Jay's POV
After the dramatic standoff between Kuya Rafael and Keifer, things finally started to settle down in the main living area. Somehow, Ate Zia managed to calm Rosie down, coaxing her with a small cup of juice and some snacks.
The little princess was now sitting comfortably on the couch between her mom and dad, swinging her tiny legs back and forth while chewing on a biscuit.
But even though she was physically sitting with her parents, her big, bright eyes never truly left my husband..
It was completely ridiculous. In a matter of just a few short hours, Keifer had somehow become her absolute favourite person in the entire universe.
Every single time he moved to stretch his legs or walked across the room to grab a bottle of water, Rosie's head would snap in his direction. She would flash him a giant, gap-toothed smile, and Keifer—being the smug, charming idiot that he is—would simply wink back at her or throw her a playful salute.
I sat on a nearby armchair, crossing my legs tightly as a highly irritating wave of cute jealousy washed over me. I couldn't help but glare at the back of Keifer's head.
Look at him, I thought to myself, chewing the inside of my cheek. He's loving every single second of this. I was the one who was supposed to be punishing him. He was supposed to be miserable, begging for my attention, and suffering under the weight of my silent treatment. Instead, he had a tiny, adorable four-year-old bodyguard trailing his every move and inflating his already massive ego.
My petty internal monologue was abruptly cut short when the phone in my pocket began to vibrate aggressively.
I pulled it out, expecting another joke from Mia or a random message from the Section E group chat.
But the moment I saw the flashing caller ID on the screen, the breath completely caught in my throat. It was a secure line from my underground league.
I quickly stood up from the armchair, my body tensing up instantly as I walked away from the noisy living room and stepped into the quiet hallway near the back study. I swiped the screen and pressed the phone to my ear.
"Speak," I commanded, my voice dropping its playful tone and turning instantly cold and professional.
"Boss, we have a serious situation," the frantic voice of one of my high-ranking intel officers came through the line, sending a sudden chill down my spine. "One of the internal couriers—a suspected traitor we've been monitoring—has officially gone off the grid. He disappeared from the safehouse an hour ago, and he took the master file of the region's financial reports and operation logs with him."
My jaw clenched so tightly it ached. "How did he get past the secondary security perimeter?" I demanded, my knuckles turning white around the casing of my phone.
"We are checking the surveillance feeds now, but the encryption keys were wiped from the local database. Boss... those reports contain the upcoming contract drafts for the entire board. If those files leak to the rival factions, our entire supply chain in the eastern sector is compromised."
"Secure the perimeter gates and lock down the local servers immediately," I ordered, my mind racing at a million miles an hour. "I will handle the damage control from here. Tell the retrieval team to track his last known GPS ping. I want that traitor brought in by sundown."
I ended the call, my chest heaving slightly as a heavy cloud of stress and anxiety settled over me. This was the absolute worst timing. With everything happening at the condo, the last thing I needed was an intelligence breach in the league.
Because those specific reports were completely gone, I now had to manually re-write and prepare an entirely new, highly encrypted contract document before the afternoon deadline.
I hurried into the private study, slamming the heavy wooden door shut behind me. I practically threw myself into the desk chair, ripping open my laptop and pulling out a thick legal pad.
For the next two solid hours, I was completely lost to the world. My fingers flew across the keyboard at a brutal pace, my eyes straining against the harsh glow of the screen as I pulled up a live conference call with my primary board members.
"The secondary clause needs to be completely restructured," I spoke sharply into my wireless earpiece, my pen rapidly handwriting the modified security terms on the paper beside me. "If the courier attempts to sell the old files, we need the new contract to completely invalidate the previous legal boundaries. Am I making myself clear?"
The board members were all talking at once, their voices a chaotic mess of panic and demands in my ear. I was deeply stressed, sweating slightly as I tried to balance the live digital network while manually translating the ancient encryption codes into the new document text.
Right in the middle of this high-stakes, incredibly tense meeting, the heavy study door slowly clicked open.
I didn't even look up from my screen, assuming it was just Keifer trying to bug me again. "I told you, I'm busy," I snapped toward the door, my fingers never stopping their rapid typing.
"Ate Jay?"
A tiny, innocent voice piped up from below the edge of the desk.
I paused for a fraction of a second, my eyes shifting down. Rosie was standing there, holding a small plush toy under her arm, looking up at me with her massive, curious eyes.
She didn't look intimidated by my dark expression at all. She walked right up to the side of my chair, tugging gently on the hem of my shorts to get my full attention.
"Ate," Rosie said, her voice bright and completely unbothered by the fact that I was currently managing an underground crisis. "Can Kiki be my boyfriend for today?"
I blinked, my brain completely short-circuiting for a moment. Kiki? It took my stressed, exhausted mind a solid three seconds to realize that "Kiki" was the ridiculous nickname she had just given my tall, terrifying, and deeply possessive husband.
A small, absentminded smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I looked back at my laptop screen. My board members were still shouting in my earpiece about a millions-of-dollars financial discrepancy, and I simply didn't have the mental capacity to process a toddler's game right now.
"Yes, yes, whatever you want, baby," I murmured quickly, completely ignoring the actual weight of her question just to get her to leave the room so I could focus.
But Rosie wasn't an ordinary child. She didn't just walk away. She stayed right there, tugging harder on my clothes, her voice rising in a stubborn pitch. "But Ate! You have to say it properly! Can Kiki be my boyfriend for today? Say yes! Say yes, Ate!"
"Rosie, please, I am in a very important meeting right now," I pleaded, my irritation rapidly rising as a board member asked me to read back the third security line.
I was getting deeply flustered and anxious under the pressure. "Fine! Yes! He can be your boyfriend! Just go play outside, okay?"
The moment the word fine left my mouth, Rosie's entire face lit up with pure, ecstatic joy. She let out a loud squeal, jumping up and down in pure happiness, and immediately turned on her heels. She sprinted out of the study, leaving the door wide open as she tore down the hallway to find Keifer.
I let out a heavy sigh, instantly rubbing my throbbing temples and diving straight back into my work, completely unaware of the massive, catastrophic trap I had just willingly set for myself.
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Keifer's POV
After dealing with the sheer, unadulterated madness of the Section E crew downstairs, I had finally managed to claim a spot on the large leather couch in the living room.
I threw my legs over the armrest, letting out a long, exhausted breath as I rested my head against the cushions.
With Rosie currently being occupied by her mother, I finally had a single moment to relax and think about my ongoing war with my wife.
Day one was proving to be an absolute battlefield, but the memory of how close Jay had come to kissing me during our workout gave me a massive wave of confidence. She was struggling. I knew she was.
My peaceful thoughts were suddenly shattered by the sound of rapid, tiny footsteps echoing down the tiled hallway.
I sat up slightly, turning my head just in time to see Rosie come bouncing into the living room like a tiny, hyperactive pinball.
She ran straight toward the couch, her curls flying everywhere, and stopped right in front of me with her hands planted firmly on her tiny hips.
"Kiki!" she announced loudly, her face glowing with absolute triumph. "You are my boyfriend for today!"
I blinked, a look of pure, utter confusion crossing my face. I looked around the room to see if anyone else was hearing this, but the guys were still occupied in the kitchen.
"What did you just call me, princess?" I asked, a low chuckle escaping my lips.
"Kiki!" she repeated with complete authority. "And you are my boyfriend now. Ate Jay has given me the permission!"
My smile froze instantly. My entire body went rigid against the couch cushions, and my eyes went wide with absolute shock.
"What?" I asked, my voice dropping into a disbelieving register. "Jay said what?"
"She said yes! She said you can be my boyfriend today!" Rosie cheered, jumping up and down in absolute happiness.
A sudden, deep frown knitted my eyebrows together. A massive wave of irritation and confusion flooded my chest. Jay gave her permission?
I thought, my jaw clenching tightly. My own wife—the woman who had literally threatened to kill me earlier out of pure jealousy because I looked at another person—had just casually traded me away to a four-year-old child like a piece of cheap property? Just like that? Without a single fight?
Before I could even process the sheer blow to my ego, I caught sight of a movement down the hall.
Jay was finally walking out of the private study. She looked completely exhausted, her eyes fixed entirely on the screen of her laptop as she walked slowly into the open living area, her fingers still tapping away at the keyboard. She looked deeply stressed, completely detached from the reality of the room.
Rosie immediately turned around, pointing a tiny finger at her. "Ate! You agree right? Kiki is my boyfriend now!"
Jay didn't even look up from her laptop screen. She simply gave a brief, absentminded nod of her head, completely focused on whatever work she was doing, and walked right past us toward the kitchen area, entirely ignoring my existence.
I sat on the couch, staring at her retreating back in absolute, cute confusion. My mind was completely reeling. I was her husband! The great Keifer Watson, reduced to a daily boyfriend lease by his own wife just so she could work on her computer in peace!
A slow, devious smirk suddenly replaced my confusion. Oh, so that's how you want to play it, wifey? I thought, leaning back against the cushions. If she wanted to act completely unbothered and trade me away so easily, I was going to make absolutely sure she regretted that careless little decision within the next five minutes.
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Jay's POV
It took me another twenty grueling minutes in the kitchen to finally send out the encrypted files, authorize the secure network overrides, and officially close the emergency conference call.
The moment the screen went black, I let out the longest, most profound sigh of relief. The traitor was being tracked, the files were secure, and the board members were finally pacified.
My mind finally cleared, and the heavy fog of stress instantly lifted from my shoulders.
I stretched my sore arms above my head, a relaxed smile returning to my face.
Now that my work was completely out of the way, I could finally get back to what truly mattered: enforcing my one-week punishment on my husband and finding new ways to drive him absolutely crazy.
I closed my laptop, set it on the kitchen counter, and turned around to walk back into the main living room to find him.
But the very second my foot crossed the threshold of the living area, a tiny, fierce figure stepped right out from behind a pillar, completely blocking my path.
It was Rosie.
She stood there, her tiny arms crossed tightly over her chest, her small face twisted into an incredibly serious, stern expression that looked completely ridiculous on a toddler. She glared up at me with absolute authority.
"Ate Jay," Rosie commanded, her little voice sharp and unyielding. "Stay away from my boyfriend."
I froze in my tracks, my eyebrows shooting straight up into my hairline. I blinked once. Twice.
"What?" I asked, completely taken aback.
Then, like a sudden bolt of lightning, a look of pure, horrifying realization slammed directly into my brain. My mind flashed back to twenty minutes ago in the study—Rosie asking me a question, my stressed-out brain completely ignoring her, and me casually saying fine just to get her to leave.
Oh my god, I thought, my stomach dropping into a bottomless pit. I actually gave her permission
"Uh... baby," I stammered, quickly dropping to one knee so I could be at eye level with her, a nervous, sweating smile breaking across my face. "Ate was just joking, okay? I was really busy with work and—"
"No!" Rosie interrupted, stomping her tiny sneaker firmly against the floor. She shook her head with absolute, stubborn resolve. "A promise is a promise! You said yes! Kiki is my boyfriend for today, so you have to stay away from him!"
To drive the point completely home, Rosie turned around and marched straight back to the couch where Keifer was sitting.
She scrambled up onto the leather cushions, threw her tiny arms around his neck, and planted another giant, wet, enthusiastic kiss right on his cheek. She then turned her head back to glare at me, as if she were marking her territory.
The entire Section E crew, who had been quietly watching the exchange from the dining table, absolutely lost their minds.
"Oh, this is the greatest day of my life!" Cin roared with laughter, slamming his fist against the table. "The legal contract has been signed! Jay, you officially traded your man for a piece of peace and quiet!"
"A promise is a promise, Baby Sistah!" Percy chimed in, his voice dripping with absolute mockery as he pointed a finger at me. "You can't break the law of a toddler. Keifer belongs to the girl today!"
"Someone call a lawyer!" Felix shouted, wiping a fake tear from his eye as he laughed. "We need to formalize this separation! Keifer, how does it feel to be a free man?"
Yuri rolled his eyes dramatically, though a massive grin was plastered across his face. "Honestly, Jay, you should have known better. You never sign a contract without reading the terms first. This is basic business training!"
Ate Ion, who was sitting near the counter sipping her coffee, let out a deep, amused chuckle. "The kid has a point, Sweetie. You gave your word. In our world, a word is a binding agreement."
"Man, this is tough," Tiger added, shaking his head with a wide grin. "Look at Keifer's face. He looks like he just won the lottery."
I slowly stood up from the floor, my face burning with an intense mixture of embarrassment and deep, immediate regret.
I looked over at the couch. Keifer was sitting there, his arm wrapped casually around little Rosie's shoulders, looking at me with a look of absolute, smug satisfaction.
Our eyes met across the crowded room, and the moment they did, he slowly raised one of his dark eyebrows. A slow, devastatingly handsome, and incredibly teasing smirk spread across his lips.
He didn't say a single word, but his eyes were screaming: What are you gonna do about it, wifey? You did this to yourself.
My jaw tightened. Oh, you think you're so clever, Keifer? I thought, a sudden, wild spark of competitive fire flaring up deep within my chest. I shouldn't have been so careless with Rosie, and now she literally wasn't allowing my husband to be anywhere near me. If I tried to get close to him, she would throw a tantrum, and I couldn't exactly fight a four-year-old child.
But if Keifer thought he could use this little situation to sit back, relax, and torture me with his smug looks all day while I suffered in silence, he had another thing coming.
If he wanted to play a game of territory and rules, I was going to blow the entire board wide open.
A bright, incredibly sweet, and completely fake smile plastered itself across my face. I clapped my hands together loudly, drawing the attention of every single person in the room away from the couch.
"Hey, guys!" I called out, my voice sounding incredibly cheerful and full of energy. "The weather outside is absolutely perfect today, and since everyone is finally awake and feeling better... what do you say we all go to the local water park? It's going to be so much fun!"
The reaction was instantaneous.
"Yes! A water park!" Freya squealed, jumping up from her seat.
"Count me in! I need to test out my new swim shorts anyway!" Eren yelled, throwing his hands in the air.
Within a single second, the entire living room erupted into a massive cheer.
Everyone was shouting, talking about packing their bags, sunscreen, and racing down to the cars. The entire house was filled with sudden, chaotic excitement.
Amidst the loud roaring of the crowd, I kept my eyes locked entirely on my husband. I watched the exact moment his smug smirk completely vanished, replaced by a sudden, sharp look of realization.
A water park meant swimsuits. It meant open water. It meant other people looking at me while he was legally banned from touching me or standing near me because of his new "girlfriend."
I let out a low, slow smirk of my own, tilting my head at him with absolute victory written all over my face.
It's gonna be so much fun... Kiki, I thought to myself, turning on my heel to go pack my bag.
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Author's Note
Hey, my beautiful readers! 🖤
First of all, I want to say an incredibly massive, deeply heartfelt apology for not uploading a new chapter over the past few days! 😭
I know you guys have been waiting so patiently, and I feel so bad for keeping you hanging during such a tense part of the story!
To be completely honest with you all, things have been absolutely crazy in my real life lately. I was heavily involved in the intense preparations for the Independence Day celebration after school, which took up every single ounce of my time and energy.
On top of that, because of all the rehearsals and events, I had to spend the last few days frantically studying and covering a massive portion of the school work and curriculum that I had left behind earlier. It was a total balancing act, and my brain was completely fried! 📑
Target for the next update remains 60+ comments!
But I am officially back now, and I promise I will try my absolute best to stay consistent and keep uploading updates regularly on the book!
I want to say a huge, special thank you to my amazing heritage readers who constantly checked up on me, sent sweet messages, and supported me through this little break. Your love is the only reason Jayfer's journey keeps pushing forward!
Let's hit that comment goal and get ready for the water park chaos!
See you in the next chapter! 💗
Love you all 😚