Jay's POV — The Announcement
The night felt heavier than usual.
The Philippines skyline stretched beyond the glass walls of my penthouse, city lights flickering like stars that had learned how to survive chaos. From up here, everything looked controlled.
Ordered. Predictable. But I knew better. I had built empires long enough to understand that the most dangerous storms never announced themselves—they gathered quietly, patiently, waiting for the exact moment to strike.
My friends sat scattered across the living room, each of them occupying the space the way only people who had known me for years could. No pretenses. No power games. Just us.
Aurora lounged on the arm of the couch, legs crossed, eyes sharp and observant.
Sebastian—Seb—stood near the window, scrolling through something on his tablet, already half in strategist mode.
Leo leaned back against the bar counter, arms folded, calm on the surface but always calculating beneath it.
And Chloe , as we'd nicknamed her years ago—sat beside me, close enough that her shoulder brushed mine, warmth grounding me.
These were not just friends.
They were my constants.
My witnesses.
The ones who had seen me fall apart and rebuild myself without applause.
I exhaled slowly and set my glass down.
"There's something I need to tell you," I said.
Every head turned toward me instantly.
That alone said everything.
I didn't soften my tone. I didn't dress it up. I had learned the hard way that truth lost its power when wrapped in fear.
"I trusted someone," I continued. "And it was a mistake."
.Chloe's fingers stilled where they'd been tapping against her knee. Seb stopped scrolling. Leo straightened slightly. Aurora's expression didn't change—but her eyes darkened.
I met their gazes one by one.
"Keifer Watson," I said.
Silence crashed into the room like a held breath finally breaking.
Aurora was the first to speak.
"Well," she said coolly, pushing herself upright, "you should not have trusted him."
I didn't flinch. I deserved that.
She tilted her head slightly, voice sharp but not unkind. "After all, he's a Watson."
Seb frowned. " meaning ?"
Aurora looked at him like the answer was obvious. "Watsons love only for a limited time. They make a woman fall in love , they use them for their own benefit and then they discard them like trash . I thinkthe Watsoncurse is true that whenever a Watson falls in love he becomesa beast " Her lips curved into something cold. "And beasts don't love they kill."
The words settled into my chest with brutal accuracy.
I swallowed. "You think he'll turn on me."
"I think," Aurora said carefully, "that men raised in poison don't know how to love without destruction."
Chloe shifted closer to me, her voice softer. "Jay… what exactly did he do?"
I hesitated.
That hesitation was answer enough.
I told them everything from my first day in.HVIS to the day when Keifer revealed his plan about using me as a weapon that involved me fallingin love with Keifer and breaking my heart and that my so called friends betrayed me and I fell hard ."
Seb's jaw tightened instantly. "That name again."
"Yes," I said. "And before you say it—I know. I should've seen it sooner."
Seb didn't scold me. That wasn't his way.
Instead, he turned the tablet toward us. "I already ran a background trace on Keifer's recent movements."
Of course he had.
Sebastian James Cavendish never waited for confirmation when instinct was involved.
"He's leaving for London," Seb continued. "Two weeks from now. Quietly. Private jet. Reason listed as inheritance negotiations."
Leo finally spoke. "So that's it."
I looked at him. "That's it?"
He shrugged lightly. "We quit playing defense. After all, in two weeks…" His lips curved into a knowing smile. "We're also going to London."
Aurora arched a brow. "You're thinking ahead."
"I'm thinking survival," Leo replied calmly. "And timing."
Chloe nodded slowly. "He's right."
I turned to her. "You agree?"
She met my eyes steadily. "Jay, if his war is waiting for him in London, then that's where answers will surface. Running now would only leave you blind later."
Seb added, "And exposed."
I leaned back into the couch, staring at the ceiling for a moment. My mind replayed every conversation. Every look. Every almost-truth Keifer had ever given me.
I didn't hate him.
That was the problem.
"Okay," Chloe said finally, clapping her hands once softly. "After what felt like an eternity well it was , you four finally agreed on something without quarrelling —yes. You three are right."
We all laughed, which broke the tension a little .
Aurora smirked. "Miracles do happen."
I laughed under my breath, the sound brittle. "So we're agreed."
"On one thing," Leo corrected.
I sat up straighter. "Which is?"
He met my gaze, voice steady. "We don't break. We escalate."
Something sharp and electric ran through me.
I stood.
They all watched me now—not as friends, not as partners—but as the woman who had built an empire from calculated rage and relentless ambition.
"Let's show him," I said quietly, "what J&'Elvara global can do."
Aurora's smile turned dangerous. Seb's eyes gleamed. Leo's posture shifted—ready.
Chloe reached for my hand, squeezing it once.
"I never became thirsty for awards," I continued, pacing slowly across the room. "I never chased validation. I let my work speak. I let results echo."
I turned back to them, fire settling into my bones.
"But this time?" I smiled coldly. "This time, I'll take every stage. Every spotlight."
Seb let out a low whistle. "You're serious."
"I'm lethal," I corrected.
"I'll get every Best CEO of the Year award," I said. "Global. Regional. Industry-wide. I'll dominate every index. Every publication. Every boardroom."
Aurora crossed her arms, impressed. "You're going to make it impossible for him to move without seeing your name."
"Exactly," I said. "If London is his battlefield—then I'll arrive as the headline."
Chloe laughed softly. "Remind me why people fear you again?"
Leo pushed off the counter. "Because when Jay Mariano decides to win—she doesn't just beat you."
Seb finished it calmly. "She rewrites the rules so you never recover."
My phone buzzed.
ELI.
I answered without breaking eye contact with my friends. "Yes."
"Ma'am," Eli said, efficient as ever, "your media team confirmed. The Global Leadership Summit just opened nominations."
I smiled.
"Submit everything," I said. "And double the exposure."
"Yes, ma'am."
I ended the call and looked back at the people who had never left me—even when I had tried to leave myself.
"This isn't about revenge," I said softly. "It's about reminding the world who I am."
Aurora stepped closer, placing a hand on my shoulder. "And reminding him that beasts don't scare queens."
Seb smirked. "Two weeks."
Leo nodded. "London."
Chloe squeezed my hand again. "Whatever happens—you're not alone."
I looked at them, heart steady for the first time that night.
No.
I wasn't alone.
And somewhere across the world, a war was forming—
But I would make sure that when it reached London, the world would already know my name.
Jasper Jean Mariano.
And this time, I wasn't asking for permission to win.
.....