jayjay pov
The moment I stepped through the school gate.
I had told Kifer to wait in the car. "I'll just get Hex," I said. Simple. Ten minutes. In and out.
But Hex wasn't in his classroom.
"He went out during break," someone said when I asked.
That tight feeling crept into my chest again. The one I hated. The one that always meant trouble.
I checked the hallway.
Nothing.
Then I heard voices—too many of them, overlapping, sharp, excited. Students gathering always meant one thing.
Drama.
I followed the sound, my steps quickening.
And then I heard it.
I stopped.
That voice didn't sound brave.
It sounded fake.
I pushed through the crowd.
And then I saw him.
Hex.
He stood there, his uniform dirty, dust smeared across the fabric like he'd fallen. His palm was scraped—red and raw. And when he turned his face slightly, I saw it.
A slap mark.
My vision went red.
"WHO DARED TOUCH MY BROTHER?"
The words tore out of me before I could stop them.
Everyone froze.
Hex looked up.
Hex's head turned, relief flashing in his eyes when he saw me. He hugged me instinctively, and I noticed immediately the marks on his palm and cheeks. My blood boiled. "Are you okay?" I asked, kneeling beside him.
"I—I'm fine," Hex muttered, but I could see he wasn't. He kept his jaw tight, his eyes sharp.
Chapter 46 — Not happening
jayjay pov
The moment I stepped through the school gate.
I had told Kifer to wait in the car. "I'll just get Hex," I said. Simple. Ten minutes. In and out.
But Hex wasn't in his classroom.
"He went out during break," someone said when I asked.
That tight feeling crept into my chest again. The one I hated. The one that always meant trouble.
I checked the hallway.
Nothing.
Then I heard voices—too many of them, overlapping, sharp, excited. Students gathering always meant one thing.
Drama.
I followed the sound, my steps quickening.
And then I heard it.
"Please… please don't hit me… I already apologized."
I stopped.
That voice didn't sound brave.
It sounded fake.
I pushed through the crowd.
And then I saw him.
Hex.
He stood there, his uniform dirty, dust smeared across the fabric like he'd fallen. His palm was scraped—red and raw. And when he turned his face slightly, I saw it.
A slap mark.
My vision went red.
"WHO DARED TOUCH MY BROTHER?"
The words tore out of me before I could stop them.
Everyone froze.
Hex looked up.
Hex's head turned, relief flashing in his eyes when he saw me. He hugged me instinctively, and I noticed immediately the marks on his palm and cheeks. My blood boiled. "Are you okay?" I asked, kneeling beside him.
"I—I'm fine," Hex muttered, but I could see he wasn't. He kept his jaw tight, his eyes sharp.
I pulled back and examined him carefully. Dirty clothes. Injured hand. Fear in his eyes.
I turned slowly.
Marco stood there, perfectly fine. No dirt. No injuries. His mother—Misa Reyes—was already stepping forward.
Miss Reyes crossed her arms. "And who do you think you are, talking like that?"
I looked straight at her. "I'm someone who won't stay quiet."
"How dare you speak to me in that tone?" Miss Reyes snapped.
I didn't flinch. "I'll speak however I want when a child is hurt. And you—" I pointed slightly "—don't deserve respect when you ignore the truth."
"This boy," she said sharply, pointing at Hex, "bullied my son."
I stared at her.
"You didn't even ask what happened," I said. "You just decided he was guilty."
She scoffed. "Look at him. Poor background. Scholarship student. Always causing trouble."
Hex flinched beside me.
That did it.
"You don't get to talk about him like that," I snapped. "And you don't deserve respect when you treat children this way."
Marco laughed. "Who are you? His sister?" He smirked. "Figures. Poor runs in the family."
My hands clenched.
"Shut up," I warned.
Teachers started arriving. Students whispered.
"What's going on here?" a teacher asked.
Misa Reyes spoke quickly. "This boy pushed my son, and now his sister is being rude."
"That's a lie," hex said firmly. "Marco pushed him first."
"This is favoritism," I added. "You're blaming my brother because it's easy."
Misa rolled her eyes. "You people always act important."
"You're blaming a tweleve-year-old without facts," Jayjay continued. "Who does that?"
Miss Reyes muttered, "You poor people always act like victims."
I stepped closer.
"If I were you," I said coldly, "I'd regret saying or doing that."
She narrowed her eyes. "You look familiar."
"No," I replied. "You've never seen me."
Marco crossed his arms. "Apologize. Both of you. To my mom."
Hex gripped my sleeve.
"No," I said. "We won't apologize for being bullied."
Then—
"What is going on here?"
The headmaster arrived.
Marco immediately pointed at us. "Sir! They bullied us!"
Lies. Again.
James and Mila stepped forward.
"It's Marco," Mila said. "He's lying."
"Yes," James added. "Marco started it."
Before the headmaster could respond—
"Is this how this school treats its students?"
I turned.
Kiefer stood there.
Calm. Dangerous calm.
The headmaster stiffened. "M-Mr. Watson…"
"If I hadn't come," Kiefer said evenly, "my fiancée and my brother-in-law would have been punished for being victims."
I froze.
Fiancée?
I looked at him.
Hex looked at me.
Shock everywhere.
"Fiancée?" someone whispered.
Marco scoffed. "Which other poor person came to defend this boy?"
The Headmaster snapped, "Quiet! Do you know who you're talking to?"
Keifer stepped forward calmly. "If I hadn't come," he said evenly, "my fiancée and my brother-in-law would've been punished unfairly."
"Is this how you run a school?" he demanded. "You don't investigate, you don't listen—you just force children to bow?"
Miss Reyes paled. "I—I didn't know…"
"If this happens again," Keifer continued, "my mother will withdraw her investment from this school."
The mood changed instantly.
Apologies followed. Fast. Forced.
I didn't care.
"You're leaving early today," I told him softly.
He nodded.
Keifer lifted Hex effortlessly with one arm. His head rested against Keifer's chest, and I could see him finally relaxing, tired but safe.
As everyone calmed down, Mila handed Hex's bag to me.
I looked at Mila and whispered . "I'm taking Hex home early. See you tomorrow."
Then we walked out
I couldn't help thinking: Hex is lucky to have Keifer, and maybe… maybe I need to stop panicking so much every time he's in trouble.
We got into the car, Hex still leaning against Keifer. I finally sat down in the back and sighed.