KEIFER'S POV
I didn't dare move. Angelo's gun was pointed directly at my head.
Was he planning to kill me?
"W-what's with the gun?" I tried my best to stay calm, but my voice was shaking like hell.
He smirked. "You look so funny, Keifer."
"Put that thing down. This isn't funny," I said, trying to push the gun down.
He slowly lowered it, then raised it again. I stepped back, making him burst into laughter.
"I could do this all day," he said.
"What the hell is this all about?!"
He smiled wickedly. "Testing you. Part of the initiation."
He finally lowered the gun completely and tucked it back into the holster inside his tuxedo. He smirked when he turned back to me.
I was sweating bullets after what just happened. Yeah, I was familiar with guns—but this was Angelo in front of me. And apart from the fact that he hated me, he literally just swore at me.
"Congratulations. You passed my first initiation. You didn't surrender."
How could I surrender when all I wanted to do was kick his balls?
"Seriously? That's how you do initiations?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Do you want hazing? I'm more than willing to paddle your face."
I frowned. "Is this what our discussion was all about?"
He turned serious, then shook his head. "The group's in a hurry to recruit you. Now that you're 18, they keep calling and asking me about your initiation."
He pulled something from his coat pocket—a folded piece of paper—and handed it to me. I stared at it for a few seconds.
"Relax, it's just paper."
I saw a flicker of happiness in his eyes. I wanted to punch him. He was really enjoying this.
I took the paper and unfolded it. It was an application form for the group.
At the top was a symbol. I had seen it before.
It must be the group's identity. Strangely, the form was already filled out—from my name to the details of my personal life. He even pointed to a space labeled "Area" and said I'd put Jay-Jay's name there.
"Signature, please," he said, handing me a pen.
I took it and signed the form without hesitation. I handed him back both the paper and the pen.
He looked it over, then folded it and slipped it back into his pocket. But I remembered—we still had something else to talk about.
"Now, I believe you have something for me," he said.
"My mother's last will."
He pursed his lips and nodded. "I've been longing to have it."
"Tell me, why did you agree to what Mom wanted?"
He smirked. "So, you knew."
"I just found out."
"It was stupid of me to agree to what she wanted. But I had my own reasons."
Maybe he didn't know what my mom did to his dad. I'd rather he never finds out.
"You can get it after the party. I'll add my supporting documents so you can claim it without a problem. You're not named after him. You're not a Watson."
He paused, then touched his lips with his index finger.
"I'm just thinking… what would happen if I tell everyone here…" He smirked. "…that I'm a real Watson—and your older brother."
I laughed. Angelo was impossible sometimes.
"You could try. Trust me, they'd definitely be glad to hear that."
He shook his head. "Nah… I won't take the risk. I'm not interested in your money. I have my own."
I nodded silently. He glanced at his watch.
"I don't have much time here. I need to head back as soon as possible," he said while pulling out his phone. "I have a task for you—part of your initiation."
"Bring it on."
"Find her. Find Janine Ion Borromeo," he said softly. "And tell her that I forgive her. She doesn't need to hide anymore."
Why did it feel like he was saying goodbye? I knew he was aware that Ion was with me. This wasn't really a task—it was a favor.
"I will."
"Thank you." I saw pain in his eyes, but he turned away before I could confirm it. "Now, help me find Schnee."
He opened the door and walked out. I was left staring after him.
Ion is a kind woman. She deserves to be happy, and I know she's going through with this engagement for a reason. I also know she wants to see Angelo. But she might not be able to handle it if she finds out Angelo is ending things with her.
This might be her last chance.
I immediately ran out to follow Angelo. I patted him on the shoulder and walked beside him.
"Stay here for a while. I want to show you something," I said without waiting for his answer.
I quickly looked for Ion. I returned to the place where I'd left them earlier. I saw Hazel—but no Ion beside her. I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
Then I saw Honey, as if someone had been following her. I quickly approached.
"Have you seen Ion?"
She pointed toward the kitchen door—the same place she had been watching before.
I hurried in that direction. The kitchen was busy all night. No one even noticed another person walking in. I looked around. The kitchen was huge, but I kept going until I reached the area near the fire exit. That part wasn't crowded.
Ion is standing with her back resting against the wall. She's crying, trying her best to calm down.
"Ion," I called her.
She looked at me and shook her head. She signaled for me to hide behind the post. My forehead creased, but I still followed her. She also told me to stay silent.
A few minutes later, I heard running footsteps approaching. A man wearing a waiter's uniform rushed to her and immediately hugged her.
Rafael.
"Are you okay? Calm down. He's here. Everything is going according to plan. You just need to show up with Keifer," he said, trying to calm her down.
"N-no. I can't do this anymore," she said, pushing Rafael away. "Keifer is just a kid. Let's not involve him in this."
He held her face. "He's our only hope to get back to the Philippines. Your parents need you. I have nothing, Ion—and someone is waiting for me. Please," he begged.
"I'm so sorry. I can't. I can't face Angelo yet. Not after everything I've done to him."
Rafael let her go. I saw frustration in his eyes. He pulled his hair and rubbed his face.
"So that's it? We're just going to leave your parents in jail? What about me? The girl I love is waiting for me," he said and punched the wall beside him.
"Keifer deserves better. Let's not use him for our personal problems. My parents made mistakes—if they deserve to be in jail, so be it. And you… you need to show yourself to your brother."
"How about we talk to his brother?"
Keigan?
Ion shook her head. "He's just a kid. I don't understand why you're letting him manipulate you."
"I'm desperate."
"So am I. But I don't want to do this. I never agreed to this. And Keifer has his own battles to fight. I'm sorry if I can't help you."
So this is what it's all about. Keigan wants to get rid of Jay-jay in my life and used Ion to fulfill his plan. Since Rafael and Ion needed help, my brother took advantage of that.
Why do I feel so messed up?
My brother is manipulating everything. I don't understand why he's doing this, but I feel a deep pain in my chest.
I stepped out from behind the post. "I knew it. You guys are up to something."
Rafael immediately looked at me. Ion wiped her tears and looked away.
"K-Keifer."
I stepped forward. "You've changed."
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just desperate—"
"I heard it all. We'll talk about it later. For now, I think Ion needs to come out."
She looked confused. "W-why? Does he know?"
"I'm not sure. But he told me to tell you that you no longer need to hide. He forgives you."
There was pain in her eyes. She knew Angelo was saying goodbye. She immediately ran. Rafael was about to follow her, but I stopped him.
"Stay here. If he sees you, whatever's left between them will only get worse," I said, and he nodded.
I followed Ion. I ran as fast as I could. I caught up with her as she was walking out the door with a handsome waiter.
People were looking at her. She was a mess and clearly weak. I grabbed her arm to help her stand.
"Where have you been?" It was Hazel, walking toward us. "Your friend is about to leave."
I looked at the open hall door. I grabbed Ion's wrist and pulled her. We ran as fast as we could, but her dress and heels were giving her trouble. She almost tripped a few times.
We were already outside the mansion when I let her go. She fell to her knees when she saw Angelo's car leaving.
"I'm so sorry," she cried. "I shouldn't have run away from you."
I couldn't do anything but watch her misery. I wanted to help her, even more so now, but I've done enough research on them. This is their fate and destiny.
My secret phone vibrated. I took it out and saw a text message from him.
📩
From: Demon
Message: I forgive her, but I just realized I'm not ready to face her.
I smirked and put the phone back in my pocket. Then I pulled out my handkerchief and kneeled halfway, handing it to Ion.
"I don't think he really said goodbye to you."
She accepted the handkerchief. I took off my coat and wrapped it around her.
"You don't know him."
"But you don't know how his feelings work," I said and helped her stand.
She was still looking in the direction of Angelo's car. Maybe not now, but in the near future, they'll have their chance—and it's up to them whether they continue what they started before.
I put my arm around her and helped her inside. I took her to one of the mansion's guest rooms.
"Rest. I'll look for Rafael," I said and was about to leave when she called me.
"I'm sorry… I'm really sorry," she said, and I heard her sobs again.
I closed the door and let her cry. I went back to the hall to look for Rafael, but the Elders stopped me.
"Where is he? Where is Angelo?" the oldest asked.
"Gone. He needs to be somewhere," I answered.
He faced his brothers. "Get in touch with him. I want to know him better."
You're just wasting your time.
I let them go and resumed searching. I looked in the kitchen, but Rafael wasn't there anymore. I returned to the hall, only to find the party getting wilder.
Hazel was obviously drunk, along with our other cousins. Honey was ignoring everyone and kept typing on her phone. I had a feeling I knew who she was talking to.
I looked at my watch. It was almost midnight. My birthday was almost over, and my life as an heir was about to begin. I held my breath. My real fight was about to start.
But am I strong enough?
I approached the bar and asked for a drink. I glanced at my secret phone again—no messages. She's probably busy or still asleep.
I put the phone back in my pocket and took a sip of wine. After all of this, I will fight for the girl I love—even if the whole world is my opponent.
I went back to look for Rafael. I left the hall, and after searching for a long time, I finally saw him talking on the phone next to the grand staircase of the mansion.
Devastation was written all over his face. He slowly lowered the phone while staring blankly into space. I walked closer to him.
"If you badly want to go back to the Philippines, I can help you with that," I said, stopping beside him.
He slightly turned his head. "It's pointless. Angelo will never let me see her. He's getting back at me for helping Ion."
"Let's talk about it with Ion."
I motioned for him to follow me. I took him to the room where I had left Ion. I knocked before opening the door.
"Rafael," Ion said, wearing an apologetic look.
"I was wrong. Angelo still found out the truth," she said, looking down. "And my brother has already found me."
"So, what's your plan?" I asked, leaning my back against the wall.
They looked at each other, as if waiting for one another's confirmation to speak.
"I need a break," Ion said, finally looking down at her hands. "Probably a few months of vacation."
"What about your residency?"
"I'll continue it when I get back."
I gave a short nod, and we both looked at Rafael. He pursed his lips. "No more running," he said. "I'll talk to my brother now."
They both decided to stop the plan. Keigan definitely won't like it. I'll take care of these two—he had better stay out of their way.
"I'll help you both. Just let me know whatever you need—"
"No, Keifer." It was Ion who stopped me. "We've already caused too much trouble."
"As long as it doesn't affect the woman I love the most, I consider it nothing."
They both smiled at me. I raised my eyebrows at what they said. That's exactly how I wanted to call my Jay-Jay.
"I'm starting to see Angelo's second version here," Rafael said, and Ion laughed softly.
"Don't be surprised. Keifer is his apprentice, anyway."
I rolled my eyes. They even managed to criticize that.
We continued discussing their plan. They insisted on doing it without my help, but I was more persistent. In the end, Ion decided to travel to Paris to visit her friends, while Rafael would wait for his brother to pick him up—none other than Mr. Moskovoski.
I wasn't surprised. From the moment we met and he asked about Rafael and Angelo, my gut was telling me something suspicious.
After our conversation, they decided to go home. They lived in the same place. The house where I met Ion again actually belonged to Rafael's grandmother.
I just stood there, watching their car leave. I checked the time—it was now past 12.
And here comes the Watson heir.
I returned to the hall, where the party was still going strong. I went straight to the mini stage, took the mic, and began to speak.
The shrill sound rang out, catching everyone's attention. The music from the speakers faded.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to the final celebration of my birthday. It's already past midnight, and you know what that means?"
Most of them shook their heads. Hazel raised her fingers.
"It's the end of the party?" she asked.
Some people laughed. I saw the Elders looking at me with sharp gazes.
"It means I'm no longer a kid. I am now a true heir of the family. So, to those who are planning to stand in my way—be ready to be crushed." I looked around at everyone. "So if I were you, my dear cousins, uncles, and aunties..." I turned to the Elders. "Grandfathers..." I smirked, enjoying the sight of their irritated faces. "I'd choose wisely. Be my ally and help me out—or be my enemy and die without peace."
I dropped the mic and stepped off the mini stage. As I walked through the hall, I felt Honey following me.
"You're still cool... but that wasn't appropriate," she commented. I ignored her and kept walking. We stepped out of the mansion. I stopped for a moment, and for some reason, I could finally breathe normally.
No more pressure. No more worries. I was free to move. And I could do anything now.
For my brothers... and for my Jay-Jay.