Cassion (POV)
"Why are you here?" she asked coldly.
"Get out while I'm still being nice, Mr. Cassian. I thought we already finished our conversation at the hospital… and I hope we never see each other again," she said, folding her arms tightly across her chest. "If Kiefer finds out you're here… we might meet again at your funeral."
The way she glared at me looked like it could actually kill someone.
"Cool, Jay…" I said casually.
But the moment I stepped farther inside, I noticed everything.
The table corners were covered with rubber so she wouldn't accidentally hurt herself. Thick carpets covered the floor so her feet would never touch the cold ground. Fresh sunlight poured through the windows, warm air drifting through the house peacefully.
It was the perfect home for someone pregnant.
You could tell how much a person was loved just by looking at the place they lived in.
Every little detail screamed Kiefer.
Even the air in the house felt warm.
"I'm just here to check on you," I said quietly, "and see how you're doing."
"Now that you've seen me, get out," she snapped immediately, pointing toward the door.
"Jay—" I tried to explain.
She rolled her eyes, already looking irritated.
"Cassian, I'm telling you right now—we are not close enough to sit here and have a conversation."
"Jay… do you even know what Kiefer is doing?" I asked carefully.
"That's none of your concern," she shot back instantly. "Whatever happens between me and Kiefer is between us. If I need answers, I'll get them from my man—not from someone who has nothing to do with my life."
"Jay, I'm here to tell you something your precious husband forgot to mention," I said softly.
I kept my voice low. I didn't want to scare her… or the baby.
Then I pulled the newspaper from my blazer and tossed it onto the table.
She looked at it, acting calm as if nothing had changed.
"He told the world you're dead," I said, watching her reaction carefully. "Did you even know that?"
Her fingers tightened around the newspaper.
Just slightly.
But I noticed.
The way the paper crumpled beneath her grip told me enough.
She didn't know.
I took another step closer.
"Think about it, Jay. Even if I took you out of here right now, nobody would believe you exist anymore."
A dangerous smile spread across my face.
"And honestly?" I continued quietly. "I could lock you away in my palace just like him."
I wanted her to understand.
That the man she trusted so blindly wasn't any different from a monster keeping someone trapped inside a golden cage.
But instead of fear—
She glared at me.
"Try it," she said coldly, meeting my eyes directly. "Lay one finger on me, and I'll smash your face myself."
Her voice turned even sharper.
"And my husband?" She let out a small laugh. "Kiefer would burn this entire world down to get me back."
For a second, the room went silent.
Because she believed that completely.
Not blindly.
Not foolishly.
Completely.
And somehow… that irritated me more than it should have.
"Jay, you know Kiefer is a great actor," I said slowly, stepping closer. "He made the entire world believe his wife was dead… while acting like a madman insisting she was still alive."
"As I mentioned earlier," she replied coldly, "whatever is happening between Kiefer and me is none of your business. You don't need to interfere in our relationship."
"Jay…" I stopped right in front of her. "Do you really want to stay with a man like him?"
She stared at me without backing away.
Not even a little.
Why?
How could she trust him this much?
Why wasn't she scared that Kiefer might be hiding something from her?
"I know my Kiefer," she said firmly. "And I don't regret living here because it was my choice."
Her voice softened slightly whenever she spoke about him.
But her eyes never left mine.
"And like you said, if my husband were truly trapping me here… I could walk out that door right now. Nobody could stop me." She folded her arms tightly across her chest. "But I'm still here."
I glanced around the house again.
No guards.
No locked doors.
The place didn't even feel like a cage.
She could leave whenever she wanted.
But she stayed.
Why?
What was this strange feeling twisting inside my chest?
"I hope I've made myself clear already," she continued firmly. "I belong to Kiefer."
Then her expression softened again.
"I'm happy beside him… and I need him every second."
Just hearing his name seemed enough to calm her because somewhere deep inside, she knew Kiefer would never leave her.
"Jay, I'm not asking you to trust me," I said quietly. "Just… don't believe everything Kiefer says blindly."
My eyes darkened.
Because after hearing how terrified she had been at the hospital, I dug deeper into the past.
And that was when I discovered the truth.
Kiefer had approached Jay-Jay to seek revenge on her brother.
"You already trusted him once," I said, stepping closer again. "Don't you remember what happened five years ago?"
My voice lowered dangerously.
"Making you fall in love with him was part of his plan."
"How do you even know about that?" she asked sharply.
"There must be something he's hiding from you now, too," I continued. "Something important."
"Nice try," she said coldly. "But don't stand there pretending you care about me while trying to manipulate me."
Maybe I was trying to manipulate her.
Because deep down, I already knew she would never leave Kiefer.
I just wanted her to understand that she wasn't in safe hands.
"And even if Kiefer hurts me again…" Her voice lowered, but it never lost its strength. "That's still my decision."
She looked straight into my eyes.
"If I choose to risk everything for him again… then that's my choice to make."
I stared at her silently.
So she knew.
She knew something terrible could happen again, just like before…
And she still chose him.
Why?
Did she really love him enough to destroy herself for him all over again?
She had nearly died once because of that man.
Yet here she was—
Choosing him again without hesitation.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I answered immediately.
"Sir… Kiefer Watson had an accident," the man said quickly from the other side of the call. "I think he's dead."
My entire body stiffened.
"What do you mean?" I asked sharply.
"We'll send the pictures and videos we took."
The call ended.
"Jay…" I said slowly, staring at my phone. "I just heard your man is dead."
"What?"
Her voice cracked instantly.
"What the hell do you mean by that?" she snapped. "And as I said before—get out of my house."
She refused to believe me.
So I showed her the photos they had sent.
Kiefer.
Covered in blood.
She stood there trying to act normal while her eyes betrayed every broken piece inside her.
"Did you Photoshop this?" she asked coldly, but her hands were already shaking slightly around the phone. "My man doesn't die that easily."
Her voice slowly lost its sharpness.
Her face turned pale.
"Nice try," she whispered weakly.
But I didn't say anything this time.
Slowly, I opened another file on my phone.
A video.
"Jay…" My voice softened as I stepped closer. "Kiefer is gone now. What makes you think he can still protect you?"
Her knees trembled suddenly.
Damn it.
If she collapsed now, the baby could be in danger.
I moved quickly toward her to steady her before she fell.
"Don't fucking touch me!" she screamed.
I froze.
"Only my man is allowed to touch me." Her eyes burned with fury as she glared at me. "And I don't fucking believe those photos."
Then, suddenly, she grabbed a knife from the counter and pointed it directly at me.
She had completely lost control.
And I didn't think she even realized what she was doing anymore.
"Don't touch me," she warned shakily. "I will kill you."
"Jay—" I took another careful step closer.
Because if something happened to her now…
I would never forgive myself.
"Get away from me!"
Slowly, I lifted my phone again.
"This isn't edited," I said quietly, hoping she would finally drop the knife.
Then I saw it.
The tears.
They poured down her face uncontrollably now.
Her whole body was trembling.
But the worst part wasn't the crying.
It was the way she looked at me—
Like she had already lost everything.
Then the knife slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a sharp metallic sound.
A second later, she collapsed.
"Jay, be careful—you're pregnant," I said instinctively, moving toward her before forcing myself to stop.
Because if I touched her now, she would only panic more.
"No… no… no…" She shook her head frantically, dragging herself backward across the floor as if reality itself was chasing her. "That can't be my Kiefer…"
Her voice broke apart between sobs.
And the way she cried—
It sounded like someone was driving knives straight through her heart.
"He can't die…" she choked out desperately. "He promised me…"
She kept repeating it as if she said it enough times, it would become true.
"He promised he'd come back to me…"
I stood there silently, watching her shatter right in front of me.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just… piece by piece.
Like every breath hurt her.
Like her entire soul had been built around that man, and now someone had ripped him away from her with bare hands.
And for the first time since walking into this house—
I finally understood something.
Jay-Jay wasn't trapped here.
She stayed because Kiefer had become her home.
I tried to move toward her again because it wasn't safe for someone pregnant to cry like this… to panic this badly.
"Don't touch me!" she screamed suddenly.
She grabbed whatever her hands could reach and threw it at me.
"Don't fucking touch me!"
So I stopped.
Then she broke down even harder.
She blamed him for leaving her alone.
And somehow, hearing that hurt more than I expected.
Why was she crying for him like this?
Shouldn't I have been happy Kiefer was dead?
Shouldn't this have given me a better chance to stay beside her?
Then why did I feel guilty?
Why did I feel something inside me breaking while watching her fall apart?
"So how could you just disappear like this…?" Her voice cracked more with every word. "How could you leave me behind when you know I can't survive without you…?"
"Kiefer…"
She whispered his name so weakly.
Like only he could ease her pain.
Then her breathing became uneven.
She started hitting her chest desperately, like she was trying to force herself to breathe through the agony.
And then—
"Jay!"
A voice thundered through the house.
My entire body froze.
Kiefer stood at the doorway.
Alive.
His white shirt was soaked in blood.
For a second, I couldn't even move.
Then suddenly he grabbed my collar and punched me hard enough to throw me backward.
But before I could react—
"Kiefer… I can't breathe…"
Jay's broken voice stopped him instantly.
She still hadn't noticed he was really there.
"I can't— Kiefer… where are you…?"
His entire expression changed.
"I'll deal with you later," he growled at me before rushing toward her.
But the second he got close—
"Didn't I make myself clear?" she screamed hysterically, gripping the knife tighter with trembling hands. "Don't come near me… don't touch me…"
She swung the knife wildly through the air to keep him away.
And then—
The blade sliced across his arm.
Blood ran down instantly.
But Kiefer didn't even react.
He kept walking toward her.
"Jay.. It's me," he kept saying over and over again.
But she wasn't hearing him.
"Don't come near me!" Her voice shattered into another sob. "I said don't—"
Before she could finish, Kiefer moved behind her and pulled her tightly against his chest.
Like he had done it a thousand times before.
Like his body already knew exactly how to hold her together.
And somehow…
The second, his arms wrapped around her—
She stopped fighting.
Her entire body froze before slowly collapsing against him.
Kiefer carefully brushed her hair away from her face, even while blood continued pouring from his injured arm.
But he only held her tighter.
And watching them together finally made me understand something terrifying.
People said they were crazy for each other.
But that wasn't it.
They weren't obsessed.
They were each other's calm.
Her entire world could be collapsing—
And somehow, being in his arms was enough to make her breathe again.
That realization hit me like ice-cold water straight to the chest.
And finally—
I understood the twisting pain I had been feeling this whole time.
Watching them together hurt in a way I couldn't explain.
The way Kiefer calmed her down was without saying much.
The way he walked toward her, even while bleeding as he had crawled back from death itself.
The way Jay completely melted in his arms, the second she realized it was him.
Like that was the only place in the world where she truly felt safe.
And that was when the truth finally settled inside me.
I would never be loved by her the way Kiefer was.
No matter how much I wanted her.
No matter how deeply I felt for her.
I could never replace what existed between them.
Because love alone wasn't enough.
People always said loving someone was the hardest part.
But they were wrong.
Being chosen was harder.
And Jay and Kiefer…
They chose each other over everything.
Over fear.
Over pain.
Over betrayal.
Even over death itself.
That kind of love couldn't be forced.
Couldn't be stolen.
Couldn't be manipulated into existence.
It was something they built together, piece by piece, until they became part of each other.
And standing there watching him hold her while she cried against his chest—
I realized I had already lost long ago.
Not because Kiefer was stronger.
Not because he was dangerous.
But because when Jay looked at him…
She looked like she had already decided that if the world ended tomorrow, she would still choose him again.
When I finally came back to my senses, Jay was begging Kiefer to take him to the hospital.
Both of them tried to stand—
And both nearly collapsed instantly.
I moved forward immediately and caught them before they fell.
"I'll drive," I said without hesitation.
"No…" Kiefer's voice came out weak but stubborn. "I can still drive."
I stared at him in disbelief.
How the hell was he still thinking about driving when he looked seconds away from collapsing?
"And crash halfway there?" I snapped. "I don't want to watch Jay break down again because she lost you."
The second my hand touched Jay to steady her, Kiefer grabbed my wrist and pulled it away despite the blood still running down his arm.
"Don't touch her," he muttered coldly.
Then he tightened his hold around Jay possessively.
"I can handle my wife myself."
Normally, I would've argued back.
But this time…
I didn't.
Instead, I found myself smiling faintly.
Because watching them together made me realize something I stopped believing in a long time ago.
Love still existed.
Real love.
The kind that survived pain, betrayal, fear, and almost losing each other.
So without another word, I helped carry Kiefer toward the car while he stubbornly refused to let go of Jay for even a second.
And during the entire drive—
Jay cried quietly against him while checking his injuries over and over again with shaking hands.
"Kiefer, you're losing too much blood…"
"I'm fine," he kept murmuring.
"You're not fine…"
"I said I'm fine, Wife."
Even while pale from blood loss, he still kept brushing her tears away first before caring about himself.
And I just drove silently, watching them through the mirror.
Watching the way she held onto him, as if losing him would destroy her.
Watching the way he kept whispering reassurances even while barely conscious.
And for the first time in years—
The world didn't feel empty to me anymore.
We finally reached the hospital.
Even while barely standing, Kiefer still grabbed the doctor's wrist first.
"Check my wife first, too," he ordered immediately.
Only after making sure she was being guided toward a chair did he finally let himself breathe.
Jay slowly walked toward the corner near the ICU.
And the second, she was far enough away—
Kiefer collapsed against me.
Like he had been forcing himself to stay conscious only for her.
Blood soaked through my hands instantly as I caught him.
"Fuck," I muttered under my breath. "Doctor!"
—
Hours later, I stood outside the ICU silently.
Jay sat on one of the cold steel chairs nearby, staring blankly at the floor.
Then suddenly—
She looked up at me.
And before I could even react, she walked straight toward me.
"Jay—"
My sentence never finished.
She punched me.
Then kicked me hard enough to force me backward.
She had completely snapped.
Like before.
Like only Kiefer could hold together the broken pieces inside her.
"You knew what happened, didn't you?" she shouted, grabbing my collar tightly. "If you had that video, then you knew he could get hurt!"
"You knew!"
"Jay, it's not like that—" I tried to explain quickly. "I only had people tracking him so I could find you—"
"Enough!" she screamed.
Her tears landed against my face as she shook with anger.
Then she said something that hurt far more than the punch.
"Cassian…"
Her grip slowly loosened.
And suddenly her voice sounded exhausted.
Broken.
"Please… stop entering my life."
The words came out almost like begging.
"My life is already a mess," she whispered painfully. "I can't handle more chaos anymore."
For a long moment, I stayed silent.
Then I nodded slowly.
"…Okay," I said quietly. "I won't come between you and Kiefer anymore."
Because the second I realized they had become each other's peace…
I knew I never had a chance.
Even if Kiefer disappeared from her life completely—
Her heart would still choose him.
"So…" I suddenly held out my hand casually. "Let's be friends instead."
If I couldn't be the man in your life…
Then maybe I could at least become someone who protected you.
"What?" she asked flatly.
I couldn't blame her confusion.
After everything I had done, this probably sounded insane.
"You spent all this time trying to break Kiefer and me apart," she said in disbelief. "And now you expect me to believe you suddenly want to be my friend?"
"You trust Clyden, don't you?" I asked quietly.
Her expression hardened immediately.
"Don't compare my kuya to yourself," she replied coldly. "He's nothing like you."
The way she called Clyden kuya so naturally…
Like he was truly her family.
"And my trust in him…" She looked directly into my eyes. "It's so deep that nobody else could ever reach that place."
"Why?" I asked softly. "He's also a Watson. He tried to kill Kiefer before. He kidnapped you, too." My eyes narrowed slightly. "Meanwhile, I haven't actually hurt you."
She stayed silent for a few seconds before answering honestly.
"I don't know."
Then her voice softened slightly.
"Maybe because even if he's a Watson… he never treated me the way you do."
"He looked at me like family," she whispered. "Like someone worth risking his life for."
And hearing that made something painfully clear to me.
If I had known how to love someone properly…
Maybe things would've been different.
Maybe if someone had taught me how to care without controlling…
How to protect without manipulating…
Jay and I could have become friends from the beginning.
But nobody ever taught me those things.
I grew up alone, without knowing love.
If I needed something, I got it myself.
Dependence on people only led to disappointment.
And in business?
People only approached me for power, money, or influence.
Never because they truly wanted me.
Then Jay's expression hardened again.
"And I never tolerate anyone looking down on Clyden," she warned while stepping back slowly. "Not anyone."
"Not even Kiefer."
I looked at her quietly for a few seconds before letting out a small sigh.
"Okay," I finally said.
My voice sounded calmer now.
"Then I'll earn my place as he did."
I met her eyes directly.
"I'll prove myself."
"And I'll earn your forgiveness."
Before she could respond, a nurse called for her.
Jay immediately turned and walked away without looking back at me once.
And somehow…
I was okay with that.
Because maybe love wasn't always about being chosen.
Sometimes it was simply about wanting someone to stay happy—
Even if it wasn't with you.
Still…
As I stood alone outside that ICU, one question refused to leave my mind.
Would anyone ever choose me the way Jay chose Kiefer?
Would I ever become someone's home too?