KEIFER'S POV — THE MOMENT SHE STEPPED OFF THE STAGE
The second she ended the Q&A, the room erupted into chaos.
Reporters shouting. Executives scrambling. Investors trying to shove past each other just to get near her.
Jay didn't even flinch.
She stepped down from the stage like she was descending from a throne—calm, lethal, radiating a power that made half the room instinctively step back.
And me?
I was already halfway down the stairs before I even realized I was moving.
But she was faster.
Because the moment her heels hit the floor, three businessmen practically lunged forward—
"Ms. Mariano, if we could have a moment—"
"Your expansion strategy, if we may—"
"We'd like to schedule a priv—"
She didn't even slow down.
Didn't look at them. Didn't acknowledge them.
She walked straight past millionaires like they were invisible.
And for the first time, the room understood:
It wasn't arrogance.
It was priority.
She had somewhere—
someone—
she needed to be.
Her eyes fixed forward.
Straight to the people who actually mattered.
Angelo was the first to move.
He rushed down a step, hands out, voice strangled:
"Jay…"
Aries stood beside him, jaw clenched so hard a vein throbbed in his temple, eyes wide with shock, pride, confusion—everything at once.
Jay finally reached them.
Angelo grabbed her shoulders like he needed to make sure she was real.
Aries pulled her into a fierce, protective hug, muttering something like:
"You're unbelievable… and we're talking about this later."
She laughed softly against his shoulder.
God.
She looked relieved to reach them.
HER DAD
Her father stepped forward next — not proud, not shocked…
But stunned.
Like he was staring at someone he only now realized was far bigger than he ever understood.
"Jay," he whispered, voice thick. "You… you did all that?"
She nodded.
No apology.
No shrinking.
She simply said:
"Yes, Dad."
He swallowed hard and hugged her.
Even I felt my chest twist at that.
SECTION E BOYS
Yu, Cin, Percy, the others—
They were frozen in a cluster like malfunctioning robots.
Cin was wiping tears.
David and edrix were whispering "holy shit"
Percy had his hand over his heart like he needed a defibrillator.
Jay reached them and Cin immediately threw her arms around her.
"YOU SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF US!"
Yuri added, "I need water. Or vodka. Mostly vodka."
Jay laughed — the first real, soft laugh since stepping onto the stage.
Her world was gathering around her, holding her, grounding her.
Stella didn't say a word.
She just walked up, cupped Jay's face gently, and whispered:
"Cole would be proud."
Jay's breath hitched.
Her eyes softened in a way that punched straight into my ribs.
I took a step closer.
Two.
Because I needed to be near her.
I needed—
Hell, I didn't even know what I needed.
Her.
All of her.
David gave her a nod that looked deceptively simple—
But in it was respect.
Acknowledgment.
And silent loyalty.
"You changed the game tonight,Jaybird.I am sure that that the bastard must be happy form above..." he said simply with a smile.
Jay exhaled, steady but tired.
She was surrounded.
Supported.
Seen.
And yet…
Her gaze kept flicking, searching—
For me.
Every time her eyes passed over the crowd, they sharpened.
Looking.
Waiting.
Wanting.
And when I finally stepped through the last line of Section E—
When there was no one left between us—
Her breath caught.
Her eyes locked on mine.
Everything else disappeared.
Everyone else blurred.
It was just me and her.
Keifer and Jay.
Man and hurricane.
Pulse and wildfire.
I stepped closer—
And the entire group went silent, watching, frozen, anticipating.
Jay didn't wait.
She moved first.
Straight toward me.
No hesitation. No hiding. No shame.
Just… us.
And the moment she reached me, the air thickened.
I lowered my voice, only for her:
"You should've warned me," I whispered, breath unsteady.
"You wouldn't have believed me," she murmured back.
And God—
She was right.
Because nothing could've prepared me for the storm she unleashed.
Nothing except this moment.
Her.
Right in front of me.
Mine.
And I wasn't letting her go...
JAY'S POV — WALKING TO HIM
The second my feet touched the floor and the noise swallowed me whole, I felt it.
That pull.
That gravity.
That thread between us tightening with every step I took.
Everyone was talking—touching me, hugging me, asking questions, crying, laughing—but through it all, I kept seeing him.
Keifer.
Standing just behind the crowd, chest rising and falling slowly, dangerously calm… but his eyes?
Burning.
Waiting.
For me.
I made it through Angelo, through Aries, through Dad. Through Section E, through Stella, through all the people I loved.
But the whole time…
My heart wasn't there.
My heart was walking toward him.
---
THE CROWD PARTED
The moment the last person stepped aside, I saw him clearly.
Sharp suit. Hands in his pockets. Jaw clenched enough to crack. Eyes soft enough to melt steel.
Keifer Watson.
My calm in chaos. My storm behind the silence.
And suddenly every step I took felt loud. Heavy. Intentional.
Because I wasn't walking to a CEO.
I was walking to my person.
A slow hush rippled through our friends. They all watched—some with smirks, some holding their breath, some pretending not to stare at all.
I didn't care.
I walked straight to him.
Not as Ms. Mariano.
Not as the girl who just shook a ballroom full of corporations.
Just… as Jay.
His Jay.
---
UP CLOSE
"Keifer," I breathed, the word leaving me before I even decided to say it.
His lips twitched, like he was fighting a smile… or a curse.
"You should've warned me," he murmured again, voice low, rougher than before now that I was close enough to touch.
I tilted my chin up, a small smile flickering.
"You wouldn't have believed me."
His breath hitched.
Barely, but I felt it.
Because standing this close, I could feel everything—his tension, his relief, his pride, the way he was trying so hard not to just pull me into him in front of the entire ballroom.
And God, I wanted him to.
But not yet.
Not in front of everyone staring like we were some kind of finale to a show.
So instead, I reached forward—
Slowly. Gently.
And fixed the collar of his suit.
His eyes didn't move from mine.
Not once.
"Did I do okay?" I whispered.
His jaw flexed.
"Jay," he said, voice dipping dangerously low, "You shook the entire damn room."
My heart stuttered.
"And you…" he leaned closer, lips brushing the edge of my ear, "made it very hard for me to stay calm."
I swallowed.
Heat shot up my neck.
And then—just for a second—everything around us faded again.
He looked at me like I hung the moon he planned to own. I looked at him like he was the gravity that held me steady.
And for the first time tonight…
I felt safe.
Seen.
Home.
I whispered back, barely audible:
"Take me to you."
His eyes darkened.
Just slightly.
Just enough.
And everyone watching knew:
This night wasn't over.
Not for him.
Not for me.
Not for us.
I barely had time to breathe after whispering take me to you before reality crashed back in.
Because suddenly—
"Ms. Mariano."
Ethan slid in beside me like a perfectly timed shadow, adjusting his glasses with that polite-but-stressed look only I could read.
And with him…
A tall, polished man in his mid-40s, smiling like an opportunity wrapped in money.
"Allow me to introduce Mr. Halden," Ethan said.
The man extended his hand. "An honor, Ms. Mariano. Truly. Your presentation—astonishing."
I shook his hand. "Thank you, sir."
He laughed warmly. "I have to ask—are you by any chance interested in settling down? My son is single, well-educated, and would be delighted to meet someone as extraordinary as you."
I froze.
Ethan blinked so hard I thought his glasses might fall off.
And Keifer?
Keifer went—
Still.
Silent.
Cold.
Dangerously cold.
I didn't even have to look at him. I could feel his jaw tightening beside me, his hand flexing in his pocket, every cell in his body screaming:
Touch her and die.
I smiled politely at Mr. Halden.
"That's very kind, but I'm not interested."
Keifer didn't move.
But Section E?
Oh, they noticed.
Yuri smirked.
Cin covered her mouth.
Stella raised a brow at Keifer like control yourself, big boy.
Percy was whispering, "He's gonna explode. I swear he's gonna—"
But I wasn't prepared for what came next.
Because the moment Mr. Halden stepped aside—
Another young man stepped forward.
Perfect hair. Expensive suit. Smile sharpened for courting.
"Ms. Mariano, your intelligence is captivating. If you're free this weekend—"
"No," I said, still polite, still calm.
Behind me, Keifer very quietly exhaled through his nose.
Yuri muttered, "Oh he's pissed. Like, intro-to-war pissed."
And it didn't stop there.
Heir after heir approached.
From old money families.
Tech dynasties.
Political lineages.
All with thinly veiled offers—meetings that weren't about business at all.
Every time I refused, Keifer's hand in his pocket flexed a little more.
Every time someone smiled too long, his eyes sharpened.
Every time someone said Ms. Mariano in that tone…
Aries whispered behind me, "Should we… hold him back?"
And then—
As if the universe was testing him—
A man walked up surrounded by security.
Tall. Regal. Charismatic.
A prince.
An actual prince.
He bowed slightly.
"Ms. Mariano. Your work is admired in my country. I would be honored to invite you as a guest of our royal council."
The room gasped.
Keifer didn't.
He just stared.
Expression unreadable.
Deadly blank.
David leaned toward Cin. "He's calculating homicide."
Yuri: "He's not calculating. He's accepting."
Cin: "Shut up, you're going to get him arrested."
The prince gently took my hand to kiss it—
And that?
That was the breaking point.
Before the prince's lips even brushed my skin, a shadow moved.
Keifer's hand closed around mine.
Calm.
Controlled.
Possessive.
"Careful," he said evenly, eyes locked on the prince. "She's still needed for the evening."
It wasn't rude.
It wasn't loud.
But the warning in it had kings reconsidering battles.
The prince stepped back with a smile that hid his surprise.
"My apologies. Mr…?"
"Watson," Keifer replied without blinking.
The prince froze.
Everyone froze.
Because that name carried weight—and threat.
I squeezed Keifer's hand lightly.
Just once.
His eyes flicked to me.
Soft for a fraction of a second.
Then Stella loudly whispered:
"He's jealous. Oh my god he is SO jealous."
Yuri: "I'm taking bets—how long until he just carries her out?"
Cin: "Two minutes. Max."
David: "Thirty seconds."
Keifer ignored all of them.
But I felt the tension in him, the silent mine radiating off him like heat.
I leaned in slightly.
"You okay?" I whispered.
His eyes dropped to my lips for half a heartbeat.
"No," he said quietly. "Not even close."
My pulse jumped.
And the night?
Oh, it was far from over.
For both of us...
The moment Keifer said not even close, a shiver ran straight down my spine.
Because his voice wasn't angry.
It was something else.
Possessive. Strained. Barely-contained.
Like he was holding back an entire storm with nothing but willpower.
And then—
"Ms. Mariano!"
I swear I almost groaned.
Another one.
Another heir, another billionaire son, another polished smile heading straight toward me.
Keifer's fingers tightened around my hand like a warning to the universe:
Enough.
But the universe clearly had no interest in keeping him calm.
A boy—well, probably around my age but with the confidence of ten generations of money—stopped in front of us with a blinding smile.
"I'm Rafael Ortiz. My father insists I introduce myself. You're impressive. Very impressive."
He extended his hand.
Before I could respond, Yuri stage-whispered:
"BRO. STOP COLLECTING MEN LIKE POKEMON."
Cin choked on her drink.
Percy wheezed.
Rafael blinked at them in confusion, then turned back to me.
"Perhaps we could—"
"No," I said gently, smiling politely. "I'm not available."
For a moment, he stared.
Then glanced at Keifer.
Then back at me.
"Ah," he exhaled knowingly. "Someone already claimed you."
Keifer didn't move a muscle.
But I felt the satisfaction vibrating off him like heat.
Rafael bowed slightly and left.
And finally—
Finally—
Silence.
Well… Section E silence.
Which meant:
"HE'S GONNA DRAG HER AWAY ANY SECOND," Yuri whispered.
"I say he lasts ten seconds," David added.
Stella: "He's holding onto sanity with a THREAD."
Aries just glared at everyone.
Angelo was still trying to understand how a prince had just bowed to his sister.
And me?
I turned to Keifer fully.
His eyes were still locked on the direction Rafael left.
Jaw tight.
Shoulders tense.
Mine mine mine screaming silently off him like static.
I tugged his hand.
He finally looked at me.
And—God.
That look.
Like he'd been starving and I was the only thing he could eat.
I whispered, "Hey."
His chest rose sharply.
"Jay," he said, voice low and rough, "I almost lost my mind."
I blinked. "Over one prince?"
His laugh was humorless.
"One prince. Three heirs. Seven CEOs. And whoever the hell that Ortiz boy was."
He leaned slightly closer, murmuring, "You're lucky I didn't throw someone through a wall."
My face heated instantly.
Cin yelled, "WE HEARD THAT!"
Stella snorted. "He's not even pretending anymore."
Keifer didn't care.
His eyes stayed locked on mine, all sharp edges and soft danger.
"You're too calm," I whispered, though my voice wasn't steady.
His smirk was slow. Dangerous. Hot.
"You have no idea how not calm I am."
My breath hitched.
And then—
Suddenly—
"Ms. Mariano!"
ETHAN AGAIN.
He rushed over, sweating, panicking, holding a stack of business cards like he'd just run through corporate battlefield.
"Jay—uh—Ms. Mariano—you have thirty-two meeting invitations, five dinner requests, and—"
He looked at Keifer, then swallowed nervously, "—and one challenge."
I blinked. "Challenge?"
Ethan nodded miserably. "Someone from the Saito Corporation wants to… duel you? For honor?"
Section E burst out laughing so hard Yuri bent over.
Keifer did not laugh.
He stepped forward slightly, voice dropping a full octave.
"No one is dueling her."
Ethan nodded so fast his glasses nearly flew off. "Right. Cancelling now."
And then he bolted.
Leaving me with a dangerously jealous CEO whose patience meter was clearly dying.
I took a slow step closer.
"Keifer."
His eyes lowered to my lips.
"Take me," I whispered.
He inhaled sharply.
Everyone behind us gasped.
Yuri: "OH YES, DRAG HER AWAY—"
Aries: "Yuri, shut up."
Keifer didn't wait.
Not this time.
He slid a hand to my waist—firm, warm, claiming—and leaned down.
"Say it again."
My heartbeat punched against my ribs.
I stood on my toes, lips brushing the shell of his ear.
"Take. Me."
Everything in him snapped.
His breath hitched.
His grip tightened.
And with one last flicker of restraint shattering—
He whispered:
"As you wish."
Then he turned—
And the chaos followed.
Every jaw dropped. Every heir froze. The prince even raised a brow.
Because Keifer Watson didn't just take my hand.
He guided me—
Possessively. Boldly. Unquestionably—
Out of the crowd.
Straight toward the private elevator.
And the entire ballroom watched the two of us disappear like the final scene of a movie.
Section E collectively screamed.
But all I felt was the heat of his hand around mine.
The promise in his silence.
And the electricity of a night far, far from over...