The playful tension under the table snapped the moment Mr. Watson's authoritative voice broke through the chatter.
"Keifer, are you going to the office today?"
"Yes, Dad," Keifer answered, finally pulling his hand away from Jay's arm to pick up his coffee, though his smirk remained firmly in place.
"Hmm... and Jay, you?"
Before Jay could even open her mouth, Nicole leaned in, her voice dripping with a mocking, high-pitched sweetness.
"Why would she go, Uncle?"
Mr. Watson remained perfectly calm, his expression unreadable.
"To the office?"
"Which office?"
Nicole asked, let out a small, condescending laugh.
"Is she Keifer's secretary now? Or is she just... working there?"
The table went quiet. Mr. Watson was sharp; he caught the insult immediately.
He didn't raise his voice, but his reply was like a cold splash of water.
"She doesn't need Keifer's office, Nicole. She is Jaspher. Jean. Mariano. Watson. My daughter-in-law, yes—but also the CEO of Mariano Corp."
Nicole's mouth literally swung open.
The color drained from her face as she stammered,
"MARIANO?"
Sophia didn't miss the chance.
She rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Yes, Mario-anoooo,"
she mimicked, her voice sharp.
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"No... of course not,"
Nicole muttered, looking down at her plate.
"Why would I?"
Mr. Watson turned back to Jay, waiting for her answer.
Jay cleared her throat, finally finding her voice.
"No, Dad. Actually, tomorrow the new semester starts, so I have some work and things to arrange today."
Keifer blinked, looking at her in genuine surprise.
He had been so wrapped up in being a husband and dealing with office drama that he had completely forgotten university was starting back up.
Right... the real world, he thought.
"I'll go to the office tomorrow after my classes," Jay added, looking at her father-in-law.
"No," Mr. Watson said firmly.
"Dad?" Keifer asked, surprised by the tone.
"I mean, you both should focus on your studies," his father explained.
"It's your last semester. I'll handle the corporate side for now."
Jay looked worried.
"You don't need to, Dad. It's okay. You're already managing so much."
"No, Jay, Dad is right," Mrs. Watson interrupted gently.
"You should both focus on school. He and I are here; we can manage the business."
"But—" Jay started, but Sophia cut her off with a grin.
"Jay, they're right! Besides, we are family," Sophia said, pointedly stretching the word "family" while staring directly at Nicole.
The weight of their support settled over Jay.
She was still worried about the workload they were taking on, but as she looked around at the warm, protective faces of the Watsons, she couldn't help but nod and smile.
She felt a deep sense of belonging that no mocking comment from Nicole could ever touch.
__________________________
Keifer was standing by the edge of the bed, fumbling with his buttons and muttering to himself in frustration.
"Why didn't I just change into my work clothes when I was in the bathroom earlier?"
His conscience, however, was quick to provide the answer.
Because you were half-asleep and too busy daydreaming about your wife in your oversized shirt, his mind mocked.
He let out a huff and pulled his T-shirt over his head, tossing it onto the chair.
He was standing there bare-chested, reaching for the crisp white dress shirt laid out on the duvet, when the door clicked open.
Jay walked in, her mind completely preoccupied with the conversation downstairs.
She hadn't even considered that he might be mid-change.
"Keifer, Dad was saying—"
The words died in her throat.
Jay froze in her tracks, her hand still resting on the doorknob.
Her eyes widened, traveling from his broad, toned shoulders down to the defined muscles of his chest and abdomen.
The morning light hitting his skin made every detail look like a sculpture.
Keifer froze too, his dress shirt hanging limply from one hand.
He didn't move to cover himself; instead, he slowly straightened up, a slow, familiar heat climbing into his gaze.
The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the sudden, frantic thumping of Jay's heart.
"Jay?" Keifer murmured, his voice dropping into that low, vibrato tone that always made her knees weak.
Jay's face went from pale to a deep, burning violet-red in less than a second.
She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands flying up to cover her face as she let out a small, panicked squeak.
"I—I'm sorry! I didn't... I didn't know! I'll just... I'm leaving!"
She started to fumble blindly for the door handle, her internal compass completely spinning out of control.
Keifer, seeing her adorable panic, couldn't help himself.
He dropped the dress shirt back onto the bed and took a slow, silent step toward her, his bare feet making no sound on the carpet.
"Why are you closing your eyes, Jay?"
he asked, his voice now just inches away from her hidden face.
"It's not like you haven't seen 'everything' already, right?"
Jay was frozen, her palms pressed tightly over her eyes, but the heat radiating from Keifer was like a physical wall in front of her.
She could practically feel the vibration of his low, teasing voice in the small space between them.
"I—I'm leaving!"
she stammered, her fingers fumbling blindly for the door handle behind her.
Her internal compass was spinning; she couldn't tell if she was turning the lock or just clawing at the wood.
"Why the rush, Jay?" Keifer's voice was a velvet murmur, now dangerously close.
Just as her fingers finally found the handle and she prepared to bolt, a solid weight hit the door beside her head with a muffled thud.
Keifer had reached past her, bracing his forearm against the door, effectively blocking her exit.
Jay's breath hitched.
She was trapped between the cold wood of the door and the literal heat of his bare chest.
The scent of his soap—fresh and masculine—filled her senses, making her head swim.
"Open your eyes, Jay ," he teased, his breath ghosting over the top of her head.
Every time she tried to draw a breath, she inhaled the scent of him—cedarwood and clean skin—which only made her head spin faster.
Jay's fingers were still pressed over her eyes, but she could feel the heat radiating off his bare torso.
It was like standing too close to a fire.
She was acutely aware of how close they were; if she moved even an inch forward, her forehead would brush against his collarbone.
"Keifer, please," she whispered, her voice trembling.
"Just... put on a shirt."
Keifer didn't move.
Instead, he leaned in until his chest was a mere breath away from her hands.
He could see the way her pulse was jumping in the hollow of her throat, a frantic, rhythmic beat that told him exactly how much power he had over her.
"Why the sudden shyness, Jay?"
he murmured, his voice dropping into a dark, gravelly register that made her toes curl against the carpet.
He leaned down, his lips hovering just beside her ear, his breath hot against her skin.
"I already told you this morning... I saw everything."
Jay's breath hitched, her entire body stiffening against the door.
The reminder of his "confession" made her mind go white with a mix of mortification and something she couldn't quite name.
"So," Keifer continued, his smirk widening as he watched a fresh wave of crimson flood her neck and ears.
He reached out, his hand gently grasping her wrists and slowly, irresistibly pulling her hands away from her face.
"Don't you think it's only fair? ....now it's your turn."
Jay's eyes flew open in shock as her hands were lowered.
She was forced to look at him—all of him.
The morning light carved out the lines of his muscles, making him look devastatingly handsome and dangerously close.
Her gaze darted from his eyes to his chest and back again, her brain completely short-circuiting.
"Keifer!" she gasped, her voice a mix of a squeak and a plea.
She tried to look away, but his gaze held her captive, pinning her to the spot more effectively than his arm against the door ever could.
He let out a low, vibrating chuckle that seemed to echo in her very bones.
He wasn't just teasing her anymore; he was enjoying the way she looked at him, the way her pupils dilated and her lips parted in a silent, breathless "oh."
"Well?" he prompted, his eyes dancing with a wicked, naughty light.
Jay felt her back pressing so hard against the door that the handle was digging into her waist.
"Keifer... please," she managed to whisper, her voice cracking as her gaze involuntarily flickered to his chest again.
"Put... on... your shirt."
Keifer didn't move to grab the fabric. Instead, he let out a low, slow hum, his smirk widening into something devastatingly handsome.
"Okay," he said, his voice dropping into a dark, playful register.
"But on one condition."
Jay blinked, her heart skipping a beat.
"Condition?"
He nodded mischievously, his eyes locked onto hers.
Slowly, he lowered his face until they were at eye level.
Jay pressed her shoulders back into the wood, her breath hitching as he stopped just inches away from her lips.
His gaze traveled slowly from her mouth up to her wide, shimmering eyes before he leaned in to whisper against her ear.
"If you kiss me."
"Keifer..." Jay breathed, her eyes widening in shock.
Her face, already red, felt like it was actually on fire.
"What?" he teased, pulling back just enough to look at her.
"If you're not ready, then okay. I can stand here all day like this. It's up to you."
Jay bit her lower lip, her mind a chaotic mess of embarrassment and a strange, fluttering excitement.
She looked at his waiting, shirtless form and then at the door.
She knew him—he was stubborn enough to actually do it.
"Ok," she whispered.
Keifer froze, his eyes snapping back to hers in genuine shock.
A bright, boyish light lit up his face.
"Ok? Are you sure?"
She nodded shyly.
He was so excited that he actually spun around, starting to run toward the bed to grab his dress shirt so he could hold up his end of the bargain.
But he only made it one step before he stopped dead.
A sudden thought hit him, and he whirled back around.
Before Jay could even process what was happening, his hand shot out and gently but firmly caught her wrist.
"Keifer! What are you doing?"
she squeaked as he began pulling her toward the bed with him.
"What if you run away?" he countered with a triumphant grin, not letting go for a second.
"I'm not taking any chances with my 'payment,' Jay."
The bedroom, which had been a whirlwind of frantic energy just moments ago, suddenly fell into a heavy, charged stillness.
He was wearing shirt with the speed of metro.
Watching Keifer—the formidable, usually untouchable "CEO" in office and "Golden boy" of University—struggling with his buttons and nearly tangling himself in his own silk tie was more than Jay could handle.
The absurdity of the sight broke through her shyness.
A genuine, airy laugh bubbled up from her chest, echoing softly against the walls.
Keifer stopped mid-motion, his hair slightly disheveled and his tie hanging haphazardly around his neck like a discarded ribbon.
He looked down at her, his expression a mix of mock offense and genuine confusion.
"What? What's so funny?"
Jay stepped closer, her shoulders still shaking with suppressed giggles.
"You're behaving like a kid, Keifer,"
she teased, her voice soft and bright.
She didn't wait for his retort; she reached up, her small hands moving with a natural grace toward his collar.
As her knuckles brushed the warm, solid line of his collarbone, Keifer's breath hitched.
He went perfectly still, his muscles locking as if he were trying to memorize the feeling of her touch.
No matter how many boardrooms he commanded or how many rivals he outmaneuvered,
Jay was—and always would be—the one person who could completely disarm him with a single look.
He looked down at her, mesmerized by the way the morning light caught the stray strands of her hair.
Her cheeks were still flushed a deep, healthy pink from her laughter, and she was entirely focused on her task, her brow furrowed slightly as she perfected the knot of his tie.
His initial surprise melted into a tender, private smile, which slowly sharpened into a devastatingly handsome smirk.
He couldn't help himself.
Without warning, he slid his large hands around her waist, his palms warm through the thin fabric of her floral dress, and pulled her flush against his chest.
Jay let out a small, startled gasp, her hands instinctively landing on the crisp white fabric of his shirt to steady herself.
The laughter died away in an instant, replaced by a magnetic, thrumming silence that made the very air feel electric.
"Jay..." he murmured, his voice dropping into a dark, velvety register that vibrated through her palms.
He looked deep into her eyes, his gaze unwavering and full of intent.
"The shirt is done. Now... it's time for my payment."
He leaned in closer, his shadow completely enveloping her.
Jay's heart began to perform a frantic, irregular drum-roll against her ribs.
Her chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths, and she caught her lower lip between her teeth, her eyes searching his for a way to navigate the storm of emotions swirling inside her.
"Jay... the kiss," he prompted, his voice a low, encouraging whisper.
He saw the flicker of genuine nervousness in her pupils, the way her fingers curled tightly into his shirt as if she were holding on for dear life.
His expression softened instantly.
The playful, teasing edge vanished, replaced by a gentle, protective warmth.
He didn't want her to feel pressured, not even for a second.
"If you don't want to... it's okay,"
he whispered, his voice sincere and full of a rare, quiet vulnerability.
"You can pay me back whenever you feel comfortable. I'm not going anywhere."
He began to slowly loosen his grip on her waist, offering her the space to pull away, to run, to go back to the safety of her books.
But Jay didn't move back.
Instead, she took a sharp, shaky breath, her resolve suddenly hardening like steel.
She looked up at him, seeing the man who had protected her, teased her, and loved her through every chaos they had faced.
She didn't want to run anymore.
Slowly, deliberately, she wound her arms around his neck, her fingers sliding into the soft hair at the nape of his neck.
She rose onto her tiptoes, her heart thudding so hard she was sure he could feel it through his own ribs.
Keifer froze, his eyes widening in pure, unadulterated shock.
He didn't move, afraid that even a breath might break the spell she was weaving.
He waited, his heart leaping into his throat, as she slowly surrendered to the moment on her own terms.
Jay leaned in further, her eyes fluttering shut as his scent—that intoxicating mix of cedarwood and clean skin—filled her senses.
She tilted her head back, and finally, with a soft, breathless sigh, she closed the last fraction of distance between them.
The air in the room seemed to vanish the moment their lips finally met.
It wasn't the tentative, accidental brush of a first encounter; it was a slow, deliberate surrender.
Jay's lips were soft and trembling, tasting faintly of the breakfast pancakes she'd had earlier.
She moved with a hesitant grace, her breath hitching as Keifer immediately responded.
His touch was firm yet incredibly gentle, his lips moving against hers with a hunger he had been trying to suppress all morning.
He didn't rush her; he let her set the pace, his mouth devouring hers in a way that made her head swim and her knees feel like they were made of water.
Her hands, which had been resting at the nape of his neck, tightened their grip, her fingers tangling deep into the soft silk of his hair.
She pulled him closer, her body arching toward his as if seeking the very heat he radiated.
Keifer's hands, which had been resting lightly on her waist, slid upward.
One palm splayed across the small of her back, pressing her flush against his sturdy chest, while the other traveled up to cup her jaw.
His thumb traced the line of her cheekbone with a reverence that made Jay's heart ache.
He kissed her deeper, his tongue grazing her lower lip, sending a jolt of pure electricity through her entire frame.
The world outside the bedroom door—the office, the university, the drama with Nicole—completely ceased to exist.
There was only the sound of their synchronized breathing and the frantic, heavy thrumming of two hearts beating as one.
When they finally pulled apart, the silence that followed was thick and heavy with emotion.
Jay immediately dropped her gaze, her long lashes casting shadows over her flushed cheeks.
She was shyly smiling, her lips slightly swollen and pink, her fingers still nervously toyed with the lapels of his shirt.
She looked like a flower that had finally bloomed, radiating a soft, quiet beauty that took his breath away.
Keifer, on the other hand, looked nothing like the cold, calculating CEO the world knew.
His eyes were bright, shimmering with a mix of triumph and pure, unadulterated joy.
He had a wide, breathless grin on his face—the look of a kid who had just been handed his favorite, long-awaited toy.
He didn't pull away completely; he kept his forehead rested against hers, his chest still heaving as he tried to catch his breath.
"Best... payment... ever," he whispered, his voice rough and thick with a happiness he couldn't even begin to hide.
Jay let out a tiny, embarrassed giggle, hiding her face in the crook of his neck, while Keifer just held her tighter, unwilling to let this moment go.
The room felt warm and quiet, the only sound being their soft, synchronized breathing.
Keifer still had his arms locked around Jay's waist, his forehead resting against hers as he savored the lingering sweetness of the moment.
"Keifer..." Jay whispered, her voice still a little breathless.
"Hmm..." he hummed in response, his eyes remained closed, a peaceful and genuinely happy smile playing on his lips.
"Aren't you going to the office? You're already late."
Keifer groaned playfully, the sound vibrating against her chest.
Instead of pulling away, he leaned down and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling the soft scent of her shampoo.
"No... I don't want to. I want to stay right here and spend more time with my wife."
Jay let out a small, shy laugh, the vibration of his voice against her skin sending a fresh wave of tickles through her.
she gently pushed against his shoulders, forcing him to lift his head so she could look into his dark, swirling eyes.
"You have to go. Dad is waiting, and he already called you once, remember?"
"Ugh, fine," he muttered, though he didn't loosen his grip.
He looked down at her—really looked at her—with an expression so tender it made Jay's heart skip a beat.
To the world, he was the cold, untouchable CEO, but right now, he was just a man completely smitten with the girl in his arms.
Jay looked up at him, her smile widening. Suddenly, a spark of mischief flashed in her eyes.
Before Keifer could say another word or lean in for a second round, Jay stood on her tiptoes.
Peck.
It was a lightning-fast, feather-light kiss right on his lips—a tiny "parting gift" that caught him completely off guard.
Before he could even blink or tighten his hold, Jay wiggled out of his arms with the agility of a cat.
She sprinted toward the bedroom door, her floral dress fluttering behind her like a butterfly's wings.
"Jay!"
Keifer barked out a surprised laugh, reaching out into thin air, but she was already at the handle.
She paused for just a second at the doorway, looking back over her shoulder with a glowing, triumphant grin and cheeks that were still a beautiful shade of rose.
"Work hard, Mr. CEO! See you later!"
The door clicked shut behind her, leaving the room suddenly very quiet.