Chapter 261 - Key

Keifer's POV

"He's a nuisance…" Keigan said.

I couldn't stop myself from gripping the glass in my hand tightly. It shattered in my palm, spilling liquor all over the counter table.

"Don't f*cking tell me what to do. You're just my brother."

I heard him chuckle. I didn't want to listen to him. I don't like people telling me what to do, especially when it comes to Jay-jay.

I stared at the blood dripping from my palm, mixing with the spilled liquor on the counter.

"Honey! Don't just sit there! Talk to him!"

Keigan shouted at Honey.

"What's the point? He won't listen anyway," she replied.

Frustrated, he walked toward me and forced me to face him. I gave him a blank stare as he gripped my shirt tightly.

"You're blinded by your love. You can't even focus on our problems anymore."

I slapped his hand away and walked past him. I also ignored Honey, who attempted to approach me.

"You're drunk," she said, but I chose to ignore her.

I didn't want to talk to anyone. The only person I wanted to see right now was Jay-jay. But how? Every time I think of her, I remember what she and David did.

I want to rip his throat out.

He kissed Jay-jay. He kissed my Jay-jay. No one is allowed to kiss her except me. I want to hurt them. Every man who dares to claim her lips.

A sudden pain spread through my chest. It hurts every time I remember how Yuri and David claimed her lips. I feel like she just let them. I know she's not that kind of woman, but I can't help it.

As soon as I returned from London, I immediately went to see her. I needed strength after everything I had gone through at the hands of our relatives—relatives who only cared about taking our money.

But I never expected that day to break me. I tried my best to convince myself that she didn't do it on purpose.

But it still hurt like hell.

I didn't even realize I had already reached the door of my room. I was about to open it when I stopped. I turned to look at the door behind me—the room where I once let Jay-jay sleep.

My hands and feet moved on their own. I walked straight inside. The lights were off, but my eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. I walked toward the bed and lay down.

I still remember the first night I let her sleep here. I stared at her like a predator. She slept with her mouth slightly open, and I found it funny.

"Jay…" I whispered before my eyes closed, and I fell asleep.

I didn't know I would regret sleeping so soon.

"You are no different from your father. You're a bastard. Useless and nothing but dirt in our name," one of the elders said, clenching his teeth.

I just hope you don't have a heart attack because of this. His anger toward me is intense.

I ignore him. I keep reading the papers in front of me while they all stare at me. My other relatives are standing at the end of the long table.

A very long one, to be exact.

I put the papers down on the table and observed them all. The Watson Family. There are more of them than I expected. And I know that some of my cousins who are abroad aren't even here yet. Neither are the illegitimate children who still carry the family name.

"What exactly is the reason you're here?" I ask, pretending to be confused.

I know the answer; I just like messing with them. Especially the elders. They are my grandfather's siblings, but they refuse to be called Grandfather. Especially by someone like me, whom they don't even acknowledge as their grandchild.

"His Filipino brain doesn't understand us," one of my cousins said, and they all laughed.

"Keifer…" Honey whispered from behind me. "… let's just leave. You already got what you needed."

I ignored what Honey said. I simply smiled at my cousin, whose body was probably larger than a drum.

"And your penny-sized brain doesn't understand me," I answered him, and they stopped laughing. "You will never have my money. It's all mine, only mine."

They all reacted simultaneously to what I said. They were furious because they couldn't get anything from the enormous wealth sitting untouched in Watson's Bank. And that doesn't even include my mother's inheritance. That was only my grandfather's money, which he saved up and gambled on the eldest son of my monstrous father.

Because of the huge amount, my relatives became interested. They tried to take it before I even turned 18. But the bank was too strict—even though they carried the Watson surname, they couldn't get even a single cent.

I stood up, about to leave, but then I heard the sound of wood tapping against the gleaming floor. It came from the cane of the eldest among the siblings.

Since I arrived at the Watson mansion, I had neither seen nor heard him react to me.

This was the first time I heard his cane.

Everyone fell silent, and even I waited for him to speak.

"That money is not yours," he said while standing. "It belongs to Kaizer's firstborn child."

"I am his first—"

He cut me off. "You are not!"

I looked at Honey. Fear was evident on her face. I had no idea they would find out about that. My heart beat so fast that I immediately started sweating.

"What makes you think that I am not?" I asked, trying not to show any nervousness.

"Kaizer had a lot of women before marrying your mother. It's not impossible for him to have a child before you," one of the elders answered, clearly mocking me.

I chuckled, full of pride. "Think whatever possibility you want to think, but the money is still mine."

I didn't wait for them to respond. I walked out of that room, followed by Honey, who was wiping the sweat off her face.

"You're quite obvious, Honey. They don't know about it yet, and even if they do, I'm sure they don't recognize it yet."

"You can't blame me. One mistake, and everything we worked for will be gone."

I loosened the tie I was wearing. I felt like I was suffocating under the pressure I was feeling. I really thought they already knew about that thing—but it wasn't impossible. Maybe they knew something I didn't.

"Keifer..." Mr. Ryder called as he walked towards us. "Did you get it?"

I nodded and handed the papers and key to Honey. She read the small piece of paper tied to the large key as we continued walking.

"Watson's Bank?" she said. "How rich is your family? You even own a bank."

"Honey, they are more than rich," Mr. Ryder answered. "They're elite."

We reached the grand staircase of the house. Just as we were descending, my cousin—whom I never wished to be related to—was climbing up. He stopped right in front of me.

"So, I guess I'm too late," he said, looking at the key in Honey's hand.

I smirked at him with arrogance. I won. The Watsons' money was mine, and I was the new CEO of Watson Enterprise.

"Better luck next time—oh wait! You don't have a next time," I said, mocking him.

I tapped his arm and walked away. We were already on the ground floor when he spoke again, making me stop.

"You may have won. You have the money and the company. But what about your girl?" he said and laughed. "We all know you're going crazy over a girl named Jasper Jean Mariano."

I clenched my fists. I wanted to break his bones right then and there. I didn't want my Jay-jay's name being dragged into this.

"Make sure to keep him safe, Keifer," he added before finally leaving.

"It's a threat. You have to be careful," Mr. Ryder said as he walked out the door.

Honey and I followed him. We got into one of the three Mercedes-Benz cars parked outside. The other two belonged to my bodyguards.

As the car moved, I couldn't sit still. My stupid-acting-CEO-cousin was up to something. He was so predictable, and he was taking advantage of that.

I had to make sure Jay-jay was alright. I immediately took my phone out of my pocket, about to dial her number, but I stopped. If I heard her voice, I knew I would go home and forget all my plans.

It had only been a day since I last saw her, but I was already dying to be with her. But I couldn't go back yet. I still had a lot to do here.

I was about to put my phone back in my pocket when a text message arrived. It was from Keigan.

From: Keigan

Message: Your girlfriend was here.

What?!

I dialed Keigan's number and waited for him to answer. After several rings, he finally picked up.

"What took you so long to answer your phone?!" I asked, irritated.

I heard nothing from him. I wasn't sure if there was a signal problem.

"Keigan?"

Out of nowhere, I heard a small laugh. I suddenly felt uneasy. I knew there was something wrong with my own brother, but I wasn't sure what it was.

["Relax, bro…"] he said in a different tone.

It was definitely my brother's voice, but the way he spoke sounded like a completely different person. This had been happening a lot lately.

But this wasn't the time to worry about his behavior. I tried to push the thought away. There were more important things I had to focus on, and he himself told me to remove him and Keiren from my priorities for now.

"I want to know what Jay-jay was doing there."

["Nothing important. She was looking for you, but since you weren't here, she immediately left on her bicycle."] he explained.

I know she's worried. The last time we were together, I punched a tree. I was so pissed because I saw Yuri kissing her. Maybe she thinks I'm still mad at her.

"Don't say anything that will make her worry."

["Sure."] he answered before ending the call.

I'm sorry, Jay. You have to wait for a while.

I texted Ci-N and our other classmates, including Yuri. I am more than pissed with that guy, but aside from our friends, he's the only one I can rely on. He can protect Jay-jay the same way I do.

Our car suddenly stopped. I looked outside the window.

"This is the Watson Bank?" Honey asked.

That was exactly what I wanted to ask. This isn't the kind of bank I expected. It was a brick castle, its walls covered in vines and plants. The gate, however, looked new because of its black paint.

The car door opened, so I stepped out. Honey and Mr. Ryder followed behind me.

"Mr. Mark Keifer Watson."

A man in a business suit called my name and walked toward me.

"We've been expecting you."

I looked at him from head to toe. "And you are?"

"Oh, where are my manners?" He offered his hand.

"I'm your mother's brother. Call me Sin."

I accepted his handshake and smiled at him. Mom used to talk about him and his mischievous adventures before he graduated college. I didn't know he worked at our bank.

He let go and straightened his suit. He briefly glanced at my companions before turning back to me.

"Do you have the key?"

I held out my hand. Honey handed me the papers and the old key. I showed them to him.

"Follow me," he said.

Honey and Mr. Ryder were about to follow, but the guards standing on either side of the gate blocked them.

"They're with me," I said, but the guards still wouldn't let them pass.

"Sorry, but we can't allow them," my uncle said.

I looked at Mr. Ryder. He nodded, as if giving me permission to continue. I walked with my uncle.

The place was dark. At first, I thought we were in a hallway, but I soon realized we weren't. Thanks to the light at the end of our path, I saw that we were actually inside a tunnel.

"How are your brothers?" he suddenly asked.

I glanced at him briefly, but he kept his eyes on the path ahead.

"They're fine, I guess…" I answered hesitantly.

"Sorry I didn't make it to your mom's funeral. I wasn't allowed to leave the bank back then."

I sighed. Not a single member of Mom's family attended her funeral. Maybe some distant relatives did, but I didn't know them.

But that was a long time ago. It doesn't really matter to me now.

"I understand. You had a duty to fulfill."

He stopped walking. I noticed that we had reached the end of the tunnel. In front of us was a large door.

"Your mom was still my sister. It was my duty to protect her." He looked at me seriously. "And I failed to fulfill my duty."

He didn't wait for me to respond. He opened the door in front of us.

The first thing I saw was a huge fountain. The ceiling was made of glass. The floor was covered in pebbles. The surroundings looked like a garden, filled with withered plants.

Is this really a bank?

Three doors stood behind the fountain.

Uncle Sin walked toward the first door and opened it.

"We have to move faster. The clock is ticking," he said before stepping inside.

He was right, so I quickened my pace.

Upon entering the first door, I was greeted by a marble counter table. Uncle Sin stood behind it, typing on what I assumed was a keyboard.

As I waited, I noticed the wall behind him. It was lined with safety deposit boxes. Almost the entire wall was covered with them.

After typing something, one of the boxes opened—the one in the corner at the end of the wall.

I had no idea what he was doing or what it was for. All I knew was that I was here for the money left for me.

Uncle Sin walked toward the open box and picked up something inside.

"What exactly is this?" I asked as he approached me.

He gave me a small smile. "Everything your mom wanted you to see."

I arched a brow. What she wanted me to see?

He handed me a wooden box. It was locked, and its keyhole was old and worn. I could literally peek through it.

I stared at it for a moment before remembering the key I found at the old mansion.

I took it from my pocket.

I initially thought that this key was for the vault door itself. I tried inserting the key, and to my surprise, it fit.

Slowly, I turned the key, and I heard a small snap sound coming from the box. I looked at Uncle, who was simply watching me. He was obviously waiting for me to find out what was inside the box.

Why do I suddenly feel pressured?

I slowly opened the box. As I lifted the lid, I stared at its contents. Seeing what was inside made me want to throw it away.

Seriously? Who would put a small remote control and a piece of card inside a box and then keep it in a safety deposit bank?

This is definitely a joke. Mom would never do this. I almost laughed in disbelief, but when I saw my Uncle's serious face, I remained calm.

I first took the small piece of card and read it. There was a letter printed in gold, which was hard to see under bright light. I tried to read it but failed, so I just picked up the remote and examined it.

There were only a few buttons on the remote: Play, Pause, Stop, and End, each with different colors.

"If you're done, please follow me," Uncle Sin said.

I took the remote and the piece of card, then left the box. We stepped out of the room and moved to the door at the end of the hall. He opened it, and all I could see was darkness.

"From here, you have to do everything on your own," he said, forcing a smile.

I hesitated to enter. There wasn't a single trace of light inside. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and used it as a flashlight.

Step by step, I walked inside. After a few more steps, the door suddenly closed. As I turned around, the only thing I saw was my Uncle's sad face.

I tried to run back to stop the door, but I was too late. I attempted to open it, but it was useless.

Damn it! Is this a setup?

Does he have bad intentions? Is that why he didn't allow Honey to come in here with me?

I hope he hasn't become interested in the money, too.

Out of nowhere, a light from a box appeared. I approached it to take a closer look. It was a projector box.

Is this what the remote control is for?

I removed the cover that was blocking the projector lens.

The light spread onto the wall, forming what looked like a monitor. There were three choices on the screen: Play, Pause, and Stop—almost the same options as on the remote.

Even though I wasn't sure, I pressed Play on the remote.

Something appeared on the screen.

A video was about to play, and there was a woman in it.

It's Mom…

My eyes remained glued to the monitor.

It was Mom—my own mother, whom I hadn't seen in a long time. I didn't understand why she was in this video.

"Keifer…" she started. "…if you're watching this, it means that I didn't make it to your 18th birthday."

As she spoke, my tears began to fall.