KEIFER'S POV
The VIP room of KingsGround had never felt this suffocating before.
Everyone was here.
Boss.
Kuya Cris.
Percy.
Aries.
And me.
We were all sitting around the same table, but nobody was speaking. The silence was getting unbearable. I kept tapping my fingers against the table, trying to control the anger building inside me.
Something was wrong.
I could feel it. Kuya Cris had called us here without giving us a single explanation. And when Cris was this serious...It was never good news. I looked toward him. He was standing near the window, staring outside.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke.
"Control your anger."
I frowned. What the hell was he talking about? Boss leaned back in his chair.
"That depends."
Percy immediately looked at Cris.
"Just tell us already. I'm going insane from the anxiety."
I couldn't take it anymore.
"Tell us, Kuya."
Cris slowly turned around. His expression was different.
Colder.
He walked toward the table and placed four files in front of us. My eyes immediately dropped to them.
Four files.
Four names.
I didn't know why, but something in my chest tightened.
Cris opened the first one.
"Her Stepfather's those who abused her. First, Tony Dela Cruz. He's currently living in Manila with his new wife and daughter."
Then the second.
"Matteo Santillan. Living in London. Recently divorced."
The third.
"Ryder Bautista. He suffered from brain tumour last year and passed away."
Then Cris stopped. His fingers rested on the final file. His expression darkened.
"And Rodrigo Abalas, the absolute bastard."
My eyes immediately went to the last file. Something about that name made my blood run cold.
"Why him?"
Cris looked at me.
"Because the others played a part in what happened to her. But Rodrigo....He was a psychopath."
Aries leaned forward.
"What did he do?"
Cris didn't answer immediately. He looked down at the file. Then he finally spoke.
"He burned her skin with a iron because she refuse to bought him alcohol. He used to hit her with belt daily just because he loved her screams. He once tried to....rape her."
My heart stopped. I couldn't breathe properly. All those times Jay Jay had laughed. All those times she'd acted carefree. All those times she'd complained about school, food, homework...She had been carrying this?
And we had never known.
Cris opened Rodrigo's file.
"After Jeana's divorce, Jay Jay was sent to live with her lola. But Rodrigo was drowning in debt. He tried to use Jay Jay to solve his problems."
My fists clenched.
"He tried to sell her?"
Cris nodded.
"Yes."
I felt something inside me crack. How could anyone even think of doing that to a child? Percy looked like he was barely keeping himself together. Aries's jaw was clenched. Angelo was feasting his punch tightly.
Nobody spoke.
Cris continued.
"She was taken away one evening. But she escaped."
I immediately looked up.
"How?"
Cris shook his head.
"Nobody knows. There were no cameras inside the room. We only have the CCTV footage from the hallway."
I stared at him.
"She ran out covered in blood and came to her lola and collapsed. When she woke up in the hospital. She didn't remember what happened."
Silence.
Complete silence.
I couldn't stop staring at the table. She didn't remember. Her mind had buried it so deeply that even she didn't know what had happened. And somehow...She had continued living.
Smiling.
Laughing.
Trusting people.
Trusting me.
My fingers curled into fists.
"I want to kill them."
Everyone looked at me. I didn't care. I couldn't care. My voice came out colder than I expected.
"They don't deserve to walk around like nothing happened."
Aries immediately spoke.
"They shouldn't."
Percy looked down at his hands.
His voice shook.
"She spent years dealing with everything alone. She shouldn't have had to."
Angelo nodded.
"They need to answer for what they did."
Cris looked at all of us.
"And they will."
I thought that was the end of it. But then Cris said something that made the anger inside me disappear for a moment.
"There's something else I'm afraid of."
I looked at him.
"What?"
He stared directly at me.
"What happens when she remembers?"
My heart dropped. Nobody spoke. Because we all knew exactly what he meant.
Cris continued.
"We can make sure the people responsible face consequences. But we can't erase her memories."
I looked down. That was the part nobody could fix. We could protect her. We could stand beside her. We could make sure she was never alone again. But we couldn't change the past.
Cris sighed.
"For us she is a survivor and we are proud of her, but in her point of view she will be a murderer and will feel guilty."
Aries lowered his head.
"She already thinks her trauma makes her dangerous. What will happen when she will remember?"
My chest tightened. Of course she did. Jay Jay always thought she had to protect everyone else from herself.
I stood up slowly.
Everyone looked at me.
"She was a child. Whatever happened back then doesn't make her a monster. She's not guilty. She's someone who survived. And when she remembers..."
My voice softened.
"We'll be there. I won't let her leave me ever again. "
Aries nodded.
"She won't face it alone."
Percy immediately leaned back. Despite everything, he somehow managed to smile.
"Obviously."
Aries looked at him.
"What?"
Percy shrugged.
"She's my baby sister. I finally got my sister back. The hell I'm letting her escape me. She has to deal with my handsome face every day now.
Aries rolled his eyes.
"You're unbelievable."
"I'm comforting myself."
A small laugh escaped Angelo. I couldn't help the tiny smile that appeared on my face.
Only for a second. Because my mind immediately returned to Jay Jay. She had been alone once. She wasn't anymore. I looked at the files on the table.
Four names.
Three people still breathing.
Cris closed the final file.
"Then let's get ready. The coffins are already on their way."
I stood there silently. My eyes remained on that final file. I didn't know what the future would bring. I didn't know what would happen when Jay Jay's memories returned.
But I knew one thing.
She wasn't facing it alone anymore.
Not with Percy.
Not with Aries.
Not with Cris.
Not with all of us.
And definitely not with me.
I would be there when she remembered. I would be there when she was scared. And if she ever tried to convince herself that she was alone again...I'd remind her of the truth.
She has me....ALWAYS!