Jay POV
The first thing I noticed was the headache.
The second thing I noticed was the rope.
The third thing I noticed was—
jay: Oh, you've GOT to be fucking kidding me.
I opened my eyes properly.
Dark room.
Concrete floor.
One stupid light hanging from the ceiling.
And...
Everyone was there.
Keifer.
Kuya Angelo.
Rory.
David.
Ci N.
Yuri.
Edrix.
Aries.
Percy.
Whole section e.
The girls too.
All of them tied to chairs or against the walls.
Nobody looked particularly happy to see me awake.
Which was fair.
They looked exhausted.
Some had bruises and torn clothes from whatever the hell happened before we were brought here.
Keifer lifted his head when he heard my voice.
Keifer: Jay?
jay: Yeah.
His shoulders immediately relaxed.
Keifer: Thank God.
jay: Don't "thank God" yet. I'm still tied to a chair.
Rory, somehow, laughed.
Rory: That's our Jay.
Angelo looked toward me.
Angelo: Can you move?
I tested the rope.
jay: Not exactly.
Ci N: I tried earlier.
jay: And?
Ci N: Lost.
jay: Great. Very helpful.
Ci N: You're welcome.
I looked around.
Aries was sitting beside Percy, both of them trying to work their ropes loose.
Aries: The knots are tight.
Percy: Really? I thought they tied us for decoration.
Aries: PERCY!.
Percy: what? I'm stressed!
Freya groaned.
Freya : Can you two stop arguing?
Percy: We're coping differently.
Even in a kidnapping...
These idiots were still themselves.
Honestly?
I almost laughed.
Then the door opened.
Everyone went quiet.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Calm.
And then he walked in.
Anderson Moorvan.
He looked almost exactly how I remembered him.
Except older.
More composed.
And, annoyingly, still wearing that expression like the entire world had personally offended him.
He stopped in the middle of the room.
His eyes landed on me.
And smiled.
Anderson: Hello, Jay.
I stared at him.
jay: Anderson.
Anderson: It's been a while.
jay: Three years.
Anderson: You remember.
jay: Unfortunately.
Rory whispered from behind me.
Rory: That's him?
Drew: Apparently.
Rory: He looks less impressive than I expected.
Anderson's eyes moved toward Rory.
Anderson: I can hear you.
Rory: Good.
Aries sighed.
Angelo: Rory, maybe don't provoke the armed man.
Rory: Right.
Rory paused.
Rory: Sorry.
Anderson ignored him.
His attention returned to me.
Anderson: You know why you're here.
jay: Actually, I was hoping you had snacks.
He stared.
I smiled.
jay: No?
Anderson: Still joking.
jay: Still annoying you.
Anderson's jaw tightened.
There it was.
That same old expression.
Three years hadn't changed everything.
He still couldn't handle me.
Anderson: The bet.
I sighed.
jay: Oh my God.
jay: We're seriously still doing this?
Anderson: You won.
jay: Yes.
Anderson: You won the throne.
jay: Yes.
Anderson: And You humiliated me.
jay: Technically, you did that yourself.
Mayo snorted.
Angelo immediately looked at him.
Angelo: Don't.
Mayo covered his mouth.
Anderson's expression darkened.
Anderson: The contract says if I challenge you again, you must accept.
I stared at him.
Then smiled.
jay: Fine.
Keifer immediately looked at me. Worried as fuck...i can tell just by looking at his eyes..
Keifer: Jay.
jay: I know.
Keifer: You don't have to do this.
jay: Actually...
I looked at Anderson.
jay: I kinda do.
Anderson smiled.
Anderson: I knew you wouldn't refuse.
jay: Don't get excited.
jay: I'm doing this because I want to finish what we started.
He nodded toward the door.
Anderson: Then untie her.
Everyone immediately protested.
Keifer: Absolutelynot!.
Angelo: You're not taking her anywhere alone.
Anderson: I said the race.
Angelo: And we said no,gago.
I looked between them.
jay: Guys.
Everyone stopped.
jay: It's okay.
Keifer: No, it isn't.
jay: Keifer.
I smiled slightly.
jay: Trust me.
He didn't look convinced.
But he nodded.
Anderson turned toward his men.
Anderson: Untie her.
The rope fell away.
I stood.
My legs felt weak.
But I stayed upright.
Anderson looked at me.
Anderson: Still confident?
I straightened my jacket.
jay: Always.
He snuggled me into a car and others also came.
___________one eternity later_________
The race track looked exactly like something Anderson would choose.
Empty roads.
No spectators.
No cameras that I could see.
Just rows of cars waiting under the night sky.
My old racing jacket had somehow been brought here.
I stared at it.
jay: You kept this?
Anderson: I remembered what happened.
jay: Apparently you remembered a lot.
He walked toward the cars.
Two vehicles waited side by side.
I recognized mine immediately.
I looked at him.
jay: You really recreated the whole thing?
Anderson: This time, there are no judges.
jay: No cheating accusations?
Anderson: No excuses.
I smiled.
jay: Good.
Keifer, Angelo, and the others were watching from behind the barrier.
Keifer shouted.
Keifer: Jay! Be careful!
jay: I WILL!
Yuri cupped his hands around his mouth.
Yuri: WIN SO I CAN MAKE FUN OF HIM AGAIN!
Anderson looked toward him.
Yuri immediately lowered his hands.
Yuri : I said nothing.
Ci N: You absolutely said something.
David: We all heard you.
The girls started giggling..hehhe
For some reason...
That made me feel better.
I climbed into the driver's seat.
My hands rested on the steering wheel.
Three years.
Three. fucking .years.
And here I was again.
Same rivalry.
Same idiot.
Different night.
Anderson got into his car.
He looked across at me.
Anderson: Ready?
jay: Born ready.
The engines roared.
My heartbeat matched the sound.
Three.
Two.
One.
GO.
The cars shot forward.
I laughed.
Actually laughed.
Because this...
This felt familiar.
Anderson took the first corner ahead of me.
I followed.
He was faster than before.
Much faster.
Okay.
So he actually learned something.
jay: Finally.
I pushed harder.
The road twisted through the mountains.
Anderson tried to pull ahead.
I stayed behind him.
Waiting.
Watching.
He remembered how I drove.
But he forgot something....
I remembered how he drove.
The next turn approached.
He moved left.
I moved right.
He realized what I was doing.
Anderson: DAMN IT!!!!!
I smiled.
jay: Gotcha!.
I passed him.
The finish line appeared ahead.
He accelerated.
So did I.
For several seconds, we were completely even.
Then—
I crossed first.
Silence.
I slammed the brakes and jumped out of the car.
jay: HA!
I turned toward him.
jay: THREE YEARS!
Anderson slowly got out.
He stared at me.
Then at the finish line.
Then back at me.
For a second, I thought he'd finally accept it.
And then he reached into his jacket.
Keifer shouted from behind the barrier.
Keifer: JAY!
Everything happened at once.
A sharp sound cracked through the air.
For a second...
I didn't understand what happened.
Then I felt the impact.
My breath caught.
I stumbled backward.
jay: ...
I looked down.
My brain refused to process it.
I was shot.
Then my knees gave out.
The world suddenly became loud.
Keifer: JAY!!!
His voice.
That scream.
Everyone started shouting at once.
Rory: JAY!
David: OH MY GOD!
Ci N: GET HER!
Angelo: BREAK THE FUCKING ROPES!
The men surrounding them moved immediately, trying to stop them from getting free.
But nobody was staying tied anymore.
Kit pulled against the ropes with everything he had.
Kit: COME ON!
David: They're stuck!
Ci N: MOVE!
Aries: Use the chair!
Percy: What?!
Aries: THE CHAIR!
Percy kicked backward, knocking the chair into one of the men.
The man stumbled.
David. took the opportunity.
He ripped one hand free.
David: GOT IT!
He immediately grabbed the nearest man's arm and pulled him down.
Yuri broke loose next.
David: Go! Go!
David untied the girls.
Yuri kicked one of the men away.
Edrix grabbed another by the shoulder.
The entire place erupted.
But Keifer wasn't looking at them.
He was looking at me.
I could barely hear anything anymore..
Everything sounded distant.
My vision blurred.
Anderson was already running toward the cars.
Keifer: YOU FUCKING COWARD!
He tried to go after him..
Yuri grabbed his shoulder.
Yuri: Keifer! Jay first!
Keifer stopped.
For half a second...
Then he ran.
Straight toward me.
I was on the ground..
I could hear his footsteps getting closer.
.
Keifer dropped to his knees beside me.
Keifer: Jay.
His voice was shaking.
Keifer: Jay, look at me.
I tried.
My eyes barely opened.
He cupped my face with both hands.
His hands were trembling.
Keifer: Hey...
Keifer: Hey, hey, hey...
His voice cracked.
Keifer: Stay with me, please baby, please..
I wanted to say something.
Anything.
But my voice wouldn't come.
He looked terrified.
Not angry.
Not the cold Keifer everyone knew.
Just...
Terrified.
Keifer: You're okay. You will be.
He kept saying it like if he repeated it
enough, it would become true.
Keifer: You're okay, my mutya.
My eyes fluttered.
Keifer: Please.
He pressed his hand against the injury,
trying desperately to stop the bleeding.
Keifer: Please don't close your eyes.
Yuri and David finally reached us.
David : Keifer—
Keifer: CALL THE FUCKING HOSPITAL!
Yuri immediately pulled out his phone.
Yuri: I'm calling.
Edrix came running over.
Rory: Where's Anderson?!
David: He escaped.
Rory: Fuck!
David: Forget him! Jay needs help!
Ci N dropped beside us.
Crying his eyes out...
Ci N: Jay?
No answer.
His face went even more pale.
Ci N: She's not answering.
Keifer looked at me again.
Keifer: Jay.
His voice was barely above a whisper now.
Keifer: Look at me.
I slowly opened my eyes.
He let out a shaky breath.
Keifer: There you are.
He brushed my hair away from my face.
Keifer: That's it,wifey.
Keifer: Stay with me.
His eyes were red.
Tears were running down his face.
Seeing it scared me more than anything else.
Keifer: You're my mutya.
His voice cracked.
Keifer: You're our mutya.
Keifer: You can't leave us.
I wanted to tell him I wasn't going anywhere
I wanted to joke.
I wanted to say something stupid.
But I couldn't.
Yuri ended the call.
Yuri: The hospital is ready.
Keifer looked at section e.
Angelo came with the girls
Angelo: We need to move. Now.
Keifer nodded.
He carefully slid one arm beneath my back and another beneath my legs.
Then he lifted me into his arms..
Keifer: I've got you.
Angelo: Keifer—
Keifer: We need to take her to a hospital. Fast!.
His voice broke on the last word.
Everyone immediately moved.
Aries ran ahead.
Rory: Clear the way!
David: Move!
Yuri: Get the cars ready!
Aries: Come on!
Percy: Hurry!
The girls followed, calling for the guards and clearing the path.
Angelo stayed beside Keifer.
Keifer carried me toward the waiting car.
His face was wet with tears.
His grip tightened around me.
Keifer: Please...
He looked down at me.
Keifer: Just stay awake.
Keifer: Please, Jay.
The voices around me became distant
.
But I could still hear him.
Keifer: I've got you.
And then...
Everything went black.
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I KNOW YOU'RE ALL MAF AT ME FKR NIT POSTING! 😭
BUT HEAR ME OUT I WRITE CHAPTER STRAIGHT IN WEBNOVEL WRITING PAGE NOT COPY IT FROM WPS OFFICE SO I WAS GOING TO WRITE IT BUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING WAS AFTER EVER 2 MINS TGERE WAS A GLITCH AND I GOT LOGGED OUT OF THE APP..SO I COULDN'T POST😭😭...BUT THEN I WROTE IT IN WPS ANS FASTLY POSTED IT 😭...SO NOW YOU GOT YHE CHAPTER 👉👈...
GET YOUR TISSUE BOX CUZ WE ARE GETTING EMOTIONAL CHAPTERS NOW!!!!
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BYEE!💋💋💋💋
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