAY: You're scaring me.
ME: Don't be scared. Just... talk.
JAY: Okay. Tomorrow. After school. The garden?
ME: The garden.
JAY: ❤️
ME: ❤️
I put my phone down.
Stared at the ceiling.
Tomorrow, I would break her heart.
And mine.