Chapter 63 - Cheaters

David's POV

*Continuation of Flashback*

Class was over. Everything had been quiet since then. I stepped out of the car and found myself in an old, abandoned factory. I was here to have a conversation with Kiko. When I arrived, I saw only his car. But something felt off.

Fuck! He's not alone.

Suddenly, Michael appeared along with other members of Section A. Section D was there too. They surrounded us.

"One-on-one talk! Why are they here?!" I demanded.

"I changed my mind, eh!" Kiko smirked.

I knew it! Section A never fights fair. They never fight alone.

"Hold him!" Kiko ordered.

His friends rushed toward me. Before I could react, a heavy blow landed on me. Some of them seemed alarmed, while others tried to hit me, but I managed to dodge. I took down five of them, but I was starting to get exhausted.

Suddenly, a man wielding a metal pipe struck me from behind. I collapsed, and they held me down.

"Tsk! It took nine of you just to land a hit?!" Kiko scoffed.

He walked up to me and took a knife from his friend.

"You're good at begging, right?! Beg now!" he taunted, bringing the knife close to my face.

Panic surged through me, clouding my mind. My knees felt weak, and the people holding me down tightened their grip. Kiko smirked and punched me hard across the face. Pain exploded in my jaw. My vision blurred. I could taste blood in my mouth.

"That's begging!" Kiko sneered before striking me again.

I couldn't see clearly, but I knew my mouth was bleeding.

"Is this how you planned to 'talk'?" I croaked.

"Fight like a man!" My voice trembled, but my words struck a nerve.

Kiko's face darkened, and his expression twisted in anger. He grabbed me by the collar and threw me into a nearby pool of water. I hit the surface hard. Cold. Dark. I couldn't move anymore. I couldn't breathe. Everything slowed down. Sounds faded. My body felt heavy. My vision darkened. White. Bright. Silent.

Am I dead? That was my first thought. A loud noise jolted me back. I was alive. But barely. I opened my eyes slowly. The scent of antiseptic filled the air. Hospital? I turned my head slightly and saw Keifer sitting by the window. I tried to call out to him, but no sound came. My throat burned.

Shit! My voice.

Keifer turned and saw me awake. He walked up to me, a solemn look on his face. The doctor entered, followed by my parents. They bombarded me with questions.

Are they blind?! Can't they see I can't speak?!

My mother sat beside me for a while before leaving to buy something. My father spoke with the doctor.

Keifer remained, silently watching me.

After a while, he grabbed a piece of paper and held it up.

"You feel like a hero?" he asked, smirking.

"... This is the blessing of the brave," I thought bitterly.

I'm not a hero. I just did what I had to do.

"I'm the president now. I'll follow them. When you get back to school—if you can come back—you'll do the same."

I wanted to respond. I wanted to curse at him. But I couldn't. Even moving hurt.

"Don't force it if you can't," he added before walking out.

You're going to pay for this, Keifer. I kept Section E out of trouble, and you're the one ruining them?! I swear, once I get out of here, I'll take back Section E.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jay-Jay's POV

A fight was brewing. They were probably with David by now.

"Is this why you never wanted me to be involved?" I asked David.

"Something like that. We don't trust him," he answered.

So that's why they questioned me earlier—making sure I had no intentions of betraying them.

"S-thanks," I mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

"For what?" he asked.

"For worrying about me," I admitted.

He smiled slightly, a faint blush dusting his cheeks.

"... You're special to us," he said.

Special?! Special! SPECIAL!!

Ahahahaha! My heart felt like it was doing somersaults! I grinned at his words, feeling a surge of confidence.

"I'll be honest… We initially planned to work with Kiko. He was supposed to set the stage for the early fights," he explained.

Damn. They were even more protective than I thought. They treated Angelo like family.

"I'm glad I gained your trust," I joked.

David chuckled lightly. We arrived at my house and stopped outside.

"Just stay here... Thanks for walking me home!" I said with a smile.

"Be careful, Jay. What you did to Ram was dangerous. They will come for you," he warned.

Right. I made an extra enemy today. Great!

"I can handle myself. Promise!" I assured him.

He simply smiled before turning to leave. I walked inside, greeted by brother. He motioned for me to sit on the couch and called Aries.

"Why?" Aries asked, his tone sharp.

"Sit down," my brother ordered.

Aries just raised an eyebrow, refusing to move.

"Sit. Down." my brother repeated, more firmly this time.

Aries reluctantly obeyed; arms crossed.

"Did something happen, Big Brother?" I asked.

"Not exactly, but… Mom and Dad left. They went to Guam—"

"What?!" Aries shouted, jumping up from his seat.

"... And they didn't even tell me?! They just left?! What are we, stray dogs?! Are they treating this like a second honeymoon?!"

Damn. Aries' reaction was intense. Almost too intense. It's like Angelo's brother reacts. A little overacting.

"ARIES!!" my brother snapped.

"Let me finish first!"

Aries sat down again, still fuming. Hahaha… But he had a point.

""My mom and dad were in the hospital because we had a problem with a business partner. I came and will take care of business." He explained.

"So, it's just the two of us here?" I asked.

"Three, counting the maids. But since I'll be at Fer Corp most of the time, it's basically just you two."

"... When is Mom coming back?"

"Soon."

Aries stormed off to his room. I went to mine as well. My whole body still ached. I feel like I just got dropped into the sky. As I was changing, my phone rang. I panicked, fumbling to grab my bag. Not here… Where the hell is it?!

Aries suddenly barged into my room.

"Listen! Since we're the only ones left at home, I have rules!" he declared.

"You can't leave without saying goodbye! You can't even -----" He suddenly stopped talking, so I looked at him.

I ignored him, still searching. WHERE is my phone?!

"You can't leave without telling me! You can't even—"

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence. I looked up. His expression changed. Anger. Shock. I followed his gaze— And froze. In his hand was a white object. A PRAGNANCY TEST.

"Jasper Jean Mariano."

His voice was eerily calm, yet firm. It's a quiet but authoritative mention of my full name.

"Believe me… I-it's not mine," I stammered.

My heart pounded in my chest. I couldn't predict his reaction. Would he yell? Would he kill me?!

"Who's the father?!" he demanded.

"W-w-nothing... H-that's not mine. H-h-I'm not pregnant." My tears were running down.

I don't know if it's because of fear or something. But I don't believe what I say. He looked bad at me.

"Y-Yuri Hanamitchi or Mark Keifer Watson?!"