JAY-JAY POV
I woke to Aion bouncing on the bed like it was a trampoline.
"Aion, stop—it's not even ten in the morning yet," I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head.
"But Tita," he whined, tugging at the blanket, "Mama already made breakfast, and people are going downstairs to eat."
I peeked out from under the covers, his wide grin and sparkling eyes impossible to resist.
"Fine, fine," I sighed dramatically, sitting up. "But only because you're too cute to say no to."
Aion giggled, hugging me tightly before jumping off the bed. "Come on, Tita! Let's go!"
"Fine, let me at least brush my teeth," I muttered, dragging myself toward the bathroom.
After I got ready, I padded downstairs still in my pajamas, my hair tied up in a messy bun. By the time I reached the dining room, everyone was already halfway through breakfast.
"Look who finally decided to show up," Shawn teased, his grin wide as he leaned back in his chair.
I rolled my eyes dramatically. "Excuse me, I needed my beauty sleep. Unlike you, Kuya, I don't wake up looking like a zombie."
The table erupted in laughter—Mia shaking her head, Aion giggling with a mouthful of rice, and even Shawn chuckling despite himself.
I slid into my seat, grabbing a plate. "Don't worry, I'm here now. The party can officially start."
When I looked at who was sitting next to me, it was Keifer.
He was grinning like an idiot, his smile wide and smug like he'd already won something.
I rolled my eyes, stabbing at my food.
"Good morning, Jay," Keifer said, his grin still plastered across his face.
"Morning," I muttered, not even bothering to look at him, my attention fixed on my plate instead.
He leaned a little closer, lowering his voice. "You don't sound very convincing."
I sighed, finally turning to glare at him. "Because I'm not trying to be."
Keifer only grinned wider, clearly enjoying every second of my irritation.
"Keifer," Shawn said, his tone carrying weight. "Remember what we talked about last night?"
Keifer nodded, smirking like he'd just won a war or something.
My fork paused mid‑air. "What did you do, Kuya?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at Shawn.
"Nothing," he replied smoothly, leaning back in his chair. "I just had an amazing talk with him."
I rolled my eyes at Keifer, but before I could say anything, Mama Jenna's voice cut through the table.
"Shawn, I heard you had another sister. What happened to her?"
The words froze me in place. Mia's fork stopped mid‑air, Shawn stiffened, and the air around us grew unbearably heavy.
"She is not here anymore," Shawn said quietly, his voice low, controlled.
"Really? Where did she go?" Mama Jenna pressed, still not catching the weight in his tone.
I clenched my hands tighter, forcing the words out. "She is in heaven."
The room froze. Forks stopped mid‑air, eyes widened, and the air grew unbearably heavy.
"I'm sorry," Mama Jenna whispered, her voice trembling, guilt flickering across her face.
"It's okay," Shawn said quietly, though his jaw was tight, his tone carrying more weight than the words themselves.
"I thought you only had one sister," Tita Gemma said, her voice soft but curious. "I'm sorry, dear, not to bring anyone in… but if your sister passed away, then how did Jay come into your life?"
Her words cut through the air like glass shattering. I tightened my grip on my fork, my knuckles turning white.
The silence around the table grew heavy. Mia shifted uncomfortably, Shawn's jaw clenched, and I kept my eyes fixed on my plate, refusing to let the tears rise.
Keifer, sitting beside me, seemed to notice. His grin faded, replaced by something softer—concern flickering in his eyes as he glanced at my trembling hands.
"Aion sweetheart, why don't you go upstairs and play since you're done with your breakfast," Mia said, her eyes soft as she looked at him.
Aion turned to me, his little face hesitant.
I nodded, forcing a smile. "I will come soon."
Satisfied, he hopped off his chair and ran upstairs, his footsteps echoing faintly until the house grew quiet again.
"Jay, as you know… is your Jasper Jean Fernandez Mariano," Shawn said, his voice steady but heavy with meaning.
"Jay, why didn't you tell us that you were alive?" Mama asked, her voice trembling, eyes glistening with tears.
"Jay, please talk," Kuya Angelo added, his tone desperate, pleading.
Before I could even open my mouth, Shawn's voice cut through the silence, firm and unyielding.
"She was your Jay," he said, his gaze locked on them, "but now she is my sister."
"You can talk to her, but only with her consent," Shawn said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I got to know the full story from a friend of mine."
The table went silent again.
Mama Jenna's lips parted, but she didn't speak.
Kuya Angelo lowered his gaze, guilt flickering across his face.
"She will talk to you guys when she wants to," Shawn said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Until then, wait. You can live here as our original plan, but I don't want my business and personal life to be combined."
Everyone nodded, the tension still lingering in the air.
"I'm done," I said flatly, pushing my chair back and heading upstairs. My footsteps echoed against the quiet hall as I searched for the one person who always managed to ease the heaviness in my chest.
"Aion, which room are you in?" I called, peeking into the hallway, opening doors one by one.
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Keifer's POV
After Jay left the garden, the silence between me and Aries was suffocating.
"We messed up so bad," Aries muttered, his voice low, guilt dripping from every word.
"You think?" I shot back, bitterness lacing my tone. "I broke her heart with a name I thought would protect her… and you weren't there when she needed you most."
Aries flinched, his jaw tightening. "Don't put all of this on me, Keifer. We both failed her."
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration boiling in my chest. "Yeah, but at least you didn't look her in the eyes and crush her with words she'll never forget."
Aries looked away, shame written all over his face.
We stood there in silence, the weight of everything pressing down on us. After some time, Aries left, his footsteps fading into the distance.
But I couldn't move.
I stayed rooted in place, because her face kept replaying in my mind—those eyes filled with hurt, the way her voice cracked, the tears she tried to hide.
I hated it. I hated seeing her like that.
And the worst part? I knew I was the reason.
Her crying wasn't just pain—it was betrayal. My betrayal. The words I thought would protect her had only cut deeper than I ever intended.
I clenched my fists, frustration boiling inside me. No matter how much I told myself it was for her safety, the truth was clear: I broke her heart.
And now, I didn't know if I'd ever be able to fix it.
Then came Shawn.
Before I could even react, he grabbed me by the collar, yanking me forward with a force that knocked the breath out of me.
His eyes burned with rage.
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" he snarled, his voice low but dangerous, every word dripping with fury.
"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked calmly, though my voice shook underneath the surface.
"You know what the fuck I'm talking about, Keifer," Shawn snapped, his grip on my collar tightening. His eyes burned with rage. "You broke my sister—for what reason?"
The words hit harder than his hands.
I swallowed, my chest heavy.
"I thought I was protecting her," I muttered, the excuse sounding hollow even to me.
He froze for a second, his grip still tight on my collar.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Shawn demanded, his eyes narrowing.
I met his glare, my voice low but steady. "You heard your sister's story… but not mine."
For a moment, silence hung between us, thick and suffocating. His jaw clenched, his anger flickering into something else—confusion, hesitation.
I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "You think I broke her for no reason. You think I wanted to hurt her. But you don't know what I was carrying, what I was trying to protect her from."
Shawn's eyes burned into mine, searching, demanding answers.
I clenched my fists, guilt twisting in my chest. "Here is the full story"
I took a shaky breath. "As you know, I broke her heart because I wanted to protect her from my relatives and my enemies," I said, my voice low, raw. "They were threatening her life because they wanted the money from me."
Shawn's expression shifted—anger still there, but now tangled with something else.
Realization. Shock. Maybe even fear.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
The truth hung between us, heavy and ugly.
I looked away, guilt twisting in my chest. "I thought pushing her away would keep her safe. I didn't know it would destroy her."
Shawn loosened his grip just slightly, but his eyes stayed locked on mine, searching for any sign of a lie.
"Do you think I wanted to hurt her?" I said, my voice cracking despite how hard I tried to steady it. "It only hurt me more."
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to hold his gaze. "Every word I said to her… every lie I told… it tore me apart. But I thought it was the only way to keep her alive."
"Keifer… are you really telling the truth?" Shawn asked, his voice low, controlled, but his eyes burning with doubt.
I let out a shaky breath. "It's your choice if you want to believe it or not," I said, my voice rough. "But it's the truth."
"Fine," he said, jaw tight. "I will help you."
I blinked, stunned. "Really?"
His eyes hardened again, the warning in them sharp enough to cut.
"If you really did it to protect her, then yes." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a deadly calm. "But if you're playing with her again, I'll send you straight to your grave."
I swallowed hard, forcing myself not to look away. "I'm not playing," I said quietly. "Not anymore."
"Just give her time," Shawn said. "It will take time… but I will help you."
"Thanks, brother‑in‑law," I said, letting a small smirk slip.
Shawn shot me a glare so sharp it could cut steel. "I will push you down the stairs if you keep talking to me like that."
I couldn't help it—I laughed. The first real laugh I'd had in days. "Oh, come on. You think your sister will let you live after that, brother‑in‑law?"
Shawn's eye twitched. "Say it one more time."
"Brother‑in—"
He took a threatening step forward.
I raised my hands in surrender, still grinning. "Alright, alright. I'll stop. For now."
Shawn rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched—just barely. A tiny crack in the wall he kept up around me.
"Go to sleep," Shawn said.
I just nodded, too drained to argue. I headed to my room, collapsed onto the bed, and sleep took me faster than I expected.
SKIPS TO MORNING — AFTER BREAKFAST
Jay went upstairs, quiet and distant, and of course I followed her. She moved quickly, checking room after room, her brows furrowed in worry.
She was searching for Aion.
"Where is that kid…" she muttered under her breath, opening another door.
And honestly… I couldn't help the thought that slipped into my mind.
How is she going to take care of our own children one day if she panics this much over Aion?
The idea hit me harder than I expected. Our children. Like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I shook my head, trying to push the thought away—but it stayed, stubborn and warm in my chest
"Need help?" I asked, stepping closer.
"No." She didn't even look at me when she said it
"Come on," I sighed, stepping closer. "At this rate we'll never find our nephew."
She froze.
Slowly—very slowly—she turned to look at me, eyes wide, eyebrows raised so high they practically touched her hairline.
"Our NEPHEW?"
I blinked. "…Yeah?"
Her stare sharpened, like she was trying to decide whether to smack me, scream at me, or just walk away and pretend I didn't exist.
I lifted my hands defensively. "I mean—he's your nephew… and I'm—well—I'm here, aren't I? So technically—"
"Keifer," she said, voice flat, "stop talking."
I shut my mouth immediately.
But inside, I couldn't help the tiny spark of warmth that lit up at the idea of something being ours, even if it was just a nephew.
"Tita!" Aion's little voice echoed from one of the rooms.
Jay immediately rushed toward it, and of course I followed her.
When we stepped inside, I had to blink twice.
Aion was somehow standing on top of a table—arms spread out like he was about to take flight.
"Aion, what are you doing up there?" Jay gasped, hurrying toward him. "Get down, you'll get hurt!"
She reached her arms out, panic written all over her face.
Aion just grinned. "I was pretending to be tall like Tito Keifer!"
I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me.
Jay shot me a glare like it was my fault he climbed up there.
"It's not funny," she snapped, still focused on getting Aion down safely.
I raised my hands in surrender. "Hey, I didn't teach him that. I swear."
Jay carefully lifted Aion off the table, holding him close like he was made of glass.
The way she fussed over him… it did something to me.
She'd be a great mom one day.
"Tita, let's play a game!" Aion said, bouncing on his toes.
Jay softened immediately. "Which game?"
"Maybe hide and seek," he said, eyes sparkling with mischief. "I'll seek… and you two hide."
Then he winked at me.
I blinked.
What is he up to?
Jay didn't notice—she was already crouching down to his level, brushing his hair back like the world revolved around him.
But I saw it.
That tiny, evil, matchmaking wink.
This kid was planning something.
"Alright, Aion," Jay said, smiling. "Count to twenty."
Aion grinned wider. "Okay! But you two have to hide together."
Jay froze.
I tried not to laugh.
Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing.
"What— that's not part of the rules!" Jay yelled, eyes wide as Aion rummaged through the room like a tiny criminal mastermind.
"Well, it is now!" Aion declared proudly.
Before either of us could react, he found a piece of rope—where did he even get that?
—and marched toward us with the confidence of someone who had already decided our fate.
"Aion, no—" Jay started.
Too late.
He grabbed our wrists and started tying them together with surprising skill for a kid his age. Jay tried to pull back, but Aion just tightened the knot like he'd been trained by pirates.
"Aion!" Jay protested, her voice rising. "Why are you tying us together?!"
He grinned up at us, eyes sparkling with pure mischief. "Because if you hide together, you won't run away from each other."
I stared at him.
Jay stared at him.
This kid was dangerous.
Jay tugged at the rope, cheeks turning pink. "Aion, untie us right now!"
"Nope!" he chirped. "You two go hide. I'll count!"
He covered his eyes dramatically and started counting at full volume. "ONE! TWO! THREE!"
Jay groaned. "Keifer, I swear—this is your fault."
I couldn't help the smirk tugging at my lips. "Hey, he's your nephew too… remember?"
She shot me a glare that could melt steel.
But she didn't pull her hand away.
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💙🔥 Author's Note 🔥💙
Sooo… what did you guys think of the chapter 🤭✨
I'm low‑key waiting for your reactions, so make sure to comment 🐧💬✨
Some of you have been kinda quiet lately 👀💔
Still enjoying the story, or did I lose you somewhere along the way 😭