Jayden's eyes flicked to her, surprised she'd hit the mark so cleanly. But instead of questioning her, he cut straight to the point, voice low and edged. "He's the one, isn't he? The mysterious figure Principal Thompson always talks about. The one who's been watching me… all my life."

Penelope's silence stretched, heavy, like she was weighing every word. When she finally spoke, it wasn't an answer.. not exactly. Her reply slid sideways, deliberate, careful.

"I'm sure by now you've realized Castor and Katherine are your family." she said.

Jayden's brow furrowed, his frown deepening. "Yeah. I know. But that doesn't give him the right to…" he cut himself off, jaw clenching, before letting out a sharp, frustrated exhale. "You know what? I'm not even upset about the fact that he's spying on me. I just want to know… why?" he said sharply, his voice cracked with restrained anger, his words hitting harder than if he'd shouted.

His knuckles whitened further against the wheel as he continued.

"If he's really my family, then why hasn't he ever once reached out to me? Why did he sit back and watch while…" His breath hitched, old pain clawing up his throat. He forced it down, but his next words came out like broken glass. "Watch as my family fell apart? Why?!"

Penelope's expression softened with a sadness she couldn't mask. She sighed, her eyes dimming. "Honestly… I don't know either. And believe me, Jayden, I've asked the same thing. I've confronted him, demanded answers. But with Castor…" she shook her head, helpless, "It's all so complicated. Complicated in ways even I don't understand."

Jayden scoffed bitterly, his gaze fixed on the road, but his words laced with raw hurt. "So he really is the one. The mysterious figure. And all this time I wondered who it could be… what they wanted. And then to find out he's family? And not just that, but that he doesn't even care what happens to me?" His voice dropped, low and bitter. "It's like he's been watching just for fun. Like I'm some… experiment. A story he gets to sit back and watch play out."

Penelope exhaled softly, her eyes shadowed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe he doesn't care. Maybe he just watches to see how things play out. But…" She leaned forward slightly, her gaze piercing his profile. "Ask yourself this, Jayden. Has Castor been the one responsible for everything that's happened to you?"

The question landed heavy, sinking into the quiet of the car.

Jayden let out a slow breath, his jaw unclenching. He didn't even need to say it. Of course it wasn't Castor.

Penelope read his silence and nodded. "Exactly. Whether he's watching or not doesn't matter. What will happen… will happen. Castor can't change that. No one can." She placed a hand lightly over his arm, grounding him. "So don't let yourself drown in the thought of who's watching you. Don't give him that power. Live your life. Focus on the people who are here.. the ones who care about you, who stand beside you."

Jayden's shoulders eased, his breath softening. She was right. Castor hadn't caused his misfortunes, and he sure as hell wouldn't dictate his future. Watching or not, he wasn't the one who'd save him. That was on Jayden himself.

It hit him like a reminder written in blood and instinct: No one is coming to save you. Save yourself.

He exhaled, voice calm but firm. "You're right. Castor watching me doesn't matter. All that matters are the people here… the people I want to protect. And I can't let myself get distracted or bitter because someone out there refused to step in. That just means… I need to get stronger. Strong enough that I'll never have to depend on anyone."

Penelope's lips curved into a proud, tender smile. "That's the spirit. But remember, Jayden… you don't have to do it alone. You don't have to walk this road by yourself. I'm here. Jacob, Harleen, the girls.. we're all here. You can lean on us." she said softly.

Jayden glanced at her, the tension in his face breaking into a small smile. He nodded. "I know." he replied softly.

Penelope exhaled. Relief softened her features as she exhaled, a weight sliding off her shoulders. She had managed to reach him.

But then Jayden's gaze sharpened again, a shadow still clinging to him. He turned to her briefly, his voice lower, troubled. "But… something still bothers me."

Penelope arched a brow. "What's that?" she asked.

Jayden's jaw tightened before he answered, each word heavy. "I don't know why… but I have this feeling that Castor knows where Jasmine is."

Penelope let out a small chuckle, tilting her head back toward the night sky outside her window. "Hmm, perhaps he does. Perhaps he doesn't." Her tone softened, wiser, grounded. "The point is.. whether he knows or not doesn't matter. What matters is that you stay true to your goal of finding her. At all costs. With or without him."

Jayden's eyes narrowed, resolve blazing back into them. "Yeah. You're right. I'll find her. Even if he knows or where she is or not… I'll find her." His words carried iron certainty, but under it burned adamance.

"But I'm very sure he knows." he murmured, because deep down, Jayden knew. Castor was a founder of the EVA. There was no way he wouldn't know where Jasmine was. To believe otherwise was impossible.

Penelope studied him quietly, her lips curving into a small, knowing smile. She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Well… guess we'll never really know."

Jayden smirked faintly, eyes still sharp on the road. "Yeah. Guess we won't."

The car rolled on, carrying their silence, their confessions, and their unspoken promises into the night.

The rest of the ride home was drowned in silence. The hum of the hovercar's engines was the only sound that dared intrude. Jayden's hands were steady on the wheel, but his knuckles were pale, the adrenaline still tapering from the chaos of the gala. On the outside, he looked calm, almost too calm.. but Penelope, sitting in the passenger seat, could feel the storm he was containing beneath that mask of composure.

She sneaked glances at him through the tinted reflection of the glass. Normally, she'd tease him, say something playful to cut the tension, but tonight her lips stayed shut. Something about him had shifted. The boy who had walked into that hall was not the same one sitting beside her now.

Finally, the car eased down onto the Isley estate platform. Jayden landed the hovercar with a gentle touch, the engines lowering into a soft mechanical sigh before powering down. The platform lights washed over them in pale gold. Yet neither of them moved.

They sat there, suspended in the weight of unspoken words.

Penelope broke first. Her voice was soft, almost hesitant. "So… I guess this is it."

Jayden turned his head slightly, giving her a wry, crooked smile. "Yeah."

And just like that, silence claimed them again. Not hostile, but thick. The kind of silence that lovers often drown in when the air between them is too heavy with feelings they're not ready to voice.

Seconds stretched. Then, as if cued by fate, both opened their mouths at the same time.

"I—"

"Thank—"

They stopped, blinked, then shared a smile that dissolved the tension just a little.

"You first," Penelope offered softly, tilting her head.

Jayden shook his head with that quiet stubbornness of his. "No… you."

Penelope hesitated, then let out a breath. "Alright."

Her hazel eyes locked on him, steady now, and her words spilled like a confession she had been holding for far too long. "What I wanted to say was… Thank you, Jayden. For coming with me tonight. For standing by me tonight. This isn't the first time, or even the second, that you've defended me. And every time, you never think twice. You just… do it. Like you care more about my dignity than your own safety."

Her voice softened, vulnerable. "It's clear to me now, Jayden. You care about me deeply. And I want you to know… I care for you too. I'll always be with you, no matter what."

Jayden froze for a heartbeat, taken aback. Those words weren't casual, they were heavy, intimate, almost binding. His lips tugged into a smile, slow and genuine. "Thank you for that. I promise to always be with you as well." he said. and he reached out, placing his hand over hers.

The touch was electric. Warmth spread instantly, tingling, like some hidden current passed between them. Penelope's breath caught; it felt like being a teenager again, like that dizzy rush of holding someone's hand on the night of your first confession.

Jayden felt it too, but for Penelope it hit deeper. Her chest fluttered, her cheeks flushed, her mind scattered. And before she could think, she leaned in, closing the space, and pressed her lips to his.

Jayden's eyes widened in shock, but he didn't resist.

Her kiss was fierce, desperate, not tentative like a shy maiden but hungry like a woman who had finally broken through her own walls. Her tongue slipped past his lips, and he met her halfway. The air grew hot, the kiss deepened, turning long, passionate, weighted with everything unspoken between them.

When they finally pulled apart, breathless, a thin bridge of saliva still linked them. They pressed their foreheads together, smiling, panting softly, eyes locked in that unbreakable gaze that said more than words ever could.

And then, softly, without thinking, Penelope whispered:

"I love you."