JAY-JAY POV
"Alex, go to the company. I'll come later," I said, keeping my voice steady even though my pulse was still racing from the interview.
He hesitated for half a second — he always did when he sensed I wasn't okay — but he nodded.
"Bye," he said, and jogged off.
The moment he disappeared around the corner, I turned.
And of course.
They were both there.
"Jay, wait," Keifer said, voice low, too careful, too familiar.
"Japy, please," Aries added, sounding like he was begging for oxygen.
I didn't even look at them.
I just walked faster.
My heels clicked against the pavement, each step louder than the last, like I was trying to outrun four years of pain in thirty seconds.
I reached my car, grabbed the handle—
And a hand brushed my knuckles.
Warm.
Familiar.
Unwanted.
I jerked back like I'd been burned.
"Don't touch me," I snapped, the words slicing out of me before I could stop them.
Keifer froze.
His hand hung in the air, inches from mine, like he didn't understand how he'd crossed a line until I shoved it back in his face.
His eyes widened — not angry, not offended.
Hurt.
But I didn't care.
Not after everything.
Aries took a step forward, voice soft. "Jay… we just want to talk."
"I'm sorry," I said, voice flat, "but I don't think a characterless girl like me can talk to you."
Aries flinched.
Keifer stiffened beside him, jaw tightening, eyes darkening with something between anger and shame.
Aries looked like he wanted to say something — or explode — but he didn't get the chance.
Because Percy came running out of the building like he'd sprinted through a warzone.
"What is happening here?" he asked, eyes darting between the three of us.
He looked at me first — panic already rising in his face.
Because Percy came running out of the building like he'd sprinted through a warzone.
"What is happening here?" he demanded, eyes darting between the three of us.
He looked at me first — panic already rising in his face.
I lifted my chin, voice cold enough to freeze the pavement.
"Nothing. I'm just explaining to your friends here that they don't need to waste their time talking to someone like me. Someone they once labeled as sult, whore and characterless"
Aries's reaction was instant.
"Enough, Jay."
His voice snapped through the air — angry, shaken, desperate.
Percy's face drained of every drop of color.
"Jay—" he tried, voice cracking.
But I wasn't done.
Not when the truth was finally spilling out after four years of swallowing it.
I lifted my chin, my voice steady, sharp, merciless.
"You two made it very clear four years ago what you thought of me," I said. "I'm just reminding you I haven't forgotten."
Aries flinched like I'd hit him.
Keifer's jaw clenched so hard the muscle jumped.
But I didn't stop.
I didn't soften.
I didn't give them the comfort of pretending the past didn't exist.
Because for four years, I lived with those words.
For four years, I carried the weight of their judgment.
For four years, I rebuilt myself from the ashes they left me in.
And now?
Now they had to face it.
Face me.
Face what they did.
"Jay, please listen," Keifer said, stepping toward me.
I stepped back immediately, breath catching in my throat.
"Please don't touch me. Please."
My voice cracked — just a little — and that was enough to make him freeze.
Keifer's hand dropped to his side like it suddenly weighed a hundred pounds.
"You had your chance to believe me," I said, forcing the words out even though my chest felt tight. "But you didn't. And now? I don't know how you finally learned the truth, but it doesn't matter."
Their faces shifted — confusion, guilt, fear — all tangled together.
"You lost your chance the moment you chose to believe Keigan and Yuri's plan."
Shock hit them like a slap.
Aries's eyes widened.
Keifer's jaw clenched.
"Please," I said bitterly, "don't look so shocked. I wanted to prove myself back then, so I dug deeper. And I found out it was them."
Silence.
Heavy.
Ugly.
Suffocating.
"I was going to send you proof," I added, voice low, "but then I realized it was a waste of time."
"Jay—" Aries tried.
"Shut up."
The words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn't take them back.
"The damage is already done."
I opened my car door, hands shaking, heart pounding so hard it hurt.
I slammed the door shut, started the engine, and drove off — fast.
Too fast.
But I didn't care.
I needed distance.
I needed air.
I needed to get away before the past swallowed me whole again.
I didn't look back.
Not once.
I only stopped when I reached my company.
My hands were still shaking on the steering wheel, my heartbeat still too fast, but at least here… here I could breathe.
I pulled into the parking lot — the section that was blocked off, marked, and reserved only for me.
A whole row of spaces empty except for my car.
I parked in my usual spot — the one closest to the private elevator — and turned off the engine.
For a moment, I just sat there, staring at the building I built from nothing.
The building that never doubted me.
Never judged me.
Never called me names.
Never chose someone else's lies over my truth.
This place was mine.
My work.
My sweat.
My survival.
I went inside the elevator, pressed the top floor, and let the doors close.
Only then did I finally exhale.
The ride up felt too quiet, too fast, too slow — everything at once.
My heart was still pounding from everything that happened in that parking lot.
When the elevator doors opened, the atmosphere shifted immediately.
My employees straightened the moment they saw me.
"Morning, Ma'am."
"Good morning, Miss Mariano."
"Welcome, CEO."
I just nodded at everyone and went straight to my office.
Trying to hold myself together long enough to reach the one place in this entire building where I could finally breathe.
I stepped inside my office and immediately shut the door behind me.
The click of the lock echoed louder than it should have.
I didn't even take off my heels.
I went straight to the windows and closed every shutter, one by one.
The room darkened with each one I pulled down.
When the room was finally dark, I let my hand fall from the window frame.
My legs suddenly felt heavier than they had all morning.
I walked to my chair — slow, controlled steps, the kind you take when you're trying not to fall apart before you sit down.
I lowered myself into the seat, the leather cool against my back, and for the first time since that parking lot…
I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to steady my breathing.
Everything I'd held in — the anger, the humiliation, the memories, the four years of surviving alone — all of it pressed against my ribs like it wanted to break out.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the dark ceiling, trying to breathe through the pressure in my chest.
Why did they have to act like they care now?
Why now, after everything?
After the names?
After the accusations?
After the way they watched me fall apart and didn't even try to catch me?
Why now, when I finally learned how to live without them?
My throat tightened.
And then the fear hit me — the one I'd been trying to outrun since the moment I saw Keifer's face in that studio.
What if he finds out about the kids?
My heart dropped.
What if he takes them away from me?
The thought alone made my stomach twist painfully.
I pressed a hand against my chest, trying to steady myself.
No.
No, I couldn't let that happen.
I couldn't let anyone take them.
Not after everything I went through to protect them.
Not after the years I spent building a life where they'd never have to feel the pain I did.
My kids were my world.
My reason.
My strength.
And the idea of Keifer — the same man who didn't believe me, who let others tear me apart — suddenly walking back into my life and claiming a right to them…
It terrified me.
I swallowed hard, blinking back the sting in my eyes.
"Jay, can I come in?" Alex's voice came from the other side of the door.
I cleared my throat, forcing my voice steady.
"Yes, come in."
He pushed the door open, stepped inside—
And froze.
His eyes widened.
"What the hell are you doing in the dark?"
I looked away. "Nothing. Just thinking."
He raised an eyebrow so high it practically touched his hairline.
"Thinking? Jay, this looks like the opening scene of a horror movie."
I didn't answer.
He sighed, clearly not convinced but smart enough not to push me right now.
"Okay, anyway…" he said, checking his tablet. "The Williams are ready."
Of course they were.
"Alright," I said quietly. "Let's go."
Alex hesitated for a moment — just a second — like he wanted to ask if I was okay.
But he didn't.
He just nodded and stepped aside, waiting for me to stand.
I stood up, smoothed my clothes, and walked toward the conference room.
Every step felt mechanical — practiced — the kind of movement you learn after years of forcing yourself to function no matter what's happening inside your chest.
When I entered, the Williams were already seated, their documents neatly arranged, their expressions polite and expectant.
"Hello, Miss Mariano," Mr. William said, standing slightly as a sign of respect.
"Hello, Mr. William," I replied with a small nod, slipping into my CEO persona like armor.
"Shall we start?" they asked.
"Yes," I said, taking my seat at the head of the table. "Let's begin."
The meeting ended with a round of handshakes, polite smiles, and impressed nods from the Williams team.
"Your leadership is exceptional, Miss Mariano," Mr. William said before leaving.
I gave him the same polished smile I'd perfected over the years.
"Thank you. I look forward to our partnership."
The door closed behind them.
Silence.
The kind that fills a room all at once, like someone pulled the plug on the world.
I let out a breath I didn't even realize I'd been holding.
"Alex, give me the contracts," I said the moment the Williams left the room.
Alex blinked at me, concern written all over his face.
"Jay, you sure you're not tired?"
I didn't even look up.
I nodded once, crisp and final.
"Just give it to me. I don't want to delay it."
He hesitated — just a second — like he was debating whether to push me or not.
But Alex knew me.
He knew when to back off.
He handed me the folder, his fingers brushing mine for a moment, and I could feel the silent question he wasn't asking.
Are you okay?
I ignored it.
Alex left, and I buried myself in the contracts.
Line after line.
Signature after signature.
Correction after correction.
I didn't stop.
I didn't blink.
I didn't even notice the world outside my office fading into silence.
The next thing I knew, the door swung open.
"Jay," Alex said, sounding half‑annoyed, half‑worried, "you've been working non‑stop for three hours. Look at the time — it's 8 o'clock. Everyone left."
I didn't look up.
"Then you leave too."
He didn't move.
"Jay," he said again, softer this time, "the kids will be waiting for you."
My pen froze mid‑stroke.
The numbers on the page blurred for a second, and I finally pushed the contract away.
"Fine, I will go," I said, standing up.
My voice sounded steady, but inside… something twisted.
The kids deserve a mom who doesn't ignore them.
The thought hit me harder than I expected.
It's not their fault.
My throat tightened.
They were born to an unlucky woman like me.
The words echoed in my head, bitter and soft at the same time.
I grabbed my bag, trying to shake the feeling off, but it clung to me like a shadow.
Unlucky.
Maybe I was.
Maybe life had been unfair.
Maybe I'd been broken in ways no one ever saw.
But my kids…
My kids were the only good thing that ever came out of all that pain.
I paused at the door, my hand on the handle, breathing slowly.
They were the reason I survived.
I blinked hard, pushing the sting in my eyes away.
Alex watched me quietly, not saying a word
"I'm going home," I said, more to myself than to him.
My kids deserved a mom who showed up.
And I would.
Every single time.