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

Keifer's POV

Ion stares at my secret phone for a while.

"Her name is Jay-Jay? I thought she was a guy," she says, smiling.

"She's cute. But why is her picture like this? Can I see a decent photo of her?"

I show her the picture from Ci-N. As expected, Jay-Jay isn't looking at the camera—her nostrils are flared as she glares at someone.

Ci-N never gives me a proper shot of her.

"Swipe the screen. Maybe you'll find one," I say before sitting beside Ion.

I just finished dressing up for the party. Ion helped me choose an outfit after I cried a river. I can't believe I did that in front of her, like a child. The only person I've ever cried like that in front of is Jay-Jay.

She smiles as she scrolls through a few funny pictures of my queen.

"I like her already," she says, handing my secret phone back.

"She's the reason you don't want to marry me?"

"And her cousin is the reason you want to marry me," I replied

Her smile fades as she processes my words.

"Cousin? She's Oh Dear's cousin?" She looks shocked and worried but then laughs. "What did you say? I know you two aren't exactly on the same page."

"Well, he obviously doesn't like the idea of me being with his cousin. Sometimes, I receive curses or threats."

She giggles. "He's always been that possessive. I didn't know he'd be the same with his girl cousin."

I raise an eyebrow. I can see a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.

"Only with her," I say, standing up.

Ion follows me. I organize my things and check Mom's gift. She always surprises me. She has so much faith that I'll accept her gifts.

"How did you find me, anyway?" I asked.

"I called your brother, then he called your driver." She smiles innocently.

I nod and make sure Mom's gift is kept in a place where no one will easily find it. I have no plans to bring it to the party—it contains a lot of important documents.

I step outside, Ion right behind me. Uncle is getting ready, fixing his bow tie while his butler stands beside him.

"Ready?" he asked.

"I think so," I answered.

He chuckled. "I'll wait for you outside."

I head out first, knowing Ion is close behind. I approach the car that brought her here.

"See you at the party tonight," I say, opening the door for her.

She steps closer, stopping right in front of me. "You mean tomorrow night?"

"Tss. Same thing. My birthday is in a few hours."

"Then it's almost your birthday," she says with a smile, leaning in.

I think she's going for a cheek kiss, but then I realize—she's aiming straight for my lips. I jerk back to avoid it, but I hit the car door. She takes advantage of my situation and presses forward.

I turn my head away, but her lips still brush the corner of mine. I quickly push her back and glare at her.

"Ion," I say firmly.

She smiles innocently. "Happy birthday, Keifer. I will always be your first kiss."

She gets into the car. But you won't be the last.

I shut the door and walk away, stopping when I see Uncle and his butler watching me intently. Ion's car engine hums as she drives off.

Uncle shakes his head. "Young people are so complicated."

"I-it's not what you think," I tried to explain, but they turned their backs on me.

"What can I say? You're a Watson, after all."

He gets into his car, leaving me standing there. I watch them drive away before exhaling sharply and heading toward my own car. My driver starts the engine and follows Uncle's vehicle. I wipe the side of my lips.

Fuck this! Fuck this! Fuck this!

If anyone finds out what she did, I'm doomed. I can't believe I let it happen. Even if it was indirect, it was still a kiss.

Jay-Jay can't know about this. She's already on the verge of giving up on me. If she finds out, she might leave me forever.

I spend the entire ride overthinking everything, trying to figure out how to keep this from getting out.

When we finally reach the Watson Mansion, I'm staring at my secret phone. Expensive cars are parked in front. I check the time.

One hour.

The car stops, and I immediately step out. Uncle and his butler are waiting for me by the door.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," I say.

"Are you ready, birthday boy?" Uncle asks.

I rub the back of my neck. "Please don't call me that."

He laughed and turned around. We started walking toward the mansion's entrance, joined by a few relatives.

Some greeted my uncle but ignored me completely, as if I don't exist. I'm not sure if they genuinely don't know me or if they're just choosing to pretend.

As we approached the hall, staff members opened the doors, and classical piano music floods the air.

Let me vomit.

Uncle walks in first, followed by his butler and me. Some people glanced our way, and the moment they recognized me, their expressions changed. A few step aside, avoiding my path. Whispers spread through the crowd, and others gave me forced, plastic smiles.

I can already hear the elders' loud laughter from across the room. I should brace myself for their insults.

"Kier, you shouldn't be here," the eldest elder says as we reached them.

"This is my house too. I have the right to be here, Maveric," Uncle replies flatly.

"I'm talking about your health condition," the eldest snaps, irritation clear in his voice.

I saw the superiority through him. Intimidating despite his ages.

Funny. In all my time here, I only just learned the first name of the oldest. Maybe because I never really gave a fuck about him.

"My health never matters to you."

I wanted to laugh at Uncle Kier's frankness with him. It's also obvious that he has collapsed. I glanced at the other Elders, who are clearly unhappy to see us. One of the Elders standing beside the oldest looked at me.

"Keifer, go find Hazel," he commanded.

I nod briefly and bid my goodbyes to them before walking off to look for my cousin as instructed.

So many rich people.

I almost laughed at my own thoughts. Of course, they wouldn't be Watsons if they weren't wealthy. I watched them display their sophistication—jewelry gleaming from every part of their bodies, expensive clothes flowing as they move. There are too many voices, too many conversations. Drinks are everywhere, and the buffet is overflowing.

This is the first celebration, and this is how a Watson organizes a party.

When they say "Watson Style," they mean it. Party like there's no tomorrow. Drink like it's your last drink. Dance like no one is watching. And they say rich people are boring?

A Watson birthday party consists of two celebrations. The first starts at midnight, welcoming the celebrant's special day as soon as the clock strikes 12. The second celebration is held at the end of the day.

The first event is usually for the celebrant's relatives, while the second is opened to invited guests.

I don't see the point of having two parties. The same things happen at both—the birthday person is introduced, they eat, talk a little, dance, and then go home. So what's the difference? It's just a waste of time.

I spot Hazel talking to someone. I have no intention of approaching her, but she sees me first and comes over. She gives me a light slap on the cheek. Those nearby glance at us, but Hazel immediately smiles and fixes my clothes.

"That's not how you wear Gucci," she says, forcing a smile.

"Yeah, right," I replied sarcastically.

She leaned closer and whispered, "That's for hurting my brother."

I already knew that. My lips curl into a smirk as I leaned in and whispered back, "He deserved it."

Hazel pushes me slightly, and I see the anger in her eyes. We have the same expression when we're mad. Must be a Watson trait.

"Don't start with me," she warns.

"Your brother started it. He's always testing my patience."

She sighs. "I'll let it pass for now. But next time, you'll pay."

I rolled my eyes. She can make me pay now if she wants. I'd like to see what she's capable of as a Watson.

Hazel hooks her arm around mine and pulls me toward the group of people she was speaking with earlier.

"Keifer…" she got my attention. "These are our other cousins."

I glanced at them and almost raised an eyebrow. It's obvious they don't want to meet me. They offered forced smiles, and some looked me up and down. Since no one makes a move, Hazel did the introductions. She released my arm and stepped toward one of them.

"Keifer, this is Angelica Louise Sendrijas. She owns Sendrijas Pharmaceutical Company in Germany," she says. She tries to hide her irritation, but I can still sense it. She extends her hand for a handshake.

"Nice to meet the only heir to Watson's inheritance," Angelica says sarcastically.

I simply looked at her handed before glancing at the others with cold indifference. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her growing more annoyed until she finally storms off.

Hazel shoots me a warning look before turning to another cousin.

"I want you to meet the head of the Orcas Foundation, Hannah Luisa Orcas."

Hannah smiles politely but doesn't bother to offer a handshake. I show no reaction. Next, she introduces the twins who have been eyeing me for a while.

"This is Ayana Rain and Dana. They manage a well-known jewelry brand in Paris."

They both smiled at me. Hazel then drags me toward another group.

"Gierence…" she catches their attention. "...This is Keifer, our cousin from the Philippines."

I nearly raised a brow. Incomplete introduction. She should have mentioned that I'm the heir of the family. Gierence extends his hand for a handshake, but I ignored it. Instead, I gave him a small nod before he pulled a woman closer.

"This is my wife, Samantha," he says, though his glare doesn't go unnoticed.

I know that look. I'm not interested in his wife. I have my beautiful Jay-Jay. Hazel continues introducing me to more people, nearly running out of time in the process. But finally, my suffering under her grasp comes to an end.

The oldest Elder steps onto the mini stage and speaks into the microphone. I notice our other cousins signaling us to move closer. Hazel goes first, and I followed.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. As the eldest member of this family, I would like to thank you all for joining us…" He raises his champagne glass. "As you all know, the only heir of this family is celebrating his upcoming birthday. He is now of legal age to accept the first term of the last will and testament of my late brother, Keeper."

Yep, I have the same name as him.

"From this night onward, he will no longer be the bastard of this family but the next CEO of Watson Enterprise. So please, come closer and sing with us. Let's welcome the day of his birth."

A grand cake is carried onto the stage amid applause. It's a sleek black cake with gold lettering spelling out my name and 'Happy Birthday.' Very simple, yet elegant and expensive.

Keigan pushes me toward the center, and Uncle Kier nudges me onto the stage. My face remains expressionless as I glance at everyone.

Keigan smiles while clapping. "Happy Birthday, Kuya."

I ruffle his hair. "Thank you, Keigan."

He steps aside, allowing me to approach the cake. The crowd begins singing in unison.

🎶 "Happy Birthday to you…" 🎶

While watching them and listening to their song, I couldn't help but think of my friends. We used to celebrate together—drinking all night, enjoying endless food, and even renting a karaoke machine just to hear Ci-N sing the entire songbook.

We celebrated as if there was no tomorrow. I can imagine how happy I was back then, and I would be even happier if Jay-Jay had joined us.

The song ended, and the guests waited for me to blow out the candles. I did as they expected, and they responded with loud applause.

Keigan handed me the microphone. "Please thank them for attending your party."

I took the mic and spoke.

"Thank you all for coming to my birthday party."

I looked at the crowd and was shocked to see an unexpected visitor.

The Monster.

"...but I don't need you here. So please leave and make sure I never see your faces again," I said, keeping my eyes locked on him.

I heard the Eldest gasp, and Keigan called my name. The guests murmured among themselves, throwing harsh words at me. Some called me a bastard, while others accused me of being disrespectful.

Gradually, the people left—except for him and his men.

"Keifer! What the hell is this?!" the Eldest demanded.

"He's here," I whispered almost inaudibly.

Everyone turned to look in the same direction as me.

"Kaizer," Uncle Kier said, his voice tense.

I felt Keigan's presence behind me. "K-Kuya..."

"Sshh... I'm here, Keigan. I won't let him hurt you," I assured him without taking my eyes off the man.

One of the Eldest gave a command to the crew. Immediately, they moved to close the doors as the last guest left. Bodyguards appeared, surrounding the entire hall. The Monster clapped his hands as he approached us.

"Happy Birthday, my son," he said, spreading his arms as if expecting a hug.

We stepped off the mini stage, cautiously approaching him.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Uncle Kier demanded, his voice laced with threat.

"Attending my precious son's party," he replied, giving us a sinister smile. "Of course, I wouldn't miss my child's special day. After all, I am his father."

For some reason, my heartbeat quickened when he emphasized that last word. It made me feel sick, but I knew there was a deeper meaning behind it.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to steady myself. "You're not getting a single penny from my inheritance."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You're just like your mother."

I glanced at his men and noticed Dylan—his hitman—staring at Keigan. I instinctively shifted to block his view.

"Leave now, Kaizer, or I'll make you," the Eldest warned.

"Oh, please, not yet," Kaizer said, feigning innocence, but his smile was anything but friendly. His expression then turned serious as he looked straight at me.

"We have something important to discuss."

"Say what you came to say," I demanded, my glare unwavering.

He smirked. "No, son. You're the one who has something to say to me."