JAY JAY POV
"Jay-anka, please listen to me. Keifer is a nice guy," Tita Gemma pleaded, her voice trailing me as I hurried around my apartment.
I grabbed my leather briefcase and checked my reflection. I looked tired. "Tita, I'm only twenty-three. I don't know why you're rushing me into this."
"Jay-jay, you're twenty-three, you live alone, and you spend all your time at that school. I think you've been single long enough to start dating again," she argued, leaning against the doorframe.
"Tita..." I warned, checking my watch. I couldn't be late for my first period class.
"I'm just stating facts, dear. You can't spend your whole life taking care of other people's kids while neglecting your own heart."
I let out a frustrated sigh. She knew exactly how to hit me where it hurt. "Fine. When is it?"
She beamed, looking way too proud of herself. "Today, after your school hours."
I froze, my hand on the doorknob. "Wait. You're telling me a guy like Keifer—a Watson, of all people—actually reached out to you because he wanted a date with me?"
It didn't make sense. The Watsons were high-profile, and I was just... me.
"Why me?" I asked.
"I don't know... he reached out to Angelo. And you know your Kuya, he knows everyone in the city. He thinks Keifer would be a perfect match for you," Tita explained.
I narrowed my eyes. My gut was screaming that there was more to this. "What is the real reason, Tita? What's the catch?"
Tita Gemma glanced away for a second, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face. "Nothing, anka. It's just..." She paused, then gave me a small, sad smile
As I drove toward the school, my mind drifted to the one person I tried so hard to forget. Jeana. My biological mother.
Tita Gemma had been my real mother since I was seventeen, ever since Jeana decided she wanted a fresh start. A start that didn't include a daughter like me or a son like Aries.
She's living her "perfect" life now with her new husband. The worst part? That man doesn't even know we exist. To him, Jeana is a woman with only two children—her new kids. In that house, she's a perfect mother. In that house, Aries and I are secrets that need to be buried deep in the ground so they don't ruin her reputation.
She didn't just give up on us; she deleted us.
A heavy feeling settled in my chest. A burden. That's what I've always been. A mistake my mother had to erase so she could be happy with her new family.
I pulled into the faculty parking lot and forced myself to breathe.
"Good morning, Ms. Mariano!" a group of students yelled as I walked toward the building. I gave them a small wave, my mind still on the date.
I headed straight to the Science wing. Because of the teacher shortage, I wasn't just handling one group—I was handling the entire batch.
Sections A, B, C, D, and of course... Section E.
It was a nightmare for any other teacher. You had the geniuses of Section A sitting right next to the chaos-regents of Section E.
It was like trying to mix oil and water while someone was setting the kitchen on fire.
The first bell rang, cutting through the chatter like a knife.
"Okay, is everyone here?" I asked, standing at the front of the room. I tapped my pen against my clipboard, scanning the crowd. You could clearly see the divide:
Section A was already opening their notebooks, while Section E was busy sharing a bag of chips.
"Maybe Keiran is late... again," Oliver piped up from the back, leaning back in his chair with a mischievous grin.
Leo nudged him, laughing. "Late? Or just hiding in the cafeteria because he forgot his homework?"
Theo joined in, snickering. "Probably both. You know Keiran, Ma'am. He operates on his own timezone."
I let out a long, weary sigh. Of course. Every generation has its version of a headache, and this trio was definitely mine. They were loud, loyal to a fault, and a total pain in my neck during lesson hours.
Just as I was about to mark Keiran absent, the door swung open. Keiran strolled in, looking like the school bell was merely a suggestion. He had that I don't care vibe
"What is it this time, Keiran?" I asked, crossing my arms.
He stopped, his hand instinctively going to the back of his neck as he rubbed it nervously. He gave me that lopsided, apologetic smile
"Traffic, Ma'am?"
"You live three blocks away. Did you get stuck behind a snail?" I countered flatly.
Leo and Theo immediately burst out laughing, high-fiving each other.
"Caught in 4K!" Leo yelled.
"Keiran, you're the President of Section E. You can't be late every single time," I said, trying to sound like a stern authority figure despite the exhaustion weighing on my shoulders.
He just nodded—not with attitude, but with that quiet understanding he sometimes showed—and walked over to sit with Leo, Theo, and Oliver.
I watched him go and just shook my head.
To everyone else, Keiran was just the cool, somewhat lazy leader of the most notorious section in school. But to me? He was my best student. He had a brain that could outpace half the kids in Section A if he actually tried.
It's sad when I really think about it. Keiran's been through a lot. He lost his mom at such a young age, and from what I heard, it's just been him and his brother ever since. He grew up way too fast, just like I had to.
Sometimes, when I look at him, it's like looking into a mirror, but the reflection is slightly distorted.
We're so similar, yet worlds apart. The similarity? Both our mothers left us. Both of us were left to navigate a world that felt way too big and way too cold.
But the difference... the difference is what keeps me up at night.
His mother loved him. She didn't choose to leave; life just took her away. But my mother? Jeana? She chose to walk away. She chose to start a new life, to marry someone else, and to have two more kids while pretending Aries and I were just mistakes she could erase.
His mother's absence is a tragedy. Mine is a rejection.
"Okay everyone! Stop staring at the clock like it's going to grow legs and walk you out of here," I teased, earning a round of chuckles from the mixed crowd of Section A and Section E students. "Can everyone turn to page 345? Today, we're diving into Biology, specifically the difference between genetics and environment."
I picked up a marker and scribbled the words in big, bold letters on the whiteboard, my energy masking the mess of thoughts in my head.
The class went by in a blur of laughter and light-hearted debates. The rest of the day followed in a typical rhythm—grading papers, answering questions
It wasn't until the final bell rang and I was packing my things to leave that the silence of the room was broken.
"Ms. Mariano," a voice called out.
I looked up to see Keiran standing by the door. He didn't have his usual mischievous grin; he looked almost serious.
"Yes, Keiran?" I asked, sliding my laptop into my bag.
"I heard you're going on a date later," he said, leaning against the doorframe.
I paused, my hand frozen on my bag strap. My personal life was usually a fortress. "And from who, exactly, did you hear that from?"
Keiran just shrugged, looking way too cool for a high schooler. "I have my ways, Ma'am."
I shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips despite my confusion. "What about it?"
"I just hope you say yes to him," he said.
I blinked, completely caught off guard. "Why? You don't even know who it is. And besides, it's just one date. My Tita is just being... well, my Tita."
He didn't answer right away. He just shook his head, his eyes holding a look that seemed way too mature for his age. It was that look again—the one that reminded me we both knew what it felt like to be left behind.
A sudden thought clicked in my brain. Watson. Keifer Watson.
"Keiran," I said, my voice dropping a notch. "Do you happen to know a Keifer Watson?"
Keiran looked at me straight in the eye. "He's my older brother."
I felt the air leave my lungs. Great. Just great. I wasn't just going on a date with a stranger; I was going on a date with the older brother of my own student. The President of Section E, no less. Talk about a complication I didn't need.
"Wait a minute..." I narrowed my eyes at him, pointing my pen accusingly. "Did you do this? Did you set this up with my Kuya Angelo?"
Keiran shook his head, though a tiny, mysterious smirk started to pull at the corner of his mouth. "I don't know what you're talking about, Ma'am."
He straightened up and started walking away, waving a hand over his shoulder without looking back.
"But see you soon, Teach!"
I stood there in the empty classroom, stunned
I headed out, drove through the familiar streets, and finally made it to the cafe.
When I pushed the door open, the little bell chimed, echoing loudly. I frowned. Why is it so empty?
Usually, this place is packed with students and couples, but today, it was silent. It felt like the whole world had been cleared out just for this moment.
I scanned the room until my eyes landed on a man sitting by the window. I expected someone in a three-piece suit, looking all high-society Watson, but the man sitting there was wearing regular clothes—a crisp white polo shirt and light-wash jeans.
He looked casual, but there was an undeniable air of authority about him.
"Is this Keifer?" I asked as I approached the table, my voice a little hesitant.
He looked up, his gaze meeting mine. He didn't give a grand speech or a flashy smile; he just gave a simple, firm nod.
I took a breath and sat down on the chair opposite him. My heart was thumping against my ribs. Is he really the one Keiran was talking about? He looked so different from the energetic, troublemaking boy in my classroom, yet there was a familiar sharpness in his eyes.
Before we could even exchange greetings, the waiter appeared at my side like he'd been waiting for me to arrive.
"What would you like, Ma'am?" he asked politely.
"A caramel cappuccino and a slice of red velvet cake, please," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
I turned back to Keifer, who was watching me with an unreadable expression.
"So," I started "Your brother says I should say yes to you. Care to explain why my student is acting like my talent manager?"
The corner of Keifer's mouth twitched—a ghost of a smile. He leaned forward, crossing his arms on the table. "Keiran has a big mouth. But he's right about one thing. We have a lot to talk about, Jay-jay."
I stiffened. He used my name like he'd known it his whole life.
"What would you like to talk about?" I asked, trying to maintain my composure.
Instead of answering, Keifer reached down into a leather briefcase beside him and pulled out a thick manila folder. He slid it across the table toward me.
"What is this?" I asked, staring at the plain cover as if it might bite me.
"Look over it," was all he said. No explanation. No "please." Just that Watson arrogance that reminded me so much of Keiran.
I raised an eyebrow and gave him a look that usually silenced Section E in three seconds flat. He didn't blink. With a huff, I flipped the folder open and started to scan the pages.
My heart didn't just drop—it plummeted.
There, in black and white, was my entire life. My school records. My medical history. Photos of my apartment. Notes on my daily commute. But it went deeper. There were documents about Tita Gemma, records of Aries' location—and then, a section that made my stomach churn.
It was a detailed report on Jeana. My biological mother.
There were photos of her "new" life. Her new husband smiling at a gala. Her two new kids playing in a yard that looked like it belonged in a magazine. It even had her marriage certificate—the one where she hadn't mentioned having a daughter named Jay-jay Mariano.
"What the hell is this?" I asked, my voice rising as anger flared in my chest like a wildfire. I slammed the folder shut, the sound echoing in the silent cafe. I looked at him, my eyes stinging. "You've been stalking me? You think because you have money you can just dig into my life like some kind of project?"
I stood up, my chair screeching against the floor. "I don't know what kind of game you are playing, but I'm not a lab specimen for you to study. My life is already a mess without Watson digging through the trash my mother left behind!"
Keifer didn't move. He didn't even look surprised by my outburst. He just looked at me with those steady, piercing eyes.
"Sit down," he said.
"What?" I snapped, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"Sit. Down," he repeated, his gaze never wavering.
Reluctantly, I sat down, my hands trembling with a mix of fury and confusion. I glared at him
"Explain. Right now. Before I actually punch you and give Keiran a reason to skip my class tomorrow."
Instead of being intimidated, he actually smirked.
Oh, how I wished I could wipe that smirk off his face with my lesson plan binder. It was the same arrogant, I know something you don't look that made Section E so frustratingly lovable, but on him, it was lethal.
"I did a little investigation into my future wife's life. Is that so wrong?" he asked, leaning back and crossing his arms.
I felt the blood drain from my face. "I'm not your wife," I hissed, leaning over the table. "I'm a high school teacher who was forced into a blind date by her aunt. There is a huge difference."
"Oh, trust me, you're going to be now," Keifer said, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "Keiran actually arranged this meeting. He went behind my back to talk to your brother, Angelo. I wasn't a big fan of this blind date thing at first, but looking at you now... maybe my little brother is actually smarter than he looks."
"What the fuck?" I blurted out
"Easy there, Teach," Keifer said, his smirk widening. "Watch the language. Is that how you talk to your students' families?"
"You are not family!" I shouted, my voice bouncing off the walls of the empty cafe. The terrified waiter nearly dropped his tray, but I didn't care. My chest was heaving, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.
I grabbed my bag, ready to bolt out that door and never look back. I didn't care about the Carmel Cappuccino or the Red Velvet cake. I just wanted to get away from this man
But just as I turned to leave, I felt a firm, warm grip around my wrist.
In one swift motion, he pulled me back. I wasn't expecting the strength behind it. I stumbled, my boots skidding on the polished floor, and before I could even find my footing, I found myself pressed almost flush against him.
"We're not done talking yet," Keifer murmured. His voice had dropped an octave, turning into a low, dangerous rumble that vibrated right through me. "We have a lot to talk about that might change your opinion later."
I gasped, my breath hitching in my throat. We were so close I could smell the faint scent of expensive cologne and peppermint on him. I looked up, and my eyes widened. Our faces were inches apart—almost lip to lip. If I moved just a fraction of an inch, our breaths would mingle.
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