Jay's POV
Sunlight always felt different when it wasn't filtered through smoke, ash, or the heavy canopy of a jungle encampment.I blinked against the sharp, golden beam cutting straight across the plush rug of the penthouse suite.
For a long, disorienting second, my hand instinctively twitched under the covers, searching for the cold, familiar steel of my dagger. It wasn't there. My fingers brushed against soft, high-thread-count sheets instead.
Then, the weight of the last twenty-four hours settled into my bones. The wedding. The cheers. The end of the war.And Keifer.
I turned my head slowly on the pillow. He was right there, lying on his stomach with one arm thrown carelessly across my waist, pinning me to the mattress with a heavy, grounding pressure.
His face, usually a mask of sharp, analytical precision suited for the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, was completely softened by sleep.
His dark hair was a wild, unruly mess against the stark white fabric. Without the constant tension of command tightening his jaw, he looked younger.
Peaceful. Almost innocent—which was a massive lie, considering everything.
My eyes drifted down, and I cautiously peeled back the edge of the duvet to look at myself.The bright, revealing red nightdress from last night was twisted around my hips. My skin was practically a canvas of faint bruises, shadows, and unmistakable, deep-red marks.
Images from the dark hours rushed back into my mind with terrifying clarity: the heat of his skin, the low, demanding growl of his voice, the way his hands had held me with a terrifyingly beautiful blend of absolute possession and profound reverence.
My competitive streak had flared up last night; I had refused to back down, matching him blow for blow, touch for touch, until neither of us had anything left to give.
A sudden, fierce heat rushed from my chest straight up to my ears. I felt my face turning absolute scarlet.
I was Jay—the fearless queen, the tactical mafia queen who didn't flinch at the sight of blood—and yet, looking at my husband in the quiet clarity of morning, a wave of profound shyness threatened to swallow me whole.
"So..." a low, gravelly voice vibrated right against my bare shoulder, rough with sleep. "...you finally remembered what happened last night."
I gasped, my heart leaping into my throat. Keifer's eyes were still half-closed, but a wicked, thoroughly satisfied grin was already tugging at the corner of his lips.
Panicking, I grabbed the edge of the heavy blanket and pulled it straight over my head, burying myself in the dark, warm cocoon.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I mumbled through the fabric, my voice muffled.
I felt the mattress shift as he leaned over me.
The heavy blanket was ruthlessly tugged down just enough to expose my burning face.
Keifer propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at me with dark, glittering eyes."Are you feeling shy, wifey?" he teased, his voice dripping with pure amusement.
"No," I lied instantly, glaring up at him with all the false bravado I could muster. "It's just cold. The AC is too high."
Keifer's smirk widened, turning into something entirely predatory and devastatingly handsome. He leaned down, his warm breath fanning across my lips. "Oh, really? Then let me warm you up."
"Stop!" I gasped, placing both hands firmly against his broad, bare chest and pushing with all my might. He didn't budge an inch, laughing softly at my struggle. "Stop it, seriously. I need to take a bath."
"Is that a command, wifey?" he whispered, kissing the tip of my nose.
"Yes. Now move."
With a dramatic sigh, he finally rolled back onto his side, releasing his grip on my waist. I took a deep breath, steeling myself, and swung my legs out from under the covers.
I planted my feet firmly on the cold floor and stood up.The exact millisecond my weight shifted onto my feet, absolute regret slammed into me.
My knees buckled instantly. A sharp, deep ache shot up my thighs and lower back. My legs felt like absolute jelly, trembling violently under my own weight. I caught myself on the edge of the nightstand, my knuckles turning white as I barely saved myself from faceplanting onto the floor.
It felt like I had marched fifty miles through a mountain pass with a full combat rucksack, except the soreness was entirely localized in areas I usually didn't think about during a tactical briefing.
I froze, my back stiffening, and slowly turned my head.Keifer was lying propped up on his side, his head resting in his hand. He was watching me with a thoroughly smug, utterly satisfied look on his face, his dark eyes tracing the line of my trembling legs. He looked like a king surveying a conquered territory.
You absolute, unmitigated savage, I cursed him fiercely in my mind. Damn you, Keifer, I cursed him fiercely in my mind. You absolute monster..
"Need some help over there?" he offered, the mock innocence in his tone sickeningly transparent.
I grayed my teeth, forcing my treacherous legs to move. Holding onto the wall for dear life, I forced myself to take a step. It was less of a walk and more of a pathetic, awkward limp. It was humiliating.
"Stay right there," I snapped, pointing a trembling finger at him.
Keifer actually made a movement to throw off the covers and get out of bed. "Jay, come here, you're literally shaking—"
"If you stand up right now," I hissed, rounding on him with a glare that had made hardened enemy generals confess their secrets, "I will cut your dick off."
Keifer instantly froze half-out of bed. He clutched his hand over his bare heart, gasping dramatically as if he had been mortally wounded. "Wifey! Don't say terrible things like that after what we did last night."
He leaned forward, his eyes shifting from playful to incredibly dark and suggestive. "Didn't you enjoy it too? Because the noises you were making definitely said—"
"Shut up!" I screamed, my face burning so hot I thought my skin might actually melt off. "Stop saying those shameless things!"
I didn't wait for his response. I practically threw myself toward the master bathroom, managing to scramble inside and slam the heavy door shut behind me.
As the lock clicked into place, the low, rumbling sound of Keifer's rich chuckle echoed through the thick wood, making my ears burn all over again.
Twenty minutes in a steaming hot shower had done wonders for my aching muscles, though it did absolutely nothing to wash away the vivid memories of the night before.
I had carefully applied a thick layer of concealer over the most prominent marks on my neck, though a particularly stubborn dark shadow just beneath my collarbone refused to be entirely hidden.
I dressed in comfortable, loose-fitting hoodie and baggy pants praying it would disguise my slight limp.
When I stepped back into the bedroom, it was empty. The bed had been messily pulled together, and the scent of Keifer's cedarwood soap lingered in the air.
Suddenly, a pair of strong, familiar arms wrapped tightly around my waist from behind. I didn't flinch; my body recognized his scent before my mind did.
Keifer had clearly gone to one of the guest bathrooms to shower. He was dressed in a soft black shirt, his hair still damp and curling slightly at the ends.
He leaned down, burying his face into the crook of my neck. He found the exact spot where the concealer was thinnest and pressed a slow, deliberate, searing kiss right against the mark he had left.
My breath hitched audibly. My hands gripped his forearms as a familiar shiver raced down my spine.
"Keifer..."
He didn't answer with words. Instead, he gently but firmly spun me around in his arms, trapping me against his chest.
He leaned down, his eyes locked onto my lips, his gaze darkening with that familiar, heavy intensity that made my knees go weak all over again.
He was less than an inch away. I closed my eyes, tilting my chin up, waiting for the press of his lips—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The double doors of the penthouse suite rattled violently in their frames.Keifer froze.
His entire body went rigid, his lips stopping mere millimeters from mine. The sheer, unadulterated frustration that crossed his face was so profound that a sudden, uncontrollable giggle bubbled up from my throat.
"Jay! Are you okay in there?" Cin's loud, boisterous voice boomed right through the thick wood.
"Jay! Keifer! Are you guys still alive?" Eren chimed in, sounding entirely too amused.
Then came Freya's sharp, distinctive tone, cutting through the men's shouting. "Girl, tell me you survived last night! Keifer Watson, come out right now! Don't make us break this door down!"
"Keifer baby! Baby sistah! Come out, we brought breakfast!" Percy yelled.
Keifer closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against mine with a heavy, deeply defeated sigh. The romantic aura vanished, replaced by the murderous aura of a commander whose morning briefing had been disrupted by a rogue militia.
"I am going to kill them," Keifer muttered into my hair, his jaw clenching. "I am going to round up every single one of them, put them in a transport truck, and send them directly to the national zoo. Permanently."
I burst out laughing, my hands patting his chest comfortingly. "Later. Kill them later. Right now, go open the door before Freya actually break down our lock."
I gently pushed him away, walking over to the small desk near the window to pick up a tablet and open logistics file, pretending to look incredibly busy and productive.
Keifer stormed over to the main doors, his posture radiating pure menace. He threw the doors open with enough force to rattle the hinges.
The chaos of our extended family entered the room like a physical tidal wave.Yuri walked in first, a massive, knowing grin plastered across his face. He took one look at Keifer's murderous expression, then glanced over at me sitting at the desk, entirely too neat and collected.
"Well, well. Looks like we disturbed something incredibly important. My apologies, newlyweds. "
Keifer just glared at him, a low, warning growl escaping his throat. I couldn't help but chuckle from my seat, setting the tablet down.
"Jay!" Grace's voice cut through the room as she walked in, holding little Grazel in her arms.
The moment the toddler caught sight of Keifer and me, her little eyes lit up, and she immediately began flailing her chubby arms wildly toward us, letting out a barrage of happy, unintelligible babbles.
The dark cloud hanging over Keifer's head vanished instantly. A sweet, incredibly gentle smile transformed his features—a look he reserved only for family, and especially for the kids.
He walked over to Grace and carefully scooped Grazel into his arms, holding her with an ease that always made my heart do a strange, fluttering flip.
"Look who's awake," Keifer murmured softly to the baby, walking over to my desk.The moment he neared me, I reached out. Keifer lowered Grazel into my lap.
The second my hands wrapped around her waist, the little girl burst into a bright, ringing laugh, burying her face against my chest. Both Keifer and I chuckled simultaneously, our hands brushing against each other over the baby's back.
"Wow," Denzel remarked, leaning against the doorway with his hands in his pockets, observing the three of us with a smirk. "Look at that picture-perfect scene. Grazel clearly wants a sibling, guys. What do you think, Jay? Ready to expand the family?"
I didn't even blink. "Yes, I think so too."
The room went dead silent.Beside me, Keifer completely froze. I could feel the sudden rigidity in his posture as he stared at me, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and sheer panic.
Gasps echoed through the room. Cin choked on his own saliva,Felix's jaw dropped, and Eren looked like he was about to choke on his own spit.
Before he could say anything, I turned my grin directly onto Denzel and pointed at Grace. "You and Grace should definitely plan a second baby right away. Grazel needs a little brother."
The collective sigh of relief and sudden laughter exploded through the room.
Denzel's smirk vanished, replaced by a sudden flush of red on his cheeks, while Grace swat his arm playfully. Keifer let out a low, breathy chuckle, shaking his head as he realized he had been completely played.
"You're cruel, wifey," he whispered, though his eyes were warm.
Aries stepped out from the crowd, bypassing the laughter. He walked straight over to the side of my chair, his sharp eyes scanning my face with intense, brotherly scrutiny.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low, filled with that protective, unyielding concern he always carried for me.
I looked up at him, my heart swelling with genuine affection. "I'm more than ok, Kuya," I reassured him softly, using the respectful term for an older brother.
Before Aries could reply, Aya practically burst through the crowd.
"Jay!" she cried, throwing her arms around my neck from behind, giving me a suffocatingly tight hug. She pressed a loud, dramatic kiss right onto my left cheek. "I missed you so much, baby!"
I laughed, leaning into her embrace, and kissed her cheek in return. "I missed you too, baby."
"Excuse me?" Freya's voice intercepted us as she marched over from the other side of the room. She ruthlessly pried Aya's arms off me, leaning down to plant a firm kiss on my right cheek. "She is my baby. Back off, Aya."
"No, she's mine!" Aya protested, reaching out to grab my hand.
"She is my ate!" Mia joined the fray, sliding into the space beside my chair and planting another quick kiss on my cheek, giggling uncontrollably
The three of them completely surrounded my chair, practically burying me in a flurry of hugs, laughter, and affection.
I was completely trapped, laughing so hard my ribs ached, helpless against the onslaught of love from the girls who had become my sisters through fire and war.
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Keifer POV
I stood exactly two feet away, and my veins were suddenly on fire.It was completely irrational. I knew that. These were our friends, our family, the people who had bled beside us in the trenches.
But watching Aya, Freya, and Mia completely crowd around Jay, covering her face in kisses and pulling her into their arms, triggered a strange, possessive ache deep in my chest.
Last night, she had belonged completely to me. Her skin had been flushed because of my touch. Her breath had been taken away by my kisses.
And right now, all I wanted to do was drag her back under the covers and lock the penthouse doors against the rest of the world.
I didn't care if it made me look ridiculous.
She was my wife.
Stepping forward, I ruthlessly cut through the circle of girls. Before any of them could protest, I reached down, wrapped my arm firmly around Jay's waist, and lifted her straight out of the chair, pulling her back against my chest in a ironclad grip.
"She is my wifey," I growled out, my voice dropping an octave, laced with an undeniable, territorial edge.
I tightened my grip on her, glaring at the trio of women. "And my baby. Go find your own."
The room quieted for a fraction of a second before Keiren, who was leaning against the wall near the back, let out a massive, wicked grin. "Then she is your ate too, Kuya!
The entire room erupted into roaring laughter. Felix was practically howling, bending over and slapping his knee, Cin ,Drew,Blaster and others were practically crying, slapping Denzel on the back, while Felix was howling. Even Yuri was chuckling into his hand.
I felt Jay vibrate with laughter against my chest, her hands resting over mine where they were locked around her waist.
I felt a muscle twitch in my jaw. I leveled a deadly, icy glare at Keiren, who didn't look intimidated in the slightest, entirely protected by the crowd
"Keep talking, Keiren, and see where you end up tomorrow."
"Alright, alright, break it up, all of you," Angelo's sharp, authoritative voice cut through the noise as he stepped into the center of the room.
The laughter died down a bit, though the amused smirks remained. Angelo looked at me, then at Jay, his expression turning serious, professional, and entirely unbothered by the domestic display.
"You both need to tone it down. Tomorrow is the strategic meeting with major companies. You both remember that, right? No excuses."
A collective groan escaped both Jay and me at the exact same time. The war might be over, but the struggle of running a company was an entirely different kind of nightmare.
Beside me, I felt Jay shift. She gently pried my hands from her waist. I reluctantly let her go, watching as she carefully took a step away.
My eyes tracked her movement instantly. She was trying to hide it—she was incredibly good at hiding pain—but I noticed the slight, unnatural stiffness in her stride, the way her weight shifted too quickly off her left leg.
She was limping. Because of me. A wave of intense, dark satisfaction mixed with a sudden urge to carry her downstairs washed over me.
Jay didn't look at me. Instead, she deliberately dragged herself over to where Ate Ion was standing near the window, effectively putting Ion's body between herself and the rest of the room so no one else would notice her awkward walk.
"Ate," Jay complained loudly, puffing out her cheeks and pointing a finger back at Angelo. "Look. Kuya Angelo is completely destroying our mood. Don't you think you should teach him a lesson or something?"
Ion burst into a beautiful, ringing laugh, shaking her head as she looked at her husband. She reached out, affectionately patting Jay's head. "I know, baby. I know."
She turned her gaze to Angelo, her eyes softening but carrying a clear warning. "Angelo, at least stop being so grumpy now. They literally just got married yesterday. Give them a break for one morning."
Angelo looked completely offended, throwing his hands up in mock defeat. "I am just trying to keep us on schedule, Ion!"
Jay let out a bright, victorious laugh, leaning against the wall beside Ion. I watched her, a quiet sense of peace settling over my chest despite the chaos.
This was what we fought for. This loud, messy, disruptive family.But as I looked at my wife, noting the tired lines around her eyes and the subtle way she was favoring her leg, I knew the day was only going to get busier.
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Jay's POV
"Come on," Felix called out from the doorway, gesturing for everyone to move. "Mam Cindy,Eman and Tita made a massive breakfast downstairs. If we don't hurry, Tiger and Liam are going to eat all the food."
The crowd began to filter out of the penthouse suite, their loud voices and banter fading down the hallway. Keifer waited by the door, extending his arm for me.
I walked over, trying my absolute best to hide the slight limp,and took his arm. He gave me a knowing, deeply amused look but kept his mouth shut, supporting a fair amount of my weight as we made our way to the private elevator.
The ground floor was already full of chaos, the sheer scale of our extended family hit us. The massive table was overflowing with food.
Max and Luna were already sitting near the end, whispering quietly to each other. Mam Cindy was bustling around the kitchen island, directing Tiger and Liam, who were currently wrestling over a massive platter of bacon.
Zen was sitting quietly in the corner, sipping a cup of black coffee, watching the chaotic family dynamic unfold with a rare, peaceful expression.
It was loud, messy, and perfect. It was exactly what we had worked so hard to build.
As I took my seat next to Keifer, the soft vibration of my phone inside my pocket caught my attention.
I pulled it out, keeping it under the edge of the table. A single text message from an unknown, encrypted number was flashing on the screen
My thumb tapped the notification. The text read:
I'm coming tomorrow, princess.
My breath caught in my throat. The words seemed to burn straight through the screen. The air in my lungs went cold for a split second, the warmth of the family breakfast fading into the background. I knew that phrasing.
I knew exactly who that encrypted signature belonged to.
"Jay?" Keifer whispered beside me, his sharp eyes instantly catching the subtle shift in my posture. "What is it?
"Nothing," I said softly, my thumb quickly hitting the lock button. The screen went completely black.I slid the phone back into my pocket, my face hardening into the familiar, fearless expression that had carried me through a hundred executive battles.
The regular corporate competition and mafia meetings might be easy, but the pieces left on the board were far from settled.
I looked up at the laughing faces of my family, then turned to meet Keifer's intense, questioning gaze.
"Tomorrow is going to be a big day," I said, a small, dangerous smile touching the corners of my lips.
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Keifer's POV
I didn't believe her for a single second.When Jay locked her phone and slipped it into her pocket, the movement was too fast, too deliberate.
It was the precise, instinctual reaction . I felt the muscles in her lower back tighten beneath my palm, shifting from the relaxed warmth of a bride into the rigid steel of a commander facing an oncoming threat.
No matter what happens tomorrow jay.We will be together always. I promise.
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A/n
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