1 MONTH LATER
KEIFER POV
"Jay-Jay, are you sure you want to do this?" I asked for the fifth time, watching her struggle to adjust her maternity leggings.
"Keifer, yes! I want to come! If I stay in this mansion for one more hour staring at the walls, I'm going to start eating the wallpaper!" Jay-Jay huffed, finally giving up on her sneakers and opting for oversized slides.
She was currently a walking miracle. We were at week 42. Forty-two. I didn't understand why this little guy—and I was still betting it was a guy—refused to come out. It was like he had inherited my stubbornness and Jay's love for comfort and decided he was never leaving his five-star accommodation. My son apparently already knew that being a Watson meant luxury.
"It's the mall, Jay. It's crowded, it's loud, and you haven't seen your own feet in three months. You can barely walk ten feet without needing a chair," I pointed out, leaning against the doorframe.
"Ice cream, Keifer. Ice. Cream. And new clothes because none of your hoodies fit me anymore! You're just stingy!" she pointed a finger at me, her eyes narrowing in that way that usually meant I was about to lose the argument.
"I'm not stingy, I'm worried! You look like you're about to pop! What if your water breaks in the middle of a department store?"
"Then carry a towel! Now let's go!"
I sighed, defeated. I signaled to my head of security to have three cars ready. If we were going to the mall, we were going with a small army. I wasn't taking any chances, especially with the 'shining ghost' still out there somewhere.
An hour later, we were at the mall. I had one hand firmly on the small of her back, guiding her through the crowds like she was a fragile glass sculpture, while my men formed a subtle perimeter around us. Jay-Jay, on the other hand, was on a mission.
"There!" she gasped, pointing at the gourmet gelato stand. "Keifer, move! The mint chocolate chip is calling my name!"
"Slow down, Jay! The ice cream isn't going anywhere!" I hurried after her, my heart jumping every time someone walked too close to her bump.
I watched her eat two large scoops with the intensity of a woman who hadn't seen food in years. She looked radiant, even with a tiny smidge of green ice cream on her upper lip. I reached out and wiped it away with my thumb, my heart doing that annoying skip-beat it always did when she looked at me like that.
"Better?" I asked.
"Much better. Now, the baby shops. I saw a onesie that says I'm the Boss and it's basically a requirement for a Watson," she said, grabbing my hand and tugging me toward the high-end wing.
As we walked, I kept my eyes moving, scanning every face in the crowd. I was on high alert, but Jay-Jay was purely focused on the tiny socks and miniature shoes.
"Look at these, Keifer! They're so small!" she squealed, holding up a pair of infant sneakers.
"He'll outgrow those in a week," I said, though I was already reaching for my wallet.
"It's a girl, and she needs to be stylish," she countered, tossing them into the basket.
We spent the next two hours hopping from shop to shop. By the end of it, my security guards were carrying ten different bags and Jay-Jay was finally starting to look tired.
"Okay, I'm done. My back hurts," she whispered, leaning heavily against my arm.
"Finally," I breathed, wrapping my arm around her waist to take some of her weight. "Let's get you home before you decide you need a third round of gelato."
As we headed toward the exit, I took one last look around. The mall was peaceful, the crowds were normal, and there was no sign of anything suspicious. But I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. I held her a little tighter, guiding her toward the waiting SUV.
"Keifer?" she asked, looking up at me as I helped her into the car.
"Yeah?"
"Tell the driver to stop at that donut place on the way out. I think the baby wants sprinkles."
I groaned and leaned my head against the car door. "I'm going to be broke before this kid even hits middle school."
"Gago. You're a billionaire. Buy the donuts," she laughed.
I shut the door and climbed in beside her, making mental notes to double the guards for the night. The countdown was nearly over. Soon, the little guy would be here, and I'd have two people to protect from the world. I just hoped I was ready for whatever was coming next.
We stepped out of the donut shop, and for a second, I felt a wave of relief. It wasn't crowded—the fewer people around Jay-Jay, the better. My hand was firmly on her waist, shielding her as she clutched that pink box like it held the secrets to the universe.
Suddenly, a thick, white smoke began to hiss from the side alleys. It flooded the pavement in seconds, blindingly white and smelling floral but chemical.
"Jay-Jay!" I called out, my heart hammering against my ribs. I couldn't see my own hands.
"Keifer!" her voice came back, sounding muffled.
"Where are you?" I moved blindly, reaching out until my fingers brushed the familiar fabric of her oversized hoodie.
"Here," she said.
When I finally reached her and the smoke cleared for just a split second, I stared at her. Is this girl serious right now? In the middle of what was clearly an attack, she was mid-bite into a chocolate donut, looking at me with crumbs on her lip.
"Don't look at me like that," she muttered, chewing quickly. "The baby was hungry."
I let out a frustrated sigh, but before I could scold her, her expression changed.
"Keifer," she said, her voice dropping.
"What? Is the little guy coming?" I asked, my voice tight. I looked at her stomach, dreading that the stress was triggering labor at week 42.
"No... but can we go home?" she asked, starting to cough. "The air feels... heavy."
I nodded, my internal alarm bells screaming. I didn't like this. This wasn't fire smoke; it was too heavy, too deliberate.
"Guards!" I yelled, looking for my men. There was no answer. Just the sound of bodies hitting the pavement in the distance.
My head started to swim. My knees felt like they were made of lead, and a familiar, sweet metallic taste filled my mouth. Sedative.
"Keifer..." Jay-Jay's voice was fading. She stumbled, and I caught her, pulling her into my chest even as my own vision began to fracture into black spots.
I held her as tight as I could, my last thought being that I had failed to keep her safe. Then, my vision went completely blank.
I woke up with a sharp, throbbing pain in my skull. I tried to move my hands, but the cold bite of metal stopped me. I was tied to a heavy industrial chair.
"Jay-Jay!" I rasped, my voice sounding like I'd swallowed glass.
I looked up, and my heart stopped. She was right across from me, tied to a similar chair. Her head was lolling to the side, still unconscious, her bump looking painfully prominent in this dark, cold room.
"Jay! Wake up!" I hissed, struggling against the ropes until my wrists bled.
"Quiet, Keif," a voice echoed from the shadows. "You'll wake the lady before the show starts."
The shadow moved, and a man stepped into the dim light. He looked exactly how I remembered him, yet entirely different. The playful friend was gone. In his place stood a man with eyes as cold as a grave.
"Yuri," I growled, the name tasting like poison.
"In the flesh," he said, tilting his head as he looked at my pregnant wife. "She's beautiful, Keifer. Truly. No wonder you went soft. I almost felt bad using the gas... but I really wanted to have this talk without your guards pointing guns at my head."
"If you touch her," I said, my voice vibrating with a lethal, quiet rage, "I will spend the rest of my life making sure you regret being born."
Yuri just laughed, pulling a knife from his pocket and tracing the air between us. "You always were the dramatic one. But look at you now... a billionaire, a husband, a father. You have so much to lose. And I? I have nothing but time."
"Let them go," I growled, my voice vibrating with a lethal edge as I strained against the metal wires cutting into my wrists. My eyes flickered to Jay-Jay. She was beginning to stir, her brows furrowing in pain.
"No, Keifer. Revenge is something I've wanted to take for a very long time," Yuri said, pacing the room with a sickeningly calm stride.
"Coward," I spat.
Yuri stopped, his face contorting. "How am I a coward when it's your fault I couldn't come to—"
"It's your fault and Ella's! We did nothing!" I cut in, my temper exploding. I didn't care about the past, but I wasn't going to let him rewrite it while my wife and child were in danger.
"Ella didn't love Aries," Yuri said, his voice dropping an octave, full of that old, bitter resentment.
"So you decided to cheat on your best friend?" I yelled at him, the sound echoing off the damp walls. "You betrayed the circle. You betrayed our friends for a girl who was playing both sides!"
Yuri stepped closer, the light catching the sharp angles of his face. "You're no saint, Keifer. But you know what I don't understand? Ella chose me over Aries. At that time, you and Aries weren't even close because of that Ella shit. So why do you care? Why did you prohibit me from coming back to the Philippines? Why did you use the Watson influence to banish me like some common criminal?"
He leaned down, his face inches from mine, his breath smelling of expensive cigarettes. "You ruined my life because of a grudge that wasn't even yours."
"I didn't do it because of the girl, Yuri," I hissed, staring him straight in the eyes. "I did it because you were a snake. You sold out our routes. You put the family in danger. And now, you've done the ultimate sin—you touched her."
"Keifer?"
A weak, trembling voice broke through our shouting. Jay-Jay's eyes were open now, wide with terror as she took in the warehouse, the ropes, and the man standing over me.
"Keifer, what's happening? My stomach... it hurts," she whimpered, her face turning pale.
I felt a surge of adrenaline so powerful I nearly ripped the chair from the floor. "Jay! Stay calm, baby. Look at me. Don't look at him, look at me."
Yuri turned his attention to her, a slow, dark smile spreading across his face. "Ah, the guest of honor is awake. Don't worry, Jay-Jay. I won't hurt you... as long as Keifer gives me what I want."
"Don't you dare lay a finger on her," I warned, my voice sounding like it came from the depths of hell.
"Or what, Keif?" Yuri laughed, pulling a gun from his holster and tracing the barrel along the line of Jay-Jay's jaw. "You're tied up. Your guards are unconscious. And your wife... well, she looks like she's about to give me a very lovely bargaining chip any minute now."
"You know, it was actually funny," Yuri said, a twisted, nostalgic smile playing on his lips as he paced the small space between us. "I told Jason to threaten your wife first, just to see you scramble. I honestly thought it would take longer, but you found her in less than a year. You always were efficient, Keif."
I looked at Jay-Jay. Her eyes were swimming in tears, and she was biting her lip so hard it was bleeding, trying to keep her sobs quiet. Seeing her like this—tied up, terrified, and forty-two weeks pregnant—was a thousand times worse than any physical torture he could give me.
"Then I tried to become close to her through Yochi," Yuri continued, his voice dropping into a dark, satisfied hum. "She's so sweet, isn't she? My sister really liked her. It was the perfect plan... but before it could even work, you came and took her away again. You're always in my way."
"Let her go," I said, my voice cracking. I didn't recognize myself. I was Keifer Watson. I didn't beg. But as I watched a tear roll down Jay-Jay's cheek, I realized I would drop to my knees and crawl through broken glass if it meant her safety. "Please, Yuri. Just... let her go. She has nothing to do with this."
Yuri stopped. He looked at me, truly seeing the desperation in my eyes, and he smirked.
"Anything?" he asked, leaning in close, the smell of gunpowder and expensive cologne clinging to him. "You'll give me anything I want?"
"Anything," I whispered. "The companies, the routes, the money... take it all. Just get her to a hospital. She's in pain, Yuri. Look at her."
Jay-Jay let out a small, sharp gasp, her body tensing as another contraction hit. "Keifer..." she sobbed, her voice barely audible.
"See?" Yuri laughed, standing up straight. "The little Watson wants out. Fine, Keifer. Here is my price. I want the Watson legacy erased. I want you to sign over every asset, every deed, and every cent to my name. And then... I want you to leave. You disappear. You leave the Philippines and never come back. You leave her, and you leave that child."
"No!" Jay-Jay screamed, her voice finally breaking. "Keifer, don't! Don't leave us!"
"Shut up!" Yuri snapped, pointing the gun at her.
My heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest. "Don't yell at her!" I roared, pulling at the chains so hard the chair legs began to splinter against the concrete. "I'll do it. I'll sign whatever you want. Just put down the gun."
"Keifer, no..." Jay-Jay cried, her head hanging low. "Don't let him... please..."
I looked at her, my eyes pleading for her to understand. I could build another empire. I could hunt Yuri down from the ends of the earth. But I couldn't replace her.
"I'm sorry, Jay," I whispered, tears finally stinging my own eyes. "I have to."
Yuri produced a folder from a nearby table and tossed it onto my lap. "The pen is in your pocket, right? Oh wait, you're tied up. Let me help you with that."
He reached down to untie my right hand, but as he did, he leaned over me, his guard dropping for just a fraction of a second. I saw the shadow of my lead security officer moving in the rafters above us.
Just a few more seconds, Jay. Just hold on.
+++++++++++++++
Sorry guys for the late post — I just came back from a field trip 😭💀 It was like three hours away from where I live, so yeah… that's how my day went.
And tell me WHY teachers think museums are the coolest thing ever 😭✨ Like trust, some museums are cool… but history museums? Be honest, they're kinda boring unless there's some interactive game or activity.
No offense to the USA, but those history museums had me fighting for my life 😭
Now museums like Museum of Illusions, National Air and Space Museum, or science museums?
Yeah, THAT'S my vibe. But history museums… yeah no 😭✨
Anyway, after surviving a whole day in a history museum, I finally got home around 5 PM and started working on both of my stories 💙✨
Also, here's a question for you all:
In a dark romance book, what kind of men and what kind of moments do you guys look forward to the most? 👀🔥 Maybe for our next book… maybe not 😌✨