The mansion hummed with its usual evening energy, but something had shifted.
Keifer's parents exchanged subtle glances across the drawing room, a quiet tension building in the corners of their smiles.
"Have you noticed… how close they've become?" his mother asked lightly, her eyes narrowing as she watched Keifer and Jay.
His father leaned back in his chair, pretending to read a newspaper but failing miserably. "I've noticed," he said softly. "They're… different. Something's changed."
On the other side of the hall, Jay's parents were having the same conversation.
"She's… happier, isn't she?" her father murmured. His gaze drifted toward Jay, who was laughing quietly at something Keifer whispered in her ear. Her eyes sparkled, alive in a way he hadn't seen before.
Her mother smiled faintly. "And he… watches her differently," she said. "Like he's… protective, even when no one's looking."
The families said nothing more, letting the observations settle quietly in their minds.
Meanwhile, Jay and Keifer continued their subtle rebellion. Keifer leaned close, brushing a wet strand of hair from Jay's face, whispering something that made her laugh so softly it sounded like music.
Every stolen glance, every secret smile, every brush of hands across the hall didn't escape the observant eyes of their parents—though to the rest of the world, the children appeared composed and polite.
Later, in the privacy of the library, Keifer smirked. "I think they're onto us," he murmured, leaning against the doorframe.
Jay laughed softly, rolling her eyes. "And what exactly have we done?"
"Everything," he said, eyes glinting. "And nothing. All at the same time."
Jay shook her head, smiling, her heart light but racing. "We have to be careful. They're… watching."
Keifer's grin widened, teasing, dangerous. "Careful? Jay… that's the fun part."
And so it began. Their stolen moments, their late-night laughter, their secret kisses—all now carried the thrill of observation, of tiny sparks igniting under the very eyes meant to guard them.
Because the parents were noticing.
And Keifer and Jay… they were unstoppable.