Jay‑Jay's POV
The door swung open, and cold air rushed into the restaurant, cutting through the warmth like a knife. Two men in dark clothes stepped in first, scanning the room — Kaizer's men, by their hard eyes and stiff shoulders.
Then Kaizer himself walked in.
He looked exactly how I remembered from the few times I'd seen him from afar: sharp suit, colder gaze, the kind of presence that made the air feel heavier just because he existed in it. His eyes passed over Eman's counter, the empty tables, the "casual" customers pretending not to stare.
Then his gaze landed on Keifer.
And on me.
"Son," Kaizer said, voice smooth, almost gentle. "You didn't invite your father?"
Keifer's jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth might crack. "Didn't think you'd show up without breaking down the door."
Kaizer's eyes flicked to our joined hands and stayed there for a heartbeat too long. "I see you're… still prioritizing distractions."
"She's not a distraction," Keifer snapped. "She's the reason I'm not like you."
Yuri shifted slightly off to the side, caught between us and Kaizer like a shadow that belonged to both worlds and neither. Kaizer glanced at him with mild annoyance, like he was just another tool.
"You did well bringing them all together," Kaizer said to Yuri. "Makes things more efficient."
Yuri's posture stiffened. "That wasn't the plan."
Kaizer ignored him. His gaze moved to Angelo. "And of course, Angelo. Always inserting yourself where you don't belong."
"This is my family," Angelo replied calmly. "I'm exactly where I belong."
The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. Section E watched from their positions — quiet, ready, eyes wide but unflinching.
I took a breath and stepped a little forward, still holding Keifer's hand. "Why are you here?"
Kaizer turned his full attention to me. It felt like standing under a microscope.
"Straight to the point," he mused. "You've always been bold. That's one of the reasons the elders wanted you gone first."
My throat went dry. "Then why am I still here?"
"A compromise," Kaizer said simply. "Yuri was… sentimental. He asked that your time be delayed. Your coma was supposed to be the end. When it wasn't, the list changed."
I felt Keifer tremble beside me. "You're talking about her life like it's paperwork," he said quietly, dangerously.
Kaizer looked almost bored. "Lives are paperwork when they threaten an empire."
Yuri's voice cut through, harder than before. "I never agreed to killing her."
Kaizer gave him a dismissive glance. "You agreed to follow orders. If you're having trouble with that, we can discuss it later."
Something in Yuri snapped at that. "You didn't tell me you'd drag them all into it," he said, gesturing around. "Keiren. Keigen. Section E. You turned everything into a war when all I wanted was—"
"To make her suffer," Kaizer finished smoothly. "Yes, I'm aware of your… childish motives. That's why you're not in charge."
"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," I cut in, anger finally boiling over. My voice shook, but I didn't back down. "You made a list? Fine. But I'm not a name on your paper. I'm a person. With family. With friends. With people who would burn that list before letting you touch any of us again."
Kaizer's gaze sharpened. "Bold," he repeated. "But misguided. Do you think this—" he swept a hand around the room "—changes anything? Children playing at strategy?"
"Maybe," Angelo said, stepping closer, "but even 'children' can ruin a king's game if they refuse to move the way he wants."
Kaizer almost smiled at that. "You think you've cornered me? You're in my world. My rules."
"Then why are you talking so much?" I shot back. "If you're in control, you wouldn't need to show up yourself."
That made him pause.
For a heartbeat, his mask slipped — just a crack. Enough for me to see what lay underneath: frustration, pride, and the faintest edge of desperation.
"We are wasting time," he said finally. "Jay‑Jay, you have two options."
Every muscle in my body tightened.
"One," he went on, counting with a gloved hand, "you leave this city. Alone. You disappear quietly, and in return, I call off the remaining names. Your brothers, cousins, friends… they get to live their noisy little lives."
Someone behind me — probably Felix — sucked in a breath.
"Two," Kaizer continued, "you stay. And if you do… every person in this room becomes fair game."
"No," Keifer said instantly. "You don't get to decide that."
"Oh, but I do," Kaizer replied. "Because I'm the only one willing to do what needs to be done. You think love will protect them? Love is why Yuri failed. Love is why you're weak."
My heart pounded so hard it hurt. Leave. Alone. Protect them by vanishing.
Old fear clawed its way up my throat. The memory of blood, of sirens, of waking up with everyone's faces blurred by tears — it all rushed back. Running had always been the first instinct. Hide. Disappear. Survive.
But then I looked around.
At Aries, jaw tight but eyes steady.
At Percy, unusually silent, fists clenched.
At Felix and Calix, trying to look braver than they felt.
At Freya, Mica, Rakki, Eren, Drake — all standing their ground.
At Keigen, still shaken but not running.
At Keifer, whose hand was wrapped around mine like it was the only anchor he had left.
And I realized something.
If I left now, it wouldn't be to save them. It would be doing exactly what Kaizer wanted — letting fear rule the board. And he would still find them, one by one, when it suited him. Maybe not with guns and lists, but with power and pressure and threats nobody else could see.
I straightened. My voice came out softer than I expected, but clear.
"I'm not leaving."
Silence hit the room like a shockwave.
Kaizer blinked once. "You understand what that means?"
"Yes," I said. "It means you're going to be disappointed."
Keifer squeezed my hand so hard it almost hurt. "Jay…"
I glanced up at him with a small smile. "You think I'm letting you do all the reckless protecting by yourself?"
A faint, pained laugh escaped him.
Kaizer's expression cooled again. "So you've chosen. Then I hope you're ready to watch them fall with you."
He turned his gaze on Yuri. "You know your task."
Yuri didn't move.
"Yuri," Kaizer repeated, tone sharper. "Now."
Yuri's eyes met mine. There was a storm in them — anger, hurt, conflict, something wild and breaking apart. He took one step forward.
Everyone in Section E tensed.
Keifer shifted in front of me, but I held my ground, just half a step behind him.
"Yuri," I said quietly. "Look at me."
He did.
"You said you still loved me," I continued. " You said you didn't want to end lives, you just wanted people to feel your pain. This is your last chance to prove you're not like him."
His jaw clenched. His hands trembled at his sides.
Kaizer's voice cut across the space like a whip. "If you don't do it, you know the consequences. Think carefully, boy."
Yuri's shoulders shook once. Then, slowly, he reached into his jacket.
I heard someone behind me whisper, "Don't," and another mutter, "Get ready—"
But instead of pulling out a weapon, Yuri threw something metallic onto the floor at Kaizer's feet.
A phone.
"I'm done," Yuri said, voice low but clear. "I did enough. I lost enough. If you want them gone, do it yourself."
The room froze.
Kaizer stared at the phone, then at his son — not with surprise, but with cold, simmering fury.
"You ungrateful child," he hissed. "After everything your mother and I—"
"Ruined?" Yuri cut in sharply. "Yeah. You did a lot." He took a shaky breath, eyes never leaving Kaizer's. "I'm tired of being your weapon. I won't kill for you. Not her. Not any of them."
A strange calm settled over me.
Kaizer reached into his coat pocket. The motion was smooth, practiced.
Angelo's voice snapped through the room like an order. "Everyone down!"
But before he could draw whatever he was reaching for, another voice rang out from outside the doorway.
"Drop it, Kaizer!"
Police.
Red and blue lights flashed from the street, painting the restaurant windows in streaks of color. Multiple silhouettes stood behind Kaizer's men, guns raised.
For the first time, real shock crossed Kaizer's face.
He turned slowly, eyes narrowing. "You called the police?" he demanded, looking between Angelo, Eman, and the rest of us.
Angelo's jaw was set. "You're not the only one with connections."
Eman stepped out from behind the counter, hands up, expression hard. "You think I'd let you turn my restaurant into a crime scene without witnesses?"
"Kaizer Alonzo," one of the officers shouted, standing clear in the open now. "You are under investigation for multiple counts of coercion, illegal possession, and suspected involvement in attempted homicide. Step away from the young man and put your hands where we can see them."
Yuri let out a breath that sounded like it had been trapped in his chest for years. Slowly, he stepped back from Kaizer's side, closer to our half of the room, like a line had finally been drawn.
Kaizer stood very still. Then, with a slow, icy smile, he raised his hands.
"You think handcuffs will change anything?" he murmured. "This isn't over."
Maybe it wasn't.
But as they led him out, as Yuri stayed where he was instead of following, as Section E slowly started to breathe again, one thing became very clear.
For the first time, the game wasn't only his.
Keifer turned to me, eyes still wide, chest heaving. "Are you okay?"
I let out a shaky laugh that was half‑sob. "No," I admitted. "But I'm here."
He pulled me into his arms without another word, holding me like he was afraid I'd vanish. Around us, everyone started talking at once — Percy shouting, "Did we just survive a telenovela finale?!" Felix laughing hysterically, Aries cursing under his breath, Freya wiping at her eyes like she'd "just gotten dust" in them.
Over Keifer's shoulder, my gaze met Yuri's one last time.
He looked exhausted. Older. But there was something new in his eyes — something like… release.
He gave the smallest nod. Not an apology. Not yet. But maybe the beginning of one.
I nodded back.
Whatever came next — trials, fallout, healing, rebuilding — would be messy. Complicated. Hard.
But as Keifer whispered, "I've got you," into my hair and Section E closed in around us with loud, messy, imperfect love, one thing finally felt solid.
I wasn't running anymore.
Not anymore.