ROOM 7
Chapter Fifty-Five: The Ultimatum
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The call came on a Monday.
Jay was in her office, reviewing merger documents, when her father's secretary patched through. "Your father is here, Ms. Mariano. He says it's urgent."
She set her pen down. "Put him through."
Her father's voice was tight. Strained. "Jay. I need you to come to the boardroom. Now."
"What's wrong?"
"Just come."
The line went dead.
She stood. Walked to the door. Keifer was in the hallway, leaning against the wall, waiting for her. They'd been having lunch together every Monday for two years. It was their ritual.
"Something's wrong," she said.
He straightened. "What?"
"My father. He sounded—" She stopped. "I don't know. Just different."
He took her hand. "I'll come with you."
She shook her head. "This is business. Family business."
His jaw tightened. "Jay."
She squeezed his hand. "I'll call you."
She walked toward the elevator. He watched her go. The doors closed.
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Part One: The Boardroom
The boardroom was at the end of the hall. Glass walls. Long table. Leather chairs. Her father was standing at the window, his back to her. His hands were clasped behind him. His shoulders were tight.
"Dad."
He turned. His face was pale. His eyes were red. He looked like he hadn't slept.
"What's wrong?"
He walked to the table. Sat down. Gestured for her to sit across from him.
"Yuri's father came to see me this morning."
She sat. "The merger?"
"The merger is off."
She went still. "What?"
He pulled out his phone. Slides open. He turned it toward her. "He sent this. An hour ago."
Jay looked at the screen. Projections. Numbers. A timeline. At the bottom, a message.
The partnership will proceed only if Jay marries Yuri. If not, Hanamitchi will withdraw all investments and pursue legal action for breach of contract. We will take everything.
She stared at the screen. Her hands were shaking. Her chest was tight.
"Dad—"
"It's not Yuri's father." His voice was low. Heavy. "It's Yuri."
She looked up. "What?"
"Your friend. The boy from your room. He's the one who made this demand."
She shook her head. "Yuri wouldn't—"
"I have it on recording." He pulled out a second phone. Pressed play.
Yuri's voice filled the room. Steady. Cold. Nothing like the boy she knew.
"I want Jay. I've wanted her since college. She chose Keifer. She chose wrong. Now she has no choice. If you want to save your company, you'll convince her to marry me. If not, I'll destroy everything your family has built. Starting with the merger. Ending with your name."
The recording stopped.
Jay sat in the chair. Her hands were in her lap. Her face was white.
"Jay." Her father reached across the table. Took her hand. "You don't have to do this."
She looked at him. At his tired eyes. At the lines on his face that hadn't been there yesterday.
"If I don't—"
"We'll fight. We'll find a way."
She shook her head. "You know we can't. The contracts. The investments. The legal fees." She pulled her hand free. "He's thought of everything."
Her father's jaw tightened. "Then we'll—"
"There's no 'we'll.'" She stood up. Walked to the window. The city spread out below. The same city she'd grown up in. The same city that was about to crumble.
"I'll do it."
"Jay—"
"I'll do it."
She turned. Her face was calm. Her eyes were dry. Her voice was steady.
"Tell him I agree."
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Part Two: The Call
She called Keifer from her office.
He answered on the first ring. "Jay. What happened?"
She looked at the shark on her desk. The one he'd won for her at the amusement park. The one she'd kept for years. The one that sat on her bed every night.
"Can you come to my office?"
"I'm already in the building."
"Come up."
He was there in two minutes. His face was worried. His hands were empty. His eyes searched her face.
"What's wrong?"
She closed the door. Leaned against it. "Yuri's father came to see my father this morning."
"The merger?"
"It's off."
He stepped closer. "What do you mean, off?"
She looked at his face. At his eyes. At the way he was looking at her like she was the only thing in the world worth seeing.
"He made a demand." She paused. "Yuri made a demand."
Keifer went still. "What demand?"
She told him.
The words came out flat. Hollow. She watched his face change. Confusion. Disbelief. Anger. Something darker. Something she'd only seen once before. When Ram touched her. When he went after him.
"He threatened your father."
She nodded.
"He threatened your company."
She nodded.
"He said he'll destroy everything if you don't—" He stopped. His hands were fists. His jaw was tight.
She touched his face. "Keifer."
He grabbed her hands. Held them. "You're not going to do it."
"Keifer—"
"You're not going to marry him."
She pulled her hands free. Walked to her desk. Picked up the shark. Held it.
"If I don't, my father loses everything. The company. The name. The—"
"Then we fight."
"We can't."
"We can."
She turned. Looked at him. His face was fierce. His eyes were bright. His hands were shaking.
"I already agreed," she said.
The room went silent.
"You what?"
She set the shark down. "I told my father to tell Yuri I agree."
He stared at her. His face was white. His hands dropped to his sides. His voice was barely a whisper.
"Jay."
"Keifer."
He walked to her. Grabbed her arms. His grip was tight. His face was inches from hers.
"You're not going to marry him."
She didn't pull away. "I have to."
"No."
"Keifer—"
"No." His voice cracked. "I don't care about the company. I don't care about the money. I don't care about any of it. I care about you."
She touched his face. Her fingers traced his cheekbone. "I care about my father. I care about the people who work for him. The families who depend on him. I can't let Yuri destroy all of that."
He pulled her into his arms. His face was in her hair. His arms were around her. His voice was low.
"There has to be another way."
She closed her eyes. His heartbeat was under her ear. His hand was in her hair. The shark was on the desk.
"I'll find one," she said. "But for now—"
"For now, you pretend."
She nodded. "For now, I pretend."
He held her tighter. She let him.
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Part Three: The Agreement
Yuri came to her office at 5 PM.
He was wearing a suit. A good one. Expensive. His hair was combed. His shoes were polished. He looked like a stranger.
She stood by the window. Her back was to him. She didn't turn when he walked in.
"Jay."
"Yuri."
"You agreed."
She turned. Her face was calm. Her eyes were cold. "I agreed."
He walked toward her. Stopped a few feet away. "You're not happy about it."
She crossed her arms. "What do you think?"
He looked at her. At the gray blouse. At the stuffed shark on her desk. At the way she was standing like she was ready to fight.
"I think you'll learn to love me."
She laughed. It was hollow. "I've known you for years, Yuri. I've never loved you. Not that way."
His jaw tightened. "You will."
"Threatening my family isn't going to make me love you."
He stepped closer. "I'm not asking you to love me. I'm asking you to marry me."
She didn't step back. "There's a difference."
He looked at her face. At her eyes. At the way she was looking at him like he was a stranger.
"I'm sorry it had to come to this."
She shook her head. "No, you're not."
He didn't deny it.
"The engagement party," he said. "Saturday. My parents' house. 7 PM."
She nodded. "I'll be there."
He walked to the door. Stopped. Turned.
"Jay."
She didn't answer.
"For what it's worth—"
"It's not worth anything."
He walked out. The door closed behind him.
She stood by the window. The city was bright. The sun was setting. The shark was on her desk.
She didn't move.
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Part Four: The Night
Keifer was waiting in her apartment.
The lights were off. He was sitting on the couch. The shark was in his lap. Bruce was beside him.
She walked in. Kicked off her shoes. Dropped her bag. Sat beside him.
"He came to my office."
Keifer didn't look at her. "What did he say?"
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "The engagement party is Saturday. His parents' house. 7 PM."
He put his arm around her. "Are you going?"
"I have to."
He was quiet for a long moment. Then: "I'll be there."
She looked up at him. "Keifer—"
"I'll be there. Not inside. But nearby. In case you need me."
She touched his face. "I always need you."
He kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes.
"Jay."
"Yeah."
"We're going to find a way out of this."
She nodded. "I know."
He pulled her closer. She leaned into him. The apartment was dark. The city was bright. The world was falling apart.
But they were together. That was something.
That was everything.
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End of Chapter Fifty-Five