jays Pov
The heavy bass of King's Ground thudded straight through the soles of my knee-high boots, vibrating right up into my chest. I didn't care. I didn't care about the noise, the blinking strobe lights, or the suffocating heat of the crowd.
I adjusted the lapels of my black leather jacket, letting the fabric slide over the bold red silk of my dress. Tonight, I wasn't the girl who sat crying by a hospital bed. I wasn't the girl whose heart had been systematically ripped to shreds in the Watson Mansion.
Tonight, I was a baddie. Cold. Unbothered. Dangerous.
I pushed through the double glass doors of the VIP lounge, my heels clicking perfectly in sync with the rhythm of the music. Heads turned. I could feel their eyes tracking the sharp lines of my outfit, the dark, smoky makeup framing my expressionless face.
Let them look. They were looking at a ghost who forgot how to feel.Scanning the room, my eyes instantly locked onto a secluded corner near the secondary bar. My brother, Kian, was leaning against the marble pillar, holding a glass of amber liquid. Even in a room full of elite guests, his sharp jawline and calculating posture stood out. He had that default, unreadable expression that ran in our bloodline.
I walked straight up to him. He didn't even blink, his gaze dropping to my face the second I stopped in front of him. For three long seconds, neither of us said a word.
"Why did you cry, Jay?"His voice was too quiet, cutting cleanly through the booming audio track playing over the speakers.
Shit.
I clenched my jaw, mentally cursing his terrifyingly accurate intuition. I forgot he knew me too well. We had spent a lifetime reading each other's silences, and no amount of dark eyeshadow could hide the microscopic swelling around my eyelids from the night before. But I wasn't about to break my new persona on night one.
"I wasn't crying," I replied smoothly, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back with an indifferent smirk. "Something fell into my eyes on the drive over. The wind out there is brutal. You must be seeing things, Kian."
Kian tilted his head, his dark eyes narrowing into slits as he took a slow sip of his drink. "Don't try to fool me, Jay. I know you too well. A little dust doesn't make your gaze look that heavy."
Before I could formulate a sharp comeback to shut him down, a blur of pastel fabric and bright perfume cut off our tense standoff. Zoe arrived, her eyes widening into perfect circles the moment she registered my presence.
"Jay!" she squealed, completely ignoring the elite crowd around her. She ran forward, throwing her arms tightly around my neck, her signature scent enveloping me. "Oh my god, I missed you so much, honey!"
The icy shield around my heart cracked for a microscopic second. I wrapped my arms around her waist, hugging her back with a rare, genuine softness. "I missed you too, baby. Happy birthday."
Zoe pulled back, keeping her hands firmly on my shoulders. The joyful expression on her face instantly melted into deep concern as she scanned my features under the dim neon lights.
"Wait... why were you crying, Jay? Your eyes look so sad."
Kian let out a low, dry chuckle from his corner, crossing his arms. "I was also asking the same thing. But she didn't answer it. She claims it's the wind."
I rolled my eyes, letting out a dramatic, annoyed sigh to hide the panic rising in my throat. I snapped my icy demeanor back into place, looking at the two of them like they were being completely ridiculous. "You guys are such a handful. Seriously, you have trouble written all over you. I said no, I wasn't crying. Can we please drop it? Let's just begin the party already. I'm getting bored standing here."
Zoe blinked, exchanging a worried glance with Kian, but she knew better than to push a cornered tiger. She forced a bright smile, grabbing my hand. "Fine, fine! Let's get this party officially started!"
The venue transitioned into full celebration mode. The volume doubled, the bass line dropped into a heavy hip-hop beat, and the dance floor filled up instantly.
Kian and Zoe walked off toward the main entrance to greet the wave of arriving high-profile guests, leaving me exactly where I wanted to be: alone.I glided over to the farthest, darkest corner of the VIP lounge, sliding onto a plush leather booth. I raised my hand, signaling the bartender. Within minutes, I had a row of strong drinks lined up in front of me.
I grabbed the first one, letting the burning liquid slide down my throat.Drink it away, I told myself. Burn his name out of your head.
Every time I closed my eyes, Keifer's face flashed behind my eyelids. His voice, his hands, his promises—they were all a carefully constructed trap. A sick, twisted game played by Section E.
I took another shot, the alcohol doing absolutely nothing to deaden the sharp, metallic ache in my chest. I hated him. I hated how much power his memory still held over me. I gripped the glass so hard I thought the crystal would shatter in my palm.
Across the room, through the haze of smoke and flashing strobes, I watched Kian and Zoe. They looked perfect. They were moving from group to group, playing the perfect hosts, laughing and nodding at the endless stream of congratulations. I envied their simplicity. I envied their safety.
"Jay! Time for the cake!" Zoe's voice suddenly pierced through my dark thoughts. She had materialized right in front of my booth, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She grabbed my wrist, pulling me up before I could object. "Come on, you have to stand right next to me!"
I let her drag me toward the massive, multi-tiered birthday cake resting on a grand table in the center of the venue. The crowd parted for us, clapping and cheering. I stood just a step behind Zoe, plastering a polite, distant smile on my face for the crowd.
Zoe gripped the silver knife, her eyes finding mine for a brief second before she pressed down, cutting through the thick frosting.The exact second the knife hit the platter, every single light in King's Ground went pitch black.The music cut out instantly.
A collective gasp rippled through the massive crowd. I immediately dropped into a defensive stance, my instincts tracking the shadows. But before anyone could panic, a harsh, blinding spotlight snapped on. It fell directly on Zoe.
She blinked, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the glare. Before she could process what was happening, a second spotlight cut through the darkness, illuminating Kian a few feet away.
The crowd fell completely silent.Kian didn't look at the crowd. He walked forward, his footsteps echoing in the dead silence, until he was standing right in front of Zoe. Then, without a single trace of hesitation, the proud, unyielding Kian dropped down on one knee.The crowd went wild, but Kian didn't break eye contact with a blushing, shocked Zoe.
"Zoe," Kian began, his voice amplified by a hidden lapel mic, rich and steady. "I know I am troublesome to handle. But I think you are more than mature enough for both of us. At first... I honestly thought you were incredibly bossy."
A wave of soft laughter rippled through the guests. Zoe's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes already shining with tears.
"But then," Kian continued, his expression softening into something so intensely beautiful it made my chest ache, "I fell for you. Hard. And now, I can't imagine a single moment of my life without you. So, I want you, Zoe. Will you marry me?"
The romantic tension in the room was suffocating. Zoe was frozen, tears streaming down her cheeks, unable to speak. The silence stretched for a beat too long.I couldn't stand the suspense.
Breaking my cold facade for just a split second, I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted at the top of my lungs into the background: "Say yes, Zoe! Or this total brat will literally go mentally ill right here on the floor!"
The entire room erupted into roaring laughter. The heavy tension snapped. Zoe laughed through her tears, her shoulders shaking as she looked from me back down to Kian.
"I will!" she sobbed happily. "Yes, Kian!"Kian stood up in a flash, pulling her into his arms.
He leaned down, and they kissed each other passionately under the dual spotlights. The crowd exploded into cheers, confetti cannons blasting vibrant colors into the air, blinding everyone in a shower of gold and silver.I stood in the shadow of the spotlights, watching them hold each other. I admired them. They looked so pure, so real.
But as the applause roared around me, a dark, heavy wave of bitterness crashed over my head.It would have been so great if Keifer hadn't made that stupid, twisted plan, I thought, my throat tightening until it burned.
Maybe... just maybe, we could have been like them. Maybe we would have been official tonight.The thought was a poison dagger. The sight of their happiness became physically painful to look at. I couldn't take it anymore.
The walls were closing in, the noise was too loud, and the image of Keifer's lying eyes was torturing my brain.Without a word to anyone, I turned around and slipped into the darkness, heading straight for the isolated bar corner at the far end of the club layout, desperate to drown the noise in high-proof alcohol.
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Jane POV
The front doors of the Fernandes Mansion hadn't even fully closed behind Jay before the quiet of the estate was shattered. I stood at the top of the grand staircase, smoothing down the edges of my casual lounge shorts, my mind still heavy with the image of my twin sister walking out in that lethal red dress.( Check comment)
She was trying to be strong, trying to play the baddie, but I knew the hollow look in her eyes.Before I could even take a step down, the main entrance doors swung open again.
I paused, my inner diva instantly taking over as I adjusted my posture, looking down at the newcomers with a cold, calculating gaze. Two faces were instantly familiar—Sir Alvin and Ma'am Cindy, our former instructors. But behind them walked three completely new individuals. They carried an aura of absolute authority and effortless power.
Angelo, who had been sitting in the main study, walked out into the foyer. The moment his eyes landed on the group, his usually stern, terrifying face completely lit up. A genuine, radiant smile broke across his features—a sight so rare it almost shocked me.
"You actually made it," Angelo said, his voice booming with rare warmth as the group rushed forward, throwing their arms around him in a massive, chaotic group hug.
After releasing Angelo, they moved quickly through the foyer, greeting Tita Gemma and Tita Serina with deep respect and affectionate hugs. Then they turned their attention toward Aries and the rest of the girls who had gathered at the sound of the commotion.
I glided down the remaining steps, my movements fluid and elegant, keeping my expression perfectly poised. I didn't do messy emotions in front of strangers.
Angelo caught my eye and gestured for me to come closer. "Jane, come here. There are people you need to meet." He turned to the newcomers, his arm gesturing toward them proudly. "Jane, this is Ion. This is Rafael. And this is Leo. Along with your teachers, whom you already know, they were all my previous batchmates."
Leo, grinned widely. "Yeah, the previous Section E, to be exact."
Ion, a stunning woman with an effortless elegance that instantly caught my diva approval, stepped forward. She looked me up and down, a warm, genuine smile breaking across her face. She reached out, gently patting my arm. "Wow... you are so beautiful, baby."
I tilted my head, offering her a perfectly practiced, flawless smile—the kind that showed appreciation without dropping my high standards. "Thanks, Ate Ion," I said smoothly.
Leo—who apparently went by the codename Tiger—clapped his hands together, the loud smack echoing off the high ceilings. "Alright, enough with the formal introductions in this stiff hallway. Guys, let's go to my place. All of you. Keifer, Yuri—call the rest of Section E. Let's make it a full reunion."
My heart instantly dropped into a cold pool of resentment. Section E. Yuri. Keifer. The very names made my blood boil. I opened my mouth, fully prepared to deliver a devastatingly polite refusal. I was in absolutely no mood to see the people who had broken Me and my sister's soul, nor did I want to breathe the same air as Yuri.
But before the words could leave my lips, Ate Ion and Kuya Rafael stepped into my space, their eyes pleading."Come on, Jane, you have to come," Ate Ion insisted, linking her arm through mine with an affectionate squeeze. "We barely get to see Angelo' Sis. Don't ruin the night before it even starts.
Kuya Rafael nodded in agreement. "We won't take no for an answer, kiddo. Let's go."
Under their intense corporate-level insistence, I realized a flat refusal would look childish rather than regal. A true diva knows how to command a room, even a room full of enemies.
"Fine," I sighed softly, giving them a slight, elegant nod. "Give me ten minutes to change."I walked back up to my room and completely transformed my look. My makeup was flawless, my lips painted a deep, dangerous berry red. (Check comment)
When I walked back down the grand staircase, the room went quiet for a split second.Tita Gemma looked up from the foyer, her eyes widening in admiration. "Oh, you are looking absolutely gorgeous, baby."
Tita Serina aned against the doorframe, winking at me with a playful smirk. "Too hot, Jane. You're going to cause a riot out there."
I didn't break character. I gave them both a sharp, confident smile, checking my nails.
Within forty-five minutes, our massive convoy arrived at King's Ground. It turned out Tiger didn't just love the place—he literally owned the entire establishment. He bypassed the massive lines at the entrance, leading our large group through a private VIP corridor that opened up directly into the exclusive club area.
The vibration of the bass was deafening. I caught snippets of conversation from the staff as we walked past the security checkpoints. Apparently, the entire main hall and the primary VIP lounges had been booked out for a massive, high-profile birthday party.
We filed into a spacious, semi-private club corner that overlooked both the main dance floor and the secondary bar. The leather booths were pristine, and the service was instantaneous.
As we settled into the plush seats, Ma'am Cindy leaned across the table, her brow furrowing slightly as she looked around. "Jane, where is Jay? I thought she would be with you."
I crossed my legs, smoothing down the fabric of my dress with total indifference. "She went out earlier to meet her friends," I replied, my voice clipping the words short.
Before Ma'am Cindy could ask anything else, the heavy curtain to our section parted. The current members of Section E filed in, their expressions a mix of guilt, anxiety, and desperation.
The moment they saw me sitting there like a queen on a throne, several of them stepped forward, their mouths opening to offer whatever pathetic apologies they had rehearsed in the car.I didn't give a damn about them. The second their eyes met mine, I looked right through them as if they were made of glass. I picked up my phone, sliding my thumb across the screen, completely freezing them out of existence.
Then, a shadow fell over my booth. Yuri.He stood there, looking completely miserable, his eyes searching my face for any sign of the girl who used to smile at him.
"You look beautiful, Jane," he murmured, his voice thick with unexpressed regret.
I didn't look up from my phone screen. I merely tilted my head back slightly, letting a cold, mocking smirk touch my lips. "I know," I said, my response cutting through the air like a razor blade.
Yuri flinched as if I had physically struck him. He took a half-step closer, his hands twitching at his sides. "Jane... please. Can we talk? Just five minutes."
I finally locked my eyes onto his, delivering a look so freezing it could have solidified the alcohol in his glass. "You have nothing to say that interests me, Yuri. Step back. You're ruining my view."
Before Yuri could sink any lower, Freya's sharp voice suddenly pierced through our localized tension from the edge of the balcony railing. "Hey, guys... look over there. Isn't that Jay?"
The entire booth shifted.
Every single person in our group turned instantly in the direction Freya was pointing.My eyes tracked her finger, and my heart completely stopped.
There, sitting at the far end of the secondary bar, completely isolated from the crowd, was my twin sister. She was wearing the striking red dress and the leather jacket, but all the baddie confidence she had left the house with seemed to have evaporated.
She was slouched over the counter, holding a heavy glass of beer, her dark hair falling wildly over her face. She looked completely, dangerously drunk.
Tiger blinked, leaning over toward Angelo, whispering in a tone full of surprise, "Boss... how on earth did you manage to get sisters this cute? They look so completely innocent from afar."
Kuya Rafael didn't share Tiger's amusement. His eyes narrowed as he watched her messy posture. "But why is she drinking like that? Something's wrong."
Moved by sudden concern, the older batchmates—Angelo, Tiger, Rafael, Ion, and our teachers—stood up and moved a little closer to her section, taking over an empty booth situated in the shadows right beside the bar corner where Jay was sitting.
I stood up immediately, my cold facade cracking as pure sisterly panic took over. I wanted to run straight to her, but Tiger reached out, his large hand gently catching my shoulder, pulling me back into the shadow of the booth. "Wait, Jane. Let her enjoy her space for a second. If she's blowing off steam, crowding her will only make her run."
He signaled a bartender, ordering a round of light treats and drinks for our new spot, attempting to keep the situation casual. But my eyes never left Jay. Not for a single fraction of a second.And I wasn't the only one.
Right beside me, Keifer was standing completely rigid. His jaw was clenched so tightly the muscles were ticking violently, and his eyes were burning a hole straight into Jay's back. Every time a random male guest walked past her bar stool or glanced in her direction, Keifer's hands curled into lethal fists, a terrifying, possessive glare twisting his face into something demonic.
The fragile peace didn't last three minutes.A group of five to six men, clearly loud, arrogant, and heavily intoxicated, stumbled away from the main birthday crowd and surrounded Jay's isolated bar stool.
They wore expensive clothes but carried themselves like low-life thugs.The man in the front—a loud-mouthed idiot with greasy hair—leaned heavily against the bar counter, right into Jay's personal space.
"Oh, look what we have here," he sneered, a disgusting grin spreading across his face. "You're Keifer's girlfriend, right? The famous Watson prize."
Jay didn't even look up from her glass. She took a slow sip, her voice coming out as a deadly, low growl that traveled across the quiet corner. "You got the wrong person. Leave."
Instead of backing off, a second guy stepped closer, his hand reaching out. My blood ran cold as I watched his fingers physically touch Jay's cheek. "Come on, baby, don't be like that," he cooed filthily. "I am Ram. Keifer's good friend. He talks about you all the time."
Jay finally tilted her head up. Her eyes were completely bloodshot, dark, and utterly devoid of fear. A slow, terrifying smirk spread across her berry-stained lips. "And what exactly is it to me who you are?"
Ram leaned in closer, his breath practically touching her ear. "Why don't you leave this depressing corner and come with me for a night? Let a real man show you a good time."
Jay's smirk vanished. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. "I am in an incredibly bad mood," she whispered, her voice dangerously clear. "Leave right now before I kick your balls into your throat."
"Whoa, a wild kitten!" one of the other men shouted, laughing brutally as he stepped forward, his hands extending to grab her shoulders to drag her off the stool.He never got the chance.
With the explosive speed of a coiled viper, Jay stood up. She didn't scream, she didn't hesitate. Her right fist flew forward in a flawless, brutal arc, connecting perfectly with the man's jaw with a sickening, heavy crack.She didn't even watch him spin around.
She instantly sat back down on her stool, picked up her glass, and went straight back to drinking.
Exactly three seconds later, the man's knees buckled, and he crashed face-first onto the hard hardwood floor, completely knocked out cold.
"Damn!" Tiger whispered from our booth, his jaw dropping open in sheer shock. "I completely take my words back, Boss. She is not innocent."
"She has definitely got skills," Kuya Rafael muttered, his eyes wide with newfound respect.
"You total bitch!" Ram roared, his face twisting into pure rage as he looked down at his unconscious friend. He turned back to the remaining four men, gesturing wildly. "What are you waiting for?! Grab her!"
The four men lunged at her simultaneously.
But Jay was a fighter, and tonight, she had a universe of pain to unleash. She threw her heavy bar glass directly into the face of the first attacker, the glass shattering against his forehead in a spray of red liquid and shards.
Before the second man could react, she grabbed the heavy wooden bar stool, spinning it with terrifying core strength, slamming it directly into his ribs. He flew backward into a row of tables, smashing the glass platters into dust.
The remaining two tried to pin her arms from behind, but Jay dropped her weight, driving her elbows backward straight into their solar plexuses.
As they gasped for air, she grabbed one by the hair, smashing his face directly into the marble counter, before executing a flawless, sweeping kick that took the legs out from under the other.
Within less than thirty seconds, four grown men were groaning in agony on the floor, bleeding and broken.Jay adjusted her leather jacket, her breathing heavy, her eyes wild as she turned around to finally leave the disaster zone she had created.
Ram, who had backed away during the carnage, was trembling, but his humiliating fear quickly turned into venomous malice. He looked past Jay, his eyes suddenly locking onto me standing at the edge of the VIP booth.
"Fine!" Ram screamed, spitting blood onto the floor. "You think you're tough? Your sister over there is a beautiful little piece of work too. Maybe she isn't a freak like you. Maybe she will gladly come to my bed tonight to make up for this!"
The world stopped moving.Jay froze mid-step. The absolute last remaining shred of her sanity, her patience, and her control snapped into a million pieces.
She turned around slow, her eyes completely black, empty of any human emotion. She didn't say a word. She snatched a full, unopened bottle of liquor from the bartender's counter, launched herself forward, and threw it directly at Ram's chest.
The impact threw him off balance, sending him crashing onto his back.Before he could even raise his hands to defend himself, Jay straddled his chest.And then, the nightmare began.
Jay started punching him. One after another. Direct, brutal, unyielding fists aimed straight at his face. One. Two. Three. Four. The sound of skin hitting fracturing bone echoed through the silent club layout. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty. She was like a machine, her face completely expressionless as blood splattered onto her red dress and her hands.
She delivered twenty-five consecutive, high-velocity fists straight to his face until his features were completely unrecognizable.She wasn't stopping. She grabbed him by the collar, dragged his semi-conscious body up, and delivered a lethal, agonizing kick directly between his legs.
Ram let out a choked, pathetic scream, curling into a fetal position. Jay pulled her fist back, her knuckles dripping with blood, fully intending to drive her hand straight through his throat to finish it.
"Jay! Stop! Please, stop!"I couldn't watch it anymore. My dress, my heels, my composure—everything was discarded. I sprinted out of the VIP booth, sliding across the bloody floor, and threw my arms tightly around my twin sister's waist, pulling her back with every single ounce of strength in my body.
"Jay, look at me! It's me, Jane! Stop, please, you're going to kill him!" I sobbed, my tears finally breaking free, staining the shoulders of her leather jacket.
Jay was rigid as iron, her muscles vibrating with a terrifying, demonic energy. She wasn't listening to me. She was staring at Ram's bleeding body, her chest heaving, her eyes wild like a trapped animal. She tried to pull away from my grip, her strength entirely unnatural from the adrenaline and the alcohol.
"What the hell is going on here?!"
A commanding, furious voice broke through the chaos. Kian came sprinting into the bar corner, his face pale, his eyes wide as he looked at the utter destruction, the bodies littering the floor, and finally, Ram lying face-down in a pool of his own blood.
He locked eyes with me. "Jane! What happened?!"
"He talked about me!" I screamed through my tears, tightening my grip around Jay's waist as she continued to struggle against me. "He said... he said disgusting things about taking me to his bed! Jay went crazy protecting me!"
Kian's expression underwent a terrifying transformation. The panic vanished, replaced by an icy, murderous calm that mirrored Jay's. He looked down at Ram's broken body, his voice dropping into a chilling register. "Deserve," he spat out cleanly.
Without a moment's hesitation, Kian stepped over the debris. He approached Jay from behind, overriding my grip, and wrapped his powerful arms completely around her shoulders, pulling her back against his solid chest in a fierce, protective embrace.
"I am here, Jay," Kian murmured, his rough voice softening into an desperate, emotional plea as he buried his face in her dark hair. "I am here. Look at me. Please calm down, sister. Shhh... baby... calm down... I am here. No one is touching either of you. I've got you."
The heavy curtains of the main hall parted again, and Zoe arrived, breathless and pale, her birthday crown slightly tilted on her head. "Jay! Jane! Oh my god, what happened?!"
Seeing the sheer terror on my face, Zoe didn't hesitate. She ran straight into our fractured circle, throwing her arms around Jay's front, sandwiching my sister between herself and Kian, while I clung to Jay's side.
The moment the collective warmth of her family completely enveloped her, the demonic, terrifying strength in Jay's body instantly evaporated. The lethal girl vanished, leaving behind a shattered, fragile little girl.A choked, agonizing sound broke from Jay's throat.
And then, she started sobbing. She wept like a terrified, abandoned child, her tears washing through the blood splattered across her cheeks.
"He... he said he will take my sister away," Jay sobbed, her voice breaking into agonizing fragments as she clutched at Zoe's dress. "I won't let them touch her again... Zoe... I won't lose my sister again. Why is the world like this? Why?!"
The entire club corner was dead silent. Section E, who had followed us down, stood frozen in absolute horror. Keifer looked as if someone had driven a stake straight through his heart, his face completely pale, his hands trembling as he listened to the raw, unadulterated agony of the girl he had destroyed.
"Zoe... I don't want to stay here anymore," Jay wailed, her head sinking into Zoe's shoulder as her body shook violently. "I want to go to mom and dad... I am so tired. The boy I loved... he planned it all. He lied to me. My mom doesn't have any time for me... my own brother hates me... why am I like this? Why?! I am tired !!"
Hearing her words, the final thread of my own strength snapped. I couldn't control myself anymore.
I threw my arms around Jay's neck, burying my face against her wet cheek, hugging her so tightly I thought our bones would blend together."I am here, Jay!" I cried out, my voice cracking with pure devotion. "Don't you dare think about leaving me! Do you hear me? I won't ever leave you! We only need each other!"
Through the haze of my own tears, I felt a heavy, warm hand gently rest on my trembling shoulder. I looked up through my blurred vision. It was Kuya Percy. His face was set into a grim, deeply serious expression.He leaned down, whispering something quiet and urgent into Kian's ear.
Kian nodded once, his expression resolute. Together, with a seamless, practiced coordination, Kian and Kuya Percy gently lifted Jay's collapsing body off the floor, keeping her safely shielded from the staring eyes of the crowd and the devastated stares of Section E.
Zoe stayed right beside me on the floor, her arms wrapping securely around my shoulders, holding me tightly against her chest as the heavy baseline of the music outside faded into a distant, hollow echo.