Percy's POV
For a few seconds after David left, I just stood there in the alley, staring at the space where he had disappeared.
His last words echoed in my head, heavy and sincere, but they didn't matter right now. Because inside that café—Jay was alone.
And something in my gut twisted sharply.
I turned immediately and walked back in.
The moment I stepped through the door, I saw her.
She was still sitting in the same chair—but she didn't look the same.
Her posture had collapsed, her shoulders shaking slightly, her hands gripping the edge of the table like it was the only thing keeping her grounded. The calm, controlled girl from minutes ago was gone.
"Jay…" I said softly, stepping toward her.
That was all it took.
The second she heard my voice, she broke.
Her head snapped up, eyes glassy, filled with something far deeper than just anger. And before I could react—she stood up and stumbled straight into me, her hands clutching my shirt tightly as if she was afraid she'd fall apart completely.
"I—" her voice cracked violently. "I can't—Percy I can't—"
I wrapped my arms around her instantly, holding her steady as her entire body started trembling.
"Hey… hey, I've got you," I murmured, one hand moving to the back of her head, pressing her gently against my shoulder.
But she shook her head, pulling back just enough to look at me, her expression shattered.
"They didn't trust me," she whispered, her voice breaking with every word. "Not in the beginning… not at the end… not even once."
Her grip on me tightened.
"I could've understood," she continued, tears streaming down uncontrollably. "I could've handled the truth, Percy… I could've stood with them… but they didn't even give me a chance."
Her breathing started to turn uneven.
"They decided for me… they broke me instead," she choked out.
My chest tightened painfully as I tried to steady her.
"Jay—breathe—"
But she wasn't listening anymore.
"They said they were protecting me," she cried, her voice rising slightly. "But all they gave me were lies… humiliation… pain—"
Her words started coming faster.
"And some of them—" her voice dropped into something almost hollow, "—they blamed me."
That made my grip on her tighten instinctively.
"Josh… Mayo… Drew…" she whispered, her lips trembling. "Even my own brother… Aries…"
Her breathing hitched sharply.
"I know it's over," she continued, her voice breaking into something fragile, "I know that relationship is gone but I just—"
She stopped.
Because suddenly—
Her breathing spiraled.
Fast.
Too fast.
"Jay," I said sharply now, panic creeping into my voice. "Look at me—breathe, okay? Slow down—"
But her chest was rising and falling too quickly now, her fingers digging into my arm as if she was trying to hold onto something that wasn't there anymore.
"I can't—" she gasped. "I can't breathe—"
My heart dropped.
"Jay—focus on me—"
Her vision was already unfocusing.
Her body went weak in my arms.
And then—
She collapsed.
"JAY!"
I caught her instantly before she hit the ground, my heart slamming violently against my ribs as I shook her slightly.
"Jay—hey—wake up—"
Nothing.
No response.
Just her still form in my arms.
"Shit—" I muttered, panic fully taking over.
Without wasting another second, I lifted her into my arms and rushed out of the café.
The drive to the hospital was a blur.
I didn't even remember getting into the car.
All I remember was speeding through traffic, my hands gripping the wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white, my eyes flickering to her unconscious form in the passenger seat every second.
"Stay with me… come on, Jay… stay with me," I muttered under my breath like a prayer.
Every red light felt like an eternity.
Every second felt too long.
The moment we reached the hospital, I didn't wait.
I carried her inside, my voice cutting through the air.
"Help! Someone help—she's unconscious!"
Doctors and nurses rushed toward us immediately, placing her onto a stretcher as they started checking her vitals.
"What happened?" one of them asked quickly.
"She—she collapsed—she couldn't breathe—she just—" I couldn't even finish the sentence properly.
They didn't waste time.
Within seconds, they were rushing her through the emergency doors.
And I was left standing there.
Helpless.
I called dad to come to the hospital as quickly as he could...it didn't take long for them to arrive.
Dad. Mom. Grandpa.
The moment they saw me standing there, their expressions shifted instantly.
"What happened Percy,you both just went for coffee,how the hell is she in that room being treated by a doctor.." Dad asked sharply, his voice filled with tension.
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to steady myself.
"Dad, someone came to meet her," I said, my voice tight. "From her past… from section e he told her everything… the truth about what happened back there the truth we know about why everyone there said those words to her.."
Mom's face fell.
Grandpa's jaw clenched.
"And?" he pressed.
I swallowed hard.
"She broke hard.."
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
"She couldn't handle it," I continued, guilt creeping into every word. "She started hyperventilating… and then she just—collapsed."
Dad turned away slightly, his hands clenching into fists.
"They did this to her.." he said quietly, but there was fury beneath it.
Mom's eyes filled with tears as she whispered, "That child…"
Grandpa exhaled sharply, his expression darkening.
"This isn't over ,they forgot who's granddaughter she is..I'll make each one of them pay.."
I knew grandpa wasn't bluffing he thinks only him and dad know his 'business' but I know too...he is the head of the biggest underground mafia club "The League" the club in where angelo gets his power to rule back in Philippines though he doesn't know that the head is grandpa...
But that wasn't my concern right now. My concern right now was my baby sistah, who was lying inside a room without an ounce of oxygen in her chest right now...
Time passed.
Too slow.
Too quiet.
It had been almost 5 hours of her being inside, the hospital staff were running tests on her every single minute and it only brought more restlessness in me...
Every second stretched painfully as we waited outside those doors.
Then finally—
The doors opened.
A doctor stepped out.
And something in his expression made my chest tighten instantly.
"Mr. Mariano?" he asked, looking directly at dad.
He stepped forward immediately. "Yes."
"Can we talk? Privately."
The tone.
The look.
The weight behind those words—
It was enough.
I could feel Dad, Mom, and Grandpa tense.
Because we all understood one thing in that moment.
This wasn't simple.This wasn't just a collapse.
Something was wrong.And whatever it was—It was serious.