JARE POV
The doctors rushed them into separate emergency rooms, and all I could do was stand there shaking. If anything happened to them… Eden, Keizer, Dylan — I would make sure they paid for it. Every single one of them. I knew Eden had to be involved. I knew it.
"Jare, what happened? Where's Jay?" Aries asked, breathless.
I couldn't speak.
I just pointed.
Aries followed my hand — and froze.
Through the small window of the emergency room, Jay lay on the bed, wires everywhere, doctors moving around her, trying to keep her stable. Aries' face drained of color.
Section E arrived next.
Ci‑n didn't even wait — he ran straight into Jay's room, his mother right behind him, both of them helping the medical team. His hands were shaking, but he didn't stop. None of us could.
Everyone else stood in the hallway, praying, pacing, crying, whispering Jay's name like it would keep her alive.
Then the doctor from Keifer's room stepped out.
Before he could speak, Keigan and Keiran came running down the hall.
"Where is Kuya?" Keigan asked, eyes wide, voice small.
I swallowed hard, pushing my tears back.
I couldn't answer.
I couldn't even breathe.
Then the doctor from Jay's room stepped out too.
Ci‑n followed him, looking like he was about to break. His eyes were red, his jaw clenched, his hands shaking.
And something inside me snapped.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING OUT HERE?!" I yelled, my voice echoing through the hallway. "MY SISTER IS IN THERE — GO HELP HER! HELP KEIFER! MOVE!"
The doctors flinched, startled.
I pressed my hands to my face, trying to hold myself together.
"Please," I whispered.
"Please save them."
"Mr. Mariano, please calm down," one of the doctors said, trying to steady me.
Before I could answer, Angelo rushed toward us, breathless.
"What happened? Where is Jay?" he demanded.
I pointed toward the emergency room.
Angelo followed my hand — and froze.
Through the window, Jay lay on the bed, surrounded by machines, doctors moving around her in frantic motions. His face went pale.
Ci‑n was crying now, shoulders shaking.
"C… what happened?" David asked, grabbing his arm.
"David… Jay‑Jay…" Ci‑n choked out, barely able to speak.
Felix stepped forward, voice cracking. "Ci‑n, tell us nothing happened to her. Tell us she's okay!"
"Please try to understand," the doctor said, hands raised, trying to calm us.
We didn't calm down.
We couldn't.
"Enough," Angelo said, voice trembling, eyes red. "Let the doctors talk."
He turned to them, swallowing hard.
"What happened to Jay‑Jay and Keifer?"
The doctor took a breath — too long, too heavy.
"I'm… really sorry. We tried our best to save both of them, but…"
His voice faltered.
"We couldn't save them. They're no more."
My world shattered.
Everything inside me collapsed at once.
"No… no, no, no," I said, shaking my head violently. "You're lying. You're lying! My sister wouldn't leave me!"
My voice broke into a sob I couldn't hold back.
"Jay‑Jay wouldn't leave me," I cried, falling to my knees. "She wouldn't… she wouldn't…"
The hallway spun around me, voices fading, everything slipping away except the crushing weight in my chest.
My knees gave out.
I hit the floor hard, but I barely felt it.
"Jare—" Percy dropped beside me, grabbing my shoulders. His voice was shaking. "Jare, look at me."
I lifted my head, tears blurring everything.
"Percy… please tell me this isn't real," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I'm dreaming, right? This is a nightmare. Tell me it's a nightmare."
He didn't answer.
He couldn't.
His silence hurt more than anything.
Across the hallway, Keigan and Keiran were crying so loudly it echoed. Aries rushed to them immediately, pulling both boys into his arms.
"Keigan," Aries whispered, holding them tight, "come here."
Keigan clung to him, sobbing into his chest.
"Aries… he said he wouldn't leave us," Keigan cried. "He promised. He said he wouldn't leave us no matter what."
Keiran nodded against Aries' shoulder, shaking uncontrollably.
"We lost our family," Keigan sobbed.
Aries' voice cracked as he hugged them tighter.
"No you didn't," he whispered. "You still have us. You still have all of us. You're still our family."
He was trying to be strong, but his voice betrayed him.
His shoulders shook.
Tears streamed down his face.
Even Angelo — the one who never cried, the one who always stayed calm — had tears running down his cheeks now. He covered his mouth with his hand, trying to hold himself together, but failing.
The whole hallway was breaking.
And I was breaking with it.
Because the doctor's words kept replaying in my head, over and over, like a knife twisting deeper every time.
We couldn't save them.
They're no more.
I pressed my forehead to the cold floor, sobbing so hard my chest hurt.
Then something inside me snapped.
I wasn't just broken anymore.
I was angry.
I pushed myself up, fists shaking.
"This is all because of those motherfuckers" My voice cracked with rage. "Those monsters did this."
"Jare, please calm down," Percy said, grabbing my arm, trying to steady me.
"Calm down?" I yelled, pulling away from him. "Calm down the fuck how, Percy? Our sister is dead! And the people who did this are out there—probably celebrating because they killed Jay‑Jay and Keifer!"
My voice echoed down the hallway, sharp and shaking.
Angelo finally spoke, his voice low and dangerous.
"Who did this?"
I swallowed, my throat burning.
"Eden. Dylan. Keizer."
The moment the names left my mouth, Angelo didn't hesitate.
He turned and walked straight toward the exit, jaw clenched, eyes blazing.
I followed him immediately.
Percy and Aries tried to come too, but I stopped them, grabbing their arms.
"Stay here," I said, voice rough. "They need you two."
I pointed at Keigan and Keiran — both boys crying in Aries' arms, shaking, terrified, lost.
Aries looked at them, then at me.
He understood.
Percy did too.
They stayed.
I turned and ran after Angelo, my heart pounding with grief and fury.
It didn't take long to find them.
They were celebrating.
Laughing. Drinking. Acting like nothing had happened — like they hadn't just destroyed my entire world.
My blood boiled so hot I could barely see straight.
I walked straight toward Eden.
She turned, smirking, like she'd been expecting me.
I stepped right in front of her, my voice low and shaking with rage.
"I always wanted to end you," I said, every word trembling. "But my sister stopped me. Jay begged me to leave you alone."
Her smile faltered.
"Now you just woke up the monster she kept buried."
Eden's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't move.
"You know," I continued, stepping closer, "all of us knew you were the one responsible for our parents' deaths. The only reason you survived back then was because Jay protected you."
My voice cracked, but I didn't stop.
"But Jay isn't here to stop me now."
The room went silent.
Dylan and Keizer froze behind her, their smirks fading as they realized this wasn't the same Jare they were used to.
This was the version of me Jay always feared I'd become.
The version she kept from breaking.
The version she saved.
And now she was gone.
I clenched my fists so hard they shook.
"You took everything from us," I said, my voice raw. "And I swear — you're going to answer for it."
"Well, if it isn't the grieving brother," Eden mocked, swirled her wine. "You're late to the party, Jare."
I didn't feel the sadness anymore. I didn't feel the tears. I just felt a dark, hollow void where my soul used to be—the part of me Jay-Jay spent her whole life trying to protect.
"Jay isn't here to beg for your life this time, Eden," I said. My voice sounded like it was coming from someone else, someone far away and dangerous. "The monster she kept buried? He's the only one left."
Dylan stood up, reaching for a weapon on the table, but Angelo moved faster than I'd ever seen him move. He launched himself across the room, his fist connecting with Dylan's throat. The sound of gasping for air filled the room, and it was the sweetest music I'd ever heard.
Keizer lunged at me, his face twisted in a sneer. I didn't flinch. I let the rage take over. I caught his arm, hearing the bone snap under my grip, and slammed him face-first into the wall. I didn't stop there. Every punch I threw was for a memory they'd stolen.
"This is for the accident!" I screamed, burying my fist in his ribs. Crack. "This is for Keifer!" Crack. "And this is for her!"
I grabbed a jagged piece of a broken bottle from the floor. I looked at Keizer's terrified eyes. He was shaking now. He was small. He was nothing.
Across the room, Angelo had Eden pinned against the wall by her throat. He wasn't even hitting her; he was just watching the light fade from her eyes, his expression as cold as a tombstone. He looked at me, his face splattered with Dylan's blood, and gave me a single, slow nod.
"Finish it, Jare," Angelo said, his voice a low growl. "Send them to hell ahead of us."
I turned back to Eden, who was gasping, her face turning purple. I leaned in close to her ear, the same way she used to whisper her lies to us.
"You killed the only person who loved you enough to save you from me," I whispered.
Then, there was no more talking.
There was only the sound of the struggle, the heavy thuds of the end, and finally, a silence so thick it felt like it would never break.
When it was over, I stood in the center of the wreckage. My hands were stained, my clothes were ruined, and my chest was still hollow. Killing them didn't bring her back. It didn't stop the pain. But as I looked down at the people who destroyed my world, I knew one thing for certain.
They would never hurt my family again.
Angelo put a hand on my shoulder. His grip was steady, but his hand was shaking. We stood there together in the ruins of our revenge, two brothers who had lost everything, waiting for the smoke to clear.
"Let's go," Angelo whispered. "We have a funeral to prepare for."
I took one last look at the monsters who were now just corpses on the floor, and I followed him out into the night. Jay-Jay was gone, but her killers were in the dirt.
God help me, it was the only peace I was ever going to get.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
20 years later
JARE POV
After Jay's and Keifer's deaths, none of us were ever the same again.
The house that used to be loud, chaotic, full of laughter…
became quiet.
Too quiet.
And as if losing them wasn't enough, Grandpa and Grandma passed away a year later.
It felt like the universe kept taking pieces of us until we barely recognized ourselves.
But somehow, life kept moving.
When Keigan turned eighteen, he took over the Watson company.
He grew up too fast — all of us did — but he handled it with a strength that reminded me of Keifer.
We stayed by his side through everything.
Keiran got engaged last year. He's planning his wedding now, smiling again in a way I thought he never would.
Keigan got married five years ago.
He and his wife have a son — a little boy with Keifer's eyes
Sometimes looking at him hurts… but it also heals.
Aries married Ella. They have a daughter and a son.
Percy married Honey — the two of them are chaos and comfort at the same time.
Angelo married Ion.
They built a home full of warmth, the kind Jay always wanted for him.
And me?
I married Mia.
I met her on my birthday —-She was one I spent my night with
We didn't expect anything serious.
We didn't expect consequences.
But life had other plans.
I didn't know she was pregnant until five months later.
Her bump was already big.
She told me she didn't want to stress me — that I already had too much on my plate.
Her parents kicked her out for getting pregnant at seventeen.
So we left.
We traveled.
We built something new from the ashes of everything we lost.
Now we have a beautiful girl and a beautiful boy.
And even after twenty years…
even with all the new life around us…
there are days when I still look at the sky and whisper:
Then my daughter came into the room, quiet footsteps, the same way Jay used to walk when she didn't want to disturb anyone.
"Papa, you're staring at Tita Jay's and Tito Keifer's photo again," she said, her voice gentle.
I smiled — the kind of smile that hurts and heals at the same time.
"Do you know why I named you Ashtine Jay?" I asked her.
She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling too.
"Papa, I already know. You kept telling me the story ever since I was little," she said. "Jay for Tita Jay… and Ashtine for your Grandpa Reycee. Her middle name was Ashtine."
She said it so naturally, so confidently — the same way Jay used to speak when she was teasing me or correcting me.
Sometimes it felt like Jay had left a piece of herself behind in this girl.
After Ashtine came into my life…
I finally had hope again.
Looking at her was like hearing Jay whisper:
"I never left you, Kuya."
Ashtine sat beside me, leaning her head on my shoulder.
"You miss them," she said softly.
"Every day," I whispered.
She took my hand — small, warm, steady.
"Papa… they're proud of you," she said. "I know they are."
And for the first time in years, I let myself believe it.
"So you're meeting my fiancé today. Please don't scare him," Ashtine said, hands on her hips like she was the parent and I was the child.
Right.
We had that coming.
"Who is that asshole?" I asked, annoyed on purpose — even though I already knew exactly who it was.
"Papa!" she groaned.
And right on cue, from downstairs:
"Ashtine!"
Her fiancé's voice echoed through the house.
"He's here," she said, smoothing her hair before running downstairs.
I rolled my eyes a little.
Not because I hated him — but because she was still my little girl, and suddenly she was twenty and getting married.
Life moved too fast.
She's an actress now.
So is her fiancé.
They met while filming the show based on Jay's life:
Ang Mutya ng Section E.
The irony wasn't lost on me — my daughter fell in love while playing my sister.
Her acting was incredible for a twenty‑year‑old.
His too.
They both had that spark, that fire Jay used to have.
Mia walked up behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist.
"Jare, come on. He's good for our daughter," she said softly.
I sighed, leaning back into her.
"I know. It's just… too soon for me."
"She's twenty years old," Mia reminded me, raising an eyebrow.
I groaned.
"Exactly. Too soon."
Mia laughed, shaking her head.
"PAPA!" Ashtine yelled from downstairs.
Mia nudged me. "Let's go."
We headed down the stairs together.
"Papa, Andres is here," Max — my fifteen‑year‑old — said, pointing toward the living room.
"Yeah," I muttered, seeing the boy standing there.
"Morning, sir," Andres said, reaching out to shake my hand.
"Morning," I replied, giving him a firm handshake — not too hard, but enough to remind him I was still her father.
It's crazy, honestly.
His full name is Andres Keifer.
Life has a strange sense of humor.
"How's your show going?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"It's good," Andres said. "We're filming the part where Tito Keifer reveals his plan for Tita Jay. So it's a bit emotional right now."
I nodded.
That part always hurt.
Even after twenty years.
And watching these two…
it was impossible not to see the parallels.
They were made for each other.
Anyone could see it.
I mean, what are the chances?
Andres plays Keifer.
Ashtine plays Jay.
Their real names match their roles.
Their chemistry is insane.
Their storylines intertwined on screen and off.
Sometimes I think God was giving us something back.
A second chance.
A reminder.
Maybe Jay and Keifer found their way back to us —
in the form of Andres and Ashtine —
finishing the life they never got to complete.
Mia slipped her hand into mine.
"You're thinking again," she whispered.
I smiled softly.
"Maybe I am."
Downstairs, Ashtine laughed at something Andres said —
and for a moment, it felt like Jay's laughter echoed with hers.
Like she never really left.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JAY JAY POV
I watched them from above, the way I always do. My family.
All of them sitting around the dinner table, laughing, living, healing.
Keifer slipped his arms around my waist from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder.
"What are you thinking about, wifey?" he asked, voice warm, teasing, familiar.
I pointed down at them.
"Look… they're having dinner. They look so happy."
He hummed, leaning closer.
"Hmm."
Then he said something that made me turn to him, confused.
"Do you think this was God's way of saying sorry?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked, brows furrowing.
He smiled — that soft, stubborn smile he always had when he was about to say something ridiculous and romantic.
"You know we're back again," he said simply.
I blinked. "Keifer—"
"Jay as Ashtine," he continued, tapping my nose. "And Keifer as Andres. It's meant to be, wifey. Every universe, every life… you're mine and I'm yours."
My face heated instantly.
"Keifer—"
He cupped my cheeks gently, the way he used to when he wanted me to stop arguing.
"It's true," he whispered. "Look at them. Same names. Same souls. Same love. God didn't take us away… he just gave us another path."
I felt my heart swell — the same way it did the first time he ever said he loved me.
I looked down at Ashtine laughing with Andres, and for a moment…
I saw us.
Keifer leaned in and kissed me, soft and slow, like we had all the time in the world.
Because up here… we did.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ASHTINE POV
I was sleeping beside Andres when suddenly everything around me turned white — soft, glowing, peaceful.
Then I saw them.
A girl who looked exactly like me…
and a man who looked exactly like Andres.
Except older. Softer. Brighter.
"Tita Jay?" I whispered.
She smiled. "Hi, Ash."
My heart jumped. "Oh my god—am I dead?!"
Keifer laughed. "No, no. You're dreaming. Relax."
I turned around in circles. "This is NOT relaxing!"
Andres appeared beside me in the dream, confused. "Babe… why are we here?"
Jay stepped closer. "We just wanted to meet you two."
Keifer nodded. "You're doing great. Both of you."
I felt my chest tighten — not in a sad way, but in a warm way.
"You're… real?" I asked.
Jay smiled. "We're always watching. Always cheering for you."
Andres swallowed. "We're finishing your story."
Keifer winked. "We know. And we're proud."
The dream started fading, the white light pulling away.
"Wait—will we see you again?" I asked.
Jay's voice echoed softly.
"Whenever you need us."
And then I woke up — heart racing, tears in my eyes, Andres shaking me gently.
"Ash… what happened?"
I looked at him.
"I think… we just met them."
And for the first time, it didn't feel like a story.
It felt like a blessing.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This story was really sad, but I tried my best to give it a happy ending.
Thank you so much for reading and staying with me till the end 💫
This is the end of this book, but I hope you'll read my other books too.
See you in the next one 💛✨