JAY JAY POV
After handing the veil to a very relieved Ella, she took a shaky breath and smoothed down the delicate lace.
"It's time. Jay, how do I look?" Ella asked, her voice hovering between excitement and nerves.
"Amazing," I answered, and I wasn't just being polite. She looked like a literal goddess.
She offered me a grateful smile, and we began the walk back toward the grand hall. The music was already starting to swell, a soft, orchestral melody that made the air feel even more magical.
On our way, a small figure caught my eye.
"Doctor!" he chirped, waving his little hand at me with a huge grin.
"Angel!" I said, stopping for a second to greet my favorite little warrior. "How are you?"
"Good!" he said, bouncing slightly.
"Does your leg still hurt?" I asked him, my doctor-brain momentarily taking over. I looked down at his knee, checking for any signs of discomfort.
He shook his head vigorously. "No! It's all better. See?"
"Angel!" a woman's voice called out, and I looked up to see someone approaching us.
She was elegant, with a kind face and a presence that felt both strong and gentle. She stopped in front of us, her eyes searching mine with a look of soft recognition.
"Jay, right?" she asked, extending her hand for a shake.
I nodded, offering her a smile.
"Angelo told me all about you. I'm his wife, Ion," she said, her smile warm and genuine.
She didn't look at me like I was a ghost or a puzzle to be solved; she looked at me like I was a friend she had been waiting to meet. It was a nice change of pace from the intense stares I'd been getting all night.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ion," I said, shaking her hand. "You have a very brave son. He's been my best patient all week."
Ion laughed, a light, melodic sound. "I'm glad to hear it. He hasn't stopped talking about the cool doctor with the chocolates since he came home."
I giggled, feeling a flush of pride. "What can I say? I know how to win over the tough crowd."
Ion laughed, her eyes crinkling in a way that felt strangely comforting. She turned to the bride, her expression shifting to one of support. "Ella, are you ready?"
Ella took a deep breath, clutching her bouquet so hard her knuckles were white. She gave a firm, determined nod.
We entered the grand hall, the music swelling into a triumphant march that made the tiny hairs on my arms stand up. I made my way to the very front row—Ella had insisted I sit there, claiming she needed a friendly face close by.
As I took my seat, I realized exactly who I was sitting next to.
The Skyscraper.
"Keifer," I said, trying to sound casual as I smoothed out the skirt of my navy dress.
"Jay," he responded. His voice was that same low, gravelly rumble that seemed to vibrate straight through the floorboards.
He didn't just look at me; he scanned me, his eyes dark and intense as they moved from the top of my head down to my shoes. I felt like a patient under a high-powered microscope, but for some reason, I didn't want to run away.
"You look so pretty," he murmured, his gaze finally settling on my face.
I felt my cheeks heat up.
Why is it so hot in here? They really need to fix the AC.
"Thanks," I said, offering him a shy smile. I took a quick look at him—the black tux, the perfectly styled hair . "You look good as well. Very... billionaire-chic."
He let out a short, dry chuckle, the sound surprisingly warm. "Just good'? I spent three hours picking out this tie because I heard a certain surgeon was going to be here."
I rolled my eyes, leaning back in my seat. "Is that so? Well, at least your heartbeat seems steady today, Mr. Watson. No need for an emergency consult in the middle of the vows."
"It's only steady because you're sitting right here," he whispered, leaning just a fraction closer.
I looked toward the altar where the Horoscope Groom was standing, trying to ignore the way Keifer's shoulder was brushing against mine. It felt comfortable. Familiar
"Keifer," I whispered, turning to him.
"What?" he asked, his voice low and attentive.
"Nothing," I said quickly, looking back at the flowers. Tss. Why did I even open my mouth?
"No, what is it? Please ask me," Keifer insisted. He wasn't letting it go. He was looking at me with that intense gaze that made me feel like I was under an X-ray machine.
"Nothing na," I said, huffing a little.
"Please, Jay. Just ask me," he pleaded. His voice had that raspy, desperate edge again.
"It's nothing... it's just, you mentioned before at the hospital that you used a girl. Can you tell me more about her?" I finally asked. My heart was thumping against my ribs. I don't even know why I was curious.
Keifer looked shocked for a second, his body stiffening. But then he sighed, his eyes clouding over with a deep, heavy sadness.
"I was seventeen when I first saw her," Keifer began. "I went to HVIS Section E. I was the president. Section E is known for being troublesome; it's where they dump all the kids they can't handle. I was a jerk back then."
I nodded. I could totally see that. He probably walked around like he owned the hallways even as a teenager.
"Then she came. Jasper Jean Fernandez Mariano," Keifer said.
"Fernandez? As in Aries and Angelo's cousin?" I asked, my eyes widening. No wonder they all looked like they wanted to fight the air whenever I mentioned him.
He nodded. "At that time, Aries and I were head-to-head. We hated each other. We had so many disputes back then. I didn't like him, so when she came and introduced herself as a Fernandez, I saw a chance to get back at him. Section E and I... we planned to use her."
"But it backfired," I said softly.
He looked at me, completely stunned. "How did you...?"
"You told me, remember? In the hospital," I reminded him, rolling my eyes. Seriously, these high-powered business people—they have all these millions but can't remember a basic conversation? I could never. "You said you did something stupid and lost her."
Keifer nodded slowly, his gaze dropping to his hands. "By the time I was eighteen, I had to go to London. I had many enemies back then, and my family wanted to stop me from getting my inheritance. They would have used her to get to me. So yeah... I decided to hurt her. I thought that if she hated me and stayed away, she would be safe. She would stay alive."
I felt a sudden pang in my chest.
"Did you ever get to explain to her why you did it?" I asked.
He looked at the altar, his expression hollowing out.
"She left before I even had a chance," he said, his voice cracking. "I went to find her to tell her the truth, but the accident happened. And then she was just... gone."
I looked at him, and for a second, I really wanted to give him that hug I mentioned earlier. He looked so lonely sitting there in his expensive suit, surrounded by people but still haunted by a seventeen-year-old girl who vanished.
"I'm sorry, Keifer," I murmured.
"It's okay, Jay," he said, looking at me with an intensity that made my breathe hitch. "I'm not letting her go a second time."
I blinked. Whose heart is racing now, skyscraper? I quickly looked back at the aisle because the ceremony was starting, but I could still feel his eyes on me.
I felt a sudden, sharp sting in my eyes.
Why am I about to cry?
It's not even my heartbreak!
Maybe the flowers in this hall are just really allergenic. Yeah, that's it. It has to be the pollen.
I looked at him, my vision blurring just a tiny bit.
"Do you still love her?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper over the sound of the wedding march.
Keifer didn't even hesitate. He nodded, his gaze fixed on mine with a sincerity that felt like a physical weight.
"I never stopped loving her," he said.
I nodded slowly, looking back at my lap. Don't cry, Luna.
But my chest felt tight, like someone had tied a string around my heart and was pulling it toward him. It was a weird, aching feeling—the kind of pain you get when you're standing right in front of something you lost but don't know how to claim.
I bit my lip, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "Is there a chance for a girl in your heart?" I asked him. "I mean… after all this time. Is there even space for someone else?"
Keifer turned his whole body toward me. He looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher—it was a mix of sorrow, hope, and an intensity that made the air between us feel electric.
He reached out, his hand hovering near mine on the velvet pew.
"My heart has always been full, Jay," he said, his voice dropping into that low, possessive rumble. "But the girl I'm looking at right now is the only one who has the key to it. There's no someone else. There never was."
I froze. My breath hitched in my throat, and for a second, the entire wedding vanished. The music, the flowers, the Horoscope Groom—everything was gone. There was just the skyscraper and me, sitting in a bubble of silence that felt seven years deep.
Tss. Way to be smooth, Watson.
I quickly looked away, my face feeling like it was on fire. "That's… that's a very billionaire thing to say," I managed to squeak out, frantically fanning my face with my hand. "You really need to stop reading those romance novels, skyscraper. It's bad for your health."
I could hear him chuckle—the sound warm and rich, filling the space where my heart was currently doing backflips.
"I don't read novels, Jay," he whispered, leaning in so close I could smell his expensive cologne. "I just state the facts."
"Well, your facts suck," I snapped, my voice a little higher than I intended.
I looked straight ahead, focusing really hard on the back of Aries' head. Tss. Why does this skyscraper have to be so intense? It's a wedding, not a K-drama set.
"They suck because they're true?" Keifer asked. I didn't have to look at him to know he was wearing that smug, billion-dollar grin again.
"They suck because they're making it hard for me to breathe, okay?" I grumbled under my breath, but I think he heard me anyway. I crossed my arms
I tried to focus on the altar. I really did. But my brain was a mess
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest suddenly announced, his voice echoing through the grand hall.
I blinked, snapping out of my daze. "Already?" I asked, leaning toward Keifer.
Seriously, did I black out? I feel like the ceremony just started and now they're already at the finish line. Did I miss the vows? I was so busy arguing with a billionaire that I missed the whole reason we're here!
Keifer gave a small, amused nod. "You were too busy complaining about my facts, Jay. Time flies when you're having fun."
Aries—our very own Horoscope Groom—leaned in and kissed Ella. It was one of those movie-moment kisses where the lighting is perfect and everyone sighs at the same time.
I clapped enthusiastically, a genuine smile breaking through my confusion. Even if I don't remember everything, seeing them look that happy made my heart feel less heavy. Ella looked like a queen, and Aries looked like he'd finally found his north star.
"Yay! Go, Horoscope!" I cheered, though I kept it at a respectful 'wedding volume.'
Keifer clapped beside me, his movements graceful and dignified. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. He was watching the couple, but there was a look in his eyes—a mixture of longing and determination.
"Next is the reception," Keifer said, standing up and extending his hand to me. "And I believe there's going to be a lot of food."
Food?
My ears practically perked up. My stomach, which had been ignored during my existential crisis, let out a tiny, hopeful growl.
"Food? Why didn't you lead with that, skyscraper?" I said, quickly taking his hand and hopping up from the pew. "Let's go! I need to see if the Fernandez family knows how to throw a real party. If there's no buffet, I'm leaving."
Keifer's grip on my hand was firm and warm. He didn't let go even as we started moving toward the aisle.
"Trust me, Jay," he whispered as we followed the crowd. "You won't be disappointed."
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