Heyy guyss before you read this chapter, I wanted to tell you that in the last chapter, I just notice that I forgot to add Keiran and Keigan in the flight so I have edited the last part of it please read it if you want to
I am really sorry for the inconvenience🙏🏻🙏🏻
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--: Author's POV: --
The heavy doors of the private jet hissed open, and the group was immediately greeted by the relentless, sweltering embrace of the Philippine sun. The air was thick with the scent of salt, aviation fuel, and that distinct tropical humidity that makes your skin feel alive. As the Flight 3 group descended the stairs, they saw the welcoming committee from the second flight already gathered near the terminal, looking energized and restless.
Before Jay-Jay's feet could even fully settle on the tarmac, a colorful blur erupted from the crowd.
"JAY-JAY! YOU'RE LATE!" Ci-N shrieked, launching himself forward like a heat-seeking missile. He collided with her, nearly sending both of them sprawling onto the asphalt. He pulled back just enough to shake her shoulders, his eyes wide. "We've been waiting forever! Our flight was amazing—we had a snack buffet, and I almost got kicked out of the lounge for racing luggage carts! What about you? Why do you look so tired? Did the F4 bully you the whole way?"
Jay-Jay's heart hammered against her ribs as she caught the mischievous glint in the eyes of the F4 standing right behind her. She opened her mouth to provide a safe, boring excuse, but a hand dropped onto her shoulder.
"Oh, she wasn't bullied, Ci-N," MJ drawled, his voice dripping with mock-seriousness. "In fact, she was very well-protected. They spent the entire flight... bonding. Very quiet. Very domestic. Right, Keifer?"
Jay-Jay felt her face ignite. She shot a lethal glare at MJ, her eyes screaming traitor. "Ignore him, Ci-N! He's hallucinating from the altitude. We were just exhausted, so we slept. It was just a nap! A normal, regular, boring nap!"
"A nap inside a hoodie?" Kavin whispered just loud enough for her to hear, earning him a sharp elbow to the ribs.
"Anyway!" Jay-Jay redirected, her voice an octave higher than usual. "Where is everyone else? Where's Kuya Angelo?"
"Kuya Angelo and the rest of the first flight had to head out already," Ci-N explained, finally letting her go but still bouncing on his heels. "Fernandez Corp had some emergency meetings, and Grace and Denzel were practically crying because they missed Grazel Jay so much. They told us to wait for you and give you the plan. We're staying in the city for two or three days to handle the paperwork for our universities and to show them around Manila. Then, we head to the island!"
After a chaotic flurry of goodbyes and Section E members scattering to their respective homes, Jay, Keifer, Keiran, Keigan, F4, Gorya and Kaning piled into a fleet of black SUVs. Their destination: The Fernandez Mansion.
The drive through the city was a blur of neon signs and crowded jeepneys. As the iron gates of the Fernandez estate finally groaned open, a heavy silence fell over the car. Jay-Jay leaned against the window, her breath hitching.
The mansion stood tall and regal, bathed in the golden afternoon light. It looked... perfect. It wasn't exactly a new house, but it had been painstakingly restored and reinforced. After the brutal fight that night with Kaizar, the structure had been left scarred by bullets and fire. But while they were in Thailand, Angelo had spared no expense. Every shattered window had been replaced with reinforced glass, every scorched stone scrubbed or swapped, and the interior had been renovated to look exactly as it had before the tragedy—a phoenix risen from the ashes. It was a silent testament to the family's resilience.
As Jay-Jay stepped into the grand foyer, the cool air of the air-conditioning hit her, smelling of floor wax and the sampaguita flowers that always sat in the vases.
"Jay-Jay?" Aunt Gemma appeared from the hallway, wiping her hands on her apron. The moment she saw Jay-Jay, her face crumpled with relief.
She sprinted across the marble floor and folded Jay-Jay into a hug that smelled like home. "You're home. You're finally home. Angelo told me everything... How have you been? Are you okay?."
"I'm okay, Tita. We're all okay," Jay-Jay whispered, clinging to her.
Aunt Gemma pulled back, her sharp eyes scanning the group behind her. "Keifer, Keigan, Keiran—you all look like you've grown an inch! And who are these new faces?"
Jay-Jay introduced the F4, Gorya, and Kaning. Aunt Gemma, ever the gracious host, immediately began fussing over them. "You all look like you've been through a war. You look very tired. Do you want to eat now? The food is ready."
"We'd love to eat, Auntie, but I think we need a couple of hours of sleep first," Thyme admitted, looking uncharacteristically polite.
Aunt Gemma nodded understandingly. "Of course. I will prepare the guest wing. Thyme and Ren, you're in one room. MJ and Kavin you both are together. Gorya and Kaning, you'll be together in the room."
Thyme and Kavin immediately shared a look of pure disappointment. "Wait, can't we—" Thyme started, but Gorya stepped on his foot.
"Not here, Thyme," she hissed under her breath. "This is Jay-Jay's family home. We stay in our assigned rooms. We can be together once we get to the island."
"Aries reached here before you guyss. He said he was in the 1st flight," Aunt Gemma added, looking at us. "He's crashed out in his room." Then she turned to Keifer and asks, "Keifer, why don't you and your brothers.rest here for a bit? After dinner, you all can head back to the Watson house. I will arrange rooms for you all."
Keifer's eyes flickered toward Jay-Jay, a dark, unreadable expression crossing his face. "Thank you, Tita. That works for me."
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
My room was exactly how I remembered it, yet it felt strangely new. I closed the door behind me, leaning my back against the wood and just breathing in the silence. My body felt heavy with travel grime and the lingering tension of the past few days.
I headed straight for the bathroom. I spent a long time under the shower, letting the water pulse against my sore muscles, trying to wash away the memory of the "hoodie incident" and the teasing. By the time I turned the water off, the bathroom was a thick soup of steam.
I realized with a jolt that I hadn't brought a change of clothes in. "Great," I muttered. I grabbed the largest, plushest white towel from the rack and wrapped it tightly around myself, tucking the end firmly between my breasts. It was secure, but it was short—hitting me right at the mid-thigh.
I wiped a path through the fog on the mirror, ran a hand through my wet hair, and pushed the door open. "Titaaa? Did the luggage make it up—"
I stopped dead. The air in my lungs vanished.
Keifer wasn't in the room next door. He was in my room.
He was sprawled out on my bed, his back leaning against my headboard. He had discarded his shoes and his jacket, and his white shirt was partially unbuttoned, revealing the collarbones I'd spent the last few hours trying to forget. He looked like he had been closing his eyes for a moment, but the sound of the bathroom door had clearly brought him back to full attention.
As I stood there, shivering slightly in the cool air-conditioning and dripping water onto the rug, his eyes tracked me. They started at my damp hair, moved slowly down my bare shoulders, and lingered on the way the towel hugged my curves.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. It went from a quiet sanctuary to something thick, heavy, and dangerously charged.
Keifer stood up. He didn't say a word as he began to walk toward me, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator who knew his prey had nowhere to run. I backed up until the backs of my heels hit the bathroom doorframe.
"Keifer," I whispered, my voice trembling. "What are you doing in here? Tita gave you your own room."
"The door was unlocked," he said, his voice dropping to that low, gravelly register that made my toes curl. He stopped just inches from me, his heat radiating off his body and clashing with the chill of my wet skin. "And I realized I didn't like the idea of being in a different room."
He reached out, his fingers ghosting over the damp skin of my shoulder. I felt a jolt of electricity shoot straight down my spine.
"You're breaking the rules again, Jay," he murmured, leaning down so his lips were hovering just an inch from my ear.
"I didn't even say anything!" I protested, my breath hitching as I felt his hand slide down to rest on my waist, the heat of his palm seeping through the thin fabric of the towel.
"You didn't have to," he whispered. "Your eyes are cursing me right now. And you know what the interest rate is for that."
I looked up at him, my heart hammering so loud I was sure he could hear it. I was trapped between the door and the most dangerous man I knew, wearing nothing but a piece of terrycloth, and for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to move.
The silence in the room was so thick I could hear the erratic rhythm of my own heart. Keifer's hand was on my waist, the heat of his skin contrasting sharply with the damp, cool towel. I was pinned between his solid chest and the bathroom door, my breath coming in shallow hitches.
"Keifer, please," I whispered, though I wasn't even sure what I was asking for. "Tita Gemma is right downstairs. And my brothers are just down the hall."
"Then you should probably stop looking at me like that," he rumbled, his voice dropping to a velvety dangerous pitch. He leaned in closer, his nose brushing against mine. "Because right now, I don't care who's downstairs. I haven't been able to think about anything else since I woke up and saw you tucked inside my clothes."
He tilted his head, his lips grazing the sensitive skin just below my ear. I let out a soft, involuntary gasp, my hands coming up to rest on his bare forearms. I should have pushed him away, but my fingers instinctively curled into his skin instead.
"You're in my head, Jay," he reminded me, his breath hot against my neck. "And you know what the interest rate is for that."
Before I could answer, he moved. His lips found the hollow of my throat, his kisses deep and demanding. I felt my knees buckle, and I had to lean against the door for support. One of his hands slid up from my waist, his thumb tracing the upper edge of the towel where it was tucked.
"Keifer..." I breathed, my eyes fluttering shut.
"Say my name again," he commanded, his voice rough. "But louder."
Just as he was about to press his lips to mine, the floorboards in the hallway groaned.
"KUYA KEIFER? ARE YOU IN THERE?" The voice of Keigan boomed through the door, followed by a sharp, rhythmic knocking.
My eyes snapped open. Panic surged through me like an electric shock. I grabbed Keifer's wrists, trying to shove him away, but he didn't even flinch. He just looked at the door with an expression of pure, unadulterated annoyance.
"Keifer! Hide!" I hissed, my voice cracking.
"No," he muttered, though he finally let go of my waist.
"This is my room! And I'm in a towel!" I whispered-yelled, frantically pointing toward the bathroom. "Get in there! Now!"
"Kuya? Tita Gemma said you were resting but your room is empty!" Keigan called out again, the doorknob beginning to rattle. Maybe he had locked it, because I don't remember locking the door. But Thankfully he locked the door..
Keifer let out a frustrated sigh, looking like he wanted to punch the door rather than hide behind it. But seeing the sheer terror in my eyes, he finally relented. He leaned down, stealing one last, searing kiss that left me breathless, before disappearing into the steam-filled bathroom.
I leaned against the door for a second, trying to steady my breathing and smoothing down the towel. "Coming! Just a second!"
I walked over and unlocked the door, cracking it just enough to peek through. Keigan was standing there, holding a plate of sliced mangoes.
"What took you so long?" he asked, trying to peer past me. "Is Kuya Keifer here? I wanted to show him this new move in the game."
"He's... he's in his room, Keigan," I lied, my voice shaking. "I just got out of the shower. I'm not dressed."
Keigan frowned, his eyes narrowing as he looked at my red face. "Why are you so sweaty?"
"I... the steam! I'm just hot. Go away!" I gently pushed the door shut, locking it again the moment I heard his footsteps fade.
--: Author's POV: --
Inside the bathroom, Keifer was leaning against the marble counter, staring at his reflection in the fogged-up mirror. He could hear Jay-Jay's heart-pounding excuses through the door. A slow smirk spread across his face.
He didn't wait for her to call him out. He opened the bathroom door and stepped back into the bedroom just as Jay-Jay was slumped against the bedroom door, her head in her hands.
"He's gone," she whispered, looking up at him.
Keifer walked over, but he didn't pin her to the door this time. "He's gone for now. But he's right about one thing."
"What?"
"It is hot in here. And we still haven't settled that debt."
He walked toward her, but instead of reaching for the towel, he leaned down and kissed her forehead with surprising tenderness. "Get dressed, Jay. Tita is waiting. But remember..." He leaned in, his voice a ghost of a promise. "The interest keeps growing the longer you make me wait."
1 Hour Later
The long mahogany table was overflowing with food. Aunt Gemma had outdone herself. The F4, Gorya, and Kaning were all seated, looking refreshed after their short naps. Aries was there too, looking sleepy but happy to see his friends. And Angelo was also sitting there who just came back from Fernandez Corp.
"So," Thyme said, stuffing a large piece of adobo into his mouth. "Two days in Manila, then the island?"
"That's the plan," Angelo said, entering the room and taking his place at the head of the table. He looked tired but sharp in his suit. He glanced at Jay-Jay, then at Keifer, his eyes lingering on the way the two of them were sitting just a little too close. "I've arranged for a few cars to take you guys around tomorrow. You can't come to the Philippines and not see the sights."
"I want to go to the mall!" Gorya said excitedly. "I heard the malls here are huge."
"They're cities," MJ joked. "We're going to need a map and a GPS just to find the food court."
Ren sat quietly, smiling as he watched the group. His eyes shifted to Jay-Jay. "You look much better, Jay. The 'tropical humidity' seems to be doing wonders for your complexion."
Jay-Jay nearly choked on her rice. She felt Keifer's foot nudge hers under the table, a secret, playful gesture that made her blush all over again.
"It's definitely... intense," Jay-Jay managed to say.
As the laughter and conversation filled the room, Jay-Jay felt a sense of peace she hadn't felt in a long time. The mansion was whole, her family was safe, and her friends were here.
But as her eyes met Keifer's across the table, she saw the silent promise in his gaze. The vacation was just beginning, and something told her that Ulupong Island was going to be even more "intense" than Manila.