*Timeline skips to where Keifer revels his plan*
Jay-Jay POV
I couldn't breathe in that room. Not after Keifer said it— That he used me. Used me to get back at Aries. My brother.
The tears came fast, ugly, unstoppable. Full-on crying mode. I didn't care who saw.
I stumbled outside. The air hit cold, sharp, like it knew what just broke inside me.
And there he was—Percy. Blue eyes steady, like he'd been waiting for this exact moment.
"Jay," he said, already opening the car door. "Get in."
I got in the car. The tears came fast. I didn't try to stop them. Percy didn't ask why. He just drove.
After a while, we pulled over. To the beach
"Are you okay?" he asked gently. I turned to him, eyes swollen, voice sharp. "Do I look okay to you?"
He nodded once. "Right."
I stared out the window, then back at him.
He got out of the car
I followed him outisde
"What is our relationship Percy" I asked
"I don't think your ready for it" He said
"Please just tell me" I asked
"You're my stepsister, Jay. Your dad married my mom. We were both born out of mistakes—illegitimate, unwanted. And our grandfather? He forced them to marry to cover it all up." He said in one breath
I was stunned.
And suddenly, it all made sense— Why my so-called mother never wanted me near my father.
Why did she flinch at his name?
Why I grew up with half-truths and locked doors.
She wasn't protecting me.
She was protecting the lie.
Suddenly, my head spun.
The world tilted—too loud, too bright, too fast.
I gripped the edge of the seat, trying to steady myself, but everything felt off-kilter.
Like my body had finally caught up to the heartbreak.
I collapsed.
No warning, no grace—just the weight of everything crashing down at once.
My knees gave out, the world spun, and then there was nothing but cold pavement and Percy's voice, distant and panicked.
Somewhere in the blur, I heard him say my name.
But I couldn't answer.
Not yet.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PERCY POV
I told her everything. The truth. The whole twisted, buried truth.
And then—she collapsed.
One second she was staring at me, eyes wide, lips parted like she was about to say something. The next, she was on the ground.
"Jay?" I rushed to her side, heart hammering. "Jay—hey, come on—Jay!"
No response. Just silence and the terrifying stillness of her body.
I didn't wait. I scooped her up and drove like hell to the hospital, praying she'd open her eyes. Praying I hadn't broken her more than she already was.
I reached the hospital in ten minutes flat—ran every red light, ignored every rule.
I didn't care.
Jay wasn't moving.
And nothing else mattered.
The doctors took her after a while
They took her to a room
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JAY-JAY POV
I woke up in a room I didn't recognize. White walls. Beeping machines. The sterile smell of antiseptic.
Hospital.
My throat was dry. My head ached. And for a second, I couldn't remember why I was here.
Then it hit me. Keifer. The truth. Percy.
I blinked hard, trying to steady the rush of memories.
Everything hurt—but not as much as the reason I ended up here.
"Hi, Miss Mariano," the doctor said as she stepped in.
It took me a second to register her face. Dr. Paralta. Ci-N's mom.
"Jay, how are you feeling?" she asked gently.
"I'm… good," I lied.
She gave a small nod, professional but kind. "I'm going to ask you a few questions. Please answer them truthfully."
I nodded.
"When was the last time you had your period?"
The question hit harder than it should've.
My breath caught.
My mind raced. Could I…?
Dr. Paralta glanced at the chart, then back at me. "We double-checked, Jay. You're pregnant."
Silence.
Just the sound of the monitor beeping.
"I'll give you some time," she said softly, and stepped out, leaving the door quietly ajar.
Flashback
"They told me I was getting married to Yuri."
Just like that.
No warning.
No choice.
I sat there, frozen, the words echoing louder than the room itself.
I didn't know what to say.
I didn't know how to breathe.
My own family— They betrayed me.
They didn't tell him.
They didn't tell me.
I was so confused.
Everything hurts—my head, my heart, my trust.
And then Keifer was there.
He didn't say anything.
Just looked at me like he was drowning and I was the last breath.
He pulled me close.
His hands were warm.
Familiar.
Dangerous.
Then he kissed me.
Soft at first.
Hesitant.
Like he wasn't sure I'd kiss him back.
But I did.
I kissed him like I needed to forget everything.
Like I needed to feel something that wasn't betrayal.
The room blurred.
One kiss turned into two.
Then three.
Then too many to count.
We didn't speak.
We didn't stop.
And somewhere between the silence and the heat, our clothes were gone.
It wasn't planned.
It wasn't gentle.
It was chaos.
It was pain wrapped in comfort, guilt tangled with longing.
And when it was over, I didn't know what hurt more—
The fact that I let it happen, or the fact that I didn't regret it.
Flashback Ends
Percy snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts.
"Sis," he said quietly.
"Yeah?" My voice was barely there.
He hesitated. "The doctor told me… who the father is."
I swallowed hard. "It's Keifer," I said. "It just… happened."
Percy didn't flinch. "It's okay," he said softly.
I broke.
The tears came again, harder this time. "Percy, I don't want to tell him," I sobbed. "I can't. Not now."
He reached out, his hand warm on mine. "That's fine," he said.
"It's your choice, Jay. No one gets to take that from you."