Jay's POV
The morning light was far too bright for someone who had only managed a few hours of actual sleep. I shifted, feeling the heavy, possessive weight of Keifer's arm draped across my waist.
Memories of the previous night—the teasing downstairs, Leo's "boyfriend" declaration, and Keifer's subsequent meltdown—flashed through my mind. He was a grown man, a powerful CEO, and a formidable force, yet put him in a room with a competitive toddler and he turned into a territorial lion.
I was just starting to drift back into a comfortable drowse when the wood of the bedroom door vibrated with a rhythmic, insistent pounding.
"Keifer! Jay! Get up!" Percy's voice boomed, sounding halfway between a drill sergeant and a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "Your secretary is downstairs! She's been waiting for twenty minutes and she's already started organizing your schedule by the second. If you don't come down, she's going to start billing me for the stress!"
Keifer groaned against the crook of my neck, his grip tightening. "Tell Percy to jump in the pool," he muttered, his voice thick with sleep. "And tell herthe company isn't going to collapse if I'm an hour late."
"She's your secretary, Keifer. She's probably the only reason the company hasn't collapsed," I teased, poking his side. "Come on. Up."
It took another ten minutes of wrestling and a very distracting "good morning" kiss before we finally got dressed.
I threw on a pair of high-waisted trousers and a silk blouse—professional enough for guests, comfortable enough for the inevitable family chaos. Keifer, meanwhile, looked effortlessly sharp in a charcoal button-down, though his eyes still held that dark, lingering simmer from the night before.
As we descended the grand staircase, the silence of the hallway evaporated, replaced by the low hum of voices in the living room. It felt like walking into a trap.
There, perched on the edge of the sectional like a panel of judges, were Freya, Jane,Grace ,Mica,Ella, Mia and Rakki. They didn't even pretend to be doing anything else. Seven eyes locked onto me the second my foot hit the hardwood.
"Well, look who finally decided to join the land of the living," Freya said, her lips curling into a predatory smirk.
"We were starting to think we needed to call a search and rescue team," Mia added, leaning forward. "Or maybe just a locksmith. What exactly was the 'emergency' that required Keifer to carry you off like a Viking raider?"
I felt Keifer's presence behind me, a solid wall of heat. I decided to lean into the confidence. I crossed my arms and gave them a flat look.
"Oh, please. You know how he is. He was being a giant baby because Leo didn't want to share. A quick talk, a kiss to soothe his ego, and everything was fine. See? No harm done."
A sharp, barking laugh came from the kitchen island. Felix was leaning there, holding a mug of coffee and grinning like he'd just won the lottery. "Just a kiss, Jay? Really? Because according to my watch, it took you both whole night to come back down. That's either the longest kiss in human history, or you're a much worse liar than I thought."
I felt the heat climb up my neck. "We were... talking."
"Talking?" Felix raised an eyebrow. "Is that what we are calling it these days?"
Keifer stepped forward, his hand sliding naturally onto the small of my back. His expression was a mask of cool, unbothered arrogance. "We slept after that," he said, his voice dropping an octave, challenging anyone to push the topic.
The room went quiet, but the tension didn't disappear—it just shifted. In the corner, Aries, Kyle, and my brother Angelo were standing in a grim line. If looks could kill, Keifer would have been buried ten feet under. Angelo's jaw was ticking, his "big brother" instincts clearly screaming at him to throw a punch, but he remained silent, radiating a lethal energy that even the air seemed to shy away from.
The standoff was broken by a woman standing near the fireplace. She was dressed in a sharp blazer, her hair in a perfect bun. Honey.
She turned, her professional mask faltering as she looked at me. "Jay? Is that... is that really you?"
I blinked, the recognition hitting me like a freight train. "Honey? Oh my god! Honey, it's you!"
I rushed over, and for a second, the CEO's secretary and the "Queen of the House" were just two old friends. Keifer stood frozen, looking between us with genuine bewilderment. "Wait. Jay, how on earth do you know my secretary?"
I laughed, looking back at him. "How do I know her? Keifer, she's the one! Isn't she Percy's girlfriend?"
The silence that followed was deafening.
"JAY! NO!" Percy's scream echoed from the hallway, but it was too late.
Honey turned a shade of crimson I didn't know was biologically possible. Percy appeared in the doorway, looking like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
"Percy?" Felix cackled, nearly dropping his coffee. "The man who claims his only love is he himself, has a secret girlfriend? And it's the secretary? This is the best day of my life
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Keifer's POV
I watched the chaos unfold with a mix of irritation and growing amusement. I had spent the last twelve hours trying to mark my territory and keep Jay all to myself, only for my own secretary to become the center of a domestic explosion.
Aries, Yuri, and I instinctively moved toward Percy. It was a silent, brotherhood pact. If one of us was hiding a relationship, he was going to be interrogated until he spilled every detail.
"So, Percy," Yuri said, leaning against the doorframe, blocking Percy's exit. "How long has this been going on? Without our knowledge? Under Keifer's nose?"
"It's not—we aren't—she's just—" Percy stammered, his usual eloquence failing him completely.
"Honey?" Aries asked, his voice a sharp blade. "Our sister's friend and your boss's secretary? How long has this been happening ?"
"It's not 'happening'!" Percy protested, his face a vibrant shade of magenta. "We... we have coffee. Sometimes. And we discuss schedules. In detail."
" Explain us what did you both discuss in detail ", I countered, stepping into his personal space.
" It's Jay Jay. She's a matchmaker! She sees romance in a toaster!" Percy cried out.
Percy looked like he was about to faint. Honey, meanwhile, was hiding behind a pillar, trying to pretend she was a piece of architecture.
Blaster, meanwhile, was having a field day. He started pacing the room, pointing at people like he was counting cattle. "Unbelievable. Let's look at the state of this house. First, we have Jay and Keifer—the disaster duo. Then Mica and Calix, Grace and Denzel, David and Freya. Then there's Ella and Aries, Edrix and Freya, Kyle and Jane, Mia and Ben... even Angelo and Ion!"
He stopped, looking at the ceiling in mock despair. "And now Percy and Honey? Are you kidding me? Is there an airborne virus making everyone catch feelings? Are we the only singles left here?" He gestured wildly to himself and the few unattached people in the room.
Jay didn't miss the beat. She leaned against the table, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Don't worry, Blaster. I hear there are some lovely support groups for people who are chronically alone. Or maybe we can get you a puppy. Something that won't talk back."
"Hilarious," blaster grumbled, though he couldn't hide his grin.
The atmosphere lightened, the heavy tension of my "disappearance" with Jay replaced by the collective teasing of Percy and Honey.
But as usual, the peace didn't last. The younger brigade—Aion, Leo, and my brother Keiren and Keigan—decided they had waited long enough for Jay's attention.
They swarmed her, pulling her toward the breakfast nook. I tried to follow, my hand reaching for hers, but I was immediately blocked by Leo, who gave me a look of pure defiance.
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Jay's POV
After the bombshell about Percy and Honey dropped, the room split into two distinct camps. On one side, the "Inquisition" led by Keifer and Aries was closing in on a sweating Percy. On the other, I was being swarmed by my favorite little bodyguards.
"Jay-jay! Look!" Leo tugged on my hand, holding up a drawing that looked suspiciously like a stick-figure Keifer being eaten by a shark. "I made this for you. So he doesn't take you away again."
I stifled a laugh, kneeling to his level. "It's beautiful, Leo. Very... detailed."
"He's too loud," Keir added, leaning against my shoulder with a cool nonchalance that he definitely picked up from the older boys. "If he bothers you, just come to our room. We have snacks. And no Keifers allowed."
Aion nodded solemnly next to him. "We'll keep the door locked. We can play video games all day. You don't have to do 'grown-up' stuff with him."
Keig, always the most observant of the group, sat beside me, his eyes soft but knowing. "You look tired, Jay. Did he let you sleep at all, or was he just being a pest?"
"A total pest," I whispered, winking at him. "But don't tell him I said that, or he'll pout for a week."
The four of them huddled around me, a barrier of innocence and chaotic energy that shielded me from the glares of my brother and the others. They talked about school, their latest pranks, and how they planned to 'rescue' me from Keifer's possessiveness.
It was sweet, grounding, and exactly what I needed—until the shouting from the other side of the room hit a new octave. Then keifer tried to approach us but was stopped by Leo.
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Keifer POV
"She's talking to us now, Keifer," the little brat said, crossing his tiny arms.
"She's my wife, Leo," I countered, narrowed my eyes.
"She is my Jay first," Keiren chimed in.
We started a ridiculous, multi-generational argument over who Jay belonged to for the next hour, a cacophony of voices that felt like the heart of this home.
Jay was laughing, her eyes bright, looking more relaxed than she had in weeks.
Then, her phone buzzed.
It wasn't a normal ringtone. It was the sharp, staccato vibration of an encrypted alert.
I felt the shift before I saw it. Jay's laughter didn't fade; it vanished.
Her hand went to her pocket, and as she read the screen, her entire aura changed. The playful, sarcastic woman I had been arguing with was gone. In her place stood the professional—cold, focused, and dangerously efficient.
She looked up, her eyes meeting mine. The warmth was still there, but it was buried under layers of steel.
"I have to go," she said. Her voice wasn't loud, but it commanded the room. The teasing stopped instantly.
"Jay? What is it?" I asked, stepping toward her, my protective instincts flaring.
She didn't answer. She was already moving toward the stairs. "I'll be back. I have urgent work."
Five minutes later, she was back down. She had swapped her silk blouse for a tactical-style jacket and dark boots. She looked like a shadow ready to merge with the world outside. She didn't offer an explanation—she couldn't. We all knew the nature of her 'urgent work.'
She paused at the door, catching my gaze one last time. "I'll be back, Keifer. I promise."
And then, she was gone. The front door clicked shut, leaving the house full of couples, laughter, and unfinished business feeling suddenly, painfully quiet.
I stared at the closed door, the weight of the silence pressing in on me. She was gone, and the world felt a little colder because of it.
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