The tension in the study was thick enough to choke on. Keifer sat at the head of the table, his eyes darting between Seraphina's calculating smirk and Jay-jay's stone-cold composure. He knew something had shifted in that bathroom, but before he could demand an explanation, the sleek obsidian phone in the center of the table vibrated.
The caller ID displayed no name—only the stylized Watson Prime crest.
The room went deathly silent. Even the ice in Keifer's glass stopped clinking. He pressed the speakerphone with a slow, deliberate finger.
"Grandfather," Keifer said, his voice dropping into a formal, lethal tone.
"Keifer. Seraphina," the Grandfather's voice rasped through the speakers, sounding like dry leaves skittering over a grave. "And I assume the Secretary is also present? The one who seems to have forgotten her place in the elevator tonight?"
Jay-jay felt a cold sweat prickle her spine. He saw. He has cameras everywhere.
"She was unwell, Grandfather. It's handled," Keifer replied, his jaw tightening so hard his veins pulsed.
"Unwell? Or perhaps just... conflicted," the Old Man chuckled darkly. "To ensure there are no more 'fainting spells,' I require a demonstration. A test of loyalty, if you will. Since Ms. Mariano is so talented with legal acquisitions, I want her to authorize the Asset Seizure of the 'Section E Foundation' accounts in the Philippines. Immediately."
Jay-jay's breath hitched. The foundation was the only thing keeping the old school and the boys' families afloat. If she signed that authorization, she wasn't just taking their money—she was destroying their home.
"That's a conflict of interest, Grandfather," Keifer growled, leaning forward. "That's not part of the London merger."
"It is now," the Grandfather snapped. "Sign the digital authorization, Jay-jay. Do it now, or the 'monitoring' in Cavite becomes... active engagement. You have sixty seconds."
Keifer looked at Jay-jay, his eyes burning with a mix of fury and confusion. He didn't know about the sniper. He didn't know about the crosshairs. All he saw was his grandfather forcing his wife to betray the very people who had raised her.
"Jay-jay, don't," Keifer whispered, his hand hovering over the phone to cut the call. "If you do this, there is no coming back from it. The boys will never forgive you. I will never forgive you."
Jay-jay looked at the laptop screen. A digital signature box sat waiting. Her hand trembled as she hovered over the trackpad. She looked at Seraphina, searching for a sign, but the Ice Queen remained unreadable, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.
"45 seconds," the Grandfather's voice counted down.
Jay-jay thought of her father laughing on the porch in Cavite. She thought of the sniper's finger on the trigger.
Jay-jay thought of her father laughing on the porch in Cavite. She thought of the sniper's finger on the trigger.
"I'll do it," Jay-jay whispered, her voice sounding like it belonged to a stranger.
"Jay-jay, stop!" Keifer roared, standing up and slamming his hand on the table. "I am the King! I am the one who gives the orders here!"
"And I am the one who manages the assets, Mr. Watson," Jay-jay said, her eyes dead and glassy as she typed her authorization code.
Click. Authorized.
Excellent," the Grandfather purred. "It's good to see you've finally learned which master to serve, little girl. Enjoy your dinner, Keifer. You've hired a very... efficient shark."
The line went dead.
The silence that followed was even more terrifying than the call. Keifer looked at Jay-jay as if she were a monster he had never seen before. He walked around the table, leaning down until he was inches from her face, his breath hot against her skin.
"You just sold out your family, Jay-jay," Keifer hissed, his voice trembling with a raw, agonizing heartbreak. "For what? For a job? For your own safety?"
Jay-jay didn't look at him. She couldn't. If she saw the tears in his eyes, she would break.
"I did what was necessary for the Watson Legacy," she lied, her heart shattering into a million pieces. "Like you said, Keifer... I'm a good liar."
Keifer swept the crystal glasses off the table in a fit of rage, the sound of breaking glass echoing through the Manor. He stormed out, leaving Jay-jay alone with the wreckage.
Seraphina stood up slowly, smoothing her white suit. She leaned over and whispered in Jay-jay's ear: "The accounts weren't empty. I moved the funds to a ghost-server in London ten minutes ago. Your parents are safe. And now, the Grandfather thinks he owns you. Which means he's stopped looking for the real threat."
Jay-jay closed her eyes, the first tear finally falling. 8 more chapters, Keifer. 8 more chapters of hating me until I can bring you home.