JAY-JAY POV
After all the photos they went through, the teasing only got worse.
Every picture.
Every story.
Every embarrassing moment I had tried to bury.
And the whole time, my heart was pounding because there was one album—one specific album—that would absolutely get me killed if they found it.
Then—
"JAY, IS THIS—" Keifer's voice shot up an octave.
I looked over.
He was holding that picture.
The one from prom.
Me in a dress.
Jason's arm around my waist.
"Young Jason," Yuri said, stepping closer, eyes narrowing as he studied the photo.
I smiled.
Not because I was happy.
But because I knew exactly what was coming next.
Keifer's jaw tightened.
"Ohhhh," Section E chorused
"Jay… is that Jason? The motorcycle guy?" Yuri asked, leaning in like he had the right.
I nodded.
A few jaws dropped.
A few eyebrows shot up.
Ci‑n mouthed motorcycle guy? like it was a plot twist.
"I might have lied about my first boyfriend being gay," I admitted, staring at the floor.
Keifer's head snapped toward me so fast I heard his neck crack.
"So Jason was your first boyfriend?" he asked, voice tight.
I nodded again.
Keifer blinked. Once. Twice.
Then his jaw clenched, and he looked at the photo like it had personally offended him.
"Why did you and him break up?" Ella asked, smirking like she'd been waiting for this moment.
Aries shot her a look that clearly meant not now, but Ella didn't care. She never cared.
"Because I had to come to the Philippines," I said.
Everyone nodded, the room going quiet for a second.
"That makes sense… on why he just left you that day," Keifer said softly.
I smiled.
Not a big smile.
Just a small one—the kind that hides a bruise instead of showing it.
Keifer noticed.
"Let's leave, everyone," Percy said.
One by one, they nodded and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind them.
Suddenly it was just me and Keifer.
Silence settled—heavy, awkward, thick enough to choke on.
"Please, Keifer… say something," I whispered.
He didn't answer right away.
Instead, he quietly closed the album, slid the pictures back into place, and set it aside. Then he sat next to me, close enough that our shoulders brushed.
He smiled.
I blinked at him, shocked. "What… you're not mad?"
"What, you wanted me to be jealous?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, it's not that—it's just… you're calm about it," I said, stumbling over my words.
He let out a soft breath. "Jay, I already told you. I changed. For you."
My heart stuttered.
"I might get jealous sometimes," he admitted, "but not now. Not over this."
He looked at the photo again, then back at me.
"I respect that he's your past," he said gently. "And I'm not going to fight with a memory."
His voice dropped, softer, warmer.
"He might be your past," Keifer said, voice low and steady, "but I know I'm your future."
Something in my chest tightened—soft, warm, terrifying in the best way.
I smiled and nodded. "And I'm your future," I whispered back.
His expression softened instantly, the kind of smile that wasn't loud or teasing… just real.
So I leaned in and kissed him.
It was a soft, understanding kiss
"Acting like a gentleman now?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I am a gentleman," Keifer said, chin lifting a little, like he was offended I even questioned it.
I snorted. "Since when?"
He leaned back slightly, giving me that smug, quiet smile he only used when he knew he had me cornered.
"Since the moment I decided I wanted you," he said. "Gentleman mode activated."
I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks were warm.
Then Jace and Keigan burst into the room, both out of breath.
"Hope I didn't ruin your moment, Ate," Jace said, smirking like the little menace he is.
"Nope. What's the problem?" I asked, already feeling my stomach drop.
"Ate, I don't want to be there anymore. Eden is planning something—and I know it involves you." His voice shook. "I heard her talking about it, so we have to escape. Now."
Before I could even react, everyone started pouring back into the room like they'd been eavesdropping outside the door.
"Jay, we have to leave now," Jare said, eyes sharp.
"How are the bodyguards still around?" David asked, peeking through the curtains.
"Well… I know a way," I said.
Everyone turned to me.
"It's an underground tunnel connected to my room," I explained. "It leads outside, but the tunnel is at least two–three miles long."
"So what are we waiting for? Let's go," Yuri said, already sounding impatient.
"We can go," Jare said, stepping forward, "but Jay's grandpa and grandma just arrived in the Philippines. It's best to stay with them."
Keifer frowned. "Why do we have to go to your grandparents' house? I mean… Angelo is pretty strong."
"But Kuya left," Aries said. "He flew to Peru for some business matter. So Jay's grandparents are our best choice."
Felix clapped his hands once. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."
"But the last time we used that tunnel was four years ago. We have to be careful," Percy said, his voice suddenly serious enough to make everyone stop talking. "It's dangerous… but it's our only way."
"Jace, grab the torch lights from the closet," I said.
He nodded and rushed over, pulling out a whole pile of flashlights—way more than anyone expected.
Calix blinked. "Jay… why do you have so many torch lights?"
"Because I used to go through that tunnel a lot," I said. "And I needed a lot of torches for that."
Ci‑n stared at me like I'd just confessed to having a second secret family.
"Jay, you didn't tell me this."
"Idiot, nobody did," David said, smacking the back of Ci‑n's head.
Ci‑n rubbed the spot. "Still! A whole tunnel? Under your room? And you never told me? I thought we were friends."
"We are," I said. "You're just dramatic."
"YOU'RE dramatic," he muttered.
"Guys," I said, raising my voice just enough to cut through the bickering, "let's stop and let's go."
The room shifted instantly—everyone straightened, grabbed their torches, and moved toward the opening.
The joking faded, replaced by that heavy, electric tension that only shows up when danger is close enough to taste.
Jare checked the hallway one last time. "Bodyguards are still circling. We don't have long."
Aries nodded. "Everyone stay close. No noise."
Keifer stood next to me, fingers threading through mine "Let's go," he said quietly.
"Stay close to me," he added, leaning slightly toward me.
"I wasn't planning on letting go," I said.
Ci‑n groaned loudly behind us. "Can you two save the romance for AFTER we escape the evil mastermind?"
I rolled my eyes.
"Jay, open it," Jare said, his voice low and urgent.
I nodded
I walked to the corner, pushed the dresser aside, and pressed my palm against the hidden panel.
A soft click then the floor shifted.
The tunnel entrance opened—dark, cold, and stretching into the unknown.
"Stay close, everyone," I said as I stepped inside and switched on my torch light. The beam cut through the darkness, revealing the narrow tunnel walls.
"Everyone come inside and I'll close the door," I added.
They didn't need to be told twice—everyone rushed in fast, practically tripping over each other.
"Try not to make any sound," Percy whispered. "We don't know what kind of animals live here."
Ci‑n snorted. "I think the biggest animal that lives here is you."
Percy whipped around. "You little short brat!"
"You uncircumcised!" Ci‑n shot back without hesitation.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Even Keifer.
He tried to hide it, covering his mouth with his hand, but the smile still slipped out. The sound echoed softly in the tunnel, warm and real, cutting through the fear for a moment.
I nudged him with my shoulder. "You're laughing?"
He shrugged, still smiling. "They're idiots. It's funny."
"Shhh," Aries hissed. "We're trying to be quiet."
Edrix's flashlight beam swung toward me. "Jay, when did you even find this place?"
"Care to explain, Jay?" Jare added, staring at me with that older‑brother look that meant he was absolutely about to expose me.
I shot him a glare.
Of course, he didn't shut up.
"Papa made this tunnel for her when she was ten years old," Jare announced proudly, like he was narrating a documentary.
"Why?" Calix asked, genuinely confused.
Jare smirked. "Because someone saw a tunnel on TV and asked for it—basically throwing a tantrum."
I groaned. "Jare—"
"Miss Papa's little princess got what she wanted after thirty minutes of crying and yelling," he finished, way too happy with himself.
The tunnel echoed with muffled laughter.
Ci‑n nearly tripped from laughing. "Jay, you were a spoiled princess?"
Keifer squeezed my hand, trying not to laugh. "So… you cried for a tunnel?"
I shot him a glare. "They were cool."
"She was so spoiled out of the three of us," Jare said, way too proudly.
Rory tilted his head. "Why was she the most spoiled one?"
Jare didn't answer.
He looked at the ground
So Percy stepped in.
"Because when Tita Jenna was giving birth to them," Percy began, voice softer than usual, "Jare and Jas were delivered easily… but Jay—"
Everyone turned to him.
"The doctors didn't know if she would survive or not," Percy continued. "She wasn't breathing. She wasn't crying. She wasn't moving."
The tunnel went completely silent.
Even the air felt still.
"But after a long time," Percy said, swallowing, "she finally came out. And the doctors thought she died because she didn't cry or move."
I hated this story.
I hated how it made everyone look at me.
"But when she finally cried," Percy said, voice gentler now, "everyone in the family thought she was a gift from God."
He shrugged, but his eyes were warm.
"So yeah… that's how she became the favorite. They consider her the sunshine of the Mariano family," Percy finished.
Jare nodded. "Jay was the miracle baby. Papa always said she brought light into the house."
Then Jare added, "She was such a brat."
I spun around and glared at him. "Call me a brat one more time and I will give you a punch."
"See?" Jare said, pointing at me like he'd just proven a scientific theory. "She hates when people call her a brat. Once a teacher called her a brat and she got the teacher fired in no time."
I gasped. "That is NOT what happened—"
Rory raised an eyebrow. "Jay… that does sound like what a brat would do."
Everyone turned to look at me.
Even Keifer.
I threw my hands up. "Okay, FIRST OF ALL—she deserved it. She called me a brat."
Ci‑n snorted. "For what reason?"
Jare busted out laughing before I could even answer. "She—"
I shot him a warning glare.
He ignored it completely.
"—she called Jay a brat because Jay wouldn't share her crayons."
Ci‑n blinked. "Wait. That's it?"
Jare nodded proudly. "Yup. Jay refused to share her crayons, the teacher called her a brat, and Jay went full demon mode."
"Jay, you sound like a spoiled princess brat 2.0," Felix said.
Everyone burst out laughing.
I stopped walking and turned around slowly, flashlight shining directly at Felix's face like I was interrogating him.
"Felix," I said calmly, "repeat that."
Felix just smiled—that stupid little smile—and opened his mouth to repeat his sentence, but I cut him off immediately.
I glared at him. "You want to walk alone in this tunnel?"
He immediately straightened. "No ma'am."
Ci-n wheezed. "Jay-Jay the Brat Princess."
David smacked him. "Shut up before she actually punches you."
I rolled my eyes and kept walking. "Next person who calls me a brat gets left behind with the tunnel rats."
Ci‑n froze. "There are rats?"
"Walk," I ordered.
And the tunnel echoed with their laughter as we moved deeper into the dark.
The tunnel felt endless.
We'd been walking for what felt like hours—flashlights flickering, footsteps echoing, everyone taking turns complaining, tripping, or insulting each other.
The air grew colder the deeper we went, and the walls narrowed until we had to walk in a single line.
"Are we close?" Ci-n whispered.
"Yes," I said. "We should be near the exit by now."
"How do you know?" Felix asked.
"Because the air changes," I said. "It gets fresher near the end."
Felix sniffed dramatically. "I don't smell anything."
"That's because your nose is broken," David muttered.
We kept walking until the tunnel sloped upward.
The ground became uneven, rocks scattered everywhere.
Jace almost slipped, but Keifer grabbed him before he fell.
"Careful," Keifer said.
"I'm trying," Jace whispered.
The slope got steeper, and the ceiling lowered so much we had to crouch. Everyone groaned.
"Jay," Aries whispered, "are you sure this is the right way?"
"Yes," I said. "There's a ladder up ahead."
And right on cue, my flashlight hit metal.
A tall, rusty ladder bolted into the wall.
"There it is," I said.
Ci‑n stared up. "We have to climb THAT?"
"Unless you want to stay here forever," I said.
"Nope. Climbing," he said immediately.
One by one, everyone climbed the ladder. The tunnel echoed with:
"OW—my knee!"
"Move faster!"
"Stop stepping on my hand!"
"Ci-n, that's my hair!"
"Why is this ladder so long?"
"Jay, I blame you for this!"
At the top was a metal hatch.
I pushed it gently—
It didn't move.
"Is it locked?" Felix whispered a bit worried
"No," I said. "It's just heavy."
Keifer climbed up behind me. "Move. I'll help."
Together, we pushed.
The hatch groaned—
creaked—
and finally popped open, letting in a burst of fresh air and sunlight.
Everyone froze.
Sunlight.
Real sunlight.
"We're out," Jare whispered.
One by one, they climbed out of the tunnel and into the tall grass behind an old abandoned storage shed on the far edge of the property—exactly where the tunnel was designed to lead.
The moment the last person climbed out, I pulled the hatch closed and covered it with the old wooden board hidden nearby.
"We made it," I said, breathing hard.
Keifer smiled at me, brushing dirt off my cheek.
Ci‑n collapsed dramatically onto the grass. "I'm never going in a tunnel again."
"Why did your dad make the tunnel so adventurous?" Calix asked.
"Because I loved adventure things," I replied, brushing dirt off my clothes as I walked toward the old shed.
Ci‑n tilted his head. "What's in there now?"
I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face.
"You'll see."
I grabbed the rusty handle, pulled the shed door open, and the moment the sunlight hit the inside—
"My babies!" I yelled, running inside.
Everyone froze.
Keifer blinked. "Your… what?"
Jare stood up so fast he hit his head on the low beam. "Oh no."
Ci‑n scrambled to his feet. "WHAT BABIES?!"
Felix tripped over Rory trying to follow me. "SHE HAS BABIES?!"
Aries looked horrified. "Jay, please tell me you didn't hide actual children in a shed."
Keifer rushed in after me, panic written all over his face. "Jay—what babies?!"
They all crowded at the doorway, shoving each other, trying to see.
And then they saw.
I ran straight to one of the cars and wrapped my arms around the hood like it was a long‑lost friend.
Calix blinked. "So your cars are your babies?"
"Not again," Jare groaned, shaking his head like he'd seen this movie too many times.
Keifer frowned. "What the hell do you mean by again?"
Percy walked in, immediately spotting another car and hugging it like it was alive. "She is obsessed with cars."
"I missed you so much," I said, kissing the hood of my favorite blue car. "My baby."
Ci‑n stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "Jay… you're kissing a car."
"It deserves affection," I snapped.
Felix laughed. "Jay, you're acting like you reunited with your long‑lost soulmate."
"I DID," I said proudly.
Jare pointed at me. "This is exactly what she did when Papa bought her this car. She hugged it for ten minutes straight."
"Eleven," Percy corrected.
"My baby," I whispered. "Mama's back."
Everyone stared.
Aries sighed. "We escaped danger… for THIS."
"Shut up," I said. "Let me have my moment."
And I hugged the car again.
"Jay, let's go to Grandpa's house before it gets dark," Jare said, pulling me away from the car. "You can drive."
I grinned and slid into the driver's seat.
Keifer immediately followed, settling into the passenger seat like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Yuri said slipping into the back seat "So you actually know how to drive?"
I nodded proudly. "Papa taught me when I was fourteen."
"Keifer, hand me the keys—they should be in the dashboard," I said.
He opened it, found the keys, and passed them to me with a smile.
"You're really happy to see this car," he said, amused.
"Of course I am. You know how much this car means to me," I replied.
"I think I can tell," he said softly.
I couldn't help smiling back.
"Jay, drive!" Jare yelled, honking from behind us. Then he turned to Section E. "You guys pick a car—keys are in the dashboards."
"Jace, you can drive too," Percy added.
"But don't drive too fast and watch out for the—" I started.
"Ate, I know. I'm fourteen," Jace said, already choosing his car like he'd been waiting his whole life for this moment while Keigan followed him
I smiled and turned the key, the engine roaring to life beneath me.
"Jay, don't drive—" Aries began, but I didn't let him finish.
I pressed the gas, and the car shot forward smoothly.
From the backseat, Yuri grabbed the handle. "Jay… maybe we should slow down a little."
I rolled my eyes.
Keifer said something, but the wind and speed swallowed his words.
"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" he yelled over the engine.
Then louder—panicked—
"JAY, SLOW DOWN! THERE ARE OTHER CARS!"
"THIS IS A MARIANO‑ONLY ROAD! NO ONE FROM OUTSIDE WILL COME!" I shouted back.
Keifer stared at me like he was questioning every decision that led him into this passenger seat.
He looked like he regretted his entire life.
Keifer practically screamed over the wind,
"PLEASE, BABE! I WANT TO LIVE! I WANT TO MARRY YOU AND HAVE CARETAKER AND WATCHER!"
From the backseat, Yuri yelled, "WHO THE HELL ARE CARETAKER AND WATCHER?!"
I didn't answer.
I didn't even look back.
I just stepped harder on the gas.
The car shot forward, and Keifer grabbed the dashboard like it was his last hope on earth.
He definitely regretted getting in the passenger seat.
I finally hit the brakes as we reached Grandpa's house, the tires crunching against the gravel.
The moment the car stopped—
Keifer and Yuri launched themselves out of the passenger seat like the vehicle was on fire.
"I'm alive," Yuri whispered dramatically. "Thank God, I'm alive."
Keifer, shaking his head. "Jay, you drive like you're in a race."
I stepped out, locking the car. "I was going slow."
Keifer looked at me like I'd just told the biggest lie in history.