Jay's pOV
The Fernandez mansion was very dark and very quiet.
I woke up suddenly. My eyes snapped open. I looked left. I looked right. The bed was huge, but it was empty. Keifer was gone. The sheets on his side were already cold.
I sniffed the air. The room smelled like Keifer. It was way too big for me. The sleeves covered my hands completely, and the bottom reached past my knees. I looked like a tiny walking tent.
Clink. Rattle.
Then came the sound.It was a low, scraping vibration, followed by a faint, metallic clink that echoed from somewhere deep within the western wing. My body reacted before my mind could fully process the data.
I slipped out from beneath the heavy duvet, my bare feet hitting the polished hardwood without making a single sound. I wasn't wearing armor; I was wearing one of Keifer's oversized black hoodies that swallowed my frame entirely, the hem hitting mid-thigh.
It smelled of cedarwood, tobacco, and that sharp, clean iron scent that belonged exclusively to him. It was comforting, but comfort was a liability when an unknown variable was moving through your perimeter.
My bare feet made zero sound on the floor. I crept into the hallway. I walked by Aries's room first, and peeked into Aries's room. The door was wide open. His bed was perfectly neat, but he wasn't there.
"Great," I whispered to myself. "Maybe a monster ate him."
I started walking down the grand staircase. Everything was pitch black. The shadows on the walls looked like giant, creepy hands.Every window showed a sky painted in ink and bruised violet.
My heart beat a little faster, but I wasn't scared. I was mostly annoyed. I tightened my knuckles into a solid, reinforced fist.
If a ghost tries to scare me tonight, I thought, I am going to punch it straight in the face. I don't care if it's already dead. It's getting a black eye. I don't care about the laws of physics. I will punch a phantom in the jaw.
I rounded the corner into the main hall, ready to throw a punch at the darkness.
Suddenly a soft, amber glow flickered to life, a warm, yellow light clicked on.
It wasn't a breach.The light didn't come from a tactical flashlight or a muzzle flash; it came from dozens of tiny, warm fairy lights woven through an intricate display in the center of the grand hall.
I froze. My fist was still up in the air.
In the middle of the room stood a massive, beautifully decorated mahogany table. It was piled high with silver platters, tiers of pastries, and a massive three-tiered cake covered in white fondant and edible gold leaf. (Check comment)
Strung above it, written in elegant, hand-painted calligraphy that looked suspiciously like Mia's neat handwriting, were the words: HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY.
I stared at it. My brain completely stopped working.
"Oh," I said softly to the empty room. "I forgot my birthday."
With all the crazy schoolwork, corporate meetings, and security drama, the days had just blurred together.Before I could fully process the sight of the cake, the air behind me shifted.
Suddenly, I felt a strong, warm wall of heat against my back. I didn't spin around because I knew the exact weight of that presence.
A soft, warm breath tickled my ear.
"Happy birthday, wifey," Keifer whispered. His voice was deep and sleepy, making my tummy do a little flip.
I let my shoulders drop, leaning back just an inch until the back of my head rested against his broad chest. "Thank you, Keifer. I almost forgot it."
"I know," he murmured, his chest vibrating against my spine as he let out a short, amused huff. "That's why I didn't."
Before I could turn to face him, I felt something cold and metallic brush against the bare skin of my collarbone. I looked down. Keifer's big, gentle hands were putting a shiny silver necklace around my neck.
Between his fingers hung a heavy, platinum pendant. It caught the amber light of the fairy lights, gleaming with absolute clarity. Etched into the polished metal were two clean, intertwined letters: J & K.
He carefully fastened the clasp at the back of my neck, his knuckles lingering against my skin for a second too long, sending another wave of heat through the oversized hoodie.He didn't let go.
Instead, he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, pulling my back flush against his chest, and leaned down. His lips met mine in a slow, deep kiss that tasted of mint and the quiet stillness of the night.
It wasn't the rushed, desperate kiss of a couple running from security threats; it was deliberate. It was a claim.When he pulled back just an inch, his dark eyes caught mine in the reflection of the glass doors behind the table.
"I love you, Jay," he said, his voice dropping into a register that was terrifyingly sincere. "Until the scientists find the end of the universe."
I opened my mouth to reply, my chest feeling suddenly too tight for my ribs, when a loud, distinct snort broke the silence.
"Oh, come on! 'Until the scientists find the end of the universe'? That is so scientifically inaccurate it hurts my soul!"
I snapped my head toward the shadows near the grand archway. The lights in the corridor clicked on all at once, blinding me for a split second.
Suddenly, the main lights flooded the room. The whole crew marched out from their hiding spots. Section E, my brothers, the girls, and my parents were all grinning from ear to ear.
"Shut up, Cin!" Rakki hissed, smacking him hard on the arm with a rolled-up party blower. "It was romantic! You wouldn't know romance if it bit you on your single-digit IQ!"
"I am a man of culture, Rakki! I prefer my romance with fewer astrophysics references and more actual food!" Cin yelled back, already lunging toward the table to eye the pastries.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart!" Reycee Mom called out, pushing past the bickering crowd to pull me into a tight, lavender-scented hug that nearly lifted me out of Keifer's hoodie.
My father followed close behind, clapping a heavy hand on Keifer's shoulder before pulling me into a brief, rib-cracking embrace.
"Our tough soldier looks like a cute little penguin in that big hoodie," Dad joked, pulling my hood up over my eyes.
"DAD...!" I complained, pushing the hood back up.
"Move over, people! The star of the show has arrived!" Percy announced, strutting forward while fixing his hair in a shiny silver spoon. "
"Personally, I think the party needs more focus on the true gift here—my presence. You're welcome, Jay. I sacrificed two hours of beauty sleep for this. Do you know what that does to my skin density?"
"Probably very hard, since you look like a sleepy raccoon right now," Ion snickered, holding up her camera.
Angelo was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking slightly flustered but determinedly keeping his distance from any cameras this time.
Then the girls- Freya,Ella ,Rakki,Grace,Mia,Mica tangled me in a tight group hug wishing me happy birthday and teasing about the kiss.
"Cake! Cut the cake before Cin eats the table!" Keiren shouted, handing me a big silver knife.
Everyone crowded around the table, cheering and blowing their noisy party horns. I looked at the candles twinkling on the cake. I looked at all my favorite people smiling at me. I made a quick wish and blew out the candles.
"Yay! Cut it!" the girls cheered.
I looked at the candles flickering on the gold-and-white cake. I didn't need to calculate the probability of happiness anymore. It was standing right here in a circle of idiots, soldiers, and family.I blew out the candles.
The room erupted into cheers and the obnoxious screech of party blowers. I took the silver knife, sliced a clean wedge through the heavy chocolate layers, and lifted the first piece on a small fork.Following traditional protocol, I turned immediately to Keifer.
He looked down at the cake, then at me, a rare, boyish smirk breaking across his face."Open up, Watson," I commanded, my voice leaking into the domestic moment.He cooperated without a word, taking the bite from the fork.
The crowd roared."Oh, look at the big bad CEO being fed like a toddler!"
Cin yelled, pointing a finger. "Where's my piece? I've been awake for twenty minutes, my metabolism is failing!"
"Here," I said, cutting a massive, unstable chunk and handing it straight to him without a plate. "Eat it before you faint from your dramatic medical conditions."
Within five minutes, the orderly table had devolved into a distribution disaster area. Keigan and Keiren were efficiently cutting neat slices for our parents, while Cin was actively trying to smear frosting onto Percy's pristine cheek.
"Don't you dare, Cin! This skin regime costs more than your entire camera collection!" Percy shrieked, ducking behind Ion.Ion didn't even move.
She simply raised a single eyebrow at Cin, who instantly lowered her frosting-covered finger. "Understood. Changing targets,"
Cin muttered, turning around and wiping it directly onto Aries's shirt instead."Hey! This is my favourite shirt!" Aries complained .
Then, the gift-giving started. My brothers handed me a cool, tiny tactical toolkit that looked like a makeup case. "For emergency fixing," Angelo smiled.
Tita gave me a beautiful old family photo album.Pa and Ma gave me a beautiful watch.
Then Section E handed me a big box. I opened it and pulled out a t-shirt. On the front was a funny drawing of my own face looking super grumpy. Underneath, it said: "I WILL PUNCH YOU , ASSHOLE."
"We had to custom-order it," Edrix said proudly, others giggled, holding their stomach from laughing so hard. "It's your new official uniform!"
I tried to look mad, but I couldn't help but laugh. "You guys are ridiculous."
A little while later, the party calmed down. The parents went back to bed, and the rest of the crew went to the game room to eat leftover frosting.
Keifer and I were sitting side-by-side on the large leather sofa near the veranda doors. I was leaning against him, the platinum pendant resting heavily against my collarbone, my fingers tracing the sharp lines of the 'J' and 'K' engraving.
"Hold on," Keifer said softly, breaking the silence. He stood up, walked over to a secure cabinet near the hallway, and retrieved a long, sleek garment bag made of matte black protective silk.
He walked back and handed it to me. The weight was substantial, the fabric beneath the silk feeling thick, structured, and expensive.
"Wear it tomorrow," Keifer said, his eyes locking onto mine with a look that was entirely professional, yet deeply personal.I unzipped the top of the bag just enough to see the dress.
A confident smile spread across my face. My relaxed birthday mode quickly switched back into my focused leader mode.
"Tomorrow," I said, my voice growing firm.
"Tomorrow, I am going to reveal the truth about JJM, my secret company. The whole corporate board thinks I'm just a weak student on leave. They have no idea that I actually own everything."
I gripped the suit bag tightly. "I can't wait to see the shock on their faces when I walk into that room."
Keifer reached out, his large hand wrapping completely over mine, covering my knuckles with a steady, unyielding pressure. His gaze didn't waver. There was no doubt in his eyes, no hesitation—just the absolute certainty of a man who had built empires and torn down threats just to see me stand at the top.
"No matter what happens tomorrow, Jay," Keifer said, his voice dropping into that deep, resolute tone that meant he would move mountains if they stood in our path. "I will be there."
With Keifer by my side and my crazy family behind me, tomorrow was going to be epic.
------------------------------
Guys go check out my new book
"The Dark Side of Us (Jayfer)"
And tell me your thoughts on it ??
I know I said I will upload it next week but I wanted to give you all a introduction so check it out...
See you soon 💕
And don't forget to drop comment for this chapter