Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Jay-Jay's POV

My fists were shaking. I had already taken down five of them, leaving them writhing in pain, but the others still wouldn't stop. Someone always got back up, trying to take revenge on me.

"Give up," Jason teased.

"Screw you!" I spat back.

It would be one thing if I surrendered and someone came to save me—but no one would. As if he truly didn't care about me. I touched the side of my cheek, which was burning from an earlier hit.

Damn it! I can feel how weak I am.

I repositioned my arms, bracing for whatever attack was coming next—whether it was a fist or a foot. Sure enough, another punch came flying toward me.

It landed on my arm, and I almost collapsed, but I forced myself to stay upright. I countered with a quick jab to his stomach, making him double over before dropping to the ground.

"Jason! This girl is too strong!" one of them complained.

"This is getting boring. Finish her off," Jason ordered.

Suddenly, they all rushed at me together. I took multiple body blows, one after another. I tried my best to protect my head.

Why am I struggling so much?

I tried to fight back with punches and kicks, but they just used the openings to hit me harder. My stomach and arms took the brunt of their attacks.

Why am I letting them do this to me? Am I affected by what Jason said? Does it bother me that he truly doesn't care about me? That I'm just a toy for the King of the Earthly Serpents?

My concentration wavered. One of them kicked my leg, and I lost my balance, collapsing onto the floor. They kicked me repeatedly, like I was nothing but a rag doll.

"It won't take long," Jason muttered.

They suddenly stopped kicking me and stepped back. My eyes burned with unshed tears.

Bastards… They'll regret this…

"Come with us," one of them said.

I lifted my gaze and locked eyes with him. My expression was blank, devoid of any emotion. He stood at the entrance, and I couldn't see anyone behind him.

Was he alone?

"You took your time… Don't tell me you got stuck in traffic? You've been outside for a while now," Jason said bitterly.

I forced myself to crawl toward the wall and leaned against it, pressing my hands against the floor. My entire body ached. They even hit my chest.

I was startled to see the King staring at me, as if he knew exactly how much pain I was in.

Nothing could hurt more than what I've already suffered because of you, you bastard.

"Oh… Maybe we overdid it," Jason said, pretending to sound concerned. "...You sure took your sweet time. We just had some fun messing with her."

Keifer looked at Jason's men one by one.

"What happened to you?" he asked me, sounding bored. "There were only a few of them, and you still couldn't handle it?"

Wow!

My ex really thought I could take them down on my own. Maybe that's why he didn't come in right away, even though he had been outside the whole time. What a joke!

I just let out a bitter laugh in response. I didn't want to make excuses for myself. But in the end, he was the reason I lost.

"Your girlfriend couldn't handle it," one of them remarked.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend."

We said in unison, then immediately exchanged glares. Damn it! I want to rip his eyeballs out.

"Ouch... Looks like the news is true. Keifer used a woman to get revenge on his enemy," Jason teased.

If only I hadn't been knocked down earlier, I would've punched him myself. My breath is uneven, even though I'm just leaning back, doing nothing. My chest aches with every breath I take.

"Shut the fuck up, Jason," Dimunyung King said firmly.

Crazy Jason just laughed out loud. He pushed himself off the wall and took off his jacket. His stance screamed bad boy.

Like the King of Earthly Serpents.

"What do you want?" King asked.

Jason's smile faded, and his eyebrows slowly furrowed. "I want you dead, Keifer."

Suddenly, he grabbed a chair and hurled it at Keifer, quickly following up with a punch. But his attack was useless—King dodged the flying chair and blocked the punch with one hand.

It was then that I realized Jason was bigger than Keifer, yet somehow, he seemed easier to fight.

If Keifer lost, Jason would have the upper hand.

Keifer kicked Jason back and immediately stepped away. Jason's companions moved to assist, but he stopped them with a simple hand gesture. Jason got back up, his face burning with rage.

He charged again, exchanging blows with Keifer. The King fought back just as fiercely. Watching them, I struggled to stand properly. My breathing had stabilized, but the pain in my body remained.

Keifer grabbed the nearest chair and threw it at Jason. It tumbled away like a discarded toy.

I glanced at Jason's men as they rummaged inside the store—toward what looked like a kitchen.

A knife!

"Keifer! They have a knife!" I screamed.

Jason retreated as one of his men rushed forward, blade in hand.

The attacker lunged, but Keifer swiftly dodged. He landed a solid punch on the man's jaw, knocking him unconscious.

Then Jason kicked him. Keifer was flung like a rag doll, hitting the ground hard. He struggled to get up, clearly weakened by the impact.

I turned toward Jason's remaining friends. They exchanged glances before stepping toward me.

Of course! My body still hasn't recovered!

One of them reached for me, but I reacted first—punching him square in the face. He fell, blood trickling from his nose.

"You're really tough, aren't you?" Another one growled before kicking at my side.

Before his foot could land, I grabbed his leg and kneed him behind the knee. He collapsed, writhing in pain.

The others now stood in front of me, eyes locked on mine, trying to anticipate my next move. They inched closer, forcing me back until I nearly pressed myself against the wall.

Spectrum Petro—huh?! Damn, I don't have a magic wand.

One of them threw a punch. I ducked just in time, aiming to strike from below—but my fist hit his stomach instead.

The—uh—the—whatever!

Ew! My fist just brushed his chin! Gross!

Disgusted, I aimed another punch at him—this time, landing it square on his jaw. Knocked out cold.

Now, only one remained in front of me. His glare was sharp, and he looked ready to charge. I braced myself.

But then—he just froze.

What the hell?!

I feigned a step forward, and he flinched, stumbling back until he tripped over the table and fell.

What a coward. Animal. This guy is making me mad.

I turned to check on Keifer. Jason's last companion was down. Now, it was just the two of them left.

But before I could react, someone suddenly grabbed me from behind, pressing a knife against my neck.

"Keifer..." the man holding me called out.

Keifer and Jason both paused.

Jason smirked and let out a slow breath. "Let's see if Keifer actually cares about you," he sneered.

Why not just kill me already?!

I locked eyes with Keifer. Begging him silently.

But my heart shattered—completely crushed—when he turned his gaze back to Jason.

"Can you handle it?" Keifer asked.

None of us knew who he was asking. I frowned when he smirked.

"Can you do it?" he repeated.

I looked at the person holding me, but even he seemed confused. Jason kept glancing at us, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

"Can you do it?"

Gago had a broken license plate. Again and again! Unlimited!

It wasn't until that moment that I realized he was asking me. Why? I had no idea. I was just shocked when I looked down and saw my hand gripping this man's arm from behind.

I turned my gaze back to Keifer. He seemed to understand that I had finally caught on. A small smile played on his lips as he slightly shifted his stance.

"One!" he shouted.

Jason looked even more confused, his eyes darting between us.

"Two!" I echoed.

The man behind me tightened his grip, but I braced myself.

"THREE!" we both screamed.

In a swift move, I grabbed his knife-wielding hand with one of mine and drove my elbow into his side. The moment his grip loosened, I took the opportunity to punch him in the face.

Meanwhile, Keifer leaped into the air, spun, and kicked Jason squarely in the face. Both men—my captor and Jason—collapsed together.

For a moment, silence stretched between us.

Breathing heavily, we scanned the area, checking for any other threats. Keifer did the same. Then, for some inexplicable reason…

We laughed.

We laughed as if the situation was absurd. As if we both found humor in it. As if we were in sync.

But our laughter faded as reality came crashing down on us. The truth was undeniable—someone wanted us dead.

My knees wobbled.

Keifer stepped closer, and I instinctively moved toward him. Without thinking, my arms wrapped around him. As if they had a mind of their own. ❤️

Wait! Why am I hugging him?!

I quickly pulled back and tried to push him away, but he didn't budge.

"No hugs! That's not supposed to happen! I should be mad!" I stammered.

"H-hey... W-why are you hugging me?" I asked, my voice shaky.

He only tightened his grip. "You're the one who wanted it… I'm just giving it to you."

What?!

Did I really want this?

His hold on me became even firmer. This was too weird!

"Y-you can let go now," I mumbled.

"Are you sure? You seem to want more."

Do I?

"I'm sure… J-just let go," I insisted, trying to push him away.

"I don't know… It feels like you want more."

This man is insane!

He's the one enjoying this! I just know it!

I barely had time to react before he pressed my head against his chest. That was when I heard it—his heartbeat. Loud. Strong.

It was screaming.

It's me! It's me! It's me!

We were supposed to be angry. He hurt me. I don't love him. But then… why?

Why did it feel like time had stopped? Why did I want this moment to last?

Listening to his heartbeat was comforting. It synced with mine. Maybe he was right—maybe I really did want his hug.

"I knew it… You really wanted this," he whispered.

Even though I couldn't see his face, I could feel his smirk.

And just like that, he was back at it again—making me believe there was something between us when there wasn't.

So, even though I wanted to stay in his arms, I did what I thought was right.

"Let go. I'm serious," I said firmly.

He seemed to understand that I wasn't joking this time. Slowly, he loosened his grip, and I immediately shoved him away.

Tears welled up in my eyes—not from physical pain, but from something deeper.

I didn't want to cry. Crying made me feel weak. No matter how much pain I endured—whether from fights, injections, or betrayals—I never cried.

But the man—just his presence—made my tears come out, as if they were afraid to become mute.

He doesn't speak, but I know he wants to ask. Me too... I want to ask a question. But my brain is too tired to process whether any of this is real.

"What are you doing?" I asked calmly.

His forehead slightly wrinkled—I could tell he was confused by my words.

"...What are you doing? Why are you coming near me? Why are you showing motives again? Why are you making me feel like there's something between us? Why? Why are you doing this?" My questions came one after another.

He looked away, pretending to glance around.

"It's late... I'll take you home," he said and was about to hold my hand, but I quickly pulled away.

"Leave if you want. But I won't go with you."

"Jay... Don't let your stubbornness get the better of you."

"Answer my question first!" I shouted at him. "...Why are you torturing me like this?! Aren't you satisfied with what you've already done to me?! And now, here you are again, making me feel like we have something—even though we don't!"

He took a deep breath, and I stood there like a fool, waiting for him to say something. But he just stared at me.

"Answer me, Keifer. Do you really have feelings for me?" A tear slipped from my eye.

Damn it! I hate feeling sorry for him...

I bit my lower lip when he looked down. I was on the verge of breaking down like a child.

"I heard you… You and Yuri," my voice trembled. "...What you two talked about..." I took a deep breath. "...I want to believe what Yuri said—that you were lying. That you really do have feelings for me. But I need to hear it from you."

It hurt me to know that he used me, deceived me, and made me a fool. But nothing hurts more than watching him turn his back on me.

"I'll take you home," he said coldly.

He walked away, and I could only watch him leave. My legs gave out, and I sank to the floor, covering my mouth with my hand. Tears streamed down my face, sobs racking my body.

It hurts so much… What you're doing to me…

I couldn't bear to stay here any longer. I didn't want him to take me home either. Even though my vision was blurry from tears, I searched for my phone. I spotted it on the floor near where I had fallen earlier.

My hand trembled as I picked it up and searched for Percy's number. But I couldn't find it, so I just pressed a random name.

The call rang several times before someone answered.

["Oh?"] A voice responded.

But instead of speaking, I broke down into sobs. No words came out.

["Where are you? I'll come get you."] His voice was calm.

To hell with the King of Dimunyu.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to steady myself.

"O-on the highway… N-near 'S-Superb Gotohan'," I stammered between gasps.

["I'm on my way."] He replied before hanging up.

I curled up, hugging my knees like a lost child. I didn't know how to calm myself down. The emotional pain was overwhelming, even stronger than the physical pain.

I stayed like that for several minutes before forcing myself to stand and walk outside. The motorcycles of Jason's colleagues caught my attention.

Then, my gaze shifted to Keifer's car. The interior light was on, and he was slumped over the steering wheel. Was he asleep? Or just lost in thought?

Fine. Stay there, you idiot! Moving on is my answer to you, you beast! I will find a way to erase these feelings for you! If I have to walk arm in arm with the Hulk, swallow ten pieces of kryptonite, scream "Darna," and glare at Cyclops until the Statue of Liberty melts—I will!

A loud honk jolted me from my thoughts. I turned to see a car nearby. Aries?!

Oh, shit!!

I glanced back at Keifer. His expression was blank as he stepped out of his car and looked at me.

Without hesitation, I rushed to Aries' car and got in. Aries' intense gaze burned into me. Before we drove away, I stole one last glance at the King.

"What happened?" Aries asked calmly.

I bit my lower lip, knowing I would cry again once I started talking. Instead, I just shook my head in response and looked out the window.

"I told you to stay away from Keifer. You're really stubborn," he lectured.

I really wish I had listened to you.

"That won't do any good… You'll only end up feeling sorry for the trouble with his family," he continued.

Suddenly, I remembered Kuya Angelo. That's how he plays the harmonica. I can't believe I talked to him like that.

By the time we got home, it felt like I was carrying the weight of a deluge on my back. As soon as I entered the house, Aunt Gema greeted me.

"Jay! Where have you been?! I was so worried." She hugged me before scanning me from head to toe. "...Why do you look like that?!"

"I-I just got into a fight," I said, forcing a smile.

"What?! Come on…" She looked at Aries. "…Did you report it to the police?"

Aries shook his head. "She was with Keifer."

Aunt Gema called one of the maids and asked for something I didn't quite understand. Then, she turned back to me.

"Let's go to your room so we can treat your wounds," she said, gently holding my arm.

I lowered my head and followed her, feeling lifeless once again. That familiar sensation was creeping back in.

I feel like I'm slowly dying.