Kiefer (POV)
When I opened my eyes, Jay was asleep in my arms… it was like a quiet. Warm. Peaceful.
I gently brushed her hair away from her face, careful not to wake her.
After Jay came back to me, I held her in my arms until she finally fell asleep… as if she were exhausted from carrying the weight of the whole world alone.
For the first time in days, everything felt calm.
Then I checked my phone.
It was flooded with missed calls and messages from Cole, Clyden, Jare, Aries, and Percy.
At first, I thought they were still searching for Jay.
But then a news notification appeared on the screen.
Mrs. Watson died in a car accident.
I stared at the notification for a long time before locking my phone.
Then I called Cole.
The moment he answered, I almost told him Jay was alive.
But my eyes fell on her sleeping beside me.
Curled against my chest.
Breathing softly like a child who finally felt safe.
And fear hit me harder than anything else.
If the world found out she was alive… they would come for her again.
Not just her.
Our baby too.
My grip around the phone tightened.
I knew hiding her from her family was cruel.
I knew they would mourn her.
They would hate me if they ever found out.
But I wanted her alive more than I wanted forgiveness.
Because if things turned worse again…
I might lose her forever.
And I couldn't survive that a second time.
So I made my choice.
I erased everything that proved the body wasn't hers.
The cameras.
The records.
Every trace.
I didn't lie to anyone.
I just buried the truth.
Then I took Jay away from the world.
To London.
Months ago, I bought a private villa there… originally because I thought after Jay gave birth, I wanted time alone with her and our child away from everyone.
I never imagined that house would become the place where I hid her from the entire world.
From her family.
From danger.
From death itself.
And while the world cried over Jay Watson's grave…
She slept peacefully in my arms, alive and breathing beside me.
Until the day I could make the world bow before her again…
No one was going to take her away from me.
I arranged everything Jay needed myself.
Doctors who asked no questions.
Medical equipment delivered under false names.
Private nurses who never saw her face clearly.
I couldn't risk revealing her medical records.
Because I knew Section E was searching every hospital.
Clyden.
Angelo.
Cole.
All of them were tearing the world apart looking for her.
Then I found out Cassian was searching too.
That alone was enough to make me erase every possible trail twice.
After securing everything in London, I went to Angelo's house.
The moment I walked in, the silence hit me like a punch.
No one looked alive.
The whole house felt like a funeral that never ended.
Because to them—
Jay was dead.
Everyone kept asking me where I was when it happened.
Why I couldn't save her.
Why I came back alone.
And every single time, I stood there listening to them while carrying the truth inside me.
Because I knew she was alive.
Before leaving, I made a promise to Kiran.
"I'll bring her back."
Even if the entire world turned against me, I was going to keep that promise.
When I returned home, the house was quiet.
Jay was asleep on the bed, completely unaware that the world was mourning her death.
Unaware that people were crying for her.
Breaking apart because they believed she was gone forever.
I walked toward her slowly and sat beside her.
For a moment, I just looked at her.
Alive.
Breathing.
Still here with me.
I brushed my fingers through her hair gently.
"I'm sorry, Jay…" I whispered.
"I know you'll be angry at me later."
My voice cracked slightly.
"But I also know I'm hurting our family right now."
I lowered my head for a second before forcing out a small smile.
"I'll make it up to them later."
Then I leaned down and kissed her forehead softly.
After that, I rested my head against her belly, placing my hand over it carefully, like I could already feel our baby there.
A quiet laugh escaped me.
"Caretaker… will your mom hate me later after she finds out the truth?"
I stayed silent for a second as if waiting for an answer.
Then I sighed dramatically.
"You need to be on my side, okay?"
I rubbed her belly gently.
"I'll buy you anything you want, so don't make things hard for Mommy."
Sometime after that, exhaustion finally pulled me under.
And I fell asleep beside her.
Jay-Jay (POV)
When I opened my eyes, my whole body felt heavy.
For a second, panic rushed through me.
I couldn't move.
My heart skipped as I thought something was wrong… that maybe I was paralyzed.
Then I looked down.
And there he was.
Kiefer was sleeping on top of me slightly, his head resting near my stomach while his hand tightly held my wrist even in his sleep—like he was afraid I would disappear again the moment he let go.
A small smile formed on my lips instantly.
This man was already gossiping with our child before he was even born.
It had only been two days since I last saw him…
But somehow, it felt much longer.
I slowly brushed my fingers through his messy hair carefully so I wouldn't wake him.
"My hubby is adorable," I whispered softly with a sleepy smile.
I stayed still after that, simply watching him sleep peacefully beside me.
But my mind slowly drifted elsewhere.
It had already been three days since I disappeared.
My brothers were probably losing their minds searching for me.
Section E too.
Everyone would be worried.
The thought made my chest ache slightly.
But I forced myself to stay calm.
I just needed to hold on until Kiefer told me everything.
And I trusted him.
No matter what happened, I knew Kiefer would make sure my family stayed safe.
We started living.
Not surviving.
Not running.
Living.
Kiefer turned the entire house into my world.
He built a private hospital room just for me, filled it with every medical supply I could possibly need, and made sure I never lacked anything.
Anything at all.
I never even stepped outside the house anymore.
And strangely…
I didn't feel trapped.
Because wherever Kiefer was felt like enough for me.
Days slowly turned into minutes.
Months passed so quietly they felt like days.
And through all of it—
He never left me alone.
If work pulled him away, he called me constantly or flooded my phone with messages like he couldn't breathe properly without hearing from me.
Sometimes he came home exhausted.
Sometimes angry.
Sometimes with blood staining his face or shirt.
And every single time, my chest tightened painfully while I cleaned his wounds and wrapped bandages around his skin with shaking hands.
But no matter how bad it got—
He always came back home to me.
Always.
No matter how bloody things became outside…
No matter how dangerous he was…
He still returned to me.
Even after he stopped hiding the darkest parts of himself from me.
And strangely…
That only made me understand him more.
I knew what he was capable of now.
The violence.
The ruthlessness.
The things that made the world fear him.
But after everything they did to my brothers…
After everything they did to us…
A part of me wanted revenge too.
I wanted to face those elders myself.
I wanted them to suffer for every tear my family shed because of them.
And if I ever stepped outside again them…
I would definitely take my revenge.
I just hoped they stayed alive until then.
The thought should have scared me.
Maybe it would have before.
But now?
I was carrying our child.
I lived hidden away from the world beside a man who could destroy anyone that touched me.
And somehow…
Even seeing the dangerous parts of him so clearly—
I still found myself falling for him all over again.
And honestly?
That terrified me sometimes.
Because every scar on him felt like something I wouldn't survive losing
However, few days were peaceful.
Then the morning sickness started.
And it was absolutely horrible.
Everything I ate, I threw up almost immediately.
The smell of food alone made me nauseous sometimes.
The only thing I truly loved in this world was food, and now it had completely betrayed me.
I couldn't even stand the smell of it anymore.
In the end, I could barely eat anything except fruits and light food.
So naturally—
Kiefer stopped eating properly too.
"If you can't eat it," he said seriously, "how can I?"
Which honestly made no sense at all.
But this man was impossible to argue with.
So instead, he started cooking for me himself.
Light soups.
Soft meals.
Anything that wouldn't upset my stomach.
Most days, I survived on lugaw while Kiefer hovered around me like an overprotective nurse pretending not to panic every five minutes.
One evening, I was halfway through eating when nausea suddenly hit me again.
I immediately covered my mouth and froze.
Kiefer looked up from his laptop instantly.
Without hesitation, he moved his hand in front of my mouth casually.
"Spit it out if you're not feeling well," he said like this was completely normal behavior.
I blinked at him in shock.
Then somehow—
My nausea disappeared from pure disbelief.
"…I'm okay now," I muttered slowly.
Kiefer just nodded seriously like offering his hand as a human emergency bowl was perfectly romantic.
Honestly…
Sometimes I wondered if this man was insane.
But then nights came.
And those were harder.
Sometimes I couldn't sleep at all.
Sometimes I suddenly started crying while thinking about my family.
My brothers.
Their voices.
Their constant teasing.
Even Section E and all their annoying chaos.
For the first time in my life…
I felt truly far away from them.
Lost.
And the strange thing was—
Kiefer never forced me to talk about it.
Not once.
Whenever he noticed me crying silently, he simply pulled me into his lap and rested my head against his chest.
Then he gently tapped my back over and over while whispering softly,
"It's okay."
Just that.
Like he was trying to hold all my broken pieces together without making me feel ashamed for breaking.
And sometimes…
Without telling me beforehand…
He video-called my brothers.
I secretly watched them from a distance while pretending not to.
Just seeing them alive made my chest hurt and heal at the same time.
Then there were moments that made absolutely no sense.
Like whenever I was eating, Kiefer kept stealing food from me.
Not from my plate.
From my mouth.
Like some shameless criminal.
"Kiefer!" I complained one day after he stole another bite.
"It tastes sweeter this way," he replied calmly.
I stared at him in disbelief.
Honestly…
I finally understood how women fell for him.
I mean—
How could they not?
This terrifying man cooked for me.
Fed me.
Stayed awake with me.
Held me every time I cried.
And loved me so carefully like I was something precious in his hands.
At this point, I was convinced I had used up all my lifetime luck just by meeting him.
One quiet evening, we sat together on the couch.
Kiefer was working on his laptop while talking to someone through his Airdopes.
Meanwhile, I was beside him reading a novel.
Well…
Trying to read.
Halfway through, I got bored and dropped the book dramatically onto my face.
After a few seconds, I peeked from underneath it and looked at Kiefer instead.
Instantly, my boredom disappeared.
He was switching between French and English so fluently that my brain couldn't even keep up.
His voice stayed calm and cold while discussing business, fingers moving across the keyboard effortlessly.
And unfairly enough—
He looked ridiculously handsome doing it.
His white shirt was rolled up to his elbows, revealing the veins on his hands while his fingers moved smoothly across the keyboard.
His hair was slightly messy, like he had run his hands through it too many times already.
His eyes stayed completely focused on the laptop in front of him, sharp and serious while he switched between languages so naturally.
Even the entire room smelled expensive because of him.
His perfume.
The coffee beside him.
Everything about this man somehow screamed wealth, power, and danger all at once.
And annoyingly—
It suited him way too well.
I stared at him shamelessly.
Aww… this man is mine.
Handsome.
A younger billionaire running Watson.
A terrifying man outside.
Yet somehow still a good older brother.
And now…
Soon-to-be father.
That thought made my eyes soften a little.
I wondered what kind of father he would become.
Would he spoil our baby too much?
Would he be overprotective?
Honestly…
Probably all of the above.
A small smile spread across my face.
Maybe I really was a gold digger.
Or maybe not.
Either way—
He was lucky I chose him.
"What are you smiling at?" Kiefer asked without looking away from his laptop.
"Me? I was laughing at a joke in the book," I answered quickly.
The moment I said it, his arm suddenly hooked around my leg.
Before I could grab onto anything, he effortlessly pulled me straight into his lap.
"This jerk is strong… way too strong," I muttered under my breath.
Kiefer barely reacted.
"If you're going to lie," he said calmly, "at least don't get caught."
"What?" I asked innocently.
Without saying anything, he took the book from my hand and slowly turned it around.
My eyes widened instantly.
The book had been upside down the entire time.
"You can't read it upside down, babe," he said with a smug smirk.
I stared at him in betrayal.
This jerk noticed me staring at him the whole time.
"Gago," I muttered under my breath.
"What?" he asked, clearly trying not to laugh.
"You saw it… right?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
"What exactly did I see?" he asked innocently, still wearing that annoying smirk.
"Nothing," I muttered quickly and tried to get up from his lap.
But his arms wrapped around my waist tighter and effortlessly pulled me back against him.
"Where are you running now?" he asked lazily near my ear.
"Who said I was running?" I argued.
"Don't you have work to do? I'll do mine."
He raised an eyebrow.
"And what work is that?"
I froze for half a second.
"…Thinking."
That made him laugh quietly.
"You can get a clearer view if you stay in my lap," he said calmly while returning one hand to his laptop.
"And I can still do my work."
I looked at him suspiciously.
"This sounds illegal somehow."
Kiefer only smirked and pulled me closer against his chest.
"You weren't complaining five minutes ago while staring at me like I hung the moon."
Before I could even defend myself, he suddenly kissed me.
Right on the lips.
My eyes widened instantly.
"This shameless—"
I pushed against his chest in embarrassment and quickly tried to escape from his lap.
But the moment I took a step—
I slipped.
"Jay—!"
Before I could hit the floor, Kiefer grabbed me immediately.
The force made both of us fall together instead, and the next second I landed right on top of him while he took the impact on the floor.
His arms tightened around me protectively.
"Jay, are you okay?" he asked instantly, concern filling his voice.
I blinked at him.
Then frowned.
"You okay?" I asked back.
He looked relieved for a second before sighing softly.
"Jay… be careful," he scolded gently while brushing my hair away from my face.
"What if you got hurt?"
I smiled proudly at that.
"Don't worry about that."
For a second, he looked genuinely confused.
"Why are you smiling like that after almost dying from walking?"
I ignored that part completely.
"Because," I said confidently, "I knew you would catch me."
The words made him go still beneath me.
His expression softened so suddenly it almost hurt to look at.
And for a moment…
The dangerous man everyone feared disappeared completely.
Leaving only my husband holding me like I was the most precious thing in his world.
"You've become so flirty," he said while looking at me suspiciously.
"Hm, thanks for the compliment," I replied proudly before winking at him.
Before I could say anything else, he suddenly stood up with me in his arms and carried me back to the couch.
Then—like nothing happened—he returned to his work completely focused.
But I noticed his ears were slightly red.
Oh.
So he was embarrassed.
I hid my smile immediately.
I honestly thought he would kiss me again.
Instead, he sat there pretending to care about work while typing seriously on his laptop.
What a liar.
I slowly turned toward him and stared at him while tilting my head closer little by little, silently demanding his attention like a clingy child.
"Jay," Kiefer warned without even looking at me.
"Stop it."
"Why?" I asked innocently.
"I know you like it."
A quiet hum escaped him near my ear.
"Hm."
Then he finally leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping lower.
"Wait until I finish my work," he murmured softly against my ear. "I'll kiss you after."
My heartbeat instantly skipped.
"And if I kiss you now…" a small smirk appeared on his lips, "…I won't be able to stop."
A shiver ran straight down my spine.
This man was unfair.
Then his hand slowly slipped beneath the edge of my dress, his warm fingers resting gently against my bare skin before pulling me closer toward him until there wasn't even the slightest gap left between us.
"Kiefer…" I whispered softly.
"What?" he asked casually, still typing with one hand like he wasn't affecting my sanity at all.
His other hand stayed wrapped around my waist securely.
I stared at him in disbelief.
How was he still focusing on work right now?
In the end, I gave up completely and rested my head against his shoulder instead.
His fingers absentmindedly traced soft circles against my skin while continuing his meeting like this was the most normal thing in the world.
Somewhere along the way, I ended up falling asleep in his arms.
And when I woke up later—
Kiefer was still working.
Still focused on the laptop.
Still typing calmly.
And somehow…
His hand had never left me even once.
The realization made my chest ache softly.
Without thinking, I climbed further into his lap again and rested my head against his shoulder properly this time, making his entire posture stiffen for half a second before relaxing around me again.
Still, this stubborn man refused to look at me.
But I knew him already.
He was definitely enjoying this inside.
A small smile spread across my face.
Then I placed my hand over my stomach dramatically.
"cartaker," I sighed sadly, "your daddy is completely ignoring us."
The moment I finished speaking—
I felt it.
A tiny kick.
My entire body froze.
"Kie… Kiefer," I whispered.
"What?" he asked immediately, all seriousness returning as he looked at me worriedly.
"I felt it," I said softly while staring at him, my hand still pressed against my belly.
His expression changed instantly.
"What happened? Does your stomach hurt?" he asked quickly.
Before I could answer, he already grabbed his phone.
"I'm calling the doctor."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"You idiot!" I laughed. "I said I felt our baby kicking me because he got bored."
Kiefer froze completely.
Slowly, almost carefully, he lowered himself beside me and placed his hand over my stomach.
Then he waited.
Completely silent.
Completely focused.
But nothing happened.
A few seconds passed.
Then another.
His brows slowly furrowed.
"I think the baby hates me already," he muttered seriously.
I smacked him on the head immediately.
"Gago, why would you say that?"
Kiefer looked down quietly for a moment.
"I'm happy that I'm becoming a dad," he admitted softly. "But I don't want to turn into someone like him."
I knew exactly who he meant.
His father.
"I don't want my kids to hate me the way we hated ours."
My expression softened instantly.
"Kiefer…" I held his face gently until he looked at me. "How many times do I have to tell you this?"
"You're nothing like your dad."
His eyes stayed on mine silently.
"I'm proof that you're capable of loving someone properly," I whispered.
Right at that moment—
Kick.
Both of us froze.
Kiefer's eyes widened slightly under my hand.
The baby kicked again.
This time stronger.
And Kiefer actually felt it too.
A smile slowly appeared on my lips.
"See?" I laughed softly. "Even our baby agrees with me."
From that day onward, Kiefer became completely obsessed.
Every single day, he talked to the baby like they were best friends already.
And somehow…
The baby always responded to him.
Whenever Kiefer came close and spoke near my stomach, the baby started kicking nonstop like he was playing football inside me.
At one point I genuinely wondered if I was carrying an athletic.
"Caretaker," Kiefer would say seriously while resting beside me, "if you keep kicking Mommy like this, she'll ban both of us."
Instant kick.
"See? He's threatening me already."
I rolled my eyes every time.
But secretly…
Watching him like that made my heart ache in the best way possible.
Even before our child was born—
He already completely stole Kiefer away from me.
And the worst part?
They teamed up against me.
Whenever Kiefer and I argued, he would suddenly ask the baby,
"Who's right?"
And immediately—
Kick.
Every single time.
Like our child personally decided to betray me before even being born.
"You both are unbelievable," I complained one day while glaring at my stomach.
Kiefer looked far too pleased with himself.
"Our son is smart."
"He's biased."
"He has standards."
I gasped dramatically.
"And somehow… are you saying his standards are higher than mine?" I asked, completely offended.
Kiefer looked at me calmly for a second before answering without hesitation.
"No," he said seriously. "Your standards are so high that he can't even reach them yet."
I blinked.
"So he connects with me instead."
I stared at him in disbelief.
This idiot actually found a way to flatter himself and me at the same time.
And shamelessly enough—
I smiled anyway.
Right at that moment, the baby kicked again like he agreed with Kiefer completely.
I looked down at my stomach in betrayal.
"Oh, so now you're taking his side too?"
Kiefer looked way too proud of himself after that.
Honestly…
I already knew our baby was going to grow up exactly like him.
Annoying.
Smart.
Dangerously charming.
And completely capable of teaming up against me.
In the end, I always somehow lost against both of them.
But strangely…
I didn't mind losing like this.
Because our days slowly became filled with warmth.
Soft laughter.
Quiet mornings together.
Late-night conversations.
Tiny kicks against my stomach while Kiefer talked seriously to our baby like they had secret meetings without me.
And for the first time in a very long while…
Life finally felt peaceful.