JAY'S POV — WHEN HOME STOPS PRETENDING
The door shut behind me with a sound too soft for what the night had been.
No shouting.
No questions.
No chaos following me home.
Just silence.
The kind that waits.
Lola was standing in the hallway.
She didn't look surprised.
That scared me more than anger would have.
"You're back," she said gently.
I nodded once.
She studied my face for a long moment—eyes sharp, searching, not judging.
Then she turned slightly and gestured down the corridor.
"They're waiting for you," she said. "In the study."
Of course they were.
I walked.
Each step steady. Measured.
The house felt different now—like it knew something had shifted and hadn't decided yet whether to be proud or afraid.
The study door was open.
Angelo stood by the desk, arms crossed, jaw tight.
Aries leaned against the bookshelf, unreadable.
Tita Gema sat stiffly on the sofa, hands folded in her lap.
The room smelled like old wood and decisions that never asked permission.
No one spoke when I entered.
Good.
I closed the door myself.
Then I walked to the desk.
And placed the folder down.
The same folder.
The final partnership agreement.
The Fernandez Corp × JJM Industries revival contract.
Signed.
Stamped.
Approved.
Angelo's eyes dropped to it first.
He didn't touch it.
Didn't need to.
The signature on the last page was unmistakable.
Mine.
JJM Industries — Managing Director & Sole Authority.
The silence broke—but only slightly.
"You… finalized it," Angelo said slowly.
"Yes," I replied.
Aries straightened. "Tonight?"
"Before I left the hotel," I said calmly. "Damian handled the filings. Fer Corp is stabilized as of twenty-three minutes ago."
Tita Gema's breath caught.
"You negotiated that alone?" she asked quietly.
I met her eyes.
"No," I said. "I negotiated it prepared."
Angelo finally looked up at me.
Not angry.
Not proud.
Something heavier.
"How long," he asked, voice low, "were you planning this?"
I tilted my head, considering.
"Since the first time I realized I didn't want to owe my survival to anyone."
Aries's jaw tightened.
"That's not an answer."
"It is," I said, looking straight at him. "You just don't like what it says."
I turned slightly, pacing once in front of them.
"JJM didn't start as a rebellion," I continued. "It started as insurance."
Their attention locked in.
"When I was sent away," I said evenly, "when I was left in the province with Lola and nothing else—no power, no safety, no certainty—I met someone."
Angelo frowned. "Who?"
"A boy," I said. "Fifteen. Angry. Brilliant. Building something out of nothing because no one had ever built anything for him."
I stopped walking.
"I was twelve," I added. "Ideas were mine. Strategy. Vision. He handled exposure, logistics, risk."
Aries stared at me now.
"JJM," he said slowly, "was you."
"Yes."
Tita Gema whispered, "All this time…"
"At sixteen," I continued, "he returned to his family. Gave me full control. Legal authority. Final say."
I looked at the document again.
"That makes me the sole owner of JJM Industries."
No one spoke.
The weight of it settled.
Angelo exhaled slowly. "Why didn't you tell us?"
I finally looked at him.
"Because I didn't want to be a burden," I said.
My gaze shifted—brief, pointed.
To Aries.
"And I didn't want to be protected like a liability."
Aries flinched.
Silence again.
This time—different.
Not confrontation.
Realization.
I straightened.
"If there's nothing else," I said calmly, "I'm going to my room."
Angelo took a step forward. "Jay—"
I turned back.
Not angry.
Resolved.
"I didn't destroy Fernandez Corporation," I said quietly. "I saved it."
I picked up my clutch.
"And I did it without selling myself."
No one stopped me.
As I walked out, I added softly—
"And for the record?"
I paused at the doorway.
"I wasn't asking for permission."
Then I left the study.
Behind me, the house held its breath.
And for the first time since I'd stepped back into this family—
I wasn't the one trying to fit inside its walls.
I didn't go to my room right away.
I closed the door behind me first.
Then I pulled out my phone.
"Damian," I said the moment he picked up. "I'm moving."
No questions.
Just the quiet click of him switching into work mode. "Which property?"
"The condo near the school," I replied. "I want it cleaned. Tonight. I don't care how."
"It'll be ready by morning," he said instantly.
"I'll be there before that."
A pause—brief, careful. "Understood.See you soon Jay"
I ended the call and finally went upstairs.
The room looked the same.
That was the problem.
I packed without rushing. Clothes. Documents. The things that were mine. I left behind what had been chosen for me—gifts, expectations, memories that no longer fit.
By the time I zipped the last bag, I felt lighter.
Resolved.
I stepped into the hallway with my suitcase rolling quietly behind me—
And froze.
Angelo stood at the foot of the stairs.
Shock written plain across his face.
"Jay," he said quickly, stepping forward. "What are you doing?"
"Leaving," I replied, calm as breath.
"You can't," he said immediately. "Not like this."
I met his eyes.
"Not after what happened," I said. "Not after my trust was treated like a bargaining chip."
He reached for the handle of my suitcase.
I didn't pull it back.
I didn't need to.
"Don't," I said softly.
His hand stilled.
Tita Gema appeared then, moving faster than I'd ever seen her move.
"Jay, anak," she said, voice breaking just slightly. "You don't have to go. This is your home."
I turned to her.
And everything sharp inside me eased—just a little.
I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her before she could say another word.
She gasped quietly, then held me back just as tight.
"This," I murmured against her shoulder, "wasn't your doing. You didn't betray me."
She trembled. "I should have known."
"No," I said gently. "You should never have been asked to choose."
I pulled back and smiled at her—soft, real.
"I'll visit," I promised. "Soon."
She nodded, tears gathering but not falling. Strong. Always had been.
I turned then.
Aries was leaning against the wall, arms crossed.
Watching.
Waiting.
I met his gaze.
A small, almost amused smile curved my lips.
"Relax now," I said lightly. "You don't have to look at me every damn day anymore."
His expression flickered—something unreadable crossing his face.
I didn't wait for a response.
At the door, I paused.
Angelo, Tita Gema, Aries—all of them watching me like the ground was shifting under their feet.
"One last thing," I said, turning back.
Angelo straightened instinctively. "Anything."
I held his gaze steady.
"My identity as the head of JJM Industries," I said evenly, "does not leave this house."
Tita Gema inhaled sharply.
Aries looked away.
Angelo nodded once. "I swear."
"That," I said, "is the only thing I'm asking from you."
Silence answered me.
Satisfied, I turned, stepped outside, and pulled the door shut behind me.
The night air was cool.
Clean.
My car was waiting.
As I slid into the driver's seat and started the engine, I didn't look back at the house.
Some places stop being homes the moment they stop being honest.
I drove away.
Toward my own space. My own rules. My own quiet.
And for the first time in a long while—
I wasn't leaving to survive.
I was leaving because I finally could...