Chapter 274 - Broke

Keifer's POV

I think something is wrong. As far as I remember, I am the oldest among the three of us. But why does Keigan seem older than us now?

"Why do you still know the doctor?" he asked, glaring at me.

I couldn't swallow my food because of the way he was acting. Even the butlers and maids looked surprised by his outburst.

It's early in the morning, yet I'm already being lectured. He's angry because I left the hospital, even though it wasn't really possible yet.

We were supposed to have a normal breakfast, but my brother chose to scold me instead.

"Babylyn!" He called one of the maids, and we all flinched at the sound of his voice. "...Please follow the diet the doctor prescribed for Kuya."

"Yes, sir—"

I cut in. "You don't have to."

"No! You have to," Keigan insisted.

I was starting to get bored with his demands. He still treated me as if he were the boss of the house. I drank my water in one gulp and looked him straight in the eye.

"I said, you don't have to," I repeated, my tone calm but firm. "It's my food. Would you like to control that too?"

"The doctor recommended it so your wound will heal faster."

"As if this is something new to you," I scoffed. "I've been stabbed and broken multiple times, but I've never followed a diet plan before. I don't even take my medicine properly."

He wiped his lips with a napkin and put down his spoon and fork. His gaze was serious, showing no signs of backing down.

"This time, it's different. You can't show weakness anymore. We already talked about this before."

"I have no weakness—"

He chuckled bitterly. "Really? Then what do you call that wound of yours? Why did you get stabbed?"

I looked away. He didn't even know I had saved Jay-jay. As far as he knew, I had gotten into a simple fight. What he didn't know was that the people we had fought before came back for revenge and attacked me when I was alone.

"I was occupied. I didn't notice the knife," I explained simply.

I saw him mouth bullsht*. I hated when he talked like that in front of me. Crossing my arms, I frowned.

"Yes, it is bullshit. Especially since you weren't even there! You don't know what actually happened!" My voice started to rise.

For a moment, guilt flashed across his face before he looked away. I checked my wristwatch and let out a heavy sigh.

"Get ready. You're going to be late for school," I said, looking at Keiren.

He looked uncomfortable—probably because of our argument. Keigan and I had almost fought in front of him.

"I-I'm done," he mumbled.

I forced a smile. "Your personal butler will drive you to school."

"Why not you?"

I pointed to the spot where I had been stabbed. He tilted his head slightly to look at it.

"Still giving me trouble to drive," I explained, and he nodded.

I signaled for his butler to help him with his bag, but my youngest brother was stubborn. He insisted on carrying it himself.

Keigan followed them out.

"Make sure you don't do anything reckless again," he said before leaving the dining room.

Once they were gone, I signaled for the maids to leave as well. I wanted to be alone. I ran both hands over my face. I had given Keigan my full trust in handling our plans, but why did it feel like he was using the situation to make me obey him?

His expectations confused me. But for now, I needed to focus on our bigger problem. I picked up my phone and dialed Yuri's number. It only rang for a few seconds before he answered.

["Keifer..."]

"Are you coming in? I'll go with you again."

I heard him sigh. ["You know I'm picking up Jay-jay, right?"]

I smirked mischievously. "I know that, just gives me more reason to ride along."

["Fine. I'm on my way,"] he said, and I ended the call.

Grabbing my bag—which only had a single notebook inside—I walked out of the house. That's when I noticed some bodyguards in the garage. I quickly approached them.

"I told you not to show up here. What are you doing?" I asked, irritated.

"Sir... just reporting. We saw some of your dad's men hanging around the house."

"Any casualties?" My tone immediately became serious.

"None, sir. But we suggest having bodyguards for your protection."

I shook my head. "No. I don't want bodyguards."

"But sir—"

"I said no!"

They bowed in response. I took a deep breath to regain my composure.

"Did you check on Jay-jay?"

"Sir, Keigan blocked us."

Damn it!

He had already warned me that he would. He probably thought Clyde would notice if they found out I still had a connection with Jay-Jay.

My only hope now was our friends.

This was frustrating. I felt like we were stranded on an island in the middle of a vast sea, with limited resources. The only way to save Jay-Jay was to get her off this island.

But how?

Just then, I saw Yuri's car pull up at the gate. I signaled for the bodyguards to return to their duties before heading over. I knocked on his car window, and I heard the door unlock.

Opening it, I got in right away.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded shortly.

"Is this the last time you're riding with me?"

"And why would it be?"

He frowned. "You're bothering us, me and Jay-Jay."

"Wow... How embarrassing," I said sarcastically.

He drives his car while still talking. "How will I make her mine when you're always around? She's still mixed emotions so it's not nice to see her.''

"Around her or not, if she's meant to be yours, she will be. But she won't be—because you're a loser."

"Tss..." He sounds pissed.

I can't help but smile. Maybe he had plans for Jay-jay today, but he obviously has to postpone them because of me. Not long after, we arrive at our destination. He opens the car door and gets out.

"Behave!" he warns, his eyes sharp before slamming the car door shut.

Sometimes, annoying a friend is really satisfying. I can't stop thinking of another prank. My phone suddenly rings. I grab it and step out of the car before answering.

"What?"

["Grumpy... Where are you?"] It's Honey.

"Probably heading to school."

["Whatever. Uncle said we should set another meeting. It's happening soon because we're leaving."]

Leaving? How? Why?

"Wait! What do you mean by 'happening soon'?"

["Hmm... Well, you don't talk to me, so you wouldn't know."]

I run a hand down my face. Looks like there's been a change in plans.

"What is it?"

["We have to leave earlier than planned."]

No! No! That's not possible yet. I can't leave. I can't leave Jay-jay yet. I haven't even had a proper conversation with our friends. I haven't dealt with the people who want to hurt her. My plan for her isn't complete yet.

I glance toward their house and straighten up when I see her walking toward the Yuri's car.

Not yet.

"I'll talk to you later." I end the call before she can respond.

I see Jay-jay bowing slightly as she approaches Yuri's car, moving almost cautiously. She barely manages to crawl forward. Slowly, I walk toward her, stopping just a meter away.

She stands at the back of the car, trying to peek inside—maybe checking if I'm there. She seems to know I might be.

"What are you doing?"

She freezes at the sound of my voice, clearly not expecting it.

"Again... what are you doing?" I ask once more.

She slowly turns to face me but keeps her head down. I want her to look at me. I want to see her eyes. I want to take in everything about her, even if all I see is anger.

I miss staring at her.

"None of your business," She replies.

She's about to walk away, but I block her path with my arm. She tries to move past me, but I do the same on the other side, trapping her between my arms. Just a little closer, and I could claim her lips.

But I won't.

Even though my wound aches from keeping my arm raised, I hide the pain. He can't know.

"W—What is it?!" She sounds irritated, avoiding my gaze.

I don't want her to. I badly want to see her eyes—I need to. I know there's emotion there, and I want to witness it. Yes, she's mad at me, but I want to see that too.

I'm getting weirder.

I don't even understand why I want to see her emotions so badly. Maybe I'm waiting to find something.

"Look at me," I commanded, but she doesn't move a muscle. I sigh heavily. "Look. At. Me."

Still, no response.

I smiled slightly. She's stubborn as always—if she doesn't want to do something, she won't. I'll have to be persistent.

"LOOK..." I gently hold his chin, forcing her to face me. "...AT..." I lock eyes with him. "...ME."

There it is.

I see it immediately—a mix of emotions. Anger, pain, and the one I was searching for: loneliness.

I wish that loneliness was for me.

That's all I wanted to know—to be sure, she's still mine. But this girl—this stubborn, impossible girl—she won't let me have my moment.

She suddenly crosses her eyes and makes a ridiculous face.

My forehead creases slightly. "What the hell?"

She doesn't keep it up for long. The next second, she looks like she's regretting her own stupidity, covering her eyes with her hands.

"You are blessed," I mutter.

She removes her hands and glares at me, looking ready to pick a fight.

"Go away!" she yells, but I don't move. "Tang'na! Go away!"

Profanity.

My lips automatically curl into a smile. I feel like sometimes she swears just so I'll kiss her. But I know—this time, it's not intentional.

"Keifer."

I almost roll my eyes. Yuri just had to interrupt us.

"...Let's go," he says.

I don't budge. My eyes remain locked on Jay-jay. I'm still smiling like an idiot. I miss being this close to her. If only I could do this all the time. If only I could always be this close to her. I don't want to let go. I can't let her go.

"Leave already!" she shouts again.

Slowly, I move closer. I see her shift back, trying to put distance between us—but that only gives me an excuse to close the gap further.

I lean in near her ear.

"Profanity," I whisper, then press a soft kiss against her neck. ❤️

I wanted to kiss her lips, but that was impossible. Without another word, I step away and get into Yuri's car. Leaning back, I press a hand to my wound.

The pain lingers longer than expected. I usually ignore this kind of thing, but this one hurts more than usual. I guess I should be more careful. This might be the reason for my downfall.

Yuri and Jay also got into the car. We remained silent throughout the flight. When we arrived at the school, the car hadn't even parked yet when Jay-jay got out.

The person next to me just sighed.

"What's your plan, Keifer?" Yuri asked lifelessly.

"Huh?!"

"You pushed her away, and now you kissed her."

Shit.

I really needed to think about what I'm doing first. That was a big mistake. I should probably stop making reckless decisions.

"I'm just playing around," I said.

I didn't wait for his response. I stepped out of his car and walked away, heading straight to the classroom.

When I arrived, I saw Ci-N teasing Jay-jay. As expected, they were at it again. I felt sorry for the kid. It looked like he was having a hard time convincing Jay-jay. Maybe I should talk to him later. I might need his help when I leave—

"I don't want to! What don't you understand about the words 'I don't want to'?!"

She suddenly shouted.

We all turned to look at them. Ci-N lowered his head. I could tell he was about to cry but was trying his best to hold it in.

"Alright, I'll drop it. We can eat later," he said in a low voice.

Jay-jay looked at us, and everyone quickly averted their gazes, pretending to mind their own business. Then, her eyes met mine.

My heart skipped a beat.

Damn this heart!

Good thing I didn't react right away. I just stared at her before finally taking my seat. I glanced at Yuri as he sat down. He gave me a strange, meaningful look—like he was trying to figure out what I was hiding.

I hope he doesn't. I don't want his sympathy. If he finds out, it might make things worse for his family. His situation within their clan isn't the same as before, even if he won't admit it.

I don't want to force him to talk. Maybe because I feel the same way. Damn it. Over time, I'm starting to second-guess our friendship. It feels like we're becoming too similar.

I let out a heavy sigh and noticed Jay-jay walking toward Edrix. They were talking about something, but I couldn't hear them. She handed him her phone, but he looked down and refused to take it.

I didn't like what was happening. It felt like I was being cornered. Did she find out about the app on her phone? Edrix said it was unnoticeable because of its icon. Plus, it was password-protected, making it hard to uninstall.

They continued talking until Jay-jay suddenly shouted at him, looking absolutely pissed. Edrix, on the other hand, clearly had no idea what to do. He glanced at me, silently asking for help.

"Answer me! I'm starting to get annoyed!" she shouted.

Everyone turned to look again. They obviously didn't like how Jay-jay was acting. Then, she suddenly slammed her fist against the table.

Some of the others stood up in alarm. I saw Edrix tense up before finally taking Jay's phone.

She looked slightly shocked when she realized he could access her phone without needing her permission.

Damn. Edrix had no choice.

"OTJ101 stands for Operation Tracking Jay-jay Version 10.1," Edrix explained, setting her phone down. "I—I programmed that app to track your phone's location. It uses signals, making it more efficient than what the police or regular people use."

Jay-jay's mouth fell slightly open—completely shocked. Now she knew how we had been tracking her.

"A-apart from that..." he continued, "...this app is linked to another phone."

He looked at me.

Jay-jay immediately turned to face me, our eyes meeting.

"Also, all your text messages and phone calls go through the app," Edrix added. "So, whoever has the linked phone can read your messages and listen to your calls."

I nearly cursed under my breath. Now she knew that too. I admit—I had read some of her messages and conversations, especially the ones with Yuri. But I hadn't always listened to her calls. I only checked her call logs.

Jay-jay was obviously trying her best to stay calm. She was really impressive—still managing to keep her composure despite what she had just discovered.

"Whose phone is it linked to?" she asked, her voice sending a chill down my spine.

"T-to Keifer," Edrix answered.

Damn it.

Jay-jay suddenly grabbed her phone and threw it at me. I knew exactly where it was going to hit, so I quickly tilted my head to the side.

I heard it crash against something and break.

"You're unbelievable!" she shouted furiously. "You have no excuse for this!"

I remained calm, expressionless. I had to be careful with my words. Saying the wrong thing could make things worse.

"You were really determined, huh? Even getting involved in my private matters!" she yelled. "Are you that stupid?!"

For some reason, I enjoyed watching her get mad at me.

Even though I shouldn't.

No wonder women call men assholes—we actually enjoy seeing them pissed. I rolled my eyes at my own thoughts.

Suddenly, Jay-jay stormed toward me, her fist clenched. She was about to punch me, but Yuri immediately grabbed her from behind.

I almost stood up to separate them, but Yuri quickly pushed Jay-jay back. I had to control myself. I couldn't always step in for her.

As they walked out the door, everyone turned to look at Edrix. He was staring at the floor, massaging the back of his neck.

"Let go of me!" Jay-jay screamed, trying to break free.

"You idiot, Pre!" Eren scolded.

"He did the right thing," Eman defended. "What, are we going to keep fooling Jay-jay? It's too late for that!"

"What now? What if something happens to her again? How will we track her?" Denzel asked.

Edrix didn't respond. He simply placed Jay's broken phone on my desk. Then, he bent down and picked up the shattered pieces from the floor.

"We should just install the app on her new phone," Rory suggested.

"That's impossible! Of course, she won't let us touch her new phone, knowing what we did," Blaster argued.

"It's a bad situation. We're in deep trouble with Jay-jay," Calix commented.

We all held our breath at the same time. Losing that app would make things much harder.

"Jay-jay passed out!" Blaster suddenly shouted.

He stood at the door, peering outside, then immediately ran in her direction. The others followed.

I wanted to run after them too. But if I did, Yuri would know exactly what I was thinking. I had to be careful.

I'm sorry, Jay.