The London Manor felt like a mausoleum after the elevator incident. Keifer had retreated into his study, the doors slammed shut with a finality that shook the hallway paintings. Jay-jay, her chest still tight from the panic attack, stumbled into the nearest marble-clad bathroom.
She leaned over the sink, splashing cold water on her face. The reflection staring back at her was a ghost—hollow eyes, pale skin, and the remnants of a woman who was losing herself to a lie
She looked at her phone again. No new messages, but the crosshairs remained burned into her mind. Finally, the wall she had built around her heart crumbled. She slid down the cold tile wall, pulling her knees to her chest, and let out a jagged, silent sob.
The heavy oak door to the bathroom swung open. Jay-jay scrambled to wipe her eyes, but it was too late.
Standing in the doorway was Seraphina.
The "Ice Queen" looked as impeccable as ever in a tailored white suit, her eyes sharp and analytical. She didn't look shocked to see the Lead Consultant of a top London firm crying on a bathroom floor. She just looked... disappointed.
"If you're looking for sympathy, Mariano, you've come to the wrong Manor," Seraphina said, her voice like a chilled blade. She walked to the mirror, calmly reapplying her red lipstick.
"I'm not looking for anything from you, Seraphina," Jay-jay croaked, standing up and smoothing her gown. "What are you doing here? I thought the meeting was scheduled for tomorrow."
"The Grandfather moved it up. He doesn't like waiting for his 'assets' to align," Seraphina replied. She turned, leaning against the counter, her gaze piercing through Jay-jay's mask. "You look pathetic. Keifer is in the study drinking Scotch like it's water, and you're in here ruining a four-thousand-pound dress with saltwater. What did the Old Man do?"
Jay-jay hesitated. Out of everyone in the Watson circle, Seraphina was the one who understood the cost of a name.
"He showed me a photo," Jay-jay whispered, her voice barely audible. "My parents. Cavite. A sniper."
Seraphina's expression didn't change, but her hand tightened around her lipstick tube. For a split second, the "Ice Queen" mask flickered. She knew the Grandfather's tactics better than anyone—she had lived through them for years.
"And you think crying in a bathroom is going to move the scope?" Seraphina asked, her voice dropping an octave. "If he sees you like this, he wins. If Keifer sees you like this, he gets distracted, makes a mistake, and your parents die anyway."
Jay-jay looked up, her eyes flashing with a spark of the old Palaban spirit. "Then what am I supposed to do? I'm trapped!"
Seraphina walked over to Jay-jay, standing so close that their shoulders touched. She didn't hug her—that wasn't the Watson way—but she leaned in, her eyes fixed on the door.
"You stop being a victim and start being a Watson," Seraphina hissed. "The Grandfather thinks he's the only one with a lens on Cavite. He's wrong. I have my own people in the Philippines. They're 'monitoring' the situation now."
Jay-jay's heart leaped. "You... you're helping me? Why?"
"Because a weak King is bad for business," Seraphina said, pulling away and regaining her cold composure. "And because I'm tired of that old man thinking he can control the women in this family. Now, fix your face. We have an 'Emergency Meeting,' and I need you to look like the shark Keifer hired, not the bait the Grandfather wants."
Seraphina tossed a high-end concealer stick onto the counter. "Nine chapters to go until the board meeting, Jay-jay. Don't make me regret betting on you."
As they walked into the study, the air was thick with the scent of whiskey and tension. Keifer was standing by the window, his back to them.
"You're late," Keifer said, his voice dangerously low. He turned around, his eyes immediately finding Jay-jay. He was looking for the tears from the elevator, but all he saw was a woman with perfect skin and a lethal, cold stare.
Seraphina smirked, taking her seat at the mahogany table. "We were just discussing 'strategy,' Keifer. Shall we begin? Or are you too busy staring at your secretary?"
Jay-jay sat down next to Keifer, her hand steady as she opened her laptop. Under the table, she felt a small vibration in her pocket.
A message from an encrypted number:
Perimeter secured. The shadows have shadows now. Keep playing the partpart."
Jay-jay looked at Seraphina, who gave a nearly invisible nod. The war was no longer one-sided. The Mutya had an ally in the Ice Queen