Chapter 263 - Relative

Keifer's POV

I woke up feeling immense pain throughout my body. Last night, Clyde and his men attacked me. Fortunately, he had no clue that the password he was looking for wasn't the usual one used for the vaults.

I walked toward the shower and turned it on. Warm water ran down my body.

I still haven't figured out a solution to my problem with Clyde and Jay-jay. My actions are limited right now because I haven't received my inheritance yet. The only way I can protect Jay-jay is by staying close to her.

After showering, I got dressed. I had to meet the Elders again.

I don't want to. I really don't want to…

A knock on my door interrupted my thoughts.

"Ready, Keifer?" It was Honey.

I walked toward the door and opened it. "Ready."

I followed Honey as she led the way to the elevator. I hadn't told anyone about Clyde's visit last night.

"What are you old people going to talk about?" she asked.

"Nothing new... Still about the money in Watson Bank."

But there's no money in there. It's all just files about treasure and gold.

I paused for a moment. They know what's inside that bank. I bet they wouldn't dare try to take it from me—otherwise, they'd be making a huge mistake.

As we exited the elevator, I saw Mr. Ryder standing near the car. I immediately walked toward him.

"You're not telling us something," he said.

I frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Clyde visited you last night. What did you two talk about?"

"Same old things"

"What else?"

I shook my head. I didn't want to talk about it. I still hadn't figured out a solution.

"Keifer, you need to tell us more. What did he do to you? What did he say?"

I took a deep breath. I really didn't want to discuss it because it was my personal problem. But maybe they could actually help me.

"He's targeting Jay-jay."

Honey gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh my God... He picked the wrong person to mess with."

I shot her a glare. What she said wasn't helping.

"What?!" she asked innocently. "I'm just telling the truth. Only an idiot would go after your girlfriend."

One of these days, I'm going to fire this girl. She makes my head hurt even more.

I know Jay-jay can fight back, but not all the time. Her retaliation won't always save her—it might even make things worse.

"Shut your mouth, Honey, or I'll make you," I snapped before getting into the car.

They followed me inside, and as soon as the car started, our conversation continued.

"What's your plan for Jay-jay?" Mr. Ryder asked.

"I have to get back home as soon as possible to make sure no one hurts her."

I also need to talk to Yuri. Right now, he and the others are the only ones I can count on. I also have to speak with Angelo and his mom.

That thought kept me up last night. What if it's true? But… it's impossible.

I used to idolize him. I even copied his mannerisms, thinking that I could be like him—or even better than him. I know I wasn't the only one. Aries, Yuri, and Percy did the same thing.

I also remembered the times we used to take secret walks together. That's why I know Angelo's friends better than Aries does, even though Aries considers him like a brother. Maybe that's why people mistake us for siblings, too.

But the idea of us being real brothers? That's just ridiculous.

Suddenly, the car came to an abrupt stop. Mr. Ryder and I nearly collided, while Honey fell straight onto the floor.

"What the hell?!" she shouted.

"Someone blocked our driveway," one of my bodyguards informed us.

"Can't you find another way?!" Honey asked, annoyed, as she fixed her messy hair.

The driver attempted to reverse, but before we could get away, someone fired a shot—straight at our driver.

Honey let out a loud scream, and Mr. Ryder and I instinctively ducked.

One of my bodyguards stepped out, gun drawn, aiming at the car that had blocked our path. Another guard followed suit, pointing his weapon as well.

"What the hell?! What the hell?!" Honey kept screaming over and over.

"Shut up!" I barked at her.

I peeked outside to assess the situation. The door of the other car opened, and a man stepped out, both hands raised. He was dressed in a black suit.

He looked familiar. I knew I had seen him before, but I couldn't remember where. I kept staring at him as he walked toward our backseat door.

"Don't move! Get down!" one of my bodyguards ordered.

"Relax! Someone wants to talk to Mr. Keifer!" the man responded.

I arched a brow. If someone wanted to talk to me, they should have just said so. There was no need to shoot my driver if they weren't trying to kill us.

The opposite car door opened, and one of my bodyguards pulled our dead driver out of the vehicle.

"Let's get out of here!" I commanded.

"We can't, sir. We're still checking the perimeter," he replied before leaving.

"Hey! You can't leave us here!" Honey yelled.

The bodyguards didn't actually leave us. Most of them were stationed at the front of our car, shielding us from any potential danger.

I turned my attention back to the man who had exited the other vehicle. He walked to the back seat, opened the door, and someone stepped out.

My eyes widened the moment I recognized him.

Dylan. My father's hitman.

As soon as he was fully out of the car, he raised an Armalite and aimed it directly at us.

I didn't see what happened next—Mr. Ryder suddenly pulled Honey and me down, shielding us with his own body. Gunfire erupted around us. I couldn't tell who was shooting or how many people were involved.

Honey screamed every time a bullet hit our car. The deafening noise made it hard to think.

Is this the end of my life?

I haven't even celebrated my 18th birthday yet. I haven't graduated high school. I haven't set foot in college. And I still haven't asked Jay-jay to marry me.

No! I can't die here. I won't die without a fight!

The gunfire gradually subsided. I tried to peek outside, but Mr. Ryder held me down. I heard the sound of screeching tires and more gunshots.

The car door swung open, and Mr. Ryder finally let go of me.

"Sir! Are you alright?" one of the bodyguards asked.

"Yes, we're—"

Honey's sudden scream cut me off. She was crying, her eyes wide with terror.

"My uncle is bleeding! He needs help!" she cried.

He got hit… and it's because of me. He tried to protect me, even though his life could have been the price.

One of the bodyguards pulled me out of the car and forced me into another vehicle they were using. They did the same to Honey, who was still crying.

That's when I noticed the bodies lying on the road—most of them were my bodyguards, along with one unfamiliar person.

I know he's not Dylan. Maybe he was with Dylan.

"We have to save my uncle!" Honey shouted through her sobs.

"We're taking him to the nearest hospital!" one of the bodyguards replied before closing the car door.

The car sped off immediately.

I was speechless, unable to utter a single word, completely in shock over what had happened to Mr. Ryder.

"Stop the car! I want to be with my uncle!" Honey begged the driver, her voice trembling. "Please! I need to be with him!"

I was forced to hug Honey to calm her down, though she continued to cry. I couldn't blame her—I knew exactly how she felt.

Her uncle had raised her after her parents died in an accident.

"Keifer… please! I want to be with my uncle. I need to be with him. Please…"

I turned to the driver. "Take us to the hospital—"

He cut me off. "But we need to move you to a safer place."

"Just do what I said! We need to see Mr. Ryder now!"

He didn't answer but continued driving. Honey was still crying, though she had calmed down slightly.

I couldn't get what had happened earlier out of my mind. Dylan was here, which meant Dad was here too. Sooner or later, he would show himself, and I wasn't ready.

I couldn't face him yet. I knew he would try to get the password from me. Damn it! He would surely use my brothers to force me into revealing it. I didn't know what to do.

My cousin and other relatives were using Jay-Jay against me, exploiting my weakness. And now, Mr. Ryder was in the hospital because of me.

I wasn't sure if I even wanted my inheritance anymore. How could I protect the gold and treasures when I couldn't even protect my loved ones—especially Jay-Jay?

Did that mean I had to give up and hand over the gold? But if I did that, it would be like Mom's death had been for nothing.

I had to think wisely.

If I gave up my inheritance, my monstrous father and my relatives wouldn't let me go. But my influence would be minimal. I could only protect the people around me when I was close to them.

If I accepted the inheritance, I would gain power. I could hunt down those who threatened us. There would be a greater chance of protecting my loved ones, even from a distance.

A headache began to set in.

Even though I still had a month to decide, I already felt immense pressure. It was exhausting. I hadn't even done much, yet my body felt like it was giving up from sheer fatigue.

We finally arrived at the hospital where Mr. Ryder had been taken. Honey didn't wait for the car door to open—she did it herself and sprinted inside.

I quickly followed.

I caught up with her at the reception desk, where she was speaking to one of the nurses, accompanied by one of the bodyguards who had brought her uncle here.

"He's still in the operating room. I suggest you wait for a while," the nurse informed Honey.

"You don't understand! I need to know if he's okay!" she almost shouted.

"Our doctors are doing their best to save him."

Before Honey could argue further, I gently pulled her away and made her sit on an empty bench in the waiting area.

"Get her some water," I ordered the bodyguard.

Honey was trying hard to hold back her tears. She pinched herself several times and exhaled deeply.

"He'll be alright," I finally said.

I didn't want to say much. I knew she blamed me for what had happened. How could she not? They were targeting me.

"I am blaming you for this," she muttered without looking at me. "If something bad happens to Uncle, I will never forgive you."

I had expected this. I already felt more than guilty.

Her uncle had helped me with so many things since Mom disappeared. He wasn't just a lawyer to me—he was a friend.

"I think you should go to the Elders," Honey said coldly. "There's no point in waiting here. I'll stay and wait for the doctor's update."

I knew she didn't want me around. Who would want to be near the person responsible for putting their loved one in the operating room?

I didn't argue. I stood up and left as she wished.

I instructed one of the bodyguards to stay with Honey and ensure her safety.

After they nodded, I walked out of the hospital, got into the car, and told the driver to take me to the old mansion.

I needed to face the Elders. They had requested to see me, and out of respect—even if they loved to insult me—I would confront them.

It didn't take long before we reached the Watson family's old mansion.

As soon as the car stopped, I stepped out and was greeted by one of the house butlers.

"Keifer… they're waiting for you," he said before leading the way.

I followed, straightening my coat and running my fingers through my hair as I walked.

We stopped in front of a large door on the ground floor. The butler opened it and stepped aside so I could enter.

The Elders raised their eyebrows as they eyed me critically.

"You kept us waiting, Keifer. What took you so long?" one of them asked.

"We ran into some trouble on the way," I replied.

The oldest among them sighed—the one who always carried a cane, even though he could still walk perfectly fine.

"Let's get straight to the point," the youngest Elder said. "We want to know what you saw in the Watson Bank."

There are five Elders left in the Watson family. Four of them are in front of me now, while the other one is sitting on his soft sofa, reading a book. He was also the one who gave me the bank key.

It was from him that I found out our relatives had no idea he had the key. My grandfather had intended to leave it to him because, out of all our relatives, he was the only one who had no interest in the Watson family's wealth.

I walked toward the empty seat in front of the oldest Elder. He was sitting on a long leather couch, while the other three stood not far from him.

"May I sit first?" I asked for permission.

He simply gestured with his hand. I sat down and adjusted my coat.

The truth is, I wanted to collapse onto the floor. The weight of everything I had been through felt unbearable.

"Answer our question," one of them ordered.

Can't you wait?

"What do you expect to find in a bank?" I replied sarcastically.

They clearly didn't like my answer, but they did their best to remain calm and expressionless.

"Bastard," one of them muttered under his breath, but I still heard it.

"It's exactly what you'd expect," I said.

I couldn't give them a direct answer. Maybe they truly didn't know what was inside the bank yet. But it was also possible that they did know and were just playing games with me.

I noticed the three standing Elders smirking at the same time.

"Keifer..." the oldest one spoke. "I would like to ask you a question."

"Go ahead."

He took something from inside his coat and dropped two pictures onto the coffee table. I tried my best not to react. The oldest Elder really knew how to play a damn game.

"That girl is your girlfriend, isn't she?"

I nearly clenched my fist. I could say 'no,' but they obviously wouldn't believe me.

"And that man is named Michael Angelo," he added.

I had a feeling I knew where this was going. I didn't expect this.

"Isn't it interesting? Your girlfriend and that man are related. What a coincidence!" he said, laughing. "And you know what the most fascinating part is?"

I didn't respond, and he continued speaking.

He smirked as if he had just won a game.

"Michael Angelo is a candidate for being your father's missing child."

Damn it.

I'm telling you—they know something I don't yet. But he said candidate, which means they have no proof yet.

"Amazing, indeed," I said, trying not to sound sarcastic.

"You knew, didn't you? You knew he could be your missing older brother. You got close to his cousin just to investigate him, didn't you?"

Wow. Just… wow.

I suddenly burst out laughing at what the oldest Elder had just said. I didn't know they had such wild imaginations.

They should meet Ci-N—they'd probably enjoy each other's company.

I could see the seriousness in their expressions. They clearly didn't find my reaction amusing. After a while, I stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that..." I struggled to hold back another chuckle. "...everything you just said makes no sense."

"Is that so?" the youngest Elder said sarcastically. "Then explain who this girl is in your life and how you met Michael Angelo."

If they're asking this, it means they can't track everything that happens to me. That's a relief—at least I still have some freedom to move without them knowing.

"Angelo and his brother used to be my friends, but things got messed up, and we went our separate ways. Unfortunately, his brother and I became rivals. That means I met him first, before that girl," I explained.

They looked at each other.

The oldest of them picked up Jay-Jay's picture. I wanted to snatch it out of his hands. I knew the Elders had a plan—that's why they were showing me Jay-Jay's picture.

She had nothing to do with this!

"What exactly is your relationship with this girl?" he asked, spinning the picture in his hand.

Think, Keifer.

They're planning to use Jay-Jay against me. I have to think fast. What if he ends up in the same situation I did?

"She's... s-she's—"

"She's what?" the oldest Elder asked impatiently.

Think! I have to be careful with my words.

I glanced at Angelo's picture on the coffee table. Aries' face was also visible in the photo.

Jay-Jay...

"She's nothing… I'm just using her for my revenge."