Chapter 5: The Mariano Empire
(Jay-jay's POV)
Morning in New York City looked different from the night.
The city still moved fast, but the sunlight made everything look sharper.
Clearer.
And somehow… more real.
I stood in front of the massive window inside the penthouse, watching yellow taxis move like tiny toys below.
Behind me, someone groaned dramatically.
"Why are mornings a thing?"
I didn't even turn around.
"Because the world has responsibilities."
From the couch, Percy Mariano slowly sat up, his hair messy.
"I refuse to participate in mornings."
"You literally woke up thirty minutes ago."
"Yes," he said seriously. "And I regret it."
I turned toward him.
"You're unbelievable."
"Correction," he said while stretching, "I'm iconic."
I rolled my eyes.
Before I could reply, the elevator doors of the penthouse opened with a soft sound.
A man in a perfectly tailored suit walked inside.
Jaspfher Mariano.
My father.
Percy immediately stood up.
"Ah, the empire builder arrives."
Jaspfher ignored the comment and looked directly at me.
"You're awake."
"I couldn't sleep."
"That will change."
He walked toward the window beside me and looked at the city.
"This place overwhelms most people at first."
"It doesn't overwhelm me," I replied.
He nodded slightly.
"That's good."
Then he turned.
"Because you'll need that strength."
Percy clapped slowly.
"Oh good, we're starting the mysterious speech early today."
Jaspfher gave him a look.
"Percy."
"Yes?"
"Quiet."
Percy zipped his mouth dramatically.
My father gestured toward the large dining table.
"Sit."
I hesitated for a second before doing so.
Percy sat beside me, whispering,
"This is where he gives the 'you're secretly royalty' speech."
I elbowed him.
Jaspfher opened a tablet on the table.
Then he turned the screen toward me.
Logos filled the display.
Banks.
Shipping companies.
Technology firms.
Luxury brands.
Energy corporations.
I stared.
"What is all this?"
"These," he said calmly, "are the companies you partially own."
My brain stopped working for a moment.
"What?"
Percy leaned over and examined the screen.
"Oh wow," he said casually. "You're richer than me now."
"That's not funny."
"I'm not joking."
I looked back at my father.
"You're serious?"
"Yes."
He leaned back slightly.
"The Mariano Empire spans twenty-seven countries."
The room suddenly felt much bigger.
"Shipping routes across Asia," he continued.
"Tech development in Europe.
Energy investments in the Middle East.
Financial sectors in America."
Percy whispered dramatically,
"Translation: stupid rich."
I ignored him.
"Why are you telling me this now?" I asked.
"Because you're part of it."
I shook my head immediately.
"I never asked for any of this."
Jaspfher studied my face quietly.
"No," he agreed.
"You didn't."
For a moment, his voice softened.
"That's exactly why I trust you with it."
Silence filled the room.
But one question still burned in my mind.
"Why did you leave me?"
Percy shifted slightly.
Even he stopped joking.
Jaspfher exhaled slowly.
"Because my enemies discovered you."
My chest tightened.
"What?"
"Fifteen years ago," he said calmly, "kidnapping you would have been the easiest way to control me."
The words made my stomach drop.
"So you abandoned me?"
"I hid you."
"That's the same thing!"
"No," he said firmly.
"It kept you alive."
I looked away.
I didn't know how to respond to that.
Then Jaspfher said something unexpected.
"And it seems history is repeating itself."
My head snapped back toward him.
"What do you mean?"
He tapped the tablet again.
A new file appeared on the screen.
A photo.
My breath caught.
It was Keifer Watson.
Percy leaned forward.
"Oh."
Then he looked at me.
"Oh this just got interesting."
I stared at the screen.
"How do you know him?"
Jaspfher's expression remained calm.
"Because the Watson family is one of the most dangerous business dynasties in Asia."
My pulse quickened.
"And Keifer Watson…"
He paused slightly.
"…is about to inherit a fortune powerful enough to destabilize multiple industries."
Percy whistled.
"Wow. Your taste in boys is expensive."
I ignored him.
"You investigated him?"
"Of course."
"Why?"
Jaspfher looked directly into my eyes.
"Because the moment my daughter becomes emotionally connected to someone…"
His voice became colder.
"…that person becomes a potential weapon."
The room went silent.
I clenched my fists.
"He's not a weapon."
My father didn't argue.
Instead he said something that made my heart freeze.
"He left for London last night."
Percy blinked.
"You're tracking him too?"
Jaspfher didn't deny it.
"He's currently dealing with the Watson inheritance conflict."
My mind raced.
"How do you know that?"
"Because our worlds intersect more than you think."
He closed the tablet slowly.
"Jay-jay…"
His voice was calm again.
"You didn't just meet a boy in school."
"You accidentally stepped into a war between empires."
The words hung in the air like thunder.
Percy leaned back in his chair.
"Well," he said dramatically.
"This explains a lot."
I stared at the photo of Keifer on the tablet.
The boy who said he used me.
The boy who broke my heart.
The boy whose world might be just as dangerous as my father's.
And suddenly one terrifying thought crossed my mind.
What if Keifer pushed me away…
for the same reason my father did?
To protect me.