KEIFER POV
✦✦✦✦✦ NEXT DAY ✦✦✦✦✦
Morning came faster than I wanted.
I had a meeting today — and so did Jay — which meant Mabel would be taking care of the kids.
They didn't complain, though.
They loved her.
Still, a part of me wished I could stay home with them instead of sitting in some boardroom
I got dressed, fixed my tie, and headed downstairs.
The kids were already at the table, half‑awake, hair messy, eating breakfast like tiny zombies.
"I'm heading out," I said, leaning down to kiss each of their heads.
Kevin didn't pull away this time.
That alone made my chest feel lighter.
Keira grabbed my sleeve for a second before letting go.
Kade waved with a mouth full of food.
I smiled at all three of them, then stepped outside.
And now… I was waiting for Jay.
Hands in my pockets.
Trying not to look nervous.
Trying not to think too much about last night — the kids sleeping on me, Jay breathing softly on the other side of the bed, the quiet warmth I hadn't felt in years.
I heard the door open behind me.
And I knew it was her.
"Morning, Jay," I said.
She just nodded.
Of course. She only talks to me when the kids are around — like I'm a coworker she barely tolerates.
"I can drop you off since we have the same meeting," I offered, opening the passenger door for her.
"No thanks," she said immediately, walking straight toward her car.
I couldn't help the smirk that tugged at my lips.
She reached her car, opened the door, and—
"What the fuck?" she yelled.
I bit back my laughter so hard my chest hurt.
Yeah… I may or may not have let the air out of her tires this morning.
Never in my life did I think I'd stoop to something like that.
But desperate times call for desperate measures.
And I was very, very desperate to get her in my car.
I walked over, putting on my best innocent face.
"What happened?" I asked, like I hadn't sabotaged her entire morning.
She turned and glared at me — the kind of glare that could peel paint off a wall.
Yeah, she definitely knew it was me.
She just didn't know how to prove it.
I looked at her car, pretending to inspect it.
"My car wheels are out of air," she said through clenched teeth. "Some asshole did it."
I nodded slowly, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.
"Wow," I said, shaking my head. "People these days."
She narrowed her eyes at me so hard I swear she was trying to set me on fire with her mind.
"So how are you gonna get to the meeting today?" I asked, pretending to be concerned.
"I'll call an Uber," she said flatly.
I panicked.
"You know, Jay… Ubers these days are coming very late," I blurted out. "By the time you get there, the meeting will be over."
I prayed she'd buy it.
She didn't.
But she also didn't have a choice.
She let out a long, annoyed sigh and walked past me toward my car.
I followed, trying not to look too triumphant.
She stopped so suddenly I almost bumped into her.
"Fix your tie," she said.
"What?" I blinked.
"There's some black stuff on it," she said, pointing at my tie with that annoyed, no‑nonsense tone she always uses on me.
Right.
Probably from when I was crouched on the ground letting the air out of her tires like a criminal.
I looked down at the smudge, then back at her.
And I couldn't help it — I smiled.
Not a big smile.
Just a small, stupid one I couldn't hide.
She rolled her eyes the second she saw my smile.
"Don't look at me like that," she muttered, turning away.
But I kept smiling anyway.
She got into the back seat like I was some chauffeur she hired last minute.
I slid into the driver's seat and glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
"Sit in the passenger seat," I said.
"Why?" she asked, deadpan.
"Because I look like your driver right now," I told her.
"So?" she shot back.
Tss.
This woman will never give me an easy morning.
"I'm also a CEO," I said, turning slightly toward her. "I don't want to look like someone's driver."
That wasn't the real reason, though.
I didn't mind driving her anywhere — hell, I'd drive her across the country if she asked.
I just wanted her next to me.
Close enough to hear her breathe.
Close enough to feel like we weren't strangers anymore.
She stared at me for a long second, expression unreadable.
And I waited — pretending to be annoyed, pretending this was about appearances —
when really, it was just about her.
She stared at me through the rearview mirror for a long second, like she was deciding whether sitting in the front seat was worth the headache of arguing with me.
Then she let out the most dramatic sigh I've ever heard.
Reluctantly — painfully reluctantly — she opened the back door, stepped out, and walked around to the passenger side.
Every step looked like it physically hurt her pride.
She slid into the front seat without looking at me once.
I tried not to smile.
Failed.
She buckled her seatbelt with sharp, irritated movements, staring straight ahead like the windshield personally offended her.
"Happy?" she muttered.
Very.
But I kept my voice neutral. "It just looks more professional."
She scoffed under her breath, crossing her arms.
I started driving, the silence thick but not uncomfortable.
"So… who's the eldest?" I asked. "Between the three kids."
"Kevin is the eldest. Kade is the middle. Keira is the youngest," she said without looking at me.
I nodded, pretending to focus on the road.
"What's their full name?" I asked casually.
"Mark Kevin Mariano, Marco Kade Mariano, Mira Keira Mariano."
I almost hit the brakes.
I turned my head just enough to look at her — really look at her.
She named the kids after me.
My initials.
And Kevin… he had my first name.
A warmth spread through my chest, something tight and painful and overwhelming all at once.
She didn't notice.
Or maybe she did and pretended not to.
I swallowed hard, eyes back on the road.
She carried me with her.
"Don't look so smug," she snapped. "I named them because I wanted to. Not because of you."
I smiled anyway.
She could deny it all she wanted — but the truth was sitting right there in the back of my mind, warm and heavy.
"When will you talk to Aries?" I asked. "Boss has been looking for you everywhere."
She didn't answer.
Didn't even blink.
Just stared out the window like the world outside was suddenly fascinating.
I exhaled slowly.
"Your mom and Tita Gemma want to meet you," I said.
Still nothing.
So I kept going, because someone had to say it.
"Tita… your mom found out what happened after you left. After that, Tita barely talks to Aries. Or Angelo."
Her jaw tightened — just a little, but enough for me to notice.
"Jay," I said quietly, "they're worried about you."
She let out a short, bitter laugh. "Wow. Now they're worried about me."
"Jay—"
"I know when to meet my mom and Tita," she said, her voice firm but tired.
I pulled up to the office and stopped the car. I turned slightly toward her, wanting to say more, to explain, to fix something — anything.
"Jay, please… we all just—"
But she was already opening the door.
She stepped out and shut it harder than she needed to, but not hard enough to be cruel. Just… frustrated. Hurt. Guarded.
I watched her walk away, shoulders stiff, head high.
She used to talk to me.
Laugh with me.
Look at me.
Now she won't even stay in the same car long enough to hear me out.
I leaned back in the seat, exhaling slowly.
I don't want to force her.
I don't want to demand anything from her.
But I want her to talk to me again.
I want her to look at me without anger in her eyes.
So maybe…
maybe I'll stop eating for a bit.
Not to manipulate her — just…
maybe she'll notice.
Maybe she'll ask why.
Maybe it'll open a door she keeps shutting.
I got out of the car and headed inside the office, trying to shake off the heaviness Jay left behind.
"Keifer, your meeting is ready," Honey said, walking up to me with her tablet.
I nodded, already shifting into work mode.
But she didn't move.
"And one more thing," she added, lowering her voice. "When are you getting rid of that Ion?"
Shit.
I forgot about her.
Honey crossed her arms. "Keep her out of your way. If Jay finds out about her, she won't just ignore you — she might not even let you see the kids."
I exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of my neck.
"I know," I muttered.
Honey wasn't judging me — she was warning me.
And she was right.
Ion only existed because of my so‑called family — the pressure, the expectations, the mess they dragged me into.
I pushed the thought aside and walked into the meeting room.
It was just me, Jay, and another guy I didn't recognize.
"Mr. Watson, welcome," he said, standing up to shake my hand.
I nodded politely and took my seat.
"I'm Liam," he said.
I nodded. Right — the kid from the Williams family.
Same age as us, but already handling big accounts like he was born for it.
"Let's get started," he said, settling into his seat.
I nodded again and opened my notebook.
He began talking about the brand's direction, their new marketing strategy, projected numbers — all the usual things. I listened carefully, jotting down notes, keeping my focus on the presentation.
Jay sat across from me, perfectly composed, perfectly professional.
She didn't look at me once.
I tried not to let it distract me, but every time I glanced up, she was there — calm, unreadable, like nothing between us existed.
When the meeting finally ended — four hours later, basically nighttime — Liam didn't even pretend to pack up his things.
He went straight to Jay.
More like flirting with her.
That asshole.
I wanted to punch him so bad.
He leaned a little too close, smiling like he owned the room.
"Jay, you handled that projection flawlessly," Liam said. "Honestly, I've never seen someone present numbers that confidently."
She gave a polite nod. "Thank you."
"And your voice—" he added, lowering it just a bit, "you could convince anyone to sign anything."
I clenched my jaw.
Jay didn't flirt back, but she didn't shut him down either.
She just stayed professional, which somehow made it worse.
Liam kept going.
"If you're free later, maybe we could grab coffee? Strictly business… unless you want it to be more."
I swear my eye twitched.
Before I could step in, someone tapped my shoulder.
"Keifer," a voice said.
I turned. It was Caleb, one of the senior partners.
"Hello, Caleb," I greeted.
"Hi, long time no see," he said with a warm smile.
"Yeah," I replied, shaking his hand.
He started talking about the Watson proposal, the numbers, the timeline — all important things I should've been paying attention to.
But my eyes kept drifting back to Jay.
She looked pissed off now.
Not annoyed.
Not uncomfortable.
Pissed.
Her jaw was tight, her arms crossed, and she was giving Liam the kind of smile that wasn't a smile at all — the polite, sharp one she used when she wanted someone to shut up but couldn't say it out loud.
Caleb kept talking beside me, but his voice sounded distant.
Because all I could see was Jay's expression getting darker by the second.
And Liam…
Liam was still talking.
And Jay…
Jay looked like she was two seconds away from punching him.
"Jay, let's go and grab dinner," Liam said, way too casually.
And the worst part?
Jay nodded.
Not excited.
Not smiling.
Just… nodded.
Like she didn't have the energy to argue.
Caleb was still talking beside me, going on about projections and timelines, but my mind wasn't there anymore.
I kept glancing toward the door Jay had walked out of.
After ten painfully long minutes, I finally cut Caleb off.
"Bye, Caleb. See you around," I said quickly.
He blinked, confused. "Oh—uh, yeah. Sure."
I didn't wait for anything else.
I stepped out of the meeting room and immediately started looking for Jay.
The hallway.
The elevator.
The lobby.
Anywhere she could've gone with Liam.
My chest tightened with something I didn't want to name.
Liam…
I'd heard things about him.
The type of guy who collected one‑night stands like trophies.
The type who flirted with anything that breathed.
Jay wasn't like that.
Jay wasn't the type to fall for cheap lines or empty charm.
What if he does something to her
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JAY-JAY POV
This Liam is getting on my nerves.
Every word out of his mouth feels like sandpaper.
If he leans any closer, I swear I might actually punch him.
But I can't.
Okay, Jay.
Just chill.
Breathe.
Don't commit a crime.
He keeps talking — something about dinner, something about "getting to know each other," something about how "rare it is to meet someone like you."
Ugh.
I force a tight smile, the kind that hurts my cheeks.
We went to the café right in front of the building and sat down.
Liam went to order something, and when he came back, he looked… smudged.
Like he'd bumped into something or someone on the way.
He started talking again — nonstop — but I wasn't paying attention anymore.
I glanced at the time.
Almost 7:30 PM.
Great.
I still had to get home, check on the kids, and deal with everything else waiting for me.
The order came.
I finished the smoothie — cold, sweet, refreshing — and stood up.
"Okay, Liam, I have to go now," I said, grabbing my bag.
But the moment I stood, the room tilted slightly.
A wave of dizziness washed over me.
I blinked hard, trying to steady myself.
"Come on, Jay, already," Liam said, reaching for my hand. "We have a long night to go."
Long night?
What long night?
I tried to pull my hand back, but my fingers felt weak.
My arm wouldn't move the way I wanted it to.
My heartbeat picked up.
Something wasn't right.
I pushed at his hand again — or tried to — but it was like my strength had drained out of me.
My vision blurred at the edges.
He grabbed my arms and tried to walk me out of the café.
I pulled back immediately. "Let go."
"Come on, Jay, don't be so stubborn," he said, tightening his grip like I was some toy he could drag around.
My head felt light, my vision fuzzy, but I still tried to punch him.
My fist barely moved.
That scared me more than anything.
Then he leaned in — too close, too fast — like he was actually going to kiss me.
My stomach twisted.
Before I could react, before I could even turn my head away—
A fist connected with his jaw.
Hard.
Liam stumbled back, crashing into a chair.
And I didn't even need to look to know who it was.
Keifer.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
KEIFER POV
I saw them across the street.
Jay looked… wrong.
Unsteady.
Her steps were slow, her head tilted like she was fighting to stay upright.
And Liam — that bastard — had his hand on her arm, trying to pull her along.
I didn't think.
I didn't plan.
I just ran.
By the time I reached them, he was leaning in toward her — too close, too fast — and Jay couldn't even lift her arm to push him away.
That was it.
My fist connected with his face before I even realized I'd swung.
He stumbled back, shock written all over him.
I stepped in front of Jay immediately, shielding her with my body, my heart pounding so hard it hurt.
She swayed, her hand gripping my sleeve like it was the only thing keeping her upright.
I guided Jay to a chair, keeping one hand on her shoulder until she was steady enough to sit.
People in the café were already staring — whispers, wide eyes, phones half‑raised.
I didn't care.
All I could see was Liam.
I walked toward him, every step heavier than the last.
He tried to stand, tried to say something, but the moment he opened his mouth—
"Think before you touch her," I snapped, my voice shaking with anger.
I swung once.
Then again.
People rushed in, trying to pull me back, but the adrenaline drowned everything out — the noise, the hands, the shouting.
I didn't stop until someone finally got between us and Liam slumped back, dazed and unable to get up.
His face was a mess, and he wasn't moving much — but he was breathing.
He'd live.
I stood there, chest heaving, hands trembling, the room spinning with shock and fear and fury.
Then I turned back to Jay.
Because she was the only thing that mattered.