chapter 24

"Father"

Jay-jay's POV

I woke up feeling oddly good for no clear reason. I felt like singing…

"Good morning to you all…" I sang while taking a shower.

Eh kese nge… enebe.

Yuck! That doesn't suit me. Why am I suddenly acting all sweet and girly? Gross!

As soon as I got out of the bathroom, I was greeted by Ci-N's serious face while he stared at his phone. he took a bath before me, so he was already dressed. Meanwhile, I was rushing to get ready.

"Let's go to school late today," he suddenly said, which confused me.

"Huh? W-Why?"

"It's dangerous." That's all he said before going back to tapping on her phone.

Weird.

I grabbed my own phone, hoping for a message. But there was nothing. Not even one. No message from the jerks. Not even from Yuri. And nothing from the king.

What's going on? I usually get at least one good morning message. But now… nothing?

I just put down my phone and started getting ready.

"What time are we going to school?" I asked Ci.

he didn't answer, so I was about to walk closer when someone knocked on the door. One of Tita's maids came in.

"Miss Jay… You're being called downstairs. Someone wants to talk to you."

Ci-N and I exchanged glances. She was still holding her phone.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"They didn't say. Sir Angelo just said to call you down."

I nodded at the maid, still puzzled. Ci and I grabbed our bags and left the room. We headed to the living room thinking they were there, but no one was around.

Where are they?

Just then, Aries arrived, looking like he was searching for someone.

"Where's Mom?" he asked me.

I shook my head. "I'm looking for her too."

He went straight to the kitchen but came back quickly—seems like no one was there either.

"Jay… There's someone outside," Ci said, pointing to the gate.

Aries was the first to step out, and we followed. It looked like Ci was right—Kuya Angelo and Tita Gema were also there.

There were black cars, and men in black suits with sunglasses and something in their ears.

NBI?

"Ma'am Gema…" I called.

She looked at me and quickly shielded me behind her. What's going on? Even Aries looked confused.

"Are you Jasper Jean Mariano, Ci-N Peralta, and Michael Aries Fernandez?" one of the men in black asked, holding a paper.

Ci-N and I exchanged glances. She subtly gestured for me not to say anything. I understood—we didn't know who these people were—

"Yes! That's us! Why?" Aries blurted out.

Crap!

This guy really doesn't think sometimes. He's too love-struck with Ella.

"The Watson Family has summoned you," the man said.

Then another guy opened the car door. Aries' eyes widened when he saw Ella inside.

"Aries!" Ella called, obviously scared.

She was about to get out of the car, but a man blocked her. I glanced at the other car window, which was slowly rolling down.

Inside were Eman, Denzel, and Felix.

The other cars probably had the rest of the jerks.

"What does the Watson Family want with them?" Kuya Angelo asked.

The Watson Family?

That's Keifer's family… But why?

"We've been strictly instructed not to give any information."

"How can we be sure you won't harm them?" Tita asked bravely.

"The Watsons are prominent people. Any scandal linked to their name is unacceptable."

Why does it feel like Keifer's family is super powerful?

Tita looked at me. Before Kuya could even speak, Aries had already walked over to the car and sat beside Ella.

"We'll be okay, Tita," I said with a reassuring smile.

Kuya and Tita let us approach the car. Ci-N and I got in. I couldn't shake the fear I felt—or the growing questions about Keifer.

We were all together in the car. The other vehicles followed. It was quiet, and Ci-N and I kept exchanging looks.

What is going on?

I stared out the window. The scenery was familiar at first, but the farther we went, the more unfamiliar it became. It felt like we were already outside the city.

"W-Where do you think we're going?" Ella asked. I wondered the same thing. For the first time, we agreed on something.

"To Keifer's real house," Aries answered seriously.

Real house?

What, the one they live in now is fake? Is this like a clothing brand with real and fake versions?

How does he even know we're going there? I guess it makes sense—they used to be close. Maybe he's been there before.

I didn't know how long we'd been driving. We were texting the others, and I was right—they were in the cars behind us.

"We've been driving for two hours," Ci-N said, looking at her watch.

Where are we going, the Earth's core? Honestly, I need to pee.

Fortunately, it was like the heavens heard me. The car slowed down as we turned a corner surrounded by trees. The area was heavily shaded, with lots of fallen leaves.

"This is it…" Aries whispered.

This is what?

Ci-N suddenly pressed against the window, almost falling on me.

"It's even bigger in person!" she said in awe.

Bigger in person?

I looked too. There was a huge house. We were still far, but it was massive. Hidden behind a hill, that's why I didn't see it earlier. But once we turned the corner, parts of it came into view.

"I've seen this in pictures before! Keifer's mansion is really beautiful!" Ci-N added.

I wanted to be amazed too, but I suddenly felt small. Keifer's family is so rich.

The entire area around the house was filled with trees and incredibly wide open spaces. I couldn't even see the boundaries.

The closer we got, the bigger the house seemed. A tunnel eventually blocked our view.

We lost sight of the mansion. The car stopped in front of a massive gate.

HOLY—! This gate is huge! It looks like it wasn't made for humans.

A giant? No—a titan!

When the gate opened, the car moved again. Tall trees and plants lined the path. It was like they were hiding something. But slowly, it was revealed…

A palace!

The house was enormous. It looked like it had only three floors, but it had so many parts. All it needed was a dragon and a tower, and it'd be a real palace.

When the car stopped, no one wanted to get out. We all looked at each other.

"We're here," the driver said.

Still, no one moved until we saw Calix and others walking toward a man standing near the parked cars.

We were forced to get out and walk after them. We clustered together and whispered among ourselves.

"What is even going on?" I asked.

"I don't know either… Did you see Keifer?" Edrix asked me. I shook my head. I looked around. Damn! The place was huge, and I could see the sea from here.

Rich people!

We stood there for a while until the huge door opened. It's official—no human lives here. Even the doors are huge!

Then out walked a… handsome man! Is he an actor? He looked like he was in his 40s or maybe younger. And he looked a lot like—

"Keifer's dad," Ci-N said.

I glanced between her and the man. Really?!

Not that I'm saying Keifer is ugly, but like… there's just something… I don't know. Okay, fine! He's really handsome, and he looks too young to be a dad.

I think I have a crush on him!

He walked toward us, smiling. I admit—he had a strong presence.

"Good morning," he greeted us. "Are we all complete?"

I looked at my friends. Speaking of complete, Yuri and Keifer weren't here.

One of the men in black whispered something to him. They talked for a bit.

"What are we doing here?" I asked Ci-N.

"I don't really know… The truth is, Keifer texted me. He said not to let you go out, and I think this is why," he explained. So that's why he told me we should go in late.

"Mr. Watson…" Aries called.

We all looked at him. Are they close?

"Can you tell us what you need from us?"

There! Finally, someone asked. This horoscope boy's actually useful!

Keifer's dad chuckled. "You haven't changed. Still impatient." He looked at all of us. "I just want to have a lunch date with my son's friends."

My heart fluttered. He looked straight at me when he said "lunch date."

Is he asking me out on a date?

Before anyone could respond, we heard loud car engines. They sounded like they were racing.

"He's here," Keifer's dad said and stepped right into the middle—literally in the middle—where the car would pass.

The cars approached fast—two of them. I recognized them.

One was Yuri's, and the other… Keifer's. They were practically racing.

Yuri's car turned to park, but Keifer's car sped straight toward—

OH MY GOD!

Is he going to run over his dad?!