Author's POV
The billionaire tycoon Keifer Watson didn't just plan a marriage proposal he orchestrated a high-stakes, multi-million dollar covert operation. To pull off the ultimate surprise for his tiny marshmallow, he coordinated directly with Angelo to launch a fake security threat.
The cover story? An enemy group was actively targeting Jay Jay, and for her absolute safety, she needed to be evacuated immediately to the family's well-known private island.
To make the surprise flawless, Keifer ordered a custom, colossal bouquet made of rare white roses, intricately woven with premium imported chocolates that he knew his foodie fiancé-to-be would instantly crave. The entire inner circle—Section E, the girls, Tita, Lola, her mother Jeana, her dad Jaspher, Aries, Percy, Yuri, and Keifer's own brothers, Keiren and Keigan—were secretly flown out to the island ahead of time, hiding in the dark to witness the billionaire finally get down on one knee.
Jay Jay's POV
It was exactly 11:00 PM. The heavy, dark ocean waves were crashing against the shore outside, and I was currently pacing around the bedroom of the island cottage like a trapped, short-tempered little panther.
"Stupid security threats. Stupid enemy groups. Ruining my entire schedule," I huffed, aggressively crossing my arms.
We had been rushed to the island hours ago.
Kuya Angelo was currently stationed downstairs, and he had strictly forbidden me from leaving the cottage. I was already missing my giant gorilla boss so much it was making my chest ache. I wanted my tree. I wanted his warm hands on my waist. I wanted his executive briefings.
Because I had been evacuated in a complete rush, I was back to my ultimate comfort zone. I was wearing nothing but one of Keifer's loose, massively oversized yellow button-down shirts. The fabric completely swallowed my frame, the long sleeves fully hiding my fingers, and because it covered my tiny shorts entirely, I looked completely pantless. My hair was a wild, messy nest, I had zero slippers on, and I looked like a literal beggar who had wandered into a luxury resort.
ZAP!
Suddenly, every single light in the cottage died. The room plunged into pitch-black, suffocating darkness.
My heart skipped a violent beat. My eyes went wide in the dark. "Oh my god," I whispered, my voice trembling instantly.
Creak... Whoosh... Swish...
Strange, rustling noises and low, muffled murmurs started echoing from the hallway outside. My chaotic brain didn't think about corporate enemies or hitmen. No. My mind immediately launched into a marathon of completely ridiculous, tragic supernatural theories.
"Spirits!" I squealed softly, my knees shaking as I grabbed a heavy pillow from the bed to use as a weapon of mass destruction. "The island is haunted! White ladies and multi-millionaire ghosts are coming to consume my soul! Kuya Angelo, save me! The spirits are multiplying in the corridor!"
I backed up until my bare heels hit the wall, clutching the pillow tightly against my bare chest, sweating from absolute, tragic terror.
FLIP!
Suddenly, the lights violently flashed back on.
But it wasn't the standard corporate lighting.
The entire cottage was suddenly flooded with a breathtaking, golden glow from hundreds of fairy lights, flickering candles, and beautiful floral arches stretching down the hall.
Before my scrambled brain could even process the sudden interior design upgrade, the heavy double doors burst open.
"SURPRISE!" a loud, booming chorus of voices shattered the room.
I blinked my sensitive eyes in complete confusion. Marching out from the shadows of the balcony and the hallway came the entire legendary Section E—Rory, Adrix, Felix, Calix, Blaster, Drew, Eren, Eman, Kit, Mayo, Yuri, Percy, David, Josh, Denzel, and a grinning Cin in his neon green bucket hat. Right behind them stood Tita, Lola, my mother Jeana, my dad ,rosee ,her mother, Aries, and Keifer's , smirking brothers, Keiren and Keigan. The girls—Ella, Freya, Honey, Graze, Raki, and Mica—were all giggling hysterically, throwing rose petals into the air.
"What is going on?!" I shouted , my lips pouting hard as I stood there looking like a pantless, messy beggar holding a defensive pillow. "Why is the entire biohazard unit on this island?!"
Then, the chaotic crowd parted.
Walking straight toward me through the floral archway was the billionaire tycoon himself.
Keifer looked devastatingly, impossibly handsome. He was wearing a flawless, custom black designer suit that made his broad shoulders look massive, his sharp nose and dark eyes locking onto me with an unyielding, fierce devotion.
Looking at him like that, so powerful, but still radiating that raw energy, a sudden, fluttering wave of needy heat struck straight down into my stomach. My throat went completely dry.
🤭 He looks so hot it's an actual corporate crime, my dirty mind whispered involuntarily.
But my short-tempered pettiness took over before I could lose my mind. As he closed the distance, I aggressively marched forward and slapped his muscular arm with my hidden, hidden hand.
"You giant, stupid gorilla!" I squealed, my sensitive eyes watering from the adrenaline. "I got so scared! I thought the spirits were coming to kidnap me, and you all were just hiding in the dark playing nonsense games!"
Keifer let out a low, rough chuckle, his deep register vibrating through my chest as his eyes melted with absolute adoration. He didn't care that I looked like a beggar. He was holding a colossal, breathtaking bouquet of white roses.
My eyes instantly locked onto the massive, premium chocolate spheres woven into the flowers.
Without thinking twice, my foodie instincts took over. While he was standing right in front of me, I reached out, plucked a rich, glossy chocolate directly from his bouquet, tore the wrapper off with my teeth, and stuffed the whole thing into my mouth.
Crunch. Slurp.
The rich, sweet flavor exploded on my tongue.
I stood there chewing aggressively, my cheeks puffed out like a hamster, staring into his soul.
Then, the ruthless billionaire tycoon slowly dropped down onto one knee right on the floor before me.
My jaw practically froze mid-chew. The chocolate was still fully packed inside my mouth, my hair was a messy nest, the long yellow sleeves were hiding my fingers, and I was completely pantless—and the most powerful CEO in the corporate world was looking up at me like I was a flawless masterpiece.
He reached out, his large, warm hands gently gripping my bare, trembling wrist. His dark eyes flared with an insatiable, emotional intensity that sent a shiver straight down my spine.
"Jaspher Jean Mariano," Keifer murmured, his low voice raspy, thick with an overwhelming wave of protective devotion that echoed through the silent room. "My beautiful, short-tempered, greedy koala. You have completely ruined my peace since the very first day you crashed into my life with your chaotic nonsense. And tonight, I am officially begging you to keep doing it."
I blinked, a glob of chocolate sitting on my tongue as my heart started hammering wildly against my ribs.
"Will you do me the absolute honor of ruining the rest of my life with your wild tantrums, your bizarre food combinations, and your mischievous trouble until my very last breath?" Keifer whispered with reverence, pulling a magnificent, blinding diamond ring from his pocket. His face was filled with a mixture of immense happiness and a rare, terrified panic as he waited for my executive approval. "Will you marry me, Jaspher Jean Mariano... and officially become my wifey, Mrs. Watson?"
Keifer's POV
"Will you marry me, Jaspher Jean Mariano... and officially become my wifey, Mrs. Watson?"
The words had barely left my mouth before the romantic, high-stakes atmosphere shattered into absolute, terrifying chaos.
Jay Jay didn't gasp. She didn't scream.
Instead, her wide, glossy eyes expanded to the size of saucers, and she let out a violent, suffocating wheeze. She choked hard. The rich, premium chocolate ball I had just given her was lodged completely sideways in her throat.
"ACK—!" she muffled out, her face instantly turning a deep, dangerous shade of purple.
I froze.
My entire body turned to absolute stone on one knee. My heart dropped straight into my stomach with a suffocating, paralyzing panic.
Behind me, the entire room of frozen statues erupted into madness.
"Oh my god, the corporate panther killed her!" Felix screamed, throwing his arms in the air.
"Kit, use your biology graduation skills! Deliver the chocolate!" Mayo squealed, frantically hitting Kit over the head with a velvet cushion.
"Move, you idiots!" Aries roared, rushing forward alongside Percy to save his choking sister.
But my instincts snapped back online before anyone could touch her. I bounded up from the floor, dropped my colossal bouquet, and instantly caught her small, bare frame from behind. I locked my large arms securely right below her chest and delivered one sharp, heavy executive thrust to her midriff.
POP.
The glossy chocolate sphere flew straight out of her mouth, soaring across the room and landing with a wet thud right into Cin's neon green bucket hat.
"Hey! My shield!" Cin whined, looking down at his ruined accessory.
Jay Jay let out a long, ragged, desperate breath, her chest heaving wildly as she clutched at my shirt lapels. The danger was completely gone, but the moment her eyes scanned the room, the panic on her face transformed into a fiery, short-tempered rage.
Tears instantly pooled in her eyes, spilling down her pale cheeks as she looked at me, then at the cheering crowd holding up their smartphones.
My cute, stubborn, completely pantless koala was looking at me with a gaze full of absolute, heartbreaking betrayal.
"Jay..." I whispered, my voice trembling as I reached out to touch her waist. "Are you okay, marshmallow?"
Jay Jay's POV
"You all are traitors!" I sobbed out loudly, my voice cracking hysterically through the beautiful floral room.
Tears of pure, mixed-up happiness and deep, tragic sadness were streaming down my face.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my entire body shaking under the warm fabric of Keifer's loose yellow shirt.
This was supposed to be the biggest, most breathtakingly beautiful day of my entire life.
The most devastatingly handsome tycoon in the universe had just dropped to his knees to beg me to ruin his life forever. My heart was singing with an overwhelming wave of devotion. But at the exact same time, I felt completely violated by my own inner circle.
"Look at me!" I squealed cutely, pointing a trembling, hidden finger down at my frame. "I am standing here looking like a literal beggar! My hair is an absolute bird's nest! My face is probably covered in chocolate residue! I don't even have any slippers on, my feet are bare, and I am practically pantless in front of the whole Section E!"
"But Kokey, you look beautiful—" Aries started, trying to step forward with a guilty brotherly grin.
"Shut up, Aries!" I pouted fiercely, my lips trembling as I wiped my nose with the oversized sleeve. "You all knew! Tita knew, Lola knew, my own mother and dad knew! But no one said a single thing to me! You all let me get evacuated in a complete rush looking like a tragic biohazard! If I knew this was going to happen, I could have worn a beautiful designer gown! I could have cleared my hair nest! I could have actually made my hands visible so the diamond ring wouldn't look ridiculous on my fingers!"
"Hey, the 'beggar-chic' look is maximizing your target market penetration, Jay," Drew joked shamelessly from the back, earning a sharp slap from Freya.
While Section E was actively taking pictures, making videos, and cheering like a bunch of hyperactive toddlers, I just stood there crying into my giant gorilla boss's chest. I felt so impossibly small and ridiculous, holding a defensive bed pillow.
Keifer's hard expression completely melted. A soft, breathless chuckle escaped his lips as he tightly wrapped his large, protective arms securely around my bare waist. He pulled my messy, pantless body flush against his expensive black suit jacket, completely shielding me from the cameras.
"The gown doesn't matter, marshmallow," Keifer murmured deeply against my ear, his low register vibrating straight through my skin with an insatiable, roaring devotion. "To me, you are a masterpiece. Even when you look like a messy little beggar with chocolate in your mouth. You belong entirely to me."
I sniffled hard, peering up at his sharp nose and cute moles through my messy hair. My short-tempered aura finally began to cool down as the sugar hit my system. He's right, he's totally tamed by my tantrums, I thought, a smug, triumphant little smirk breaking through my tears as I slid my fingers into his hand.
"Fine," I mumbled cutely, sticking my hand out so he could finally slide the blinding diamond onto my finger. "But tomorrow, the Watson Empire is buying me a multi-million dollar wardrobe compensation package. Deal?"
"Deal, wifey," Keifer growled softly, kissing the crown of my head while Section E erupted into another round of scandalous whistles.
Keifer's POV
Seeing her pout and stomp her bare feet while lecturing the entire room in my oversized shirt was the most captivating thing I had ever witnessed. Even with a wild hair nest and chocolate smudges, she was my absolute world. I couldn't let our moment end on a chaotic note.
Ignoring Section E's flashing phone cameras and the laughing family members behind us, I slowly dropped right back down onto one knee before her. The crowd instantly quieted down, the teasing fading into a warm, expectant silence. I held up the custom-designed ring, my fingers trembling slightly as I looked into her glossy, tear-streaked eyes.
"So," I murmured, my deep voice dropping into a low, raspy register that was meant only for her ears. "Can this traitor gorilla officially make you wear this ring, marshmallow? Is the most beautiful, short-tempered girl of my life finally going to say yes to her husband?"
My heart hammered wildly against my ribs, a suffocating wave of pure, anxious devotion taking over my chest as I waited for her final executive decision.
Jay Jay's POV
I let out a soft, trembling sniffle, my short-tempered pout staying firmly on my face as I looked down at him. But then, my eyes shifted to the ring resting in his large, calloused palm.
My breath caught completely in my throat. It was breathtakingly beautiful. It wasn't just a standard, boring ring with one massive diamond. No, it was a masterpiece of pure, intricate detailing. It was encrusted with endless, tiny, shimmering pieces of green, yellow, blue, purple, and so many other vibrant colored gemstones that caught the golden fairy lights like a rainbow. It was colorful, chaotic, and completely unique—just like me.
The gorilla had spent millions to design something that perfectly matched my soul.
An overwhelming wave of fierce, childlike love and pure adoration crashed straight into my chest, making my sensitive eyes water all over again. I looked at the ring, then I looked at the man holding it. He was looking up at me with such an unyielding, protective fire in his dark eyes, completely waiting for his marshmallow to claim him back.
"You are still a brute," I mumbled cutely around my raspy voice.
Without thinking about my manners or my lack of a gown, I leaned down, grabbed his large, warm hand, and aggressively bit his knuckles.
I didn't bite hard enough to leave a permanent dental record, just a playful, petty little nip to punish him for the supernatural spirit prank.
"Yes!" I squealed softly, a massive, triumphant smile breaking through my tears as I finally extended my long yellow sleeve, letting my fingers peek out. "Yes, I will marry you, you giant gorilla boss! The Mariano CEO officially accepts your corporate merger!"
Keifer let out a loud, breathless roar of a chuckle, his face lighting up with the purest, most explosive happiness I had ever seen on him. He smoothly slid the colorful, detailed ring onto my finger, pinning it perfectly against my skin. Before I could even launch into another round of dramatic nonsense talk, his large arms locked securely around my bare waist. He rose from his knee and lifted my fragile, pantless frame straight off the floor, spinning me around in the middle of the floral arches.
The entire room erupted into an absolute frenzy of deafening cheers. Section E started rolling on the floor, Percy and Aries were whistling loudly, and Cin was literally waving his chocolate-covered bucket hat in the air like a maniac. I buried my face directly into the crook of Keifer's neck, deeply inhaling his expensive cologne. I was a messy, barefoot beggar with a rainbow on her finger, but as my husband held me tightly against his chest, I knew I was the most loved and entirely protected girl in the whole universe.