Keifer's Pov
The entire week had passed in a blur of silence and tension.
I sat alone in the corner of the classroom, arms crossed, jaw tight. My gaze was fixed on the floor, but I saw everything in my mind: Jay's face, trembling, her hands shaking, the way she cried when I told her she had been nothing to me. I hated it. I hated myself for it. But I didn't show it. I couldn't. Not now. Not to anyone.
Why am I even here?
The whispers began almost immediately as I entered the school that morning.
"He has the nerve to come back?""After what he did?""Doesn't he feel anything?"
I didn't turn. I didn't flinch. I sat down, still, cold, pretending the voices weren't there, even though every word dug under my skin. I could feel the judgment in every glance. Section E glared at me from every angle. Some whispered to each other, some whispered under their breath. The murmurs grew louder the longer I stayed silent.
They have no idea.
They didn't know the turmoil inside me. They didn't know the guilt I carried, heavy and suffocating. They didn't know that I replayed her words in my head a thousand times a day, wishing I could undo what I had done, but never showing it. They didn't know that I had been awake for nights on end, thinking about every possible way she could get hurt, calculating every move to make sure she stayed safe—even if she hated me, even if she despised me, even if she never knew.
I have to protect her. Not for her. For me. For the inheritance. For control.
And yet…
The anger in her eyes… the betrayal… the tears…
It haunted me.
The whispers didn't stop. They followed me everywhere: in the hallways, in the cafeteria, in the library, even the bathrooms. Every corner held murmurs. Every glance carried judgment.
"He really has the nerve…""I can't believe he's sitting there like nothing happened.""Doesn't he feel anything at all?"
I stayed silent, letting them talk. Let them hate me. Let them think I was cold, heartless, a monster. Let them believe I didn't care.
They had no idea.
I could still see her—Jay—crying, trembling. Percy trying to comfort her. Mom and Tita hovering, unsure, scared. And I… I had sat silent while it all fell apart.
I can't let her get hurt again. Not now. Not ever.
That thought anchored me. Every whisper, every glare, every judgmental stare—it all faded behind that one thought. She couldn't be touched. Not by anyone. Not by Section E. Not by herself. Not by me, though she hated me for it.
I stayed seated, eyes on the floor, mind replaying her sobs, the way she looked at me—betrayal, pain, hurt, and still… something unbroken. Something that wouldn't bend to me, to Keifer, to anyone.
Section E muttered again, louder this time.
"He's really just sitting there…""After what he did?""I can't believe he has the nerve…"
I let it wash over me. Their voices, sharp and furious, were like static in my mind. But I didn't flinch. I didn't answer. I couldn't.
I'll protect her. I'll keep her safe. Not because I care. Not because I want to. Because I have to. Losing control isn't an option. Losing her isn't an option.
I leaned back, jaw tight, watching her absence more than anything. The school felt empty without her, though everyone whispered her name.
"Where is she?""Do you think she's really gone?""I can't believe she hasn't shown up all week."
The whispers followed me into the classrooms, into the hallways, into every space she had ever walked. Everyone, from teachers to classmates, wondered, speculated, and whispered. And I… I had to sit there, silent, cold, unmoving, while the world debated her disappearance.
They think I'm cruel. That I don't care.
And maybe they're right.
But if anyone touches her, if anyone dares to hurt her again… I'll be ready. Cold, calculating, ruthless. Not for her. Not for love. But because losing her is not an option.
I sat there, alone, letting the whispers wash over me. Section E seethed in anger, gossiping, judging. They had no idea. They had no clue. I knew everything. I watched everything. I waited.
And when she comes back… the world will shift.
Because I've been waiting.
Because I will not fail again.