Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 3) English (On-going)

Keifer's POV

I had to leave Uncle Kier's house early in the morning due to the distance and the timing of my flight. Keigan and I had talked earlier, so I had to get ready right away.

"Next time, bring your brothers here," Uncle Kier said.

"I will. Thank you for letting me stay, Uncle," I replied before getting into the car.

The whole night wasn't enough for us to catch up. A lot had happened with their seven siblings, but I admired my grandpa the most. He never got married, and the woman he loved left him, yet he nearly lost his mind trying to destroy the lives of those who distanced themselves from them.

A true Watson beast.

He also shared a lot of advice that could help me control the attitude of a Watson. I just hope I can put it into practice in time.

I accidentally fell asleep on the flight and woke up when the car stopped at the hotel. I immediately went inside and headed to our suite. Keigan was eating breakfast when I walked in.

"How was your night with Uncle?" he asked before shoving a spoonful of food into his mouth.

"Not too bad. He gave me some advice that could help me in the future."

He nodded briefly. "You should eat. We have somewhere to go."

"Where?"

"Not too far from here."

He said he was going to introduce me to someone—a woman I had met before.

I turned my back on him and headed straight to my room. Entering the bathroom, I stood under the shower, letting the water pour over me. I closed my eyes and tilted my head up.

I wanted to hear Jay-Jay's voice. I missed her so much it was driving me insane. I wanted to go back, to hold her in my arms. I wanted to kiss her. After what I heard from Uncle Kier, I started to have hope for us.

But I had to endure—for her, for me, and for us.

They needed me. The people who depended on me.

I turned off the shower and dried myself with a towel before heading to the walk-in closet. As I was getting dressed, I suddenly heard my secret phone ringing. I hurried, worried that Keigan might hear it.

I was about to look for my phone when someone else picked it up. The screen was facing me, and the caller ID was clearly visible.

Yuri's number.

I looked up at the person holding my phone, a bit surprised to see him here. He was holding his own cell phone to his ear.

"Do you want me to answer your call on my phone?" I asked sarcastically.

He smirked before putting down my phone and ending the call on his.

"I just want to know something," he said, shoving his phone into his pocket.

I took my secret phone and slipped it into my pocket. "What brings you to London?"

Yuri crossed his arms. "You."

I chuckled. "Miss me?"

"In your dreams." He sighed. "Was that you?"

I turned my back on him and walked back to my closet, continuing what I was doing earlier.

"You did it to Mykel, didn't you?" he asked, almost shouting.

"Lower your voice. Keigan might hear you."

"Just answer me," he demanded, sounding pissed.

He obviously hadn't come to say hello.

"Yes, I did that to Mykel."

"Angelo is furious because you beat him to it."

I stepped out of the closet while adjusting my tie. Yuri was still standing in the same spot.

"That's because he's too slow," I replied, looking at him after getting dressed. "Is that all?"

"What's with your textmate game?" He raised a brow.

"Go crazy."

Damn that name. Jay's name sounded too good. I looked at him seriously—no more games, no more jokes.

"I don't want to lose my connection with Jay."

"So you pretend to be someone else? How childish."

We didn't look away from each other, as if measuring who was stronger, who would last longer.

"I'm doing everything I need to do here. All I'm asking for is to talk to Jay-Jay, and now you want to cut that off."

"Because you have to. Forget about her. Jay-Jay will only suffer more because of you."

I chuckled bitterly. "Look who's talking. Who set up the engagement just so everyone could laugh? Who made plans without telling me?"

"I was just saving her from you."

"Saving or protecting? Afraid of losing again?"

He smirked. "I never lose, Keifer. They loved me when they were yours."

My fists clenched. I wanted to punch his face so badly just to shut him up. But I knew better.

"But I was the one Jay-Jay loved when you were choking her during that engagement," I said, and his smirk instantly disappeared.

"Do you think I'm doing this to win?"

I shook my head. "No. Because no matter what you do, you'll never win against me."

I walked past him, slightly bumping his shoulder. It was probably Keigan or Honey who let him in and pointed him to my room. I hadn't even reached the door when Yuri called out to me.

"It's better if you just stay here. You're never going back," he said, stepping closer. "I'll make sure you have no one left to return to—not even Jay-Jay."

I smirked at him. "Like you really can."

I turned my back on him and left the room. I was going to look for Keigan, but I saw him walking toward me.

"See you—?"

"Did you let Yuri in?" I asked with authority.

He blinked twice before nodding slowly. "H-he's visiting you for some important matters. That's what he said."

"Whatever. Let's go."

I saw Honey standing at the door. She was wearing her regular outfit, which made me raise a brow.

"I will not go" she said after seeing my questioning look. "I'll accompany your friend here."

"You won't be able to understand that. He's not like Percy," I said and walked past her.

I followed Keigan, who was unusually quiet and didn't even look at me. Occasionally, he would bend down and touch the back of his neck.

We got into the car, but he remained the same. He spoke briefly about the location, then fell silent again.

I was starting to feel uneasy. The longer the trip, the stranger he became.

"Keigan, are you—?"

"I'm okay," he cut me off.

He removed his glasses and held the bridge of his nose, sighing multiple times.

I stared at him and was about to touch his shoulder when I saw him smirk slightly. It disappeared instantly as he rested his head against the seat. He put his glasses back on and glanced at me briefly.

I noticed something different about his eyes from earlier, but I couldn't confirm it since it happened so quickly.

"Just a headache, but I'm alright now," he said before looking out the window.

I didn't take my eyes off him.

Dissociative Identity Disorder.

I'm not going to ignore this anymore. I know my brother needs help. He's not normal, and that's the painful truth.

"We're here, sir," the driver announced.

I stared at the house—or more accurately, the mansion—on top of the hill. The road wound around the hill leading to it.

"Whose mansion is this?" I asked.

"You'll find out," Keigan replied.

As the large gate opened, a vast lawn came into view. The house was far from the entrance itself. The first thing that caught my attention was the grand fountain in front.

We stopped at the entrance. Keigan stepped out first, followed by me. A woman in a maid's outfit greeted us.

"Good morning, sir. This way, please," she said, gesturing for us to follow her.

I raised my eyebrows. Something felt off. Like something big was about to happen. I grabbed the collar of my dress. I was having trouble breathing.

Keigan walked ahead of us. I followed, keeping my gaze straight ahead. I didn't even have the mind to look around. We reached the second floor, and the maid led us to the terrace.

"She'll be here in a moment," the maid said before leaving.

The first thing I noticed was a coffee table surrounded by benches. The railings were covered with creeping vines.

"Who exactly are we meeting here?"

"Someone from—"

"Keifer!"

A woman's voice cut Keigan off.

My brother and I turned around at the same time. She was walking toward us with a wide smile. My forehead furrowed as my mouth fell open.

"Oh my God, Keifer!" she exclaimed and hugged me.

I didn't respond or hug her back. I was in shock. After all this time, I was finally seeing her up close again.

She pulled away and smiled at me. "Look at you! You're taller than me now!" She examined my face.

"Good morning, Ate. Sorry we're late," Keigan said, drawing her attention.

"It's okay, at least you made it," she replied with a smile before turning back to me. "Why aren't you saying anything? Aren't you happy to see me?"

I searched for the right words but came up empty.

"Did a cat bite your tongue?" she teased.

"Y-you—how?" I swallowed hard. "I—Ion."

Her smile faltered slightly but remained.

"I think it's better if you call me Ate. You still have no respect."

I was confused as hell. I had so many questions, but I didn't know where to start. When Angelo finds out I'm here with her, he'll lose his mind. Keigan said something I didn't quite understand. I just felt him pull me and push me into a seat at the coffee table.

Ion continued smiling and chatting with Keigan. The same maid from earlier brought us sweets and tea.

"Come on, Keifer. Say something. Don't just sit there," she mocked.

I finally managed to form a question. "H-how the hell do you two know each other?"

Ion giggled, placing her teacup down. "I mistook him for you at first, then I remembered—you have a younger brother."

"She looked familiar, so I entertained her, and that's how I found out you two knew each other," Keigan explained.

I didn't remember ever introducing a woman to Keigan, except for Jay-Jay. So how the hell did he know Ion?

Whatever the reason, it didn't feel right. Something in my gut was warning me.

"So, how's life been? I heard you and your friends had an accident three or four years ago," she asked.

I nodded briefly. "Because of that, we're no longer friends. Only Yuri and I stayed in touch."

Sadness flickered in her eyes. "You mean Aries and Percy aren't your friends anymore?"

I shrugged. "Now, kindly explain where you've been these past few years. And is this your house?"

She glanced behind her at the house. "No, it belongs to a friend. He's just letting me stay here."

"He?" I raised a brow. "If Angelo finds out—"

"Please. Let's not talk about him," she cut me off.

She can't look me in the eyes. She was obviously uncomfortable hearing his name, too. I want to laugh at his expectations. She's the one who left, yet she has the audacity to avoid the topic of Angelo.

"So what do you want to talk about?" My voice starts to rise.

Keigan notices and clears his throat, warning me. But fuck this—I hate how she acts like nothing happened. Like she never left and didn't leave everything hanging.

"Maybe we should talk about how great your life is now that you made it without him," I say sarcastically.

She obviously didn't expect that. She even looked at Keigan, silently asking for help.

"Brother—"

"No. I'd like to hear what she has to say."

I can see the gradual rise of her shoulders. She keeps looking at Keigan, as if waiting for a signal.

"Keifer, please—"

"What?" I sound pissed.

I don't like being here. I have no clue why we're here, and that makes me even more annoyed.

Ion stands up and calmly faces us.

"I'm sorry, Keigan, but I don't think this is the right time to talk about the marriage—"

"What marriage?!" I almost shout.

They're both obviously surprised. I see the panic on Keigan's face—he doesn't know who to talk to first.

"Ate, I-I... Kuya, this—"

"WHAT MARRIAGE?!" I badly want to punch something.

My fists clench so tightly I can hear my own bones.

"He still doesn't know?" Ion asks. "I—I thought—I'm sorry, Keigan."

"Answer my question," I command, forcing myself to stay calm.

The two of them exchange glances, silently deciding who should tell me the truth. Ion sits down again and faces me.

"Keifer, the thing is..." She bites her lip and looks at Keigan before continuing. "We talked about you... and I—"

My hands move on their own, flipping the coffee table. Saucers and teacups shatter. Ion quickly stands and backs away, covering her mouth, while Keigan steps back, stunned.

My breathing is heavy. Rage clouds my vision, and I'm close—so close—to hurting my own brother.

"How dare you," I whisper.

"Oh my God," Ion says, looking terrified.

"Listen, we had to do this. I'm just following the Elders' plan. This is what they wanted for you, too."

"How dare you," I glare at him, my voice deadly. "How dare you!"

"Brother—"

I can't believe he would do this to me. I trusted him. He was smart. I thought he'd never let me down.

"Stay away from me. I'll hurt you, Keigan."

Ion steps closer and tries to touch me, but I move away.

"Listen, Keifer. We both think this is the right thing to do."

I chuckle bitterly. "For what? This is fucked up!"

I turned to leave, but two people standing by the door stop me in my tracks.They actually showed up today.

"An engagement?" Honey says, staring at Ion. "Uncle doesn't know anything about this."

"I think you're too old to hit Keifer," she adds.

"I'm not hitting him," Ion replies casually.

But I don't care about either of them. My eyes stay locked on Honey's companion as a smirk gradually forms on his lips.

Fuck.

"You're doomed, Keifer. Of all women, it had to be Ion," Yuri says, smirking.

"Make no mistake."

"I'm keeping my mouth shut," he says. "Because you'll be the one to tell them. Especially Angelo and Jay-Jay."

My fist clenches, ready to punch him, but Honey blocks me immediately.

"That's for later!" she snaps. "We've been calling Keigan for a while, but he wasn't answering. Maybe you should buy a new phone."

"What is it?" Keigan asks.

"Your Uncle Kier was rushed to the hospital."

Everything goes black. I walk straight out. I can still hear them calling my name, but my body moves on its own.

Outside, I signal the driver.

"S-Sir?"

"Hand me the car key."

He hesitates at first, but then hands it over. I take it and get into the car.

I see Keigan, Honey, Ion, and Yuri running out of the house, but I drive off before they can reach me.

Please, no. Not another one from my family.