Chapter Seven: Trapped
The morning had been perfect.
Jay sat at her new desk, organizing files with a smile she couldn't seem to shake. The office was sleek and modern, situated just outside Keifer's private suite. Her own space. Her own computer. Her own nameplate: Jasper Jean Mariano, Executive Assistant to the CEO.
It still felt surreal.
Every few minutes, her eyes drifted to his closed door. He'd been in meetings all morning—back-to-back calls with international partners, Yuri popping in and out, documents needing signatures. But every time their eyes had met across the room, he'd given her that small, private smile. The one that made her stomach flip.
Lunchtime approached. She gathered a stack of files that needed filing on the lower floors.
"I'm heading to archives," she told his assistant, Maria. "Be back in twenty."
Maria nodded without looking up. "Take the service elevator. Faster."
Jay followed the signs to a less-trafficked corridor. The service elevator stood at the end, old but functional. She stepped inside, pressed the button for floor twelve, and waited.
The doors closed.
The elevator jerked.
Then stopped.
Lights flickered once. Twice.
Then everything went black.
---
Jay stood in complete darkness, her heart suddenly pounding.
"No," she whispered. "No, no, no."
She pressed the button again. Nothing. The emergency call button. Dead silence. Her phone—no signal. Service elevators were metal boxes. Faraday cages.
Panic began to creep up her throat.
She was trapped.
---
Keifer finished his call and immediately looked toward her desk. Empty.
"Where's Jay?" he asked Maria.
"Archives. Floor twelve. Said she'd be back in twenty."
He glanced at the clock. Thirty minutes ago.
Before he could respond, the lights flickered. Then went out.
Emergency generators kicked in after three seconds, flooding the office with dim backup lighting. But in those three seconds, Keifer's blood ran cold.
The elevators.
He was out of his chair before the generators fully activated, running toward the stairwell. Twelve floors down. He took them three at a time, his mind racing faster than his feet.
She was alone. In the dark. With her history of fainting when stressed.
"Jay," he gasped, pushing himself harder. "Hold on. Hold on."
---
Floor twelve was chaos. Employees stood in clusters, confused by the outage. The archives were at the far end of the corridor. He burst through the doors, scanning.
"Jay? JAY!"
No answer.
The service elevator. Maria had said service elevator.
He ran to the end of the hall, found the metal doors. The indicator light was dead.
"JAY! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"
A muffled sound. Was that—was she crying?
"Jay, I'm here. I'm going to get you out. Can you hear me?"
"KEIF?" Her voice was small, terrified, barely audible through the thick doors. "Keif, please—I can't—it's so dark—"
"Baby, listen to me." The endearment slipped out unnoticed. "I need you to breathe. Can you do that for me? Take a deep breath."
A shaky inhale. Then another.
"Good. That's good. You're doing so well. I'm going to get the doors open. Stay right there."
He ran back to the main floor, found the building super, pulled rank, pulled money, pulled every resource he had. Within minutes, a team was working on the doors.
"Sir, it'll be another ten minutes—"
"I don't have ten minutes."
"Sir, the mechanism is stuck, we have to be careful—"
Keifer grabbed the crowbar from the man's hands. "Then don't be careful."
He wedged it between the doors and pulled with everything he had. Metal groaned. His muscles screamed. Behind him, the team rushed to help.
The doors slid open six inches.
Enough.
He shoved through the gap into darkness.
---
The elevator was pitch black. His phone light cut through, sweeping across the small space.
She was huddled in the corner, knees drawn to her chest, shaking.
"Jay."
Her head snapped up. Her face was streaked with tears, eyes wide with fear. But when she saw him—really saw him—something broke loose.
"Keif!"
She scrambled up, launching herself at him. He caught her, held her, pulled her so tight against his chest he could feel her heart hammering against his own.
"I've got you," he breathed into her hair. "I've got you. You're safe. I'm here."
She was sobbing now, great heaving cries that shook them both. Her fingers clutched his shirt like he was the only solid thing in a spinning world.
"I couldn't—it was so dark—I couldn't breathe—I thought—"
"Don't think. Just feel me. Feel my arms around you. Feel my heartbeat." He pressed her closer. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
She cried into his chest, and he held her. Rocked her. Pressed kisses to the top of her head, her temple, wherever he could reach.
Minutes passed. Or seconds. Time meant nothing.
Slowly, her sobs quieted to shaky breaths. But she didn't let go. Neither did he.
"Jay." His voice was rough. "Look at me."
She tilted her face up. Her eyes were red, lashes wet, cheeks tear-stained. The most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry, I just—"
"Don't apologize." He cupped her face in his hands, thumbs wiping away tears. "Never apologize for being human. Never apologize for being scared."
She stared at him. The phone light cast strange shadows, but he could see her clearly. Every detail. Every emotion.
"I was so scared," she admitted. "And then I heard your voice. And I knew—I just knew you'd come."
"Always." He leaned closer, forehead resting against hers. "I will always come, Jay. Always."
Her breath caught.
He couldn't help it. Couldn't stop it. Couldn't even think about stopping it.
He kissed her.
Soft at first. Gentle. Questioning. His lips brushed hers like he was asking permission.
She answered by kissing him back.
The world exploded.
He pulled her closer, one hand sliding into her hair, the other wrapped tight around her waist. The kiss deepened—hungrier now, desperate with relief and fear and something much bigger than either of them. She tasted like tears and warmth and everything he'd been missing his whole life.
When they finally broke apart, gasping, he didn't stop. Couldn't stop.
He kissed her forehead. Her eyelids. The bridge of her nose. Her cheeks, still wet. The corner of her mouth. Her jaw. Each kiss a prayer, a promise, an I'm-here-you're-safe-you're-alive.
"Keif," she whispered, voice breaking.
"Jay." Another kiss to her temple. "My Jay."
She laughed—a wet, broken, beautiful sound. "Your Jay?"
"If you'll have me."
She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. In the dim light, hers shone.
"I fainted on you. Cried on you. Just had a complete breakdown in front of you. And you're still here."
"Still here."
"You kissed me."
"Best decision I've ever made."
"You kissed me everywhere."
"Not everywhere. Yet."
She laughed again, brighter this time. Then her face softened. "I was so scared. And then you came. You always come."
"I always will."
She reached up, touched his face like she was memorizing it. "I don't know what this is. I don't know where we're going. But I know I don't want to go anywhere without you."
He kissed her again. Softer this time. Sweeter.
"Then don't."
---
Above them, shouts echoed. The rescue team was calling down.
"MR. WATSON? IS EVERYONE OKAY?"
Keifer pulled back, but kept her close. "We're fine. Get the doors fully open."
Jay wiped her face, trying to compose herself. He caught her hand, lacing their fingers together.
"Let them see," he said quietly.
"What?"
"Us. Together. I'm not hiding this, Jay. I'm not hiding you."
She stared at him. "Your reputation. The press. Your board—"
"Can all go to hell." He squeezed her hand. "You're more important. You're everything."
The doors slid open fully, light flooding in. The rescue team gaped at the sight of their CEO holding his new assistant like she was the most precious thing in the world.
Keifer ignored them completely. He helped Jay step out of the elevator, keeping her hand firmly in his.
"Someone get her water. And a blanket. Now."
People scrambled.
Jay leaned into him, exhaustion and adrenaline warring on her face. But she was smiling.
"You're very bossy," she murmured.
"I'm the CEO. It's required."
"Maybe I'll quit."
"I'll follow you home."
"Percy would love that."
"Percy can deal."
She laughed, and the sound echoed through the corridor. Employees stared. Whispers started. Phones probably recording.
Keifer didn't care.
He guided her to his office, sat her on his leather couch, wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. Knelt in front of her like she was royalty.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better. Now that you're here."
"I'm not leaving."
"Ever?"
He looked at her—really looked. At the strength beneath the vulnerability. The fire beneath the fear. The woman who'd called him kind when everyone else called him cold.
"Never," he said. "If you'll let me stay."
She reached out, touched his face again. "Stay."
He kissed her palm.
And outside the door, three faces pressed against the glass.
---
Percy burst in first. "WE HEARD YOU GOT STUCK IN AN ELEVATOR AND KEIF WENT ALL HERO AND—OH."
He stopped dead.
Jay was on the couch, wrapped in Keifer's jacket. Keifer was on his knees in front of her, holding her hand.
Percy's mouth fell open.
Aries pushed past him, took in the scene, and slowly smiled.
Yuri appeared behind them both, whistling low. "Well. That escalated quickly."
Percy found his voice. "DID YOU TWO—WAS THERE—DID HE—"
"Percy," Jay said tiredly. "Breathe."
"BREATHE? YOU'RE SITTING THERE LOOKING ALL—AND HE'S—AND YOU'RE—" Percy spun to Aries. "DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?"
Aries shrugged. "I knew something was happening."
"SOMETHING? THIS IS EVERYTHING!"
Yuri grabbed Percy's shoulder. "Come on. Let's give them a minute."
"A MINUTE? THEY NEED A LIFETIME TO EXPLAIN—"
Yuri dragged him out. Aries paused at the door, looking back at his sister.
"You okay?"
Jay nodded. "I am now."
Aries glanced at Keifer. Something passed between them—recognition, acceptance, warning.
"Good." He closed the door behind him.
Silence.
Jay looked at Keifer. "Well. That was dramatic."
He laughed—a real laugh, full and warm. "Your brother is something else."
"He'll get over it."
"Will he?"
"Eventually. He's already planning the wedding."
Keifer's eyebrows shot up. "Wedding?"
Jay's face went red. "I didn't mean—that's not—Percy says things—"
He kissed her again, cutting off her rambling.
When he pulled back, she was breathless for an entirely different reason.
"I like the sound of that," he murmured. "Wedding."
"Keif."
"Jay."
"You're impossible."
"Your impossible."
She buried her face in his shoulder, hiding her smile. But he felt it against his chest.
Outside, Percy's voice echoed through the hallway.
"I'M TELLING TITA GEMMA! SHE'S GOING TO LOSE HER MIND!"
Jay groaned.
Keifer held her tighter.
And for the first time in his carefully controlled life, he let himself imagine a future he'd never thought he'd want.
A future with her.
---
Epilogue of the Day
By evening, the entire building knew.
By nightfall, the gossip sites had blurry photos.
By morning, Tita Gemma had called him personally to invite him to Sunday dinner.
Percy had sent approximately seven hundred texts, ranging from I KNEW IT to YOU BETTER NOT HURT HER to CAN I BE BEST MAN?
Yuri had started a betting pool on when they'd get engaged.
Aries had simply texted: Take care of her. Or else.
And Jay?
Jay fell asleep that night with his voice in her ears, his kiss on her lips, and his promise in her heart.
I will always come, Jay. Always.
She believed him.
---
End of Chapter Seven