**Keifer's POV***
I woke up feeling immense pain all over my body. Last night, Clyde and his men attacked me. Thankfully, he didn't know that the password he was after wasn't like the usual vault codes. I walked to the shower, turned it on, and let the warm water run down my body.
I still haven't figured out a solution for my problem with Clyde and Jay-jay. My movements are limited since I don't have my inheritance yet. The only thing I can do is protect Jay-jay when I'm nearby. After my shower and getting dressed, I had to meet with the Elders again, whether I liked it or not.
I heard a knock at my door. "Ready, Keifer?" It was Honey. I opened the door. "Ready." She followed me to the elevator. I didn't mention Clyde's visit to them.
"What are you discussing with those old people?" she asked.
"Nothing new... Just the money in the Watson bank." But there's no money in there. It's full of treasure and gold. I wondered if they knew that. I bet they do; they wouldn't be fighting me over it if they didn't.
When we got out of the elevator, I saw Mr. Ryder standing by the car. I walked over to him.
"You're hiding something from us," he said.
I frowned. "Excuse me?"
"Clyde visited you last night. What did you talk about?"
"Same old, same old." I replied.
"What else?"
I shook my head. I didn't want to talk about it, but maybe they could help.
"He's targeting Jay-jay."
Honey gasped. "Oh my god… He targeted the wrong person."
I gave her a look like I might kill her. "What?" she asked innocently. "I'm telling the truth. Only an idiot would target your girlfriend."
One day, I'll fire that woman. Her words made my headache worse.
I know Jay-jay can defend herself, but not all the time. Her rebellious nature might get her hurt.
"Shut up, Honey, or I will make you." I said and got into the car.
They followed me, and we continued our conversation.
"What are you planning for Jay-jay?" Mr. Ryder asked.
"I have to get home to make sure no one hurts her."
I also need to talk to Yuri and the others; they're the only ones I can rely on right now. I need to talk to Angelo and his mom too.
I've been unable to sleep over this. What if it's him? But that seems impossible. I used to idolize him, even copied his actions, thinking I'd become like him or more. I'm not the only one; Aries, Yuri, and Percy do the same thing.
I remembered the secret trips we made that no one else knew about. I knew Angelo's friends better than Aries, who called him his brother. Maybe that's why we were mistaken for siblings back then. But the idea of being real brothers? That's awful to me.
Suddenly, the car stopped, and Mr. Ryder and I almost collided. Honey fell to the floor.
"What the hell!" she shouted. "Someone blocked our driveway." one of my bodyguards said.
"Can't you find another way?!" Honey asked, fixing her hair.
The driver tried to reverse, but before we could move, someone shot at him. Honey screamed, and Mr. Ryder and I ducked. One of my bodyguards got out, aiming his gun at the car blocking us.
The other bodyguards followed suit.
"What the hell!" Honey screamed.
"Shut up!" I yelled at her.
I peeked outside to see what was going on. The driver's door opened, and a man in a black suit stepped out.
I recognized him. I've seen him before, but I couldn't place where. I kept staring at him as he walked toward the back seat door.
"Don't move! Get out!" one of my bodyguards shouted.
"Relax! Someone wants to talk to Mr. Keifer!" he replied.
I raised an eyebrow. If someone wants to talk to me, they should've said so without shooting my driver—if they really were the shooters.
The back door of the car opened. One of my bodyguards pulled the dead driver out, and a man wearing a black suit emerged. It was Dylan, my father's hitman. As soon as he stepped out, he pointed an Armalite rifle at us.
I didn't see what happened next. Mr. Ryder suddenly pulled Honey and me down, covering us with his own body. Gunshots rang out, and I couldn't tell whose guns they were.
Honey kept screaming every time a bullet hit the car. I was deafened by the noise.
Is this the end of my life? I haven't even celebrated my 18th birthday, finished high school, or stepped foot in college. I haven't even asked Jay-jay to marry me.
I can't die here! I can't die without a fight.
The gunfire gradually stopped. I tried to peek outside, but Mr. Ryder stopped me. I heard the sound of a car speeding away, followed by sporadic gunfire.
The car door opened, and Mr. Ryder let go of us. One of the bodyguards asked if we were alright.
"Yes, we're—"
Honey screamed, and I stopped when I saw why.
"My Uncle's bleeding! He needs help!" she cried.
He got shot... because of me. He tried to protect me, even at the cost of his life.
One of the bodyguards pulled me out of the car and hurried me into another one. Honey was still crying, and I saw the bodies lying in the street. Most of them were my bodyguards, and one was an unfamiliar person.
"We have to save my Uncle!" Honey screamed through her tears.
"We're rushing him to the nearest hospital!" one of the bodyguards assured her.
I couldn't say anything. I was in shock from what had just happened to Mr. Ryder.
"Stop the car! I want to be with my Uncle!" Honey begged.
I hugged her tightly, trying to calm her down. She kept crying. I can't blame her. Her uncle raised her after her parents died in an accident.
"Keifer… Please! I want to be with him." she sobbed.
I turned to the driver. "Drive to the hospital." I ordered.
He hesitated, but I insisted. "Just do it. We need to see Mr. Ryder now!"
He didn't respond and continued driving. Honey calmed down a little, but the guilt was weighing on me. Dylan's presence meant my father was nearby. He'd come for me soon, and I wasn't ready to face him.
I haven't figured out what to do with the inheritance yet. My relatives are using Jay-jay against me. Now Mr. Ryder is in the hospital because of me.
I don't know if I should give up my inheritance. But if I do, my mother's death would have been for nothing. If I accept it, I can protect those I love from a distance.
I'm under so much pressure, and I feel exhausted.
When we arrived at the hospital, Honey rushed inside. I followed her and found her talking to a nurse.
"He's still in surgery. Please wait." the nurse said.
Honey was on the verge of shouting, but I pulled her away gently. I had one of the bodyguards get her some water.
"He'll be fine." I said, though I wasn't sure myself. I know she blames me for what happened.
"I blame you for this," she said quietly. "If anything happens to Uncle, I'll never forgive you."
I expected that. He was more than a lawyer to me. He was a friend.
"Maybe you should go to the Elders. I'll wait here for news about the doctor," I suggested.
I knew she didn't want me there. She wanted me gone, the reason her uncle was in surgery.
I said nothing and left. I asked one of the bodyguards to keep an eye on Honey and make sure she was safe.
They nodded, and I got in the car, instructing the driver to take me to the old mansion.
I needed to face the Elders. I had to speak with them as they requested, out of respect—even if they deserve to be insulted.
We didn't take long to reach the Watson's Old Mansion. I got out quickly, and one of the butlers greeted me.
"Keifer… They're waiting for you" he said, leading me inside.
I followed him, adjusting my coat and fixing my hair.
We stopped in front of the large door on the ground floor. The butler opened it, stepping aside for me to enter.
The Elders were waiting for me, their expressions stern.
"You kept us waiting, Keifer. What took you so long?" one of them asked.
"We ran into some trouble on the way," I replied.
The eldest Elder sighed. The one who always carried a cane, even though he could still walk fine.
"Let's get to the point. We want to know what you found in the Watson bank." The youngest said.
There are five Elders left in the Watson family. Four of them are in front of me now, while the fifth is sitting on a soft sofa reading a book. He's the one who gave me the bank key. I only learned from him that the rest of our relatives don't know he has it. My grandfather purposely left it with him because, unlike the others, he has no interest in the Watson family's wealth.
I walked toward the empty seat in front of the eldest Elder. He sat on a long leather couch, while the others stood nearby.
"Can I sit first?" I asked.
He gestured for me to sit. I sat down and adjusted my coat. Honestly, I felt like collapsing on the floor after everything I've been through.
"Answer our question." one of them commanded.
"Can't you wait? What do you expect to see in a bank?" I replied sarcastically.
They didn't like my answer, but they tried to stay calm. "Bastard," one of them whispered, but I heard it.
"That's exactly what you expected." I added.
I couldn't give them a direct answer. Maybe they don't know what's in the bank yet, or maybe they're playing games with me.
I noticed the three of them smiling at each other.
"Keifer..." the eldest said. "I have a question for you."
"Go ahead."
He pulled two pictures from his coat and dropped them on the coffee table.
I tried not to react. The eldest really knew how to play a game.
"That girl is your girlfriend, right?" I almost clenched my fist. I could say "no" but they wouldn't believe me.
"And this man is named Michael Angelo." he added.
I had a feeling I knew where this was going.
"Isn't it great that your girlfriend and this man are related? What a coincidence!" he laughed.
"And the most amazing part is... that Michael Angelo is candidate as the missing child of your father."
Dammit!
They knew something I didn't. But he said "candidate" meaning they don't have proof yet.
"Amazing indeed." I said, trying not to sound sarcastic. "You knew he could be your missing older brother. You tried to investigate him by getting close to her cousin."
Wow... just wow.
I suddenly burst out laughing at what the eldest said. I didn't realize how imaginative they were. They should meet Ci-N; they'd probably enjoy each other's company.
I saw their serious faces as they clearly didn't like my reaction. I stopped laughing after a while.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that..." I held back more laughter
"… everything you said doesn't make sense."
"Is that so?" the youngest Elder said sarcastically.
"Then explain to us who this girl is and how you met Michael Angelo."
Apparently, they haven't been tracking everything I've been doing. That's a relief; at least I can still move around without them knowing.
"Angelo and his brother used to be my friends, but things went wrong, and we parted ways. Unfortunately, I became rivals with his brother, which means I met Angelo first before that girl." I explained. They exchanged looks.
The oldest Elder picked up a picture of Jay-jay. I wanted to snatch it away. I knew they were showing me her picture for a reason. She had nothing to do with this!
"What's your exact relationship with this girl?" he asked, playing with the picture.
Think, Keifer!
They're going to use Jay-jay against me. I need to think fast. I can't let her get involved. What if something happens to her like what happened to me earlier?
"She's... s-she's—"
"She's your what?" The eldest asked eagerly.
Think! I had to be careful with my answer. I glanced at Angelo's picture on the coffee table, which also showed Aries' face.
Jay-jay...
"She's nothing... I'm just using her for my revenge."