(Author's POV)
The room remained quiet.
Jay was still holding onto Cora.
Neither of them moved.
The tears had finally slowed, but Jay didn't let go.
Not yet.
For the first time in what felt like forever, the crushing fear inside her chest was gone.
Keifer was alive.
The thought repeated itself over and over in her head.
Alive.
Not gone.
Not lost.
Alive.
Another shaky breath escaped her lips.
Cora gently rubbed circles against her back.
Nobody interrupted.
Nobody rushed her.
They simply let her stay there.
Let her breathe.
Let her process everything.
Eventually, Jay pulled back slightly.
Her eyes were red.
Her cheeks stained with tears.
But the panic was gone.
Only exhaustion remained.
For a moment she looked around the room.
At Luna.
At Alex.
At Deniel.
At the file lying on the bed.
Then back at Cora.
Silence.
A long silence.
Then suddenly—
"I'm hungry."
The room froze.
Nobody expected that.
Jay sniffled once.
Then repeated it.
"I'm really hungry."
Alex stared at her.
Deniel blinked.
Luna looked confused.
For two seconds nobody said anything.
Then Cora burst out laughing.
A real laugh.
The first one all day.
"Are you serious?"
Jay nodded.
Completely serious.
"I haven't eaten."
"That's because you're an idiot."
"Okay, rude."
The room immediately felt lighter.
Even Alex looked like he was trying not to smile.
Deniel shook his head.
"She nearly gives everyone a heart attack and now she's hungry."
"I'm starving."
"Unbelievable."
Jay crossed her arms.
"I just survived emotional damage."
"That's not an excuse."
"It absolutely is."
Luna laughed quietly.
The sound was enough to make everyone relax.
For the first time that day—
things felt normal.
At least a little.
A short while later they all made their way toward the dining area.
Jay walked slowly this time.
Not because she wanted to.
Because Luna and Cora practically threatened her.
The doctor had already warned her enough.
Nobody intended to let her reopen those stitches again.
Dinner was surprisingly peaceful.
The table wasn't crowded.
Just the five of them.
For several minutes nobody discussed anything serious.
Mostly because everyone was happy to see Jay eating.
Actually eating.
Not pretending.
Not picking at food.
Eating.
Alex noticed immediately.
"You were really hungry."
Jay pointed her fork at him.
"Don't judge me."
"I'm judging you."
"You always judge me."
"Because you make bad decisions."
"Wow."
Cora almost choked trying not to laugh.
The conversation continued like that for a while.
Light.
Comfortable.
Almost normal.
Then eventually the mood shifted.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
The reality of what had happened returned.
Alex was the first to speak.
"Jay."
She immediately looked up.
His expression had become serious.
The table grew quiet.
"We need to talk about the call."
The smile disappeared from her face.
Not because she was scared.
Because she already knew where this was going.
Nobody spoke for a moment.
Then Luna gently placed a folder on the table.
"The number couldn't be traced."
Jay frowned.
"What?"
"It was a burner."
Deniel continued.
"Temporary. Untraceable."
The realization slowly settled in.
"Kyle."
Nobody argued.
Because it was obvious.
The room became silent again.
Alex leaned back slightly.
"We checked everything."
"The call."
"The image."
"The number."
"The timing."
Every piece fit together.
Every piece pointed toward the same person.
Kyle.
Jay lowered her gaze.
Her grip tightened around the fork.
Cora noticed immediately.
But didn't interrupt.
"He knew exactly what to do."
Luna's voice remained calm.
"He knew Keifer was the one thing that could break you."
The words hit harder than expected.
Because they were true.
Painfully true.
Jay stared at her plate.
Remembering the fear.
The helplessness.
The panic.
Remembering what she had felt when she thought Keifer was gone.
A muscle in her jaw tightened.
"He used him."
Nobody responded.
Because there was nothing to add.
Kyle had used Keifer as a weapon.
Not against Keifer.
Against Jay.
And for a while—
it had worked.
The thought made something shift inside her.
Not fear.
Not sadness.
Something colder.
Something stronger.
The tears she'd cried earlier suddenly felt very far away.
Her eyes slowly lifted.
Meeting each person's gaze.
One by one.
"He wanted me broken."
Silence.
"He wanted me scared."
Another pause.
"He wanted me distracted."
Nobody looked away.
Because they could see it happening.
The change.
The fire returning.
Jay sat back in her chair.
The fear was gone now.
Completely gone.
In its place stood determination.
Pure determination.
For the first time since arriving in New York—
she looked like herself again.
Not the girl who had collapsed on the floor.
Not the girl who had spent hours crying.
The girl who fought back.
The girl who survived.
The girl people underestimated once and never again.
A small smile appeared on her face.
It wasn't warm.
It wasn't happy.
It was dangerous.
"Kyle made a mistake."
The room grew quiet.
Nobody interrupted.
Nobody needed to.
Because they knew exactly what she meant.
Jay slowly folded her arms.
The smile never leaving.
"He thought this would stop me."
The confidence in her voice sent a wave of relief through everyone at the table.
Because they hadn't heard that voice in days.
Maybe weeks.
"He thought he could scare me."
Her eyes hardened.
"He thought wrong."
For a moment nobody spoke.
Then Alex smiled slightly.
The first genuine smile he'd shown all evening.
Cora exchanged a look with Luna.
Deniel leaned back in his chair.
And for the first time since the nightmare began—
hope returned.
Real hope.
Because Jay was back.
Not completely.
Not yet.
But enough.
Enough for all of them to see it.
Enough to know what came next.
Kyle had started this.
And now—
Jay intended to finish it.
Once and for all.
And when it was over—
when Kyle was finally gone—
there was only one place she intended to be.
Home.
Back with Keifer.