Jay pov
We were all back in the living room. The sunlight was creeping in slowly, cutting across the floor in golden stripes, but the tension in the room was heavy, almost suffocating. Keifer was pacing a little, his jaw tight, eyes sharp. I could feel the weight of everyone's curiosity pressing down on me.
"Jay…" Keifer finally said, his voice low but urgent. "Where were you? How did you… get away?"
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "It was Ruth ," I said quietly, letting the words sink in. "She helped me before I was caught."
All eyes turned to me, wide and unblinking. Even Keifer froze mid-step, as if I'd just dropped a bomb on him.
I leaned back slightly, thinking about how to explain everything. "she… she guided me out of Sienna's house. Gave me a cap and a mask, told me to follow her. We went through the study, and she used her fingerprint to open the door for me."
I paused, letting them picture it. I told them everything about her father. About why she's doing all this. I said she's blinded by revenge. That sienna thinks she's protecting something she loves but it's twisted.
Felix whistled. "Wait, her father? The mask man? Sienna's… his daughter?"
I nodded. "Yes. That's why she's so… relentless. Jerry said her father's last words to her were something like—'I'll be back if you don't find my killers.' She's using that as her mission now."
Yuri's jaw clenched. "I knew she was connected to our past. I just… I didn't know it was that deep."
Keifer ran a hand down his face. "So… she's the mask man's daughter. That explains a lot." He paused, looking at me. "And you… you managed to survive all of that alone?"
I shrugged lightly, though my heart was still hammering. "I had to. Ruth said after that night, security will be too tight. If I hadn't gone, we'd have been stuck. I… I just followed his instructions."
The room was quiet for a moment, everyone processing the truth. Comments started flying—shock, disbelief, anger, even admiration.
"She's crazy," Felix muttered.
"No kidding," Adrian added. "Blinded by revenge, but… smart."
Yuri shook his head slowly. "And yet, she's helping the innocent, like those families…"
I nodded, remembering what Jerry told me about the man she killed and how she took care of his son and mother afterward. "She's… complicated. Evil in mind, maybe. But not heartless. Not completely."
Keifer's eyes darkened as he stared at me. "So the mask man… and now Sienna… they've been messing with us this whole time. And you went in there… by yourself?"
I shrugged again, a small, rueful smile tugging at my lips. "I had to. Couldn't wait."
The room went silent again, everyone lost in thought. Finally, Keifer exhaled sharply. "No. We… we wait. First, your arm has to heal. Then we figure out our next move. No rushing, no more reckless risks."
I glanced down at my arm, still bandaged but starting to throb less. I nodded. "Okay… we wait."
Everyone seemed to relax a little, though the weight of the revelations still hung over the room like a storm cloud.
Even in silence, I could feel their minds turning, trying to plan, trying to prepare. But for now… just for now, we waited.
And I allowed myself a small moment of peace.