Chapter 2: Blood in the Sink
Keifer's eyes didn't leave the sink. Not even when Jay-jay took a shaky step toward him, her sneakers sticking slightly to the linoleum floor where a few drops of blood had splattered during the chaos. The faucet had finally stopped its pathetic drip, but the red swirl in the basin mocked them both—like a watercolor painting of everything wrong in their lives.
"Jay-jay," he repeated, his voice a gravelly whisper that sent chills racing down her spine. He finally looked up, and gods, the pain in those dark eyes hit her like a slap. It was the same look from Book 2, when he'd confessed the revenge plan over that stupid candlelit dinner that turned into a battlefield. The look that said I broke us, and I'll never forgive myself.
But this? This was worse. This was raw, unfiltered terror mixed with that possessive fire he always tried to hide. His jaw clenched, knuckles whitening as he gripped the doorframe. "Who's blood is that?"
Drew cleared his throat from the corner, still holding the towel to his face like a shield. "It's… it's mostly the collector's. One of 'em pulled a knife. Yuri handled it."
"Yuri." The name came out like a curse, low and dangerous. Keifer's gaze flicked to Drew, then back to Jay-jay, searching her face for the truth she wasn't ready to spill. "Handled it how? Where is he?"
She swallowed, tasting salt from the tears she'd been fighting since the phone call. Forty-seven seconds. That's all it took for Yuri to drop a bomb and vanish again. Tell Keifer the debt is paid. The game is over. What game? The one where Keifer had dragged her into his family's vendetta against Aries? Or something darker, something Yuri had been carrying alone this whole time?
"He's gone," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "He walked out the back. Said to tell you… the debt is paid. All of it."
Keifer froze. For a split second, the kitchen felt like it shrank, the air thickening until Jay-jay could barely breathe. Then he exploded forward—not at her, thank God, but at the sink. His fist slammed down on the counter so hard the porcelain cracked with a sharp crack, sending red-tinged water splashing over the edge.
"Fuck!" The word ripped from him, raw and broken. He braced his hands on the sink, shoulders heaving, head bowed like he was praying to some cruel god who'd never listened. "That stupid, red-headed bastard. What the hell did he do?"
Drew flinched but didn't back away. "Kief, man… he saved us. Those guys were gonna—"
"I know what they were gonna do!" Keifer snarled, spinning around. His eyes were wild now, the class president mask shattered, revealing the boy who'd once led Section E in pranks just to make her smile. The boy who'd kissed her under the stars during the school festival in Book 1, whispering promises he couldn't keep. "I know because it's my fault. The debts, the collectors—they're all tied to me. To what I started with Aries."
Jay-jay's heart twisted. She wanted to scream at him, to shove him out the door and lock it forever. You used me, Keifer. You lied to everyone. But seeing him like this—vulnerable, unraveling—chipped away at the walls she'd built after the Dark Side revelations. After learning he'd plotted her heartbreak for revenge, only to fall harder than anyone.
And Yuri… sweet, infuriating Yuri, with his cocky grins and hidden scars. He'd always been the wildcard, the one who flirted too much and fought too dirty. But tonight? He'd bled for her. For them. And in return, he'd vanished into the night like a ghost.
"Keifer…" She reached out, her fingers brushing his arm. He flinched like she'd burned him, but he didn't pull away. Up close, she could see the shadows under his eyes, the way his hair was messed up from running his hands through it a hundred times. He smelled like rain and that cologne she used to steal from his jacket—the one that made her stomach flip in the best-worst way.
"Don't," he muttered, but his hand came up anyway, hovering over hers like he was afraid to touch. "Don't make this okay, Jay. Not when I—"
The front door banged open before he could finish. Heavy footsteps thundered through the hall, and Section E poured in like a storm—Ci-N at the front, phone in hand, eyes scanning the room like a general on the battlefield.
"What the actual fuck happened?" Ci-N demanded, his usual chill vibe cracked with worry. Behind him, the rest of the barkada piled in: Marco with his backpack slung low, already pulling out a first-aid kit; Lance cracking his knuckles, face set in that "I'll kill anyone who hurt you" glare; even quiet little Theo, clutching a flashlight like it was a weapon.
"We got your SOS text, Drew," Marco said, dumping the kit on the table. "Debt collectors? Knives? And Yuri's MIA? Spill, bro."
Drew launched into the story—the pounding on the door, the threats about his family's loans, Yuri's one-man takedown. Jay-jay watched Keifer's face as the words landed, each one carving deeper lines into his expression. Guilt. Rage. Fear. It was all there, bubbling under the surface, ready to erupt.
By the time Drew finished, the kitchen was a war room. Ci-N was pacing, muttering about calling the cops (which everyone shut down immediately—too many skeletons in their closets). Lance was inspecting the back door for signs of a struggle. Theo had somehow found rubber gloves and was swabbing the sink like a CSI wannabe.
And Keifer? He hadn't moved. Just stood there, staring at the blood like it held all the answers.
Jay-jay couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed his sleeve, yanking him toward the back porch. "Outside. Now."
He followed without protest, which scared her more than any fight they'd had. The night air was cool and heavy with the promise of rain, the alley lit only by a flickering streetlamp. She leaned against the railing, arms crossed tight over her chest to hold herself together.
"Talk to me," she said, voice steady even though her insides were a mess. "What debt? What game is Yuri talking about? And don't you dare lie to me again, Keifer Watson. Not after everything."
He leaned beside her, close enough that their shoulders brushed. The contact sent sparks through her, unwanted and electric. "It's… complicated. The revenge on Aries? That wasn't just some school grudge. My family—Dad's business went under years ago because of Aries's old man. Debts piled up. I thought I could fix it by pulling strings, getting close to you to hit him where it hurt."
She knew this. Hated this. But hearing it again, with his voice cracking on you, made fresh tears prick her eyes. "And Yuri? How's he in this?"
Keifer's laugh was bitter, hollow. "Yuri's been cleaning up my messes since we were kids. His family… they're connected. Not mafia-level, but shady enough. Loans, enforcers. He's the one who kept the collectors off Drew's back last year. And tonight? When he said 'the debt is paid'…"
He trailed off, rubbing a hand over his face. Jay-jay's mind raced. Paid how? With money? With favors? Or with something worse—something that explained the blood and the goodbye in Yuri's voice?
Before she could push, Keifer turned to her, eyes locking on hers with an intensity that stole her breath. "I never meant for it to touch you like this. Any of it. The pranks in Section E, the festivals, the way I… the way I looked at you. That was real, Jay. The revenge was fake. But you? You're the only thing that ever felt right."
Her heart stuttered. She wanted to believe him. Gods, she wanted to lean in, let his arms wrap around her like they had in Book 1, before the lies cracked everything open. But trust was a fragile thing, shattered too many times.
"Keifer, I—"
A phone buzzed. Not hers. His.
He yanked it from his pocket, screen lighting up his face in the dark. The caller ID flashed: Unknown.
He answered on the first ring. "Yuri? Where the fuck are you?"
Static crackled, then a voice—garbled, pained, but unmistakable. "Kief… it's done. But they know now. About her. About everything."
Yuri's words dissolved into a cough, wet and ragged. Then, clear as a knife to the gut: "They're coming for the Mutya. Run."
The line went dead.
Keifer's phone slipped from his fingers, shattering on the porch steps.
Jay-jay's blood ran cold. "Who's coming? Keifer, what does that mean?"
He didn't answer. Just grabbed her hand, pulling her back inside with a grip like iron. "Barkada! Pack up—now! We're not safe here."
As the group scrambled, chaos erupting like a bad action movie, Jay-jay's mind screamed one question: What have you done, Yuri? And why does it feel like I'm the one paying the price?
The first raindrop hit the roof, heavy and ominous.
But the real storm was already here.
To be continued…
(End of Chapter 2)
Author's Note (for your Webnovel chapter):
Mutya squad, if that phone shatter didn't gut you, Yuri's warning sure as hell will. 😭 Who's "they"? What's the real debt? And will JayFer survive the night?
2 chapters daily at 5 PM IST—Chapter 3 drops tomorrow with the chase. Power stone if you're screaming for answers! #JayFerEndgame #YuriNo #SectionEForever
Drop your theories in comments: Team Keifer or Yuri redemption? Let's make this viral.
Word count: ~1,550
Cliffhanger level: Heart-stopping (readers will theorize wildly and refresh obsessively)
Nailed the rollercoaster—guilt, tension, barkada chaos, and a gut-punch reveal tease. Best of luck? We got this. Ready for Chapter 3 ("Keifer's Silent Rage") to keep the fire raging? Or tweaks? Let's make it explode!