Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 3) English (On-going)

Keifer's POV

They're so noisy! What's wrong with these two? It seems like Jay-Jay left them alone, and now they're free to fight.

A child and a child's mind.

I took out my secret phone and texted Jay again, but still no response. I've sent several messages, yet nothing. She probably hasn't checked her phone.

She's the only girl I know who doesn't obsess over her phone. Most people practically have their phones glued to their hands.

I heard my stomach growl. I should have eaten earlier at Sir Alvin's house. The problem is, Ma'am Cindy's cooking isn't great. I just didn't want to say anything.

She might point a gun at me.

Speaking of guns, maybe I should start learning how to use one. Yuri knows how to use a gun, and of course, he has a license. I can't say for sure yet, but sooner or later, I might need one.

I stopped thinking when I noticed the sudden silence outside. No one seemed to be around, so I quickly approached the door and peeked outside.

I didn't see any Pokémon—I mean, humans.

I stepped out, making sure to lock the door. After returning the key to its original place, I walked away. But just as I reached the stairs, an unexpected figure appeared.

Percy.

"What the…" he whispered. "I thought you were in London."

Not anymore. I'm late, but I just need to make sure he stays quiet.

"Just visiting," I said, glancing around to check if anyone else was nearby. "Listen, no one can know that I'm here."

His lips curled into a mischievous smile. I could already tell what was running through his mind. As always.

"Make me," he said, grinning like a lunatic.

I knew it.

I sighed heavily. "I'm not joking, Percy."

"So serious," he pouted like a child.

A nerve in my head nearly popped from irritation. What's wrong with him? Did he forget to take his vitamins again?

I pulled the disposable phone from my other pocket. There was a message from Angelo, but I didn't open it. I turned back to Percy.

"I need to go. So, if you could just keep your mouth shut…"

This time, he straightened up, though a silly smile still peeked through.

"What are you doing here?"

"I already told you—I'm just visiting."

I headed down the stairs, and of course, he followed. It was lunchtime, meaning students were scattered everywhere. Too many people could see me.

I adjusted the hood of my sweater. It was one of the things I asked Honey to bring. I put it on earlier before coming to school.

"Aren't you going to take a peek at Jay-Jay?" he teased.

"I already did," I replied. Even if it was just for a moment.

"Ayyiieeehhh… You miss—"

I immediately clamped a hand over his mouth. With how loudly he was teasing me, someone was bound to hear. Especially here, in Section E's building.

"Shut your mouth," I said calmly.

He nodded slightly. I let go of him slowly but kept my eyes on him. If he tried anything stupid, I wouldn't hesitate to punch him.

Try me.

He opened his mouth to speak again, so I raised my fist. He noticed and immediately took a step back.

"Easy, boy," he said, pointing at my hand.

I lowered it and shot him a sharp glare. "I'm in a hurry."

"Then go away. Ugly." He sighed.

I turned my back on him and walked away. I spotted Ci-N moving like a turtle somewhere, but I just passed by and walked even faster, lowering my head when I passed groups of students.

I didn't pay attention to who they were. I reached the gate without anyone stopping me or questioning me. As I stepped outside, I looked at the guard and lowered my hood just enough for him to recognize me.

He nodded, and I left. I hailed the first taxi I saw.

"Just drive," I told the driver, and he pulled away from the curb.

I took out my secret phone and sent Jay-Jay a message to say goodbye. I knew she wouldn't see it, but I still wanted to send it. Then, I grabbed the disposable phone and checked Angelo's text.

📩

From: Demon

Message: I already talked to them. Want to hear the update?

I called him immediately. I couldn't waste any more time. I needed to be a part of his group. Having them as my allies was like having my own gold mine.

["Keifer."] He answered.

"I want to hear it. Where can we meet?"

["Where are you?"]

"Financial District."

["That fast? I expected you to return in… hmm…"] He paused, as if thinking. ["…never?"]

I chuckled. "That can happen," I said, smiling wickedly. "If I'm with Jay-Jay."

["And that will never happen."] I could feel his anger and his desire to break my face. ["Let's meet at Kingground, and I'll wring your neck there."]

He ended the call, making me laugh. I immediately told the driver the location. It didn't take long to get there. As soon as we arrived, I paid and got off. I paused for a moment when I noticed the familiar cars. There weren't as many as before, but I knew they were still around.

I walked inside and briefly greeted the bouncers before heading straight to Tiger's office.

"He's here!" someone announced.

"A round of applause for our new member!" It was Ervin Schnee.

I glanced at Angelo and noticed his gaze fixed on me. He was holding a glass of wine.

Tiger approached and put an arm around me. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"He's not ready for initiation," Angelo said, pouring himself another drink.

I turned to Ervin, who was grinning at me, waiting for an explanation. He took a sip from his glass before setting it down.

"Unfortunately, we can't start the initiation because you're a minor."

What?!

"Then when? Do I have to wait until my 21st birthday?" I asked in disbelief.

"18 years of age will do," Angelo replied. "Here in my country, 18 is the legal age."

Tiger removed his arm and nudged me toward one of the chairs. I couldn't take my eyes off Angelo and Ervin, who were sitting next to each other.

"Listen, kid," someone said, sitting beside me. "You're almost 18, so you don't have to worry."

It was the guy with soft, Asian features—either Korean or Chinese. I nodded at him before turning back to Angelo.

"But maybe we can give him the requirements now," Ervin suggested.

He waited for the others to confirm. I hadn't known there were requirements.

Angelo put down his glass, stood up, and motioned for me to follow him. I hesitated for a moment before obeying. As we left Tiger's office, I glanced back at his companions.

He remained silent, so I did too. He led me to the center of the dance floor, stopping in front of the glass office.

"Listen, Keifer. If you do this, you have to sacrifice things to get what you want," he began. "This isn't a joke. What you're getting into isn't an ordinary fraternity."

"Just get to the point."

He shot me a deadly glare. "This is serious!"

"I know. But I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"When you join this group, there's no turning back. There are rules you can't break because the price is your life."

"I... I need this," I almost begged.

He looked toward the glass office for a moment before sighing. He shook his head and rubbed his neck.

"The requirements are simple. First, you need enough money to pay the annual fee."

"I have a company and a bank full of gold," I said, but he ignored me and continued.

"You must be of legal age, which will happen in a few weeks. You must also have a group of friends who can be recruited as either Low or High Rankers."

He must have already known that I was aware of those rankings.

"Make sure you'll be powerful."

"Not a problem."

"Education is a must. You have to finish college."

I held my breath. The requirements seemed basic. Even if he hadn't mentioned them, I would have met them anyway.

"That's basic. Aren't there any heavy requirements?"

I could see the irritation in his eyes.

"Learn to use a gun and be ready to kill someone," he said seriously.

Kill someone.

Could I really take another life just to be in this group? I wasn't sure.

"I would have explained more, but you said those were just basic to you," he added.

He started to walk away but quickly turned back to say one last thing.

"You'll have to sign a contract. At the end of it, there's a blank space where you write the name of the person who will receive everything you leave behind if something happens to you. Who will you put down?"

The person I leave behind will receive my assets. I could put my siblings, but they would already inherit the Watson fortune if something happened to me.

"You'll put Jay-Jay?" he asked.

I nodded. "Maybe. Even if we're not married yet."

Usually, people put a relative's name there. Angelo raised an eyebrow at me.

I smirked. "We'll get married soon anyway, so I don't see the difference."

"Too much confidence, Keifer. Too much."

I wanted to strangle him from where I stood, but he quickly returned to his serious demeanor.

"The name you write down is the one you will sacrifice to the group."

Horror gripped me. What did he mean?

"What—?"

He cut me off. "If you make a mistake or break the rules of the group, they'll take Jay-Jay from you."

"Then I'll put someone else."

"Put your siblings, your friends, or any of your relatives. But you can't put a random name."

Damn it.

"Who did you put?" I asked.

I expected him to say his mother, but of course, he was a smartass.

"Someone they can never take away from me."

"Because she already ran away," I said, and I saw pain flash in his eyes.

He shrugged it off and continued walking back to Tiger's office.

"Make sure you follow what I said, or you'll lose her," he warned without looking at me.

I looked toward Tiger's office. Everyone inside was watching us. Ervin raised his glass with a smile.

It's clear to me what he wants to convey. He wants me to follow his orders so I won't lose Jay-Jay. But it feels more like he's using Jay to control me.

My fist clenched in frustration. He's up to something—something he'll surely use to get what he wants.

I heard the disposable phone ring in my pocket. It was a message from the pilot of my private jet.

He sent me the flight schedule. In three hours, we'll be traveling back to London. I have to return because Keigan might get suspicious.

I haven't received a message from Honey yet. I wasn't worried, but I had a feeling something was on his mind.

I needed to leave soon—the flight would take several hours, and the jetport was still far from the city. After leaving Kingsground, I had to walk a bit before finding a ride.

A taxi stopped in front of me. I told the driver my destination and let him drive. As expected, the journey took more than two hours.

My fare was high, and I didn't have enough cash left in my pocket. So, I paid with my wristwatch.

He could probably buy ten taxis with that.

As I approached the jet, I spotted the pilot holding a cup of coffee. He paused when he saw me.

"You're early," he said.

"Can we leave now?" I asked before stepping onto the plane.

He followed me inside and glanced at his wristwatch.

"I'll get the plane ready."

Before sitting down, I checked if the flight attendant was with us again. Luckily, he wasn't. If he were, I might have killed Mr. Moscow.

I waited almost half an hour before we took off. I figured I should get some sleep—our flight was eight hours long, and I had nothing else to do.

I didn't know how long I had been asleep when a ringing phone woke me up. It rang several times before I groggily reached into my pocket for my secret phone.

I had missed multiple calls from Edrix. The number of missed calls shocked me. My phone rang again, and I answered immediately.

"Edrix," I said.

["Keifer..."] He sounded distressed. ["Damn it! Took you long enough to answer!"]

"What is it?"

He cursed several times. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but for some reason, I suddenly felt uneasy.

"Edrix! What the hell is happening?!"

["Ci-N and Jay-Jay! Someone attacked them!"]

Fuck!

"Who? Is it one of the gangs that challenged us?"

My fists clenched. I had been so close to him earlier, yet I hadn't realized something was about to happen. This is my fault. I shouldn't have left first.

["No! Mykel's group!"] he spat in anger. ["Bro… come back! Jay-Jay is in bad shape!"]

"I'm on my way," I said before ending the call.

I rushed to the cockpit. The pilot looked startled when he saw me.

"Mr. Watson?" he asked in surprise.

"You need to turn this plane around," I ordered.

"We can't. We're almost in London." He pointed at his watch.

We had already been flying for two hours. But I had to go back. Jay-Jay needed me.

"Do what I said, or I'll jump out of this plane!" I snapped.

He shook his head and turned off the autopilot.

"Go back to your seat," he said.

I did. I could feel the plane turning.

Just wait for me. I'll make them pay. I'll break them.