Chapter: The Name I Didn't Know
(Jay's POV)
I found out by accident.
Which makes it worse.
If he had told me, I would've had time to react properly.
To prepare.
To build emotional armor.
But no.
Of course not.
It was a random Tuesday.
Section E was loud as usual. Ci-N arguing with David about some economic theory. Felux half-asleep. Aries spinning a pen like he owned gravity.
And Keifer?
Leaning back in his chair like he owned the world.
Apparently… he does.
I was scrolling through my phone, pretending to study.
A news notification popped up.
"Watson Global Holdings announces record-breaking merger."
I almost ignored it.
Watson.
Common surname.
Then I saw the photo.
Black suit.
Cold expression.
Sharp jawline.
Familiar eyes.
My fingers froze.
The article headline continued:
"Keifer Watson named second richest man in the world after international acquisition deal."
I laughed.
Actually laughed.
"No way," I muttered.
Ci-N looked at me. "What?"
"Nothing."
I clicked the article.
And there he was.
Keifer Watson.
Not the boy who fights with me in the staircase.
Not the idiot who lets me grab his collar.
Not the one who stays on call at 2 a.m.
This Keifer Watson.
Standing in front of a skyscraper.
Surrounded by reporters.
The article went on and on about:
— Watson Global Tech
— Private aviation division
— Investment empire
— Estimated net worth in the hundreds of billions
Second richest man in the world.
Second.
Richest.
Man.
In the world.
My brain refused to process it.
I slowly lifted my head.
He was across the classroom, arguing with Aries about something stupid.
Laughing.
Casual.
Like he doesn't own half the planet.
Like he doesn't appear on financial magazines.
Like he isn't literally… global news.
My heart started beating strangely.
This isn't funny.
This isn't normal.
I stood up slowly and walked toward him.
"Keifer Watson."
He looked up immediately.
Full name.
Danger signal.
"Yes?" he asked calmly.
I held up my phone.
"Explain."
He glanced at the screen.
Then looked back at me.
"Oh."
"Oh?" I repeated.
"That."
"That??"
Aries leaned over to see.
Then his eyes widened slightly.
"Oh yeah," Aries said casually. "That."
I turned sharply toward him.
"You knew?"
"Yeah."
I looked at Ci-N.
He nodded once. "Public information."
David raised his hand dramatically. "We assumed you knew."
"Why would I know?!" I demanded.
Because apparently I'm the only clueless person in this class.
I turned back to Keif.
"You're the second richest man in the world?"
He shrugged slightly.
"Yes."
Yes.
He said yes like I asked if he ate breakfast.
I stared at him.
"You own… companies?"
"Yes."
"Plural?"
"Yes."
"Airlines?"
"Among other things."
"Tech corporations?"
"Yes."
"Skyscrapers?"
"Some."
"Is there anything you don't own?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Peace."
My breath caught for a second.
I quickly recovered.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't ask."
"I didn't ask because I didn't think I needed to ask if you secretly run the world!"
He leaned forward slightly.
"Does it change anything?"
Yes.
No.
I don't know.
"I don't even understand how you're here," I said. "Why are you in Section E like a normal student?"
"Because I want to be."
"That's not an answer."
"It is."
I stepped closer.
"You're a billionaire."
"Multi."
"Stop."
He smiled slightly.
I felt something strange in my chest.
Not jealousy.
Not anger.
Distance.
I suddenly remembered the staircase.
The collar.
The wall.
The way I said he belongs to me.
How stupid.
How ridiculous.
"You should've told me," I said more quietly now.
"Why?"
"Because I look like an idiot."
"You look like yourself."
"That's not comforting."
He stood up slowly.
Now he was closer.
Too close.
"Jay," he said calmly, "when I'm here, I'm just Keif."
"You're not 'just Keif.'"
"I am."
"You're literally on Forbes."
"And?"
"And I grabbed your collar!"
The entire class went silent.
Aries coughed loudly.
"Oh," he said. "We're saying that out loud now?"
I ignored him.
"You think I would've done that if I knew?"
"Yes," Keif answered immediately.
I blinked.
"What?"
"You would've done it anyway."
"…No."
"Yes."
"I would've been more respectful."
"I don't want you respectful."
Silence.
I stared at him.
"You don't get it," I said softly. "You're… untouchable."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"Untouchable?"
"You live in a different world."
"I'm standing in front of you."
"That's not what I mean."
"Then explain."
I struggled to find words.
"You're not just some guy in my class."
"No."
"You're powerful."
"Yes."
"You have influence."
"Yes."
"You could leave tomorrow and live anywhere in the world."
"Yes."
"And I'm just… me."
He stepped even closer.
"Just you?" he repeated.
"Yes."
"The girl who grabbed my collar and told me I belong to her?"
My face heated.
"That was before I knew you're basically an empire."
"I was an empire yesterday too."
"That's not funny."
His expression softened slightly.
"You think money makes me different?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"It creates distance."
Silence.
Then he did something unexpected.
He took my phone gently from my hand.
Opened the article.
Looked at his own photo.
Then handed it back.
"That person," he said calmly, "is business."
"And you?"
"I'm yours."
My heart skipped violently.
"Don't say that like that," I whispered.
"Like what?"
"Like it's simple."
"It is."
"No, it's not."
He lowered his voice slightly.
"Does my bank account scare you?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"That I don't belong in your world."
He stared at me for a long moment.
Then he said something that made my chest tighten.
"You think I belong in yours?"
I didn't answer.
"You think I know what normal feels like?" he continued quietly. "You think I don't come here because it's the only place I'm not treated like a headline?"
The classroom was silent now.
No one was joking.
No one was teasing.
"I didn't tell you," he said, "because I didn't want you to look at me differently."
"I don't."
"You just did."
That hurt.
"I'm trying to process," I whispered.
"Process what?"
"That you're not just some boy I fight with."
He stepped even closer.
"So what am I?"
I swallowed.
"You're… dangerous."
A small smile appeared.
"I was dangerous yesterday too."
"Not like this."
"Money doesn't change who I am with you."
"It changes how the world sees you."
"I don't care how the world sees me."
"Then what do you care about?"
His eyes locked onto mine.
"You."
My breath caught.
"Don't do that," I whispered.
"Do what?"
"Say things like that when you're literally the second richest man alive."
He leaned slightly closer.
"And you're still the only girl who treats me like I'm not."
Silence.
Heavy.
I looked at him again.
Really looked at him.
Not the billionaire.
Not the empire.
Just Keif.
The boy who stayed on call.
The boy who got jealous.
The boy who let me grab his collar.
"You should've told me," I repeated softly.
"Would you have pushed me against a wall if you knew?"
I hesitated.
"…Probably not."
He nodded slowly.
"Then I'm glad you didn't know."
Aries finally broke the silence.
"So are we just ignoring the fact that Jay almost fought a billionaire in a staircase?"
"Aries," I warned.
He raised his hands.
"Relax. I respect it."
I turned back to Keif.
"You're not allowed to leave this school randomly."
"I won't."
"You're not allowed to disappear into some global meeting without telling me."
"I won't."
"You're not allowed to smile at Section A girls."
He smirked slightly.
"That again?"
"Yes."
"Even as the second richest man in the world?"
"Especially then."
His smile softened.
"Understood."
I crossed my arms.
"Also," I added quietly, "you're still not officially my boyfriend."
A small pause.
"Is that your condition?" he asked.
I looked at him.
Maybe it was.
Maybe it wasn't.
But suddenly, the money didn't feel as big.
The title didn't feel as heavy.
Because when he looks at me—
He doesn't look like a billionaire.
He looks like the same boy who asked me to finish my sentence.
And that?
That's scarier than any headline.