Jay's POV
The heavy intensity of the library was hard to break, but the distant sound of Cin's triumphant "FOUND YOU, AION!" echoing through the vents acted like a bucket of cold water.
Keifer and I straightened our clothes, our breath still hitching, before making our way back to the main hall.
One by one, the family trickled in. Aion was covered in dust from the vents, Jane was suspiciously rosy-cheeked as she avoided eye contact with everyone, and the parents emerged from the pantry looking far too refreshed from their "tea break."
"That was rigged," Percy grumbled, plucking a feather from his hair. "I'm pretty sure Rakki used some sort of ninja invisibility."
I was about to retort when the sharp, rhythmic trill of my phone cut through the chatter. The caller ID made my playful expression vanish instantly: Alex (Urgent).
The room went quiet. Everyone eyes locked on me.
"Go ahead, Jay," Ma Serina said, her eyes softening with understanding.
I stepped into the corridor. "Report."
"The board is losing their minds, Jay," Alex's voice was crisp but strained. "The investors for the Neo-Tech merger are trying to back out, and the interim director is buckling.
They need the CEO. Now."
"I'll be there in thirty minutes. Have the boardroom cleared of anyone without a Tier 1 clearance," I commanded and hung up.
I turned back to the room.
The playful sister was gone; the strategist had returned. "I have to head to base.Business is leaking, and I need to plug the hole."
I headed upstairs, stripping out of my casual gear. I pulled on my dress.
(Check comment)
When I walked back down the stairs, the atmosphere shifted. Even Keifer stood a little straighter.
"I'm coming with you," Keifer said, grabbing his jacket. "This is'nt saf—"
"No," I cut him off, my voice like tempered glass. "This isn't a battlefield of bullets, Keifer. It's a battlefield of egos. Your presence will make them think I need protection. I don't."
Pa stepped forward, squeezing my hand. "Take care of yourself, anak. Don't let them bite."
"They can try, pa," I smiled thinly. "But I have sharper teeth."
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JJM Headquarters – Boardroom
The double oak doors swung open with a bang. I didn't walk; I marched. The five men sitting at the table, all twice my age, jumped as if they'd been shot.
"Sit down," I said before they could even stand to greet me. I threw my tablet onto the table, the screen displaying their dwindling profit margins.
"Ms. Jay, we were just discussing the risks of—" one of the senior investors started.
"You weren't discussing risks, Mr. Henderson. You were discussing how to retreat like cowards," I leaned over the table, my shadow looming over him. "This company was built on the blood of people braver than you. If you want to pull your shares, do it now. But know that by tomorrow, I will have bought them back at half the price, and you will never sit at a JJM table again."
The room was deathly silent.
The air in the boardroom was thick enough to choke on.
"I've listened to your 'concerns' for ten minutes," I said, my voice dropping to a temperature that could freeze a heartbeat. I locked eyes with the lead dissenter, a man who'd been with the firm since my grandfather's time and acted like he owned the place.
"What I haven't heard is a single solution. You're not analysts; you're anchors. And I don't keep anchors on my ship."
"Now, Jay, let's be reasonable—" he started, his voice wavering.
"Reasonable?" I cut him off, a sharp, cold laugh escaping my lips. I tossed a thick folder onto the table. It landed with a thud that made him flinch. "Reasonable is me giving you a chance to resign with your pension intact. Ruthless is what happens if you're still in that chair when I finish this sentence. Alex, bring in the security team. Mr. Henderson is finished.
I didn't blink. I watched the realization sink into his eyes—the 'Queen' wasn't asking; she was executing a command. "The Neo-Tech merger isn't a debate," I continued, scanning the rest of the terrified faces. "It's our new reality. If you can't keep up, find the exit. I have a world to run, and I don't have time to carry dead weight."
I turned on my heel, the click of my heels against the marble floor sounding like a ticking clock. "Alex, clear the room. I want the new contracts on my desk in five minutes. And someone get me a coffee—black. I'm just getting started."
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By the time I got back to the Stronghold, the sun had dipped below the horizon. The tension in my shoulders only eased when I saw Aries waiting in the foyer.
"The Queen returns," he teased, though his face turned serious. "Enjoy the power trip while it lasted, Jay. We've got a different kind of hell tomorrow. School. We're heading back to finish the term."
The reminder hit like a physical weight. From boardrooms to classrooms.
Dinner was a loud, chaotic affair. We traded stories—me about the terrified investors, and them about the "war" that broke out in the training room while I was gone.
For a moment, we weren't CEOs or soldiers; we were just kids complaining about homework.
That night, the silence of my room felt too heavy. I lay on my side, staring at the moonlight filtering through the reinforced glass.
I felt the mattress shift. A heavy, familiar warmth settled behind me, and a strong arm slid around my waist, pulling me flush against a broad chest. I didn't need to look to know it was Keifer.
I turned in his arms, meeting his dark, tired eyes. He didn't say a word. He just leaned down, his lips meeting mine in a kiss that was much softer than the one in the library—this one was a promise. A sanctuary.
I curled into him, my head resting on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. As sleep finally took me, I felt him tighten his grip, guarding my dreams.
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The Next Morning
The kitchen was a disaster zone of coffee breath and half-eaten toast. I walked down, feeling surprisingly rested, followed closely by Keifer. Across the hall, Jane and Kyle emerged from the guest wing, Jane trying—and failing—to flatten her messy hair.
The Section E boys were already lined up like a firing squad.
"Well, well," Eren smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "You four look... cozy. Did we have a good sleep?"
"Careful, Keifer," Angelo added, his voice protective despite the grin. "If my sister comes back with a single scratch—or a frown—from school today, your 'Watson' title won't save you from me."
"And Kyle," Aries pointed a piece of bacon at him. "Keep your hands where we can see them. We have cameras everywhere."
"Noted," Kyle laughed, holding his hands up in surrender, while Jane hid her face behind a notebook.
"Move it, losers," I commanded, grabbing my bag and swinging it over my shoulder. "The 'Queen' and her 'King' have a reputation to maintain, and we're already five minutes late for the first bell."
We headed out to the SUVs, the sun shining on a new day, ready to face the world—one classroom at a time.