Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 3) English (On-going)

Keifer's POV

Screw this party.

I want to crumple the invitation they gave me. Out of all the copies that were printed, they gave me only one—to invite just a single person.

This is ridiculous.

How am I supposed to choose just one person from Section E? It can't be Yuri, nor Felix, definitely not Ci-N, and absolutely never David.

One person. Only one.

I stared at my secret phone, debating whether to send it to Jay. But she obviously wouldn't be able to come. When did I find out that her papers were on hold? She can't get a passport, and she can't leave the country.

Someone made sure of that. It's like they're deliberately preventing her from escaping. And I know exactly who that person is. A smirk formed on my lips as realization dawned on me. That's the person I should invite. I quickly hid my secret phone and stood up, leaving my room with the invitation in hand.

"Honey," I called out.

Out of nowhere, Honey appeared, holding a cigarette between her fingers.

"Keifer?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Put that out."

She glanced at the cigarette. "Oh wow, are you afraid of cigarettes now?"

"Just throw it away."

Rolling her eyes, she searched for an ashtray and put it out. Then she turned to me.

"That's done. What else?"

I handed her the invitation. "Send this to Angelo. Make sure he receives it as soon as possible."

"Okay." She shrugged and walked away.

Keigan has his own plans for my birthday, but so do I. I returned to my room and scanned the list attached to the invitation. There were some well-known names. The Hanamitchi family was on the list. I wasn't surprised, but the real question was—would they actually show up? Most of the time, only their representatives attended these events. I kept reading. Then my eyes narrowed at a familiar last name.

Braselton.

David was the first person who came to mind. But his family was practically unknown. They kept a low profile in the business world despite having multiple ventures.

Then it hit me. I hoped I was wrong. Grabbing my phone, I quickly dialed Keigan's number.

["Brother."]

"I need information on the Braselton family."

["Information on who?"]

"Just do what I asked," I said before ending the call.

If my suspicions were right, and David was connected to that family, then we had a serious problem on our hands.

Of all people, seriously?

I picked up my secret phone and texted Felix. He needed to keep an eye on Jay-Jay and keep David away from her. But instead of getting a serious response, he just laughed at me.

📩

From: Felix Collins

Message: Haha… you're crazy, Keifer. Go home if you're that restless.

I sighed and slapped my own forehead. He and Percy were definitely brothers. Not by blood, but their personalities were way too similar. Percy must have corrupted Felix's mind when they were kids.

"...Yes! So demanding!" Honey's voice echoed from the hallway.

I quickly hid my secret phone. A moment later, she walked in, holding out her own phone.

"Someone wants to talk to you," she said as she handed it to me.

I took it, eyeing her suspiciously before placing it against my ear.

"Hello?"

["Kepweng? Is that you?"]

My forehead creased. Kep—what?

I recognized the voice instantly. Only one person had the guts to annoy me like this—aside from Yuri and Aries.

"What do you want, Percy?"

["Yown! You actually responded!"] he said, sighing dramatically. ["Let's have a real conversation for once. I made a huge sacrifice here, you know."]

A sacrifice?

"You're the only one who's not smart." I said and he laughed.

["So funny, i forgot how to laugh."]

"Just get to the point."

["Oh, you know."] He chuckled sarcastically. ["Jay's in danger, and you're over there doing what exactly? She needs you here, in case you didn't notice."]

I clenched my jaw. "I'm fully aware of the situation. Do you think I'm just sitting around doing nothing? Even from here, I'm making sure she's safe."

["Oh really? That's great. Amazing!"] He sounded pissed. ["She only has death threats, that's all."]

Damn it. Someone actually got through?

"What?"

["Talk to Angelo. What the hell are you doing over there? What, are you playing around with girls now?"]

"I am not! I'm busy to do such things"

["Yeah, sure. If I find out you're just messing around with chicks, I swear, Keifer—"]

"And then what?" I challenged him.

["Edi… j-join you! Why should you be the only one having fun?"]

Unbelievable. This guy never changes.

Without another word, I handed the phone back to Honey. She took it, rolling her eyes as she spoke to Percy.

"You owe me a date," she said before walking away.

I shook my head. He really went out of his way to annoy her when he could've just asked Felix for my number. Either his brain had finally stopped functioning, or he was hiding something from his brother.

Felix's response replayed in my mind. Why weren't they noticing David's actions? We were all guys here. Maybe I should talk to Ci-N. Nope. Definitely not. If I did that, it would be like announcing everything I was up to.

I took out my secret phone to look for other options, but my fingers automatically searched for her name. I let out a deep sigh.

Lately, she hasn't been responding to any of my messages. Based on my time calculation, it should be morning on her end. I typed a message and sent it without a second thought.

I wasn't expecting her to reply, but to my surprise, she called me. I quickly answered the call but didn't say anything.

"Hello?" she said, and my heart skipped a beat. "Sorry... I accidentally pressed the call button. I'm going to hang up now."

I immediately sent her a message. Just hearing her voice made me want to fly back to the Philippines.

To: MyFutureMrs Watson

Message: Why aren't you responding to my messages?

Even though she called by accident, I still smiled. I missed her so much. And I smiled even more when I saw her reply.

📩

From: MyFutureMrs Watson

Message: Bc ksi me. Dming happened yesterday. (Because I was busy. A lot happened yesterday.)

I stared at the format of her message. Once again, the weird way she texts—hard to understand, yet something I missed.

To: MyFutureMrs Watson

Message: Still! You should have at least texted me!

I couldn't hide the fact that I was annoyed she didn't reply. A simple message would have been enough.

📩

From: MyFutureMrs Watson

Message: Demanding! Are you my boyfriend?

And there she goes with her feisty comeback.

To: MyFutureMrs Watson

Message: No! But I'm your future.

She didn't reply, so I decided to put my phone away. I couldn't stop smiling while thinking about her.

I'm almost there. Just wait a little longer.

I checked the time on my phone—it was already midnight, and I was still awake. I was sure Keigan would be mad at me again if he found out.

I wasn't sure about his situation, but I didn't want to get involved. I had a feeling he was affected by what I did. One wrong move, and things could go bad for him. That's what I had observed.

Lately, I've been reading research about DID or Multiple Personality Disorder. I won't deny that some of the symptoms sound familiar to what I've noticed in my brother.

It hurts. I miss him so much, and now this is what happened. I washed my face. This is my fault. If I had known this would happen to him, I never would have let that monster take him away. I know he has something to do with why Keigan is like this. If only I could find out what he did, maybe I could stop what's happening to my brother.

I lay down for a while, exhausted. I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep. My dreams were all about Jay-Jay—her smile, her pretty face, her trash talk, and, of course, her profanity.

Everything was perfect in my dream. But then

Knock, knock, knock!

What the fvck?!

"Kuya, wake up! Ion is here for you!"

"Okay! Okay! I'm awake!" I replied, and he stopped.

I got up and immediately looked for my secret phone. I had a text from Drew. I didn't understand the message, so I called him. It rang twice before he picked up.

["Keifer, Pards."]

He used the word Pards, and I had a feeling I knew what he was up to.

"What?"

["Pards, I just have something to tell you. But maybe you can clear my loan first."]

I pinched the bridge of my nose. I knew it.

"Let me remind you that you still owe me P300,000."

["Maybe we can wipe that out. What I have to say is important."]

"I'll decide after I hear it."

["At least half?"]

"I said I'll think about it," I replied in a serious tone.

Yes, I had gold, but I still needed to be careful with money. It was for Jay-Jay's and my future, so I had to be smart about it.

["Okay, okay. I just heard something. They said they saw Yuri kissing Jay-Jay at her school."]

"WHEN THE FUCK DID THAT HAPPEN?!"

I couldn't hold back my voice. I had been watching David so closely that I completely forgot about Yuri.

["J-just a while ago."]

"I'll call you back," I said and hung up.

He even had the audacity to text me again, reminding me about his debt.

Damn that chicken-head bastard.

I need to hurry. Yuri has been taking advantage of my absence. If I stay away for too long, who knows what else he'll do to make Jay-Jay his?

Another engagement won't work. He can try, but he'll regret it. I'll break his face, even if he is my friend. Not to mention, she already has Aries and Angelo on her side.

I got up and went straight to the bathroom. By the time I was done showering and dressing, I realized it was already past noon. Maybe I had slept too long. But honestly, I wished I could sleep longer, especially if it meant seeing Jay-Jay in my dreams.

Before leaving my room, I made sure my secret phone was hidden and on vibrate in case of an emergency. As I stepped out, I saw Ion and a frowning Honey. Keigan was walking toward me, holding a cup of coffee.

"Not sure if you still want it since it's already past lunch, but I still got you one," he said, handing me the cup.

I accepted it and took a sip. It wasn't bad, even though it wasn't the kind of coffee I preferred.

"Would you like to have lunch outside?" Ion asked with a sweet smile.

I noticed Honey making a face while imitating Ion's expression. Looks like her annoyance still hadn't faded.

"Yeah. Let's eat together. We have a lot of things to talk about."

He came to me and held my arm. I handed the coffee cup back to Keigan. He smiled before accepting it, but there was something else in his smile.

"Enjoy," he added.

Ion walked while holding me. I had no choice but to let her drag me along. Her words were constant as we walked, but my mind was elsewhere.

"Your birthday is coming up soon. I heard it's going to be a grand celebration. Your cousins and other relatives are preparing it for you," she said. I just nodded.

We arrived at the hotel restaurant. I let her choose a seat. She chose the table beside the huge glass window. I pulled out a chair and helped her before sitting down myself. The waiter handed us the menu, but I let her order for us. She was obviously struggling, so I sent the waiter away for a moment. I knew she would take a long time to decide.

"I'm sorry. I'm not sure what to order. You might not like what I choose," she said, still eying the menu.

"What else can I let you order if I don't want to?" I replied, and she slowly looked at me.

She smiled a little before looking back at the menu.

"You sound like him."

For the first time since we met, she started talking about him—the guy she left.

"Don't be surprised."

"Yeah, I just remembered—he's bigger than you."

I almost snorted. I couldn't believe I used to idolize that guy.

"So, Keigan is planning to introduce you at my birthday," I said, changing the topic.

But not really.

"Yes, I'm a bit nervous but also excited."

"By introducing you, he means to everyone."

She looked at me and nodded, smiling slightly. She remained calm, and it irritated me.

"So, are you ready?"

"I can't say for sure. But I guess I am."

"Are you ready to see him and introduce yourself as my fiancée?"

She froze and slowly put down the menu.

"W-what do you mean?"

I smirked and picked up the same menu she had just put down. I was starting to enjoy her reaction. I fully thought she wouldn't be affected. You're not the only one who knows how to play this game.

Keep pretending.

"I invited Angelo," I said monotonously.

She sighed and secretly tried to calm herself.

"H-he's not coming—I think we should order." She looked around for a waiter and raised her finger to get their attention.

"You look tense."

She faced me with a funny expression.

"I'm not."

The waiter approached us. Because she was acting so tense and obviously flustered, she couldn't decide what to order.

I ordered for us. She kept sipping the wine the waiter had given us, as if she couldn't drink it fast enough.

"It will definitely be fun. Don't you want to see your old friend?" I asked, almost mocking her.

She didn't answer and just drank from her glass again. I took advantage of the situation.

"Why do you want to marry me? For money? A favor for a friend? A visa?"

"Why don't you tell me, Ion?"

She stopped drinking and faced me, her eyes welling with tears. Just tell me your damn reason.

"You will never understand."

"I understand it clearly. You're planning to use me." I leaned closer to her. "You need a reason to be able to face him. So that when you meet and he asks why you came back, you have an answer."

A tear fell from her left eye. I chose to harden my heart. I'm not happy with what she and Keigan are doing. If I have to push her now to get the truth, I will. I won't fall into the same trap.

"I want to go back—to him," she said, shaking her head. "But I know he no longer cares about me." She breathed heavily. "I preferred it when he was looking for me because at least then, I knew he cared. But now that he's stopped, I'm even more scared."

She wiped her face with her palm and avoided the approaching waiter. The waiter placed our orders on the table before quickly leaving.

"You need to stop. Use someone else—don't use me."

"I can't. I'm not the only one who planned this," she said, almost begging. "You're the only hope I have."

"And you're about to ruin the little hope I have. That hope is the reason I keep fighting, why I'm still here, and why I continue even though my whole system is about to give up."

That hope is to be with my Jay-Jay. ❤️

"K-Keifer..."

"Stop before this marriage news spreads like wildfire in the Philippines."

She lowered her head and bit her lip, clearly deep in thought.

"...Stop now. I will talk to Keigan—"

"No, Keifer. We will not stop this. Like I said, the decision is not only mine."

My fists clenched.

If this is what you want, then be ready to face the consequences.