Jay's POV
The cafeteria at Section E was finally buzzing with the right kind of energy. No more hushed tones—just the chaotic symphony of my family.
Edrix and Rory hunched over his laptop, muttering strings of code like a dark incantation while David and Freya whispering holding hands, while Drew, Blaster and Josh making bets on whether the next person to walk through the doors would be wearing a blue tie .
Nearby, Kit and Mayo were engaged in their daily "lovely quarrel," arguing over whose turn it was to buy the next round of iced lattes.
Keifer sat beside me, his presence a steady, grounding weight. He looked more relaxed than I'd ever seen him, his "King" persona tucked away in favor of just being... him.
"You're awfully quiet, Jay," Keifer murmured, his eyes searching mine. "Planning another pantry lockout?"
"Maybe," I teased, but before I could retort, a pair of hands slid over my eyes from behind. The scent of vanilla and expensive rebel spirit hit me instantly.
"Guess who, Sunflower?"
I didn't have to guess. I spun around, my heart doing a celebratory backflip. "Mia! Ben!"
There they were. Mia, looking like she'd just stepped off a runway, and Ben. Before I could even say their names again, Mia leaned down, and pulled me into a kiss that feels like home.
"I missed you baby 😚",she said hugging me
"Looks like someone is jealous ",said Felix.
I glanced sideways and saw Keifer. His jaw was tight enough to crack stone, his fingers gripping the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white. The possessive glint in his eyes was back in full force.
Ben, leaned against the table with a dry, sarcastic smirk directed at Keifer. "Careful there, Watson. Any tighter and you're going to snap that expensive silver fork. Don't worry, there's plenty of Jay to go around... though she's always had a preference for the people who knew her before she became a 'Queen.'"
I laughed, feeling Keifer's hand drop to my waist under the table in a silent, burning claim. I stood up, pulling Mia and Ben toward the rest of the group.
"Everyone, listen up!" I called out, my voice cutting through the noise. "Aries, stop scowling at your phone—Ella, make him be social. Freya, Mica, Grace, Rakki—come here."
Aries looked up, with genuine surprise at seeing my old crew. Ella leaned against his shoulder, offering a warm, knowing smile. Freya and Mica leaned in with curiosity, while Grace and Rakki paused their conversation to look over.
"This is Mia and Ben," I said, my arm hooked through Mia's. "They're the ones who kept me alive before I ended up in this mansion. They're family. Which means if you annoy them, you're annoying me."
Mia blew a kiss to the table, her eyes dancing. "And if you're the ones Jay has been 'matchmaking' for, I've heard all the stories. Denzel, I hope you enjoyed the pantry.Freya and David I hope the letter was written properly."
Ben standing beside her ,"I hope it will be more fun as we are joining your school. We are in section C."
"Really ",I asked from both them suprised.
"Ofcourse ,baby, I can't live away from you for too long ",Mia said proudly.
The table erupted into a mix of groans and laughter. The Locus and my grandparents could be lurking in the shadows all they wanted. With my past and my present finally colliding at one table, I wasn't just prepared for a fight—I was looking forward to it. 👑❤️🫂🌊☀️❤️
Keifer's POV
I was starting to think I finally understood the map of Jay's heart. I'd seen the architect, the matchmaker, and the girl who wrestled my brothers on the rug. But as I sat in the Section E cafeteria, surrounded by the family she'd built—Aries brooding next to Ella, while Freya, Mica, Grace, and Rakki laughed nearby—a new territory appeared that I wasn't prepared to navigate.
The air shifted the second those two stepped into the room. Before I could track the threat, a girl with an aura of pure, expensive rebellion slid her hands over Jay's eyes.
"Guess who, Sunflower?"
Jay didn't just smile; she ignited. The look on her face when she spun around and breathed out the names "Mia and Ben" was a punch to my gut. I watched, paralyzed, as Mia—this girl who carried herself like a stormd pulled jay into a kiss.
It wasn't a greeting. . It was a soul-deep connection that tasted of years I hadn't been part of, of secrets I didn't know, and a life she lived before I ever put a ring on her finger.
A searing, white-hot jealousy roared through me, turning my blood to ice. My jaw tightened until it ached, and under the table, my knuckles turned white as I gripped my chair. I felt a heavy, suffocating weight—the realization that as much as I called her my Queen, I was a newcomer to her legend.
Ben, her best friend, leaned against the table with a dry, lethal smirk. He saw right through my "King" persona.
"Careful there, Watson," Ben drawled, his eyes mocking my possessive tension. "Any tighter and you're going to snap that chair. Don't worry, there's plenty of Jay to go around... though she's always had a preference for the people who knew her before she became a 'Watson.'"
The jab hit bone. I felt like a stranger in my own kingdom. But then, Jay stood up. She hooked her arm through Mia's, but her other hand found mine under the table, squeezing so hard it burned.
"Everyone, listen up!" she called out, introducing them to the group. She called them family.
The jealousy didn't vanish, but the anchor dropped. As Mia blew a kiss to the table and joked about the pantry, I looked at the two people who knew the "real" Jay. I might have to share her history with them, but as I tightened my grip on her hand, I knew one thing: I am the one she chose for her future. 👑🔥⛓️