Keifer's POV
The mahogany table in the formal study was cluttered with shipping manifests, route blueprints, and heavy corporate data. Angelo, Aries, Percy, and Yuri were all gathered around, their voices a low, rhythmic background hum as they debated the finer details of the Mariano logistics clause.
I sat right in the center, my eyes tracking the documents, but my brain was completely compromised. My chest felt tight, a suffocating, frantic urgency hammering against my ribs. I couldn't focus on the logistics. I couldn't care about the profit margins. Every single second that ticked by only brought back the image of my marshmallow—her small, bare body curled under her duvet, her sweet vanilla scent, and the absolute certainty that I could never live another day without her completely belonging to me.
I couldn't wait until she turned eighteen. I couldn't wait for another corporate meeting.
"I want to marry Jay Jay," I suddenly said, my deep voice cutting through the room like a blunt axe.
The entire boardroom meeting died instantly.
The silence that followed was violently loud.
Aries stopped tapping his pen mid-air, his eyes snapping to mine with a sudden, burning fury. Beside him, Percy froze, his jaw practically dropping to the floor, while Yuri's usual unbothered expression tightened into a sharp glare. Across from me sat her father, Uncle Jaspher. The older man slowly placed his reading glasses onto the table, his protective, calculating eyes locking directly into my soul.
Aries slammed his fists against the mahogany table, standing up so violently his leather chair rattled against the wall. "Are you completely out of your mind, Watson?! You come into our house, after screaming at her that afternoon, and you think you can just claim her permanently? I will literally kill you before you take her from us!"
I didn't flinch. I sat perfectly still, my knuckles turning white against my folder. I was terrified of what they were about to say, my heart racing with an intense, suffocating panic, but my alpha stance didn't slip for a single second.
"I have already arranged everything," I spoke smoothly, my voice raspy but steady as I looked at the powerful men in front of me. "The estate, the security details, the legal assets—everything is perfectly aligned for her future. Just say yes. Because I know her... Jay Jay will never say yes to me if her family isn't ready."
Angelo's POV
I kept my arms crossed over my chest, my dark eyes locked onto Keifer's pale face. My strict, protective big-brother instincts were screaming at me to throw the CEO out of the lobby. I wanted to be a stubborn, difficult Kuya.
I wanted to demand a day—maybe even a full week—just to let him sweat through his designer suit, to prove that the Mariano family doesn't just hand over their precious marshmallow to a giant gorilla boss without a fight.
But as I looked at the desperate, unyielding devotion burning in Keifer's dark eyes, my stubbornness began to melt. I knew the truth. I knew that he was the only man alive who could keep her safe from our enemies. I knew that he would protect her with his literal life.
More than that, I knew how much my silly, short-tempered little sister loved him—she breathed for him, just like he breathed for her.
Keifer's POV
The heavy silence stretched out for what felt like an eternity. My chest was heaving with a deep, ragged breath as I waited for the final verdict, sweating through my clothes.
Then, Uncle Jaspher slowly leaned forward.
He looked at me, the stern, uncompromising mask of a father softening into something deeply emotional and cute.
"Okay," Uncle Jaspher said softly, a small, gentle smile touching his lips.
My entire face lit up instantly. A massive, suffocating wave of pure, unadulterated relief and explosive joy crashed straight through my veins. I felt like the happiest man alive in the entire universe. My dream was coming true—the girl I loved more than life itself, the beautiful, messy masterpiece who loved me back with every single breath, was officially going to be mine.
"Just take care of my daughter, Keifer," Uncle Jaspher murmured, his voice thick with emotion as he looked at me. "I love her more than anything in this world. Her happiness is important to me more than my own life. I don't ever want to say no to her or break her precious heart by standing between her and the man she adores."
Uncle Jaspher turned his head slowly, his protective gaze landing on his oldest nephew. "Is it your final decision, Angelo?"
Angelo let out a long, ragged sigh, his shoulders finally relaxing as he gave a single, firm nod. "Yes, Uncle. If it makes our Kokey happy, it's my decision too."
Then, the two older men turned their heads, their intense eyes locking onto the younger brothers. Angelo looked directly at Aries, and Uncle Jaspher looked right at his son, Percy.
Aries' POV
I clenched my jaw, my hands balled into tight, angry fists as I glared across the table at Keifer. My little sister... my precious, chaotic sister was actually going to get married to my enemy-turned-friend. It made my blood boil with a fierce, brotherly jealousy. I wanted to launch a velvet cushion at his handsome face.
But as I thought about the way her eyes lit up whenever she called him her 'tree,' and how safe she truly was whenever he looked at her, the anger died down.
"Fine," I grumbled out, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. "But if you ever make her cry like you did that day, Watson, I don't care about your Watson Empire—I will break your logistics report over your head."
Percy's POV
My baby sister. Our, pantless, chaotic little marshmallow was growing up. A sudden, cute wave of sadness hit my chest, making my eyes sting slightly. She was always going to be the little girl who stole my snacks and ran around the house causing absolute food chaos.
"You better buy her all the chocolate treats she wants, gorilla," I mumbled cutely, putting on a dramatic, fake-sad pout as I looked at Keifer. "She's a handful. But she's our family."
Keifer's POV
Seeing all of them finally agree sent a proud, triumphant warmth spreading deep inside my chest. I couldn't contain the genuine, bright smile breaking across my face.
"I want to propose to her ," I announced instantly, my voice thick with an insatiable urgency.
"You can marry her, Keifer... but only when she officially turns eighteen," Angelo commanded strictly, raising an authoritative eyebrow. "Until then, she stays a Mariano graduation student."
"Okay," I agreed smoothly, a slow, knowing smirk tugging at my lips as I stood up from the table.