The conference room was packed.
Biggest merger meeting yet. Both families. Both teams of lawyers. Assistants. Coffee runners.
Jay sat on one side of the long table, laptop open, hair perfect, face ready for battle.
Keifer sat on the other side, suit sharp, eyes cold, jaw tight.
Their families sat behind them like audiences at a tennis match.
Keizer leaned to Serina. "Ten bucks says they fight within five minutes."
Serina smiled. "Make it thirty seconds."
Keigan pulled out his phone. "I'm recording this."
Keiren sat on his mom's lap, coloring. "Kuya's ears are red already."
Across the room, Aries whispered to Ella. "Watch. She's gonna snap soon."
Ella grinned. "Popcorn?"
"Wish I brought some."
Jasfer and Mama Reycee held hands, eyes sparkling.
Percy was on his phone, probably texting Honey.
The meeting started.
Blah blah blah. Numbers. Projections. Timelines.
Jay and Keifer traded cold glances. Sharp words. Polite insults.
"Your timeline is unrealistic."
"Your budget is a joke."
"At least I HAVE a budget."
"At least I HAVE a timeline."
Normal stuff.
Then it happened.
A woman walked in. Late. Dressed in a tight red dress. Too much perfume. Smile too big.
She worked for Mariano Enterprises. Marketing department. Jay barely knew her.
"Sorry I'm late," the woman said, voice sweet. "Traffic was terrible."
She took a seat. On Jay's side. But her eyes? On Keifer.
Jay noticed. Everyone noticed.
The woman—her name was Chloe—smiled at Keifer. "Mr. Watson. I've heard so much about you. I'm Chloe. I handle marketing. Well, some of it. Jay handles the big stuff. I'm more... creative."
She flipped her hair.
Keifer didn't react. Just nodded. "Okay."
Chloe wasn't done. "I actually have some ideas for the merger. Maybe we could discuss them sometime. One-on-one. Over coffee?"
The room went dead silent.
Jay's pen stopped moving.
Keifer's eyes flickered to Jay for half a second. Then back to Chloe. "I don't do coffee meetings."
Chloe laughed like he'd told a joke. "Oh, you're funny too? Handsome AND funny?"
Jay's jaw tightened.
Percy whispered to Aries. "Oh no."
Aries nodded. "Oh yeah."
Chloe leaned forward. "Come on. Just one coffee. I promise I'm more interesting than spreadsheets."
Keifer's voice was flat. "I doubt that."
Chloe blinked. Recovered. "Well, you never know until you try."
Jay stood up.
Slowly. Deliberately.
Everyone looked at her.
"Chloe," Jay said, voice calm. Too calm. "Can I talk to you? Outside?"
Chloe smiled, oblivious. "Sure! After the meeting?"
"Now."
The word hit the room like ice.
Chloe's smile faltered. "I... we're in a meeting—"
"YOU," Jay said, pointing at Chloe, "are interrupting MY meeting. Flirting with the enemy. In front of ME. In front of my FAMILY."
Chloe stood, defensive now. "I wasn't flirting. I was being friendly."
"You were being desperate."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me." Jay walked around the table. Slow. Dangerous. "You walked in late. Dressed like you're going to a club. And started throwing yourself at a man who hasn't smiled once since you entered."
Keifer's eyebrow raised. Just a little.
Chloe's face went red. "You don't own him. He can talk to whoever he wants."
"He's not talking to you. He's tolerating you. Big difference."
"How would YOU know? You're not his girlfriend."
The room held its breath.
Jay stopped right in front of Chloe. Inches away.
"No," Jay said quietly. "I'm not his girlfriend. But I'm the one he texts at midnight. I'm the one he gave his jacket to. I'm the one who got flowers with a note that said he likes me too much."
Chloe's mouth opened. Closed.
Jay continued, voice rising. "So when some random girl in a cheap dress walks into MY meeting and tries to take what's MINE—"
She stopped.
Realized what she just said.
The room was DEAD silent.
Keifer's eyes were wide. Just a little. For him, that was basically screaming.
Jay's face burned. But she didn't back down.
Chloe laughed, shaky. "Yours? He's not yours. You just said—"
"I said what I said." Jay crossed her arms. "Now sit down. Shut up. And don't speak for the rest of this meeting. Or I'll have you removed."
Chloe stared. Then looked at Jasfer. "Sir? Are you going to let her talk to me like that?"
Jasfer leaned back in his chair, smiling. "She's the CEO. Not me. Also? I agree with her. Sit down."
Chloe's face fell.
She sat.
Jay walked back to her seat. Didn't look at anyone.
Especially not Keifer.
But she felt his eyes on her. Burning.
The meeting continued. Sort of.
No one could focus.
Keizer was grinning so wide his face hurt. He mouthed to Jasfer: "DID YOU HEAR THAT?"
Jasfer mouthed back: "TAKING WHAT'S HERS."
Serina and Mama Reycee were holding hands, tears in their eyes.
Aries whispered to Ella: "She just claimed him. In front of everyone."
Ella whispered back: "I'm so proud of her."
Keigan was still recording. "This is gold. Pure gold."
Keiren looked up. "Mommy, why is everyone quiet?"
Serina patted his head. "Because love just happened, baby."
Percy was already texting Honey: UR BOSS IS BASICALLY MY BROTHER NOW. JAY JUST CLAIMED HIM.
Honey replied instantly: NO WAY. DETAILS.
Percy: LATER. TOO BUSY WATCHING HISTORY.
The meeting ended an hour later.
Chloe fled the moment it was over.
People packed up slowly, nobody wanting to leave the drama.
Jay packed her laptop. Hands shaking. Face still red.
She couldn't believe what she said.
Taking what's mine.
What was WRONG with her?
She felt a presence behind her.
"You claimed me."
Keifer's voice. Low. Quiet.
Jay didn't turn around. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You said I was yours."
"I said no such thing."
"You said, and I quote, 'trying to take what's mine.'"
Jay finally turned. Faced him.
He was closer than she expected. Too close.
His eyes weren't cold anymore. They were warm. Curious. Something else she couldn't name.
"That was... a figure of speech," she said weakly.
"Was it?"
"Yes."
"So if someone else flirts with me tomorrow, you won't care?"
Jay's jaw tightened. "I didn't say THAT."
"So you DO care."
"I care about professionalism. She was unprofessional."
"Uh huh."
"She WAS."
Keifer's lips twitched. That almost-smile. "You're cute when you're jealous."
"I'm NOT jealous."
"You just threatened an employee. In front of two companies. Because she looked at me."
Jay opened her mouth. Closed it.
He had a point.
A terrible, annoying, accurate point.
"She was annoying," Jay muttered.
"She was."
"And desperate."
"Very."
"And her dress was ugly."
"The ugliest."
Jay glared at him. "Stop agreeing with me."
Keifer shrugged. "I agree with you. That's not a bad thing."
"It is when YOU do it."
"Why?"
"Because you're YOU."
"And you're YOU." He stepped closer. "And apparently, I'm yours."
Jay's heart stopped.
"Temporarily," she managed. "Figure of speech."
"Sure."
"It IS."
Keifer looked at her for a long moment. Then:
"For the record. I wouldn't have gone to coffee with her."
"I don't care."
"Liar."
"I'm not."
"You're the worst liar I've ever met."
"YOU'RE the worst person I've ever met."
"And yet." He tilted his head. "I'm yours."
Jay wanted to scream. Or kiss him. Or both.
She did neither.
She grabbed her laptop and walked out.
But at the door, she stopped. Turned back.
"Keifer?"
"Yeah?"
"Next time someone flirts with you? Tell them you're taken."
His eyes widened. Just slightly.
Then she was gone.
Keifer stood there. Alone in the conference room.
A smile spread across his face. Slow. Real. The first real smile in years.
"Taken," he whispered to himself.
He liked the sound of that.
Outside, Jay leaned against the wall, heart pounding.
Percy appeared. "So. You claimed him."
"Shut up."
"In front of everyone."
"SHUT UP."
"That was the hottest thing I've ever seen."
Jay looked at him. "Really?"
"Really. Also Honey says Keifer is smiling right now. Like, actually smiling. She sent a picture."
Percy showed his phone.
There was Keifer. In the conference room. Smiling.
Actually smiling.
Jay stared at the photo.
"Taken," she whispered.
Percy grinned. "Yeah. He is."
Jay shoved the phone back. "This changes nothing. We still hate each other."
"Sure."
"We do."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, baby sistah."
Jay walked away.
But she couldn't stop smiling.
And she definitely saved that photo.