JAY JAY POV
I was still buzzing from the adrenaline of the stage, my lips still tingling from Keifer's very public—and very possessive—kiss. We waded through the sea of shocked socialites to reach my grandparents, who were watching us with mixed expressions of relief and lingering concern.
"Jay, tell us honestly, if you feel forced into this—" Grandma started, her eyes searching mine for any sign of distress.
"I don't think that would be necessary, Grandma," Jare interrupted, leaning back with a smug, knowing look. He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes darting between Keifer and me. "You saw how those two were kissing each other on that stage. If they were any more 'forced,' they'd probably start a fire."
I felt the heat rush to my face instantly. I was probably glowing a shade of red that rivaled a tomato. "Jare! Shut up!"
Grandpa let out a dry cough, his lips twitching as if he were trying desperately not to smile at my embarrassment. He looked at Keifer, his gaze sharp and calculating, checking to see if the boy he'd known was ready for the weight to protect his granddaughter
"That won't be necessary, Grandma," Keifer said, his voice smooth and confident. He didn't even flinch under Grandpa's stare. instead, he tightened his grip on my waist, pulling me even closer to his side. "We were a couple long before this arrangement was ever announced."
He looked down at me with a mischievous, lopsided smile that made my heart do a stupid little flip. It was his 'I told you so' look.
"You two were... already together?" Grandma asked, blinking in surprise.
"Since the Philippines, Loa," I muttered, looking down at my shoes to hide my face. "He's been a pain in my neck for months."
"A pain you seemed very happy to kiss back," Jare teased, nudging my shoulder.
"Quiet, Jare," Grandpa finally spoke, though the sternness in his voice was softened by the look in his eyes. He looked at Keifer and nodded slowly. "If she chose you before the titles and the inheritance came into play, then perhaps there is hope for this family after all."
Keifer nodded back, his expression turning serious for a moment. "I'll protect her, sir. Not just because of the families, but because she's mine."
I leaned my head against Keifer's shoulder for a second, feeling the steady beat of his heart then
I felt Keifer's entire body stiffen beside me. The relaxed, victorious air he had just a moment ago vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp defensiveness.
"Clyde, what do you want?" Keifer asked. His voice was like a low warning growl, and his grip on my waist tightened so much it was almost bruising.
Clyde. I recognized the name—another name from the high-stakes world of the European families. He lounged there with a deceptive calm, a shark-like grin on his face as he looked me up and down.
"Nothing. I just learned you got engaged," Clyde said, his eyes lingering on me in a way that made my skin crawl. "Is she seventeen, though? I mean, isn't it illegal?"
He said it like a joke, but there was a sharp edge of malice underneath it. He was trying to find a crack in Keifer's armor—trying to poke at the "King" on his big night.
Shit, I thought, feeling my temper flare. I didn't need Keifer to fight this one for me.
"No offense, but are you an idiot or what?" I snapped, stepping slightly out of Keifer's hold to face Clyde directly.
Clyde blinked, clearly not expecting me to bark back.
"We can still get engaged, we just can't get married yet," I continued, crossing my arms and giving him my best glare. "And for your kind information, I'm turning eighteen in a few weeks. So unless you're the lead investigator for Interpol, I suggest you stay out of our birth certificates."
Jare let out a muffled snort behind me, clearly enjoying the show
FYI -In this story, Jay turns 18 after Keifer's birthday, so their birthdays are two week apart✨💙
Keifer stepped up behind me, his hand moving to the nape of my neck in a possessive gesture, his eyes locked on Clyde with a murderous intensity. "You heard her, Clyde. If you're so worried about the law, maybe you should worry about the laws of this house. Because here, the only thing that's illegal is looking at my wife for one second too long."
Clyde held up his hands in a mock gesture of surrender, though his eyes remained cold. "Just making conversation, Keifer"
"Then go make conversation with a wall," Keifer retorted.
I rolled my eyes as Clyde slunk back into the crowd. "Does everyone in London have a PhD in being annoying?" I whispered to Keifer.
Keifer leaned down, his forehead resting against mine for a brief second to calm his breathing. "Only the ones who are jealous, Jay-Jay. Only the ones who know they've already lost."
I looked at the clock. It was past midnight. The engagement was official, the inheritance was secure, and I had successfully insulted both an Elder and a family rival in the span of ten minutes.
"Happy birthday, Keifer," I whispered. "Welcome to adulthood. It's already a mess."
"Yeah," he smiled, kissing my temple. "But it's our mess."
Jare strolled over to us just as the crowd began to disperse. "Umm, Jay? Just so you know, Grandpa and Grandma are heading back to the Philippines now."
"Already? They just got here," I said, frowning.
"Actually, the only reason they even came to London was because of the Elders," Jare explained, looking between Keifer and me. "The Elders were practically on their knees, begging our grandparents to agree to this engagement. Grandpa didn't say yes at first, but I was the one who finally convinced him."
I stared at him. Jare? Convincing Grandpa to let me get engaged to the guy he usually wanted to shoot? My brain did a quick rewind of the last week—the weird silences, the cryptic comments, the way Jare hadn't even looked surprised on stage.
Then it clicked.
"Assholes!" I yelled, pointing an accusing finger at both of them. "You two were in contact this entire week!"
Jare's face went pale. "Uh... Grandpa is calling me. Gotta go!"
He tried to bolt, but I lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar. "Don't you dare, Jare!"
"Look, it wasn't my fault!" Jare squealed, holding his hands up. "It was all your fiancé's fault! He's the one who tracked me down and told me his plan. I almost killed him first, trust me!"
Jare then jerked his thumb toward Keifer. "He might have a bruise or something on his back where I shoved him into a wall. I might have been a little too aggressive."
I didn't even hesitate—I reached up and slapped the back of Jare's head with a loud crack.
"Oww! What was that for?" he yelped, rubbing his skull.
"For lying to me! And for hitting him!" I snapped, though I wasn't sure which one annoyed me more.
I turned my glare toward Keifer, who actually had the nerve to look slightly embarrassed. These two had been plotting behind my back while I was miserable, proving they were exactly the same kind of trouble.
"Jay, I'm also going back to the Philippines with Grandpa," Jare said, his voice losing some of its playful edge.
"So does that mean I have to go too?" I asked, my heart sinking. I knew Keifer wasn't done here—the inheritance was settled but there is more stuff to do
I looked at Keifer, my hand tightening on his arm.
Jare sighed, looking at my grip on Keifer's sleeve. "If you want to stay here, stay. But you have to be back in the Philippines by your birthday," he warned. Then he leveled a deadly stare at Keifer. "But no funny business. I mean it."
Keifer didn't look intimidated. He just pulled me closer, his smirk returning. "No promises. Besides, she is my fiancée now."
Jare's eyes darkened, and the protective brother mode shifted into something more serious. He looked at Keifer with an expression that said there were things they needed to discuss that didn't involve me.
"Keifer, I want to talk to you privately later," Jare said.
"Jare," I said warningly, sensing the shift in the air.
"Just some standard threats, Jay. Promise," Jare said, giving me a dismissive wave. "Mostly about what happens to him if my twin sister ends up pregnant by her eighteen birthday."
He was looking at me when he said it, trying to act like a typical overprotective brother, but I knew Jare too well. There was a secret look passing between them—a look that felt heavy with the things they hadn't told me yet
"Jare," I called out.
He stopped and looked back, sounding annoyed. "What?"
"Talk to Mia," I said, my voice softening. "She's waiting for your explanation."
Jare's expression shifted for a split second—a flash of guilt or longing, I couldn't tell which—but he didn't say a word. He just turned his head back toward the exit. He was still running from that, even while he was fixing my life.
Before he disappeared into the crowd, he looked over his shoulder one last time, but not at me. He looked straight at Keifer.
"Keifer, after you drop her at the house, come to our regular meeting place," Jare said, his voice flat and professional.
My stomach twisted. Regular meeting place? That meant they had been meeting more than just once. This wasn't just a quick talk about our engagement; they were deep in something together. Something they were still keeping from me.
I looked up at Keifer as Jare finally vanished. Keifer's jaw was set, his "business" face firmly back in place.
"Our regular meeting place?" I repeated, my eyebrows raised. "You two have a 'regular' spot now? Should I be jealous?"
Keifer let out a dry, short laugh and pulled me closer as we began walking toward the exit. "Trust me, Jay-Jay, being in a room alone with your brother is the last thing I enjoy. It usually involves a lot of him pointing a gun at my head and me telling him to grow up."
I watched Jare walk away, that heavy feeling in my gut not quite disappearing.
"Then why go?" I asked Keifer, stopping him near the heavy oak doors. "If he's going back to the Philippines with Grandpa tonight, why do you have to see him right now?"
Keifer gave me a reassuring look, though I could tell he was choosing his words carefully. "Jay, it's probably nothing. He might just want to give me one last lecture about taking care of you."
I nodded slowly, letting it go for now. My mind drifted back home, away from the cold London politics. "I miss Percy," I admitted softly.
Keifer let out a huff of laughter. "You miss Percy? I swear to god, you almost killed him the last time you two met."
"But I still miss my kuya," I defended, a small smile playing on my lips. "He's an idiot, but he still takes care of us like we were his own siblings. I didn't want to disturb him because he was with Felix, and I know Felix missed Percy so much. I didn't want to get in the middle of that yet."
Keifer's expression softened. "Yeah. Felix was a wreck when he thought Percy was dead. We all were."
"Even though he was sad, he wanted to come to the Philippines," I said, thinking of the arguments between Mama and Percy "But Mama always stopped him, saying he wasn't healthy enough yet. I still don't understand why she kept Percy in New York for so long, practically in hiding."
Keifer nodded thoughtfully. "Me too. There's a lot of things about your mom's decisions that don't quite add up."
Before we could dive deeper into family mysteries, the sound of rhythmic footsteps approached us. Keiran and Keigan appeared, looking identical in their suits but carrying very different levels of irritation.
"Kuya, can we go now? It's a bit boring here," Keiran complained, tugging at his tie.
"Yeah, let's go," Keifer answered, his posture shifting back into the responsible older brother.
Keiran shifted his gaze to me, squinting as if he were trying to solve a difficult math problem. "So, you're engaged to her now?" he asked Keifer.
Keifer nodded firmly, his hand resting possessively on my lower back. Keiran didn't say anything else; he just looked at me and rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh.
This kid is an exact copy of his brother, I thought.
"What was Aunt Serina thinking?" I muttered under my breath.
"What would my mom think about what?" Keifer asked, catching my comment.
I looked at the three of them—the Watson brothers, a trio of arrogance and suppressed emotions. "Nothing. It's just... out of the three of you, only one actually knows how to have manners. The other two either say 'tss' or act like literal toddlers."
I mocked their signature brooding tone, making Keiran and Keifer scowl, while Keigan actually let out a rare chuckle.
Keigan looked at me, a hint of a smug grin appearing on his face. "I'm the mannered one, right?"
I nodded, giving him a playful thumbs up. "By far. You're the only one who doesn't treat every conversation like a contract negotiation or a street fight."
"Tss," Keiran actually said, proving my point instantly.
"See!" I laughed, pointing at him. "Point proven. Happy birthday, Keifer. Good luck raising your clone."
Keifer grinned, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "I'm not worried about raising them. I'm worried about what our kids are going to be like if they inherit your tongue and my temper."
"They'd be legends," I whispered back, blushing as he led us all out toward the waiting cars.
I leaned back in the passenger seat as the car sped away from the gala, trying to look as innocent as possible.
"So, Kuya, I heard the Hanamitchi are going bankrupt," Keigan pointed out from the back seat, his eyes fixed on the tablet in his lap. "It happened in less than two hours. Their stock plummeted to zero."
Shit. I didn't think the news would travel that fast.
Keifer, who was driving, flicked his gaze toward me for a split second. The corner of his mouth twitched. He knew exactly whose handiwork that was.
"I wonder who would do something so devastating?" Keifer said, his voice dripping with mock curiosity as he looked at me.
I just smiled a innocent simile
"Jay, seriously, how did you do that?" Keigan asked, leaning forward between the seats. "That family has been a staple in the trading industry for decades."
"I called Grandpa," I admitted, staring out the window at the passing London lights. "I told him they were being… disrespectful."
"What exactly did they call you?" Keifer asked. His voice shifted from playful to demanding. His grip on the steering wheel tightened.
I hesitated. I knew Keifer. If I told him the full extent of the insults they'd hurled at me while he was busy in London–how they'd insulted me —he wouldn't just stop at bankruptcy. He would probably make sure the Hanamtiches vanished from the face of the earth.
"They called me a brat," I said finally
Keiran burst out laughing from the back. "You destroyed a whole clan because they called you a brat? To be honest, they were just telling the truth!"
I turned in my seat to glare at Keiran, my eyes narrowing. "You want to be next, Keiran? I'm sure I can find some dirt on your offshore gaming accounts."
Keiran's laughter cut off abruptly, and he slumped back into his seat, muttering something about me being a "scary queen."
"A brat, huh?" Keifer murmured, though he didn't look convinced. He reached over with his right hand, covering mine where it rested on my lap. "You're my brat. If they called you that, they're lucky Grandpa only took their money."
"I'm a Mariano-Fernandez," I reminded him, squeezing his hand. "We don't get mad. We get even."
"That's my girl," Keifer said, his eyes softening as he pulled the car up to the front of the safe house.
He didn't turn off the engine. I knew why. He still had to meet Jare
Keiran burst out laughing from the back. "You destroyed a whole clan because they called you a brat? To be honest, they were just telling the truth!"
I turned in my seat to glare at Keiran, my eyes narrowing. "You want to be next, Keiran? I'm sure I can find some dirt on your offshore gaming accounts."
Keiran's laughter cut off abruptly, and he slumped back into his seat, muttering something about me being a "scary queen."
"A brat, huh?" Keifer murmured, though he didn't look convinced. He reached over with his right hand, covering mine where it rested on my lap. "You're my brat. If they called you that, they're lucky Grandpa only took their money."
"I'm a Mariano-Fernandez," I reminded him, squeezing his hand. "We don't get mad. We get even."
"That's my girl," Keifer said, his eyes softening as he pulled the car up to the front of the safe house.
I leaned back into the car and gave Keifer a soft, lingering kiss, ignoring the fact that his brothers were right there watching us.
"Be home early," I whispered against his lips.
"Hmm, I'll try. Sleep, Jay. I'll be there soon," Keifer murmured, his thumb grazing my cheek one last time.
"Ewwww, stop being so disgusting!" Keiran remarked from the back, making a gagging sound. "We're literally right here. My eyes are burning."
"Let's go," Keigan said, grabbing Keiran's shoulder and practically dragging him out of the car. He gave me a nod of silent understanding, letting me know he had things under control here.
I stepped out of the car and watched as Keifer pulled away, the taillights of his car disappearing into the London fog. He was heading toward Jare, toward whatever secret meeting they had planned
"He'll be fine, Jay," Keigan said as we walked toward the front door. "He's survived worse things than a late-night talk with your brother."
"I know," I sighed, clutching my wrap tighter around my shoulders.
"Let's go inside" I said to Keigan
We went inside and Keigan locked all the doors