The final notes of the orchestra had faded, and the grand ballroom was now a ghost of the night's earlier glamour.
Most of the high-society guests had trickled out, leaving only a few powerful players behind.
Near the grand entrance, Mr. Watson was locked in a deep conversation with the Mayor, their voices low as they discussed the massive urban development project that the Watson Group needed to launch.
Beside them, Nicole was practically glued to Keifer's side.
She leaned in close, her hand brushing his sleeve every few seconds as she laughed at something he hadn't even smiled at.
Keifer's face was like stone—unreadable and distant.
He didn't pull away, but he didn't lean in either.
He was a businessman first, and he knew exactly how much his family needed the Mayor's signature.
Across the room, Jay felt a cold, hollow ache in her chest.
Every time Nicole touched him, Jay felt like a stranger in her own home.
Mrs. Watson, standing nearby, was visibly stiff, her smile tight and forced.
But it was Sophia who looked ready to explode.
Her eyes were fixed on the back of Nicole's head as if she were trying to set it on fire with her mind.
"Dear, let's go," the Mayor finally called out, checking his watch.
"We have an early morning."
Sophia's shoulders visibly slumped with relief.
Finally, she thought.
The witch is leaving.
But Nicole didn't move.
She turned to her father with a playful, spoiled pout.
"No, Dad. I want to stay here tonight. I've missed Keifer so much, and I really want to spend some quality time with him and Uncle and Aunty. It'll be so much fun!"
Sophia, standing just behind Nicole and tucked next to her mother, felt her blood boil.
She clenched her fists so hard her knuckles turned white.
Leaning in, she hissed into Mrs. Watson's ear, her voice dripping with irritation,
"No, Mom. Throw this witch out of the house. Right now."
Mrs. Watson didn't turn her head.
She kept her "perfect hostess" smile fixed toward the Mayor, but she reached down and squeezed Sophia's hand so hard it was a warning.
"I want the same thing, anak,"
she whispered back through her teeth, her voice barely a breath.
"But I can't. Not tonight."
The Mayor laughed, not knowing to the silent war happening in the room.
"Well, if the Watsons don't mind the extra company, I suppose she can stay."
Jay's heart sank.
She looked at Keifer, desperate for him to say something—anything—to stop this.
But Keifer just stood there, his jaw tight, his eyes meeting Jay's for a split second with a look that was both an apology and a plea for patience.
The moment the Mayor's car pulled away, the silence in the foyer became heavy and suffocating.
Nicole didn't waste a single second.
She turned toward Keifer, her eyes shimmering with a victory she hadn't even earned yet.
"Keifer,"
she cooed, her voice dropping into that intimate, low register that made Jay's skin crawl.
"It's been such a long night. Can you please show me to my room? I've forgotten the layout of this place... it's been so long."
She began to lean in, her hand slowly rising to rest on his shoulder, her fingers inches away from the blue fabric of his suit.
But before she could make contact, a hand shot out and gripped her wrist mid-air.
The grip was firm, sudden, and definitely not friendly.
Nicole gasped, spinning around to find Sophia standing there with a smile that was terrifyingly bright.
"Oh, my dear Nicole!"
Sophia chirped, her voice dripping with a fake, sugary politeness that didn't reach her narrowed eyes.
"Keifer is exhausted. He's been hosting all night!
Also he has a wife too, Why don't I show you your plac—I mean, your room?"
Without waiting for an answer, Sophia stepped between Keifer and Nicole, effectively breaking the tension.
She didn't just lead Nicole; she grabbed her arm and began to playfully—but forcefully—drag her toward the grand staircase.
Jay noticed Sophia's nails digging slightly into Nicole's wrist, a silent warning delivered in plain sight.
"Come on, it'll be just like a sleepover!"
Sophia called out over her shoulder, her grip never wavering as they disappeared up the stairs and face with fake smile.
The moment they stepped inside the guest suite and the door clicked shut, Nicole ripped her arm away, her face twisting in anger.
"Ah! Sophia, you're hurting me!" Nicole snapped, rubbing her reddened wrist with an irritated scowl.
"What is wrong with you?"
Sophia stood by the door, her fake smile vanishing instantly.
She looked Nicole up and down with pure disdain.
"Oh! I am so sorry,"
Sophia said, her voice flat and completely unapologetic.
"I didn't notice."
She didn't wait for Nicole to throw another tantrum.
Sophia turned on her heel and marched out of the room, slamming the door just hard enough to let Nicole know exactly where she stood.
__________+++++++__________
Jay was a whirlwind of nerves, pacing the length of the bedroom.
She was back in room.
The hem of her midnight-blue gown swished against the floor with every frantic turn.
Her hair, once perfectly styled, was now a bit messy from her running her fingers through it, but the loose strands only made her look more soft and real.
She stopped dead in front of the full-length mirror, pointing a finger at her reflection.
"Should I really do this, Jay? Right now?" she whispered to herself.
She bit her lip, the taste of her lipstick long gone.
"How will he react?
Will he just look at me with that 'CEO face' and tell me to go to sleep?,
no why would he do that?"
She looked down at her dress.
It was beautiful, but she felt like she'd been wearing it for a lifetime.
"Should I change into pajamas?
No, that's not 'confession' energy.
But what if this dress is too much?"
Then, the image of Nicole flashed in her mind.
That bold, arrogant, "Mayor's daughter" energy.
"He already told me he loves me,"
Jay muttered, her voice trembling.
"But seeing her again... what if that old spark came back?
What if he still loves her and he's just being 'responsible' with me?"
She leaned closer to the mirror, inspecting her face.
"Am I even as hot as Nicole?
She's so... polished.
I don't even do a ten-step skincare routine.
Sometimes I forget to wash my face!"
She groaned, throwing her head back.
"Shut up, Jay! You're spiraling.
And what is hottttt?"
But the doubt was like a splinter.
"What if he really does like bold girls?
I'm just... Jay.
I'm quiet, yes I am a ceo but....
I'm not a power player."
She looked at the door, her heart doing a frantic tap-dance against her ribs.
"Ughhh! Where is he anyway?
How am I supposed to be 'bold' if he's still downstairs talking about buildings and budgets?"
Nearly one hour had passed since she had gone to her room.
One hour of pacing, staring at her reflection, and trying to find the words.
She had gone from being terrified to being brave.
She wanted to tell Keifer she loved him.
She wanted to be more than just a name on a contract.
"I can do this, if he's not coming, I'll go and check" she whispered to the mirror.
She smoothed her blue gown, took a deep breath, and opened her door.
The hallway was dim.
Jay walked quietly, her heart beating a fast, nervous rhythm.
She checked the downstairs foyer, but the party guests were all gone.
She checked the kitchen and the garden, but the "CEO" was nowhere to be found.
"Where is he?"
she wondered.
She headed back upstairs and stopped at Sophia's room.
She pushed the door open just a crack and saw her friend fast asleep.
Jay smiled softly.
She crept inside, pulled the blanket up to Sophia's chin, and turned off the light.
Seeing Sophia so peaceful made Jay feel a little braver.
She wanted that kind of peace, too.
But there was only one place left to look: the guest wing.
Nicole's room.
Jay's feet felt like lead as she walked toward that part of the house.
Her heart began to hammer against her ribs so hard it hurt.
No, she told herself.
He wouldn't be there.
But her intuition was pulling her forward.
As she got closer, a voice drifted through the silence.
It was Nicole—low, sweet, and intimate.
"But I am here now..."
Jay's heart sank.
The door was slightly open, letting a sliver of warm light hit the carpet.
With a trembling hand, Jay pushed it just a little wider.
The sight broke her world.
Keifer was lying on the bed, and Nicole was on top of him, wrapped in nothing but a white towel.
Jay didn't scream.
She didn't even gasp.
A hot, stinging tear rolled down her cheek, and her breath became heavy and jagged.
But she didn't feel angry at Keifer.
Instead, a wave of familiar, crushing sadness washed over her.
She looked at them and didn't think, Keifer is a liar.
Instead, she thought, Of course.
Why did I think I deserved someone like him?
She remembered his father's accident, and her mother, who had passed away on Jay's own birthday, leaving her alone in a world that felt too big.
She thought of her stepfather, who had never truly accepted her or made her feel like she belonged.
She had grown up feeling like an outsider, a girl who was always "too much" or "not enough."
Maybe I really don't deserve a golden boy like Keifer,
she thought, her chest aching with a physical pain.
A girl with such a past, a girl who carries so much sadness... I was never meant for someone as bright and perfect as him.
Nicole is bold. Nicole is the Mayor's daughter.
I'm just the girl who lost everything.
Just as she was about to turn, Keifer's eyes shifted.
He saw her standing in the doorway.
His expression shattered, and his voice was a broken whisper.
"Jay..."
But she didn't wait.
Seeing his face only made the pain sharper.
The tears came even faster now, uncontrollable and hot.
She turned around blindly, her blue gown rustling against the floor like a broken promise.
"Jay, wait!" she heard his voice behind her, but she didn't stop.
She ran.
She stumbled back toward the stairs, her vision blurred by the flood of tears.
She didn't belong in this mansion, and she certainly didn't belong in Keifer's heart.
She had to leave.
She had to go back to the shadows where she felt she belonged.
Ok curse me
It's ok
But you know and I know that you know that I can't keep misunderstandings for long time, so...
Don't worry 😌😜
Btw bye bye buddies
Enjoy the cliffhanger
Love u all 😘