JAY'S POV — THE NEXT MORNING...
My phone buzzed itself awake before I did.
Not one buzz.
A barrage.
I groaned, rolling onto my side and dragging the hoodie tighter around myself before blinking at the screen.
Damian (23 missed calls)
Damian (47 messages)
I sat up immediately.
That reflex wasn't fear.
It was training.
I opened the chat.
✉️Damian: Jay.
Jay answer me NOW.
This isn't optional.
London. Three days.
Watson file just escalated.
Board wants you present.
Media's sniffing.
And before you argue—
You're the only one who can handle this.
I exhaled slowly.
There it was.
The other life.
The one that never slept.
I checked the time.
6:12 a.m.
Figures.
I typed back:
✉️Me:
Book the jet.
I'll be ready in two hours.
Loop legal.Lock the agenda.
And... Divert the media.
One glance of me in public and you will die....
Three dots appeared instantly.
✉️ Damian:
Knew you'd say that.Already took care of it.
Welcome back, boss.
I stared at the word boss longer than necessary.
Then I swung my legs out of bed.
---
Kuya Angelo was in the kitchen when I told him.
Coffee. Newspaper. Reading glasses halfway down his nose.
The picture of normalcy.
"I need to go to London," I said simply. "For work."
He looked up.
"How long?"
"Three days."
He studied me the way he always did—quiet, careful. Like he could sense when I was holding something back, but chose not to pry unless necessary.
"What kind of work?"
"my dad's stuff," I said. "Important."
That was as much truth as I could safely give.
He nodded slowly.
"You'll be safe?"
I met his eyes.
"Always."
A pause.
Then he sighed. "Alright. Text me when you land."
Relief flickered through me—not because he let me go, but because he trusted me enough not to interrogate.
I hugged him before he could stop me.
He stiffened, then patted my back. "You kids and your sudden travel."
I smiled.
If only he knew.
As I left in my car I texted David...
✉️Me:
I'm leaving for London.three days.Keep me posted on them.Especially Keifer and Yuri.
✉️David:
I get Keifer but why Yuri?
✉️Me:
I feel something will happen,he has been behaving weird around me like keifer weird...
✉️David:
Okay I'll do that...also Safe flight Jay Jay....
✉️Me:
Thanks David....see you soon...
---
AIRPORT — CEO MODE ACTIVATED
By the time I stepped into the airport lounge, Jay Jay was gone.
Hair slicked back. Glasses on. Expression neutral.
Damian was already there, tablet in hand.
"You're late," he said.
"By five minutes," I replied. "You'll live."
He grinned. "There she is."
We walked.
He talked.
"Watson Industries had a silent internal restructuring last quarter," he said.
"Clyde Watson stepped in as acting CEO. Old money. Cleaner image than his predecessors. But—"
"But still Watson," I finished.
Damian nodded. "Exactly."
I skimmed the digital file he handed me.
Financial graphs. Board minutes. Redacted documents.
And then—
Meeting Scheduled: Watson Industries
Attendees: Clyde Watson (Acting CEO), Jasper J. Mariano (Chair)
I stilled.
Damian noticed immediately.
"…You okay?"
I smiled faintly.
"Perfect," I said. "Let's see how deep this goes."
---
MID-AIR — STRATEGY AND STEEL
First-class cabin.
Quiet.
Controlled.
Damian across from me, sleeves rolled up, already mid-analysis.
"If Watson Industries pushes the merger clause, we counter with the logistics leverage," he said. "They're bleeding overseas."
"They won't push," I said, scrolling calmly.
He paused. "Why not?"
"Because Clyde Watson doesn't like public battles," I replied. "And because he thinks I'm just a name on a file."
Damian smirked. "He's about to be very disappointed."
I leaned back, eyes closing briefly.
Keifer flashed through my mind.
His kitchen. His brothers. The way his house felt like a fortress without looking like one.
Watson.
Of course.
I opened my eyes.
"No mercy," I said.
Damian grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."
---
LONDON — POWER WEARS GLASS AND STEEL
The plane touched down smoothly.
Rain kissed the tarmac like London was welcoming me back personally.
A black car waited.
No logos.
No flash.
Just efficiency.
Watson Industries rose ahead of us like a monument to legacy.
Glass. Steel. Height.
The kind of building meant to remind you who had always been in control.
I adjusted my coat.
"Ready?" Damian asked.
I stepped out of the car.
"I was born ready."
---
WATSON INDUSTRIES — THE LION'S DEN
The boardroom was pristine.
Long table. Floor-to-ceiling windows. City stretching endlessly beyond.
Clyde Watson stood when I entered.
Mid-fifties. Sharp suit. Calm eyes.
He smiled politely.
"Ms. Mariano," he said. "A pleasure."
I shook his hand.
Firm.
Measured.
"Likewise," I replied.
We sat.
He folded his hands. "I must say, you're… younger than expected."
I smiled.
"And you're more cautious than your reputation."
A flicker.
There.
He leaned back slightly. "Let's discuss business."
"Oh," I said, opening my folder slowly. "We will."
And as the doors shut behind us
The room shifted.
Not physically.
Energetically.
The kind of shift you feel before something cracks.
Clyde Watson had just finished signing. The pen clicked softly as he capped it, satisfaction threading his posture.
The head of the Watson family—old, silver-haired, eyes sharp with generational confidence—stood and extended his hand to me.
"Congratulations, Ms. Mariano," he said. "This partnership marks a strong future for both our families."
Families.
Interesting choice of word.
I stood, accepted the handshake. Firm. Brief.
"Likewise," I replied. "I look forward to a profitable collaboration."
Polite nods followed. Murmurs of approval. The room was already mentally moving on.
Then—
A voice.
Measured. Curious. Dangerous in its timing.
"If I may," one of the board members said, adjusting his glasses. "Where is Mark Keifer Watson?"
The name landed like a dropped glass.
Sharp. Unexpected. Impossible.
"He is, after all," the man continued, oblivious to the tension snapping tight, "the rightful heir. The one meant to formally inherit Watson Industries upon his eighteenth birthday."
My smile did not falter.
But something inside me went very, very still.
Mark.Keifer.Watson.
The room waited.
Clyde's jaw tightened.
Not subtly.
Not professionally.
It was the look of a man who had just had his mask yanked off in public.
"The matter is being handled," Clyde said coolly. Too quickly. "Keifer is… abroad."
The head of the family waved a dismissive hand. "He'll be here soon. He's currently in the Philippines."
Philippines.
I kept my gaze steady.
Did not look at Clyde.
Did not blink.
Because if I did—
I might give something away.
I closed my folder calmly.
"Well," I said smoothly, standing. "Then I'm sure we'll be formally introduced soon."
Clyde's eyes snapped to mine.
There it was.
Recognition.
Not of who I was—
But of what I might become.
"Ms. Mariano—" he started.
"I have another meeting," I said pleasantly. "Gentlemen."
I didn't wait for dismissal.
I walked out.
---
THE CAR — SILENCE AND CALCULATION
The door shut behind me.
The city blurred past the tinted windows.
Damian didn't speak.
Smart man.
I exhaled slowly, fingers loosening where they'd curled into my palm.
"Damian," I said quietly.
"Yes, boss."
"Track everything," I continued. "Watson family. Clyde's movements. Financial diversions. Personal communications."
He nodded. "Already rerouting resources."
"And Keifer," I added, voice even. "Everything about him. Birth records. Guardianship. Trust funds."
Damian hesitated.
Just a fraction.
"…You know him," he said carefully.
"Yes," I replied. "And apparently, I don't."
That was the problem.
HOTEL — CONTROLLED COLLAPSE
The suite was quiet.
Too quiet.
I dropped my bag by the door and moved straight to the window, staring out at London's gray skyline like it might rearrange itself into clarity.
Keifer.
The boy who slept on the floor beside my bed. The boy whose hoodie I'd worn. The boy whose house felt like a shield.
Watson heir.
The universe had a cruel sense of humor.
I pulled my laptop out.
Work first.
Always.
Emails. Projections. Strategy adjustments.
Anything to keep my mind from replaying the way Clyde's composure had cracked when that name was spoken.
By the time I shut the laptop, exhaustion had finally won.
I slept.
Deep.
Dreamless.
---
PHILIPPINES — SAME TIME
KEIFER'S POV — THE TEXT SHE DOESN'T ANSWER
Something was wrong before I even saw the seat.
It was the air.
Section E was never quiet—not really. Even on bad days there was noise, movement, someone doing something unnecessary just to fill space.
Today felt… held back.
Like everyone was waiting for something that wasn't coming.
Then I saw it.
Jay's seat.
Empty.
Not temporarily abandoned. Not a bag-left-behind absence.
Just empty.
My jaw tightened as I took my place, eyes flicking once—only once—to the door. She wasn't walking in late. She wasn't texting excuses. She wasn't there.
Cin leaned back, rolling his shoulders. "Did she say anything to anyone?"
No one answered immediately.
Yuri's gaze was fixed on his phone, thumb hovering but not typing. Calix glanced at Mica, who shook her head slowly. Felix frowned, unreadable.
David sat two rows ahead.
Still.
Too still.
That alone told me something—but not enough to name.
The door opened.
Sir Alvin stepped in.
Conversation died instantly.
He paused, eyes sweeping the room, then landed—inevitably—on the empty chair.
"Yes," he said, already knowing. "Ms. Mariano will be absent."
A ripple of tension rolled through the class.
"Family matter," he added. "She'll be back in three days."
Three days.
The words echoed louder than they should have.
Phones came out almost in unison.
I didn't move yet.
I watched.
Cin typed fast. Yuri frowned at his screen. Calix muttered something under his breath. Even I checked twice, like maybe the message just hadn't loaded.
Nothing.
Sir Alvin cleared his throat. "She's fine."
He started the lecture.
No one listened.
I pulled my phone out then.
> Me: You good?
Sent.
Delivered.
No typing bubble.
That bothered me more than silence ever could.
Jay didn't ghost.
She chose absence deliberately—or not at all.
I leaned back in my chair, eyes drifting to the window while my thoughts ran through possibilities I didn't like.
Family matter.
It was vague enough to be true.
And vague enough to hide something enormous.
I glanced at David again.
He didn't look at me.
Didn't look at anyone.
Hands folded. Expression neutral.
Not avoiding.
Guarding.
Whatever Jay was doing—she'd told him something.
And she'd chosen not to tell me.
That stung more than I expected.
The bell rang.
No one moved right away.
"Hall?" Cin asked quietly.
I nodded once.
Outside, the corridor buzzed like normal life had resumed, but it felt fake. Background noise to something heavier.
"She didn't answer," Yuri said.
"Same," Calix added.
I unlocked my phone again.
Typed slower this time.
Not a question.
A statement.
✉️ Me: Be safe.
I stared at the screen after I sent it.
Didn't expect a reply.
Didn't get one.
Somewhere, far from this hallway and this school and this empty seat, Jay was handling something alone.
And I hated that I didn't know what it was.
Not because I didn't trust her.
Because I did.
Too much.
I slipped my phone back into my pocket.
Three days.
I could wait.
But if she didn't come back the same—
If something in her eyes shifted when she walked through that door again—
Then whatever "family matter" meant?
It wouldn't stay private for long.
Because Jay Mariano didn't disappear quietly.
And the people who mattered to her?
We noticed the moment she was gone.
Just stay safe jay.....
LONDON — MORNING AFTER
Jay's Pov:
I woke up with clarity instead of panic.
That was new.
Damian was already up, espresso in hand, tablet glowing.
"You're trending," he said.
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Business press," he clarified. "They like you. Young. Quiet. Ruthless."
I smiled faintly. "As they should.Lets make London ours in two days... "
Damian laughed smuggly like it was there routine to destroy a city with there numbers everyday....
"Whatever you say, Boss. "