( Jay's pov )
Ciel turns—
and her eyes land on me.
"Jay!"
Her face lights up instantly.
She runs to me this time, wrapping her arms around me tightly.
"I missed you so much!"
I smile without thinking.
A real one.
"I missed you too."
And for a second…
everything feels normal again.
She pulls back, holding my hands.
"You look so pretty," she says, grinning.
I laugh softly.
"So do you."
She stays close to me after that.
Talking. Smiling. Filling the silence I didn't know how to fill.
And I realize…
I'm not jealous.
Not of her.
Because she's the only warmth in this house that reaches me too.
But still…
I can feel his eyes.
Watching.
I don't look at him.
I don't want to.
But I know he sees everything.
The way I smile with her.
The way I relax… just a little.
The way I'm not the same quiet, controlled version of myself.
Minutes pass.
Voices blend.
Mama talks to Serina.
Aries and Papa exchange low words.
Ciel is still beside me.
Holding my arm like she used to.
And I forget… just for a moment… where I am.
Until—
"Jare."
His voice.
Calm. Sharp. Controlled.
I stiffen slightly.
Jare looks up.
"Yeah?"
Keifer tilts his head slightly.
"Come with me."
Not a request.
Jare glances at me for a second.
Then nods.
"Sure."
They walk away together.
Down the hall.
I don't follow.
But my chest feels tight again.
( authors pov )
Inside the Study
The door closes.
Silence.
Keifer doesn't sit.
Doesn't relax.
He stands by the desk, hands in his pockets.
Eyes cold again.
Jare leans back slightly.
"Something wrong?"
A pause.
Then—
"She wanders."
Jare frowns.
"Jay?"
Keifer's gaze sharpens.
"She doesn't follow instructions."
Jare lets out a quiet breath.
"She's not used to this, Keifer."
"She will be." His tone hardens.
Silence stretches.
Jare studies him now.
More carefully.
"She's trying."
Keifer doesn't respond.
"Look," Jare continues, voice lower,
"She didn't choose this. None of this."
Keifer's jaw tightens slightly.
"I didn't either."
Jare nods slowly.
"Yeah. But you understand this world."
A beat.
"She doesn't."
Keifer looks away for a second.
Thinking.
Then cold again.
"She doesn't need to understand. She needs to follow."
Jare's expression shifts.
A little frustration.
"She's my sister."
"And she's under my protection." Keifer cuts in.
The air tightens.
Jare steps closer slightly.
"And that doesn't mean you treat her like she's nothing."
Silence.
Heavy.
Keifer's eyes meet his.
Cold. Warning.
"I'm keeping her alive."
Jare doesn't back down.
"She needs more than that."
A pause.
Something unreadable flickers in Keifer's eyes.
Gone just as fast.
"That's not my responsibility."
Jare exhales slowly.
But he knows pushing more won't help.
So he nods.
"Just… don't break her."
Keifer says nothing.
Back in the Hall
( Jay's pov )
I sit beside Ciel.
Listening. Smiling when needed.
But my mind…
It's somewhere else.
Because I don't know what they're talking about.
But I can feel it.
Something about me.
And somehow…
That scares me more than anything else in this house.
CHAPTER — MISUNDERSTANDINGS
(Jayjay's POV)
The next morning felt… normal.
Too normal.
Like nothing had changed.
Like I wasn't living in a stranger's house as his wife.
I walked down the stairs slowly, holding onto the railing, my mind still heavy from everything. The house was quiet—until I heard it.
A laugh.
Soft. Light.
His.
I froze.
Keifer… laughing?
I followed the sound without thinking, my steps slow and careful. And then I saw him.
He was standing in the living room.
And beside him… was a girl.
Beautiful. Confident. Effortless.
They stood close—too close.
And he was smiling.
Not the cold, unreadable look he always gave me… but something real. Something warm.
My chest tightened.
I didn't realize I had stepped forward until both of them turned.
His expression changed instantly.
Back to cold.
"Keifer…" I said softly, my voice almost unsure of itself. "Who is she?"
He didn't hesitate.
"My best friend. Keira."
"Oh…" I nodded slightly, forcing a small smile. "I see."
Silence stretched between us.
But something inside me wouldn't stay quiet.
"You seem… close," I added carefully.
His eyes darkened immediately.
"Yes," he snapped. "Because she's my best friend."
I flinched.
The sharpness in his voice hit harder than I expected.
"I—I didn't mean—"
"Then don't ask unnecessary questions."
My throat tightened.
"Right…" I whispered.
I looked down quickly, blinking away the sting in my eyes.
"Sorry."
Neither of them said anything.
I turned and walked away before they could see my face.
---
Time passed.
I didn't know how much.
Minutes? Hours?
I just knew my chest felt heavy… like something was slowly breaking inside me.
You're overthinking, I told myself. She's just his best friend.
Still…
That smile.
He had never smiled like that with me.
Not once.
I swallowed hard.
Maybe… I should talk to him.
Fix this before it becomes something worse.
I stood up and made my way toward the kitchen, my heart beating faster with every step.
"Keifer?" I called softly as I approached.
No answer.
I stepped in—
And froze.
Everything inside me… shattered.
He was there.
With her.
Keira.
And—
Their lips—
They were kissing.
My breath hitched painfully.
It felt like someone had grabbed my heart and crushed it in their hand.
I couldn't move.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't breathe.
My fingers trembled at my sides as I stared, my vision blurring.
This… this was real.
This wasn't in my head.
He didn't love me.
He didn't even respect me.
I took a step back—
And that's when he saw me.
"Jay—"
I didn't let him finish.
I turned and walked away.
Fast.
Before he could see the tears spilling down my face.
Before I completely broke in front of him.
[Keifer's POV]
I saw her.
Standing there.
Frozen.
Hurt.
And then she walked away.
"Jay—" I called out instinctively, but she didn't stop.
Damn it.
"This is bad…" Keira muttered beside me.
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration building in my chest.
Because that's not what happened.
Not even close.
"She misunderstood," I said under my breath.
Keira sighed. "Well, what do you expect? From her angle, it definitely didn't look innocent."
I clenched my jaw.
Because she was right.
But still—
That wasn't what it was.
A few seconds ago…
She had slipped.
One second she was talking, the next—her foot twisted, and she lost balance.
I reacted without thinking.
Caught her.
And somehow—
Our faces were too close.
Too fast.
Our lips—
They met.
Accidentally.
Just for a second.
But that second was enough.
Enough for Jayjay to see the worst version of it.
Enough to hurt her.
Guilt flashed through me.
Sharp. Unwelcome.
I exhaled slowly, forcing my expression back into its usual cold mask.
It doesn't matter.
This marriage isn't real.
She shouldn't care.
…I shouldn't care.
"Are you going after her?" Keira asked, watching me closely.
I didn't answer immediately.
Because a part of me wanted to.
To explain.
To fix that look on her face.
But instead—
I shook my head.
"No."
Keira frowned. "Keifer—"
"I said no."
My voice came out colder than intended.
Silence fell.
I looked toward the hallway where she had disappeared.
That broken expression…
It lingered in my mind longer than it should have.
I clicked my tongue softly.
Annoyed.
Not At her.
At the situation.
At myself.
"She'll get over it," I muttered.
But something about that didn't sit right.
Not at all.