Jay‑Jay's POV
For a moment, nobody spoke. The only sounds were Keigen's ragged breathing and the pounding in my ears.
"Where's Keiren?" Keifer's voice was too calm, the kind of calm that comes right before a storm.
Keigen swallowed hard. "He's still with Dad. Kaizer said… if you tried anything, he'd use Yuri. Said he'd let Yuri 'finish what he started' with Jay."
My stomach twisted. The room suddenly felt smaller, the walls too close. Yuri. Again.
Keifer's fist slammed into the wall, the crack echoing through the unit. "He's dragging him into this too?"
"Kuya," Keigen said, grabbing his arm, "Keiren didn't want to stay. Dad threatened to cut him off from everyone. From us. From Jay. From Section E."
I stepped forward, forcing my voice not to shake. "Then we don't let him. We don't let any of them decide what happens to us."
Both brothers looked at me. Keifer's eyes were filled with hurt and fury; Keigen's were just tired.
"We call Angelo," I said. "Now."
Angelo arrived faster than I expected, with Aries right behind him and Percy trailing along like chaos on legs. Section E joined not long after — Felix, Calix, Edrix, Eren, Freya, Mica, even Celia and Drake. The "apartment" that usually only echoed with movie nights and arguing brothers was suddenly a war room.
Angelo stood near the center of the living room, arms crossed, taking everything in. "So Kaizer has Keiren, and Yuri knows Jay's address and history," he said slowly. "That means we're out of time."
"Wow," Percy muttered, dropping onto the couch. "You guys really don't do calm problems, huh?"
"Percy, shut up," Aries said, though there was no real bite to it. His gaze flicked to me. "Are you okay?"
"No," I said honestly, fingers clenched around a throw pillow. "But I'm done freaking out and doing nothing."
Felix raised his hand like we were in class. "So, what's the plan? Because if this turns into a full‑on action movie, I'd at least like a cool role."
"Idiot," Freya muttered, smacking his arm.
Angelo drew a slow breath. "We split this into three fronts," he said. "One, Jay's safety. Two, keeping Keifer from doing anything reckless alone. Three, getting Keiren out."
"Don't talk like I'm a kid," Keifer snapped.
"You're acting like one," Angelo shot back. "If you storm your father's house, all you'll do is give him exactly what he wants."
Silence. Then Keigen spoke up, quieter than ever. "He's right, Kuya. Dad wants control. Fear. If you show up alone, he wins."
I pushed myself to my feet. "Then we don't show up alone."
Everyone looked at me. My legs felt wobbly, but my voice didn't crack. "Yuri's not just some random hitman. He's… complicated. He's angry and hurt and being used by Kaizer and his own family. If we go into this like it's only a fight, we're going to miss what he really wants."
"And what does he want?" Drake asked from the corner, calm and observant as always.
"Me," I said flatly. "He wants me to pay for breaking his heart. And he wants proof his parents didn't ruin his life for nothing."
The words made my chest ache, but they were true.
Keifer's jaw clenched. "He's not getting you."
"I didn't say he would," I snapped softly. "But if Yuri is part of this, we can't just treat him like a nameless enemy. He knows us. He knows our habits, our patterns. If Kaizer sends him, he'll come straight for the people I love. Not just me."
A heavy pause settled. Then Eren, who'd been quiet the whole time, finally spoke. "So we turn that around," he said. "We let Yuri come to where he thinks he has the advantage… and we show him he doesn't anymore."
Angelo nodded slowly. "A controlled meeting," he said. "Neutral ground. Somewhere public enough that Kaizer can't just start shooting, but private enough that we can talk — or fight, if it goes there."
"Eman's restaurant?" Mica suggested. "It's familiar. We trust him. And he knows how to clear a space if needed."
My heart skipped. Eman's place again. Where Keifer and I had first been seen as "official." Where Aries and Percy had crashed our date. Where life had felt… normal for a second.
"That's risky," Keifer said. "If Yuri loses control—"
"Then we're ready," Angelo cut in. "Section E will be spread out. Back exits covered. Cameras running. No one alone, no one unarmed."
"And what about Kaizer?" Keigen asked quietly. "He won't just sit back."
Angelo's eyes hardened. "He won't. That's why while Yuri's busy focusing on Jay… someone else will be focusing on him. I've already been tracking his men. If we play this right, we weaken his hold and create an opening to get Keiren out."
"So I'm bait," I said.
The room flinched a little at the word.
Keifer stepped in front of me immediately. "No. We are not using Jay as bait."
I pushed past him, gently but firmly. "We already are. They're coming for me whether we plan for it or not. I'd rather walk into something we've prepared for than wait around hoping they don't crash through another door."
"Jay—"
"I survived a coma," I said, my voice trembling but strong. "I survived Ram. I survived waking up and realizing everyone thought I might never open my eyes again. I'm tired of just surviving, Keifer. I want to win this time."
He looked at me like I'd just punched a hole through his chest.
Section E went quiet. Then, softly, Calix said, "You know… she kind of has a point."
Felix nodded. "Yeah. It's messed up… but it's also kind of badass."
Rakki, who'd slipped in unnoticed near the hallway, crossed her arms. "You're not doing it alone though. If Yuri wants to talk, I'll be nearby. If he wants to fight, we'll all be there."
Cin, standing beside her, tried to smile. "And if he wants drama, well… he picked the wrong class to mess with."
That earned a few weak laughs, but the tension didn't leave.
Finally, Keifer exhaled, defeated but determined. "Fine," he said. "We do it your way. We set the meeting. We plan every exit. We don't trust Yuri, but we give him a chance to choose something other than Kaizer's path."
He took my hand, lacing our fingers together. "But hear me clearly, Jay: the second things go wrong, I'm pulling you out. Promise or not."
I squeezed back. "Fine. But hear me clearly too: the second things go wrong…" I gave a small, humorless smile. "I'm not going to freeze this time."
Angelo clapped his hands once, cutting through the heavy mood. "Then it's decided. Tonight we rest. Tomorrow, we reach out." His eyes settled on me and Keifer. "And when Yuri answers… that's when this really begins."
In the back of my mind, a cold fear shivered — the kind that remembered blood, sirens, and hospital ceilings. But over it, louder than the fear, there was something else:
Love.
If Yuri and Kaizer wanted a game, they'd finally learn what happened when the pieces fought back.