The next evening, Jay was finishing her rounds at Mariano Hospital, her mind still replaying the tense café encounter from earlier. Her phone buzzed, and before she could check it, the entrance doors swung open, and there he was—Mark Keifer Watson.
The youngest, most successful businessman in the country. The CEO of Watsons Company. Every headline had screamed about his work, his ambition, and the icy perfection he carried like armor. And now… he was standing right in front of her, tall, impeccably dressed, radiating the same cold, commanding aura she had felt at the café—but even stronger in person.
Jay froze, her hands gripping the clipboard in front of her. Shock left her momentarily speechless.
"Jay," he said smoothly, his voice calm yet sharp enough to cut through the ambient noise of the hospital. "Our parents have decided."
She blinked, trying to process the words, her pulse quickening. "Decided… about what?" she asked cautiously.
Keifer's piercing gaze met hers, and for a moment, it felt like he could see through every thought she was trying to hide. "They want us to leave together. Immediately. Until marriage."
Jay's eyes widened. "W-what?" She stumbled over her words, incredulous. "You mean… stay together? Like… under the same roof?"
"Yes," he said simply, as if stating a fact that needed no argument. "They've arranged it. And I've been instructed to take you with me."
Her mind raced. This was… sudden. Overwhelming. The world-famous, cold, bossy Keifer Watson—her patient, distant, intimidating Keifer—was now going to be her constant companion. And she couldn't deny the twinge of anxiety—and something else—in her chest.
Jay tried to steady her voice. "I… I don't know if—"
Keifer raised a hand, stopping her before she could protest. "Don't think too much. We leave now. Our parents made the decision, and you will follow it. Questions later."
Jay's heart hammered in her chest as she nodded silently, feeling the weight of the moment. The man who had already demanded answers from her, who still carried that cold, unyielding air, was now going to be in her life, day and night, until their marriage.
And for the first time, Jay realized… this wasn't going to be easy. Not at all.