Section D: Lurking Secrets | slow-update

CHAPTER 230

JARED'S POV

The air feels heavy. I can hear her shallow breaths infront of us while taking things to throw out of anger.

She’s trembling,

her hands clutching her jacket tightly as if it’s the only thing keeping her together. I can’t just stand here and watch her fall apart.

" What are we going to do now, Jared? She's fvcking losing herself! " Prian keeps waiting for me to decide what to do.

She’s scared… more scared than she’ll admit.

And right now, she needs someone to hold her together. If I lose my calm, I'll lose her too.

I step closer, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. She flinches at first, but doesn’t pull away.

I can see her pain throught her eyes, through her face. Her reaction says it all. It was all there!

" Jared... " her voice breaks

" Everything will be fine, I promise. "  My chest tightens, but I force my voice to stay calm, grounded, like an anchor she can hold on to.

She doesn’t need promises of answers. She needs to know she’s not alone.

" You don’t have to carry this by yourself. "

I reach for her hand, letting her decide if she wants to take it. After a pause, her fingers curl around mine. Her breathing slows just a little, and for the first time tonight, her shoulders loosen as if she's already at peace hearing those words.

There it is… that spark of trust. As long as she has that, I can keep her standing.

I squeeze her hand gently, pulling her closer so she knows I mean every word.

" I’ve got you. Always. "

I can see her eyes close, a tear slipping down, but this time--it’s relief.

That's when I knew how bad she's hurt right now. Her arms are hugging mine that makes me want to hold her more.

----

" Wala kayong ititira ni isa man sakanila. " I fully announce our main intention why were here in this place.

Our classmates are now eagered to go inside and walk straight into the pit. Kahit ako ay hindi na rin makapaghintay.

The place reeks of rust and silence. My footsteps echo against the concrete floor as I entered an abandoned warehouse.

Every sound reminding me how close--yet how far--I am to finding him. The one who stole her brother’s life!

" Are you going to go this far, Jared? Baka nakakalimutan mo kung ano ang pwedeng maging consequences nito sainyong Section D. " Julien steps forward just to make his useless speech.

" Everything that will happen tonight is under my control. I don't want you here in the first place---don't give me such useless speech. " iniwanan ko siya at nagsimulang maghanap.

I don't want to hear his stupid voice. That thing wouldn't convince me to back off.

Her eyes that night still haunt me---shattered, broken, demanding justice. I promised her I’d find the man who did this.

Not just for her brother… but for her.

I grip the flashlight tighter, scanning every shadow, every dark corner. My heart pounds, not from fear---but rage. The kind that burns slow and steady, the kind that keeps me moving even when the trail grows cold.

" Where are you hiding? "

A flicker of movement. My breath catches. I freeze, listening. There---footsteps, faint, deliberate, like someone trying too hard to stay quiet.

That’s him. It has to be.

I steady my hand on the weapon at my side. No room for hesitation now. Not when her brother’s blood is still fresh in my memory.

Not when she’s counting on me.

After a while of searching, Prian suddenly came up infront of me. Just like me, he is searching for the man behind Noah's death.

" It seems there's people around here before us. " aniya.

" That's for sure. "

" Are you sure we're going to do this? "

" For her… I’ll end this. "

The shadows shift again. My jaw tightens as I take a step forward, each movement careful, calculated. My chest burns with the weight of vengeance---but also with the need to protect her from ever feeling this kind of loss again.

" Pwede naman siguro nating idaan sa usapan 'to, Jared. Malaking kaso 'to sa mga pamilya natin----"

" This isn’t just about justice anymore. It’s about keeping her safe, even if it means walking straight into hell. "

I push deeper into the warehouse, eyes locked on the dark figure ahead. The hunt is over. Tonight, it’s either him or me.

" Are you.... inlove with her? "

I stopped searching when I heard him talked. Rinig na rinig ng tainga ko kung ano ang sinabi niya and I don't have any reason to be in denial.

" What if I do? "

He looked at me in disbelief, " You're crazy. Alam mo namang hindi natin siya--- "

" Why? Why are you stopping me, Prian? " I cut him off. Trying to prove something.

" I'm just saying she's different from all of us, Jared. She doesn't belong to Section D in the first place. " he keeps rebutting.

" Why....because you like her? " I asked and he stopped.

Busted.

" I-It's not like....that. "

I stand across from him, the man who can’t hide the way his eyes follow her, even when she’s not around. I’ve seen that look before---the same one I carry but try to bury deep.

So this is it. The conversation I’ve been avoiding.

He loves her.

I can see it in the way he clenches his jaw when her name comes up, in the way his voice softens whenever he talks about her. And part of me hates him for it...because I understand him too well.

He shifts uncomfortably, waiting for me to speak first. which I still keeping my tone calm but firm.

" You care about her. I get it. But you need to understand something---she’s been through too much already. This isn’t just about who loves her more. It’s about who’s strong enough to stand by her, no matter what comes. "

His eyes flicker with something---defiance, maybe, or pain. I don’t back down. My voice stays steady, because this isn’t about me, or even him. It’s about her.

If he really loves her, he’ll see it too---that her heart isn’t some prize to be fought over. It’s something fragile, something that needs protecting.

after all, she have a heart problem.

" If you want to be there for her, then be there. Be the friend she needs, the hand that steadies her. But don’t break her by forcing something she’s not ready to give. "

He exhales slowly, shoulders heavy. For the first time, his gaze drops. Maybe he understands.

Maybe he doesn’t. Either way, I’ve said what needed to be said.

Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how I feel about her. What matters is her smile---and I’ll protect that, even if it means standing in the shadows.

" You've change, Jared. This isn't you before. " he said so proudly as if I achieve something.

" I guess I did change because of her. "