The air in the Grandfather's private estate was cold, smelling of old paper and expensive cigars. Jay-jay walked through the heavy double doors, her heels clicking with a sharp, steady rhythm that betrayed none of the fire screaming in her veins. She wore a power suit of slate gray—the color of a storm.
The Grandfather sat behind a massive oak desk, his frail hands resting on a cane carved from ivory. He looked up, his eyes like two pieces of flint.
"You're late, Ms. Mariano," he rasped. "I expected the report on the London merger an hour ago. And I hear my grandson has been... difficult to track this morning."
Jay-jay took a seat without being asked. She placed her tablet on the desk. "Mr. Watson was dealing with the fallout from the gala. He's currently at the docks, taking his frustration out on the shipping logistics. I came to assure you that the 'distraction' worked perfectly. He is broken, and his focus is entirely elsewhere."
The Grandfather leaned forward, his gaze searching her face for a crack. "Is he? Because Vuk tells me a different story. He says Keifer looked like a man possessed at the gala. A man who found his spine."
Jay-jay let out a dry, clinical laugh—a sound she had practiced in the mirror at the lighthouse. "Anger isn't spine, Sir. It's desperation. He's lashing out because he's lost his Mutya, his friends, and his dignity. He's exactly where you wanted him: alone."
"And your parents?" the Grandfather asked, his hand moving toward the burner phone on his desk. "Have they enjoyed the 'scenery' lately?"
Jay-jay's heart hammered against her ribs, but she didn't blink. This was the moment. "They are fine. They are waiting for the next 'update.' In fact, I've prepared a special digital transfer to ensure their... comfort... is permanent."
She pushed the tablet toward him. It showed a map of the Cavite property. To the Grandfather, it looked like a confirmation of his control. To Jay-jay, it was a live feed of a ghost.
Thousands of miles away, in the humid heat of Cavite, the "Update" was actually happening.
Inside her earpiece, hidden beneath her hair, Jay-jay heard three faint clicks—the signal from Keifer.
Click. Click. Click.
It meant the ex-Mossad team had moved in. It meant the red dot was no longer on her father's chest; it was on the sniper's. It meant her parents were being moved into a secure, armored van headed for a private airfield.
"What is this?" the Grandfather asked, squinting at the screen as a notification popped up. "Why is the feed flickering?"
"It's the London encryption, Sir," Jay-jay lied, her voice as smooth as silk. "The high-security protocols are heavy. If you enter your master override code here, you'll have full access to the 'Cavite Lockdown' cameras."
She was baiting him. She needed his biometric override to unlock the Watson Global offshore accounts—the ones Keifer needed to bankrupt the old man.
The Grandfather's ego was his greatest weakness. He loved the feeling of absolute power. He pressed his thumb to the scanner on the tablet.
Biometrics Accepted. Accessing Master Files.
"Wait," the Grandfather said, his voice turning sharp.
Jay-jay stopped at the door, her hand on the handle.
"You're a very good liar, Jasper Jean Mariano," he said, a slow, yellowed smile spreading across his face. "Almost as good as me. It's a pity. You would have made a fine Watson."
"I am a Watson," Jay-jay said, looking back over her shoulder with a gaze that made the old man's smile falter. "Just not your kind."
As Jay-jay stepped into the hallway, she saw Keifer standing at the end of the corridor. He wasn't hiding anymore. He was wearing his black suit, his phone in his hand, and his face was a mask of cold, absolute victory.
"The parents?" she whispered as she reached him.
"Safe," Keifer replied, pulling her into the shadow of a pillar. "They're in the air. The sniper is in custody. And the bank accounts?"
"Empty," Jay-jay smirked, showing him the 'Transfer Complete' notification on her watch. "Your grandfather just gave me the keys to his entire empire thinking he was checking on a target."
Keifer gripped her hand, his fingers interlocking with hers. "Chapter 47 is tomorrow, Jay-jay. The Board Meeting. The day we show the world that the 'Cold King' doesn't rule alone."
"Are you ready to tell them?" Jay-jay asked.
"I'm ready to burn the house down," Keifer said.