Jay's POV
The ring hit the floor with a sharp metallic sound.
Clink.
The noise echoed through the hall like a gunshot.
No one moved.
Not Yuri.
Not Keifer.
Not even Aries.
The silence felt suffocating.
Then—
The front door opened again.
Footsteps.
Calm. Measured. Professional.
Kalix walked in.
And the moment he stepped inside, the entire atmosphere shifted.
His sharp eyes scanned the room quickly.
Everyone.Angelo.Aries.Jeana.The Section E boys.Then finally—
Me.
He walked straight toward Percy first.
"Sorry for the delay," he said calmly. "The call ran longer than expected."
Percy gave a small nod.
Then Kalix's gaze returned to me.
"Miss Jay."
His voice was respectful.
Professional.
Steady.
And suddenly everyone in the room looked confused.
Because no one here knew who he was.
Except Percy.
Angelo frowned slightly.
"And you are…?"
Kalix turned politely.
"Attorney Kalix Jace. Head counsel of the Mariano Legal Team."
The room stilled.
That name carried weight.
Even Angelo's expression shifted slightly.
Then Kalix continued calmly.
"I'm here on Miss Jay's request."
Every pair of eyes snapped to me.
My fingers tightened around the folder.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears.
But my face remained cold.
Empty.
Because something inside me had already broken beyond repair.
Kalix extended his hand slightly toward me.
"The documents."
I placed the folder into his hand.
He opened it carefully.
The sound of paper sliding against paper felt deafening in the silent room.
Then he spoke.
"Mr. Michael Angelo Fernandez."
Angelo's gaze sharpened.
"Yes?"
Kalix pulled out the first document.
"Miss Jay has formally requested a voluntary relinquishment of guardianship from you and Ms. Jeana Fernandez."
The words landed like thunder.
Tita Gemma gasped.
"What?!"
Jeana's head snapped toward me.
"You did what?"
Kalix continued like this was an ordinary legal meeting.
"The guardianship will temporarily transfer to Mr. Jashfer Mariano until Miss Jay reaches legal adulthood on May twenty-ninth."
The room went completely still.
Aries' head slowly turned toward me.
His eyes dark.
Dangerous.
"What the hell is this?" Angelo asked sharply.
Kalix held out the document.
"Simply read the paper, sir."
Angelo took it slowly.
His eyes scanned the page.
His jaw tightened.
Then Jeana snatched another copy from Kalix's hand.
Her hands were shaking as she read it.
"This is ridiculous!" she snapped. "You think you can just walk away from this family?!"
My voice came out calm.
Ice cold.
"Yes."
The single word echoed through the hall.
Her face twisted.
"You ungrateful girl! After everything we've done for you—"
I cut her off.
"I'm repaying it."
Kalix calmly slid another sheet forward.
"Also Ms.Jay has agreed to pay back the gross amount of five million pesos to the Fernandez Family for raising her all these seventeen years.The amount is based of all records of transaction through schooling,basic essentials etc. If not satisfied then the amount is negotiable."
The number made several people in the room react.
"That is the estimated financial compensation Miss Jay has calculated for the cost of raising her."
Gasps.
Shock.
Confusion.
Even the Section E boys looked stunned.
Felix whispered something under his breath.
Blaster looked like he'd just watched a bomb explode.
Angelo's eyes snapped up to me.
"You think this is about money?"
"No," I said quietly.
"It's about MY freedom."
My voice didn't shake.
Not even a little.
Jeana looked furious.
"You're still a minor! You can't make decisions like this!"
Kalix spoke calmly.
"Legally she can request the guardianship change if she is not comfortable or feels safe amongst one side of the family and if you feel that she is safe with the Fernandez family then please state with factual facts about how all the injuries on my client have occured and if you can't then just give us the signature because taking it to court is pointless because our points and evidence are real strong."
Jeana scoffed and then tore the documents..
"Well we're not signing anything."
A small smile appeared on my lips.
Not happy.
Not kind.
Just… prepared.
"That's okay."
Kalix calmly pulled out another set of documents.
"I brought multiple copies."
Several of the boys shifted uncomfortably.
Because suddenly—
This wasn't just family drama anymore.
This was war.
Angelo looked at me carefully now.
Studying me like he didn't recognize the girl standing in front of him.
"Jay," he said slowly.
"Think about what you're doing."
I met his eyes.
"I did."
Aries suddenly stepped forward.
His voice sharp.
"You think running to Mariano will fix everything?"
My chest tightened slightly.
But I didn't look away.
"I'm not running."
My voice came out steady.
"I'm choosing."
His eyes flashed.
"You're still a Fernandez."
"No," I said quietly.
"I'm just a Mariano."
The word sliced through the air.
Keifer shifted slightly on the couch.
For the first time tonight—
His expression changed.
Just a little.
Not shock.
Not regret.
But something close to realization.
Because now he was starting to understand.
What he had actually destroyed.
Yuri finally spoke.
"You're making a mistake."
I turned slowly toward him.
"You're right."
My voice was hollow.
"I did make a mistake."
My eyes moved past him.
To Keifer.
"I trusted the wrong people."
The room felt colder.
He stared at me.
Still unreadable.
Still silent.
And that silence somehow hurt more than the cruelty earlier.
Kalix gently cleared his throat.
"Miss Jay,about the second document."
Right.
The second one.
I nodded once.
Kalix held it up.
"This is a formal nullification request of the arranged engagement between Miss Jasper Jean Mariano and Mr. Yuri Hanamitchi."
Yuri's eyes widened.
"You can't just cancel that."
"I can."
Kalix spoke calmly.
"The Mariano Group has decided that they will initiate a collaboration project with the Fernandez Group as part of the settlement agreement.Here are the documents with the Young master's signature along with the company seal. "
Now Angelo looked interested.
Not emotional.
Not angry.
Interested.
Business.
Always business.
Percy crossed his arms quietly beside me.
Watching the room like a spectator.
Jeana looked furious.
"You're throwing your life away for revenge!"
My chest rose slowly.
Then fell.
"No."
My voice softened.
But it didn't weaken.
"I'm taking it back."
Silence filled the mansion again.
And for the first time tonight—
No one laughed at me.No one mocked me.No one dismissed me.
Because the girl they humiliated earlier that day—Was gone.And in her place—Stood someone none of them knew anymore.
I looked around the room one last time.At the people who raised me.The people who lied to me.The people who betrayed me.
And the boy who broke my heart.
Then I spoke quietly.
"Sign the papers."
My voice was calm.
But the warning underneath it was clear.
"Or we do this the hard way and trust me you won't like it one bit.."