Chapter 22
Back After One and a Half Years
Jay's POV
After a long time, I stepped into my company again.
And by long time, I meant almost one and a half years.
The towering glass building of Mariano Holdings stood proudly before me as I slowly drove my BMW M4 into the underground parking lot.
The tires glided smoothly across the polished concrete floor, the quiet hum of the engine echoing faintly in the massive space.
For a moment, I just sat there behind the steering wheel.
The place looked exactly the same.
Rows of luxury cars.
Security guards standing near the elevators.
The bright white lights reflecting off the polished floors.
Nothing had changed.
Except me
One and a half years ago, this building had been the center of my life. Every decision, every risk, every victory had happened here.
Then that day happened.
And everything fell apart.
I exhaled slowly and turned off the engine.
The silence inside the car felt heavy.
"Back to reality," I murmured to myself.
I stepped out of the car and shut the door behind me.
The sharp sound echoed through the parking lot.
A few employees walking nearby noticed me almost immediately.
They froze.
Then the whispers began.
"Wait… is that…?"
"Ma'am Jay?"
"She's back?"
"I thought she was on leave for a year…"
"No, more than a year."
"That's really her!"
I ignored them and walked toward the elevator.
The security guard near the door straightened instantly.
"Good morning, Ma'am Jay," he said respectfully.
I nodded slightly.
"Morning."
The elevator doors slid open, and I stepped inside.
As the elevator began moving upward, I stared at my reflection in the mirrored wall.
Calm.
Cold.
Unbothered.
That was the face everyone in the business world knew.
The doors opened on the executive floor.
The moment I stepped out, the entire office seemed to freeze.
Employees looked up from their desks.
A few seconds of stunned silence passed.
Then suddenly everyone stood up.
"Good morning, Ma'am Jay!"
"Welcome back, Boss Jay!"
"Good morning!"
Several employees bowed slightly as they greeted me.
Some looked excited.
Others looked nervous.
A few simply stared in shock.
I gave a small nod.
"Good morning."
Then I walked straight toward my office.
The whispers followed behind me.
"She really came back…"
"It's been one and a half years…"
"I heard she was handling international business…"
"Boss Jay looks even scarier now…"
I ignored everything.
Just another normal day.
Before I could reach my office, someone rushed toward me.
"Good morning, Boss Jay!"
"Good morning Ellie "
"How many times I have to tell you Ellie, just call me Jay. "
It was Ellie, my assistant.
She held her tablet tightly and looked both relieved and slightly overwhelmed.
Ellie had worked with me for years. She was efficient, sharp, and terrifyingly organized.
If chaos existed anywhere in the company, Ellie would find it and eliminate it within minutes.
She immediately started walking beside me while reading from her tablet.
"Your schedule today is extremely full," she said quickly.
"At 10:45, you have a meeting with the finance department. At 11:30, the legal team will present the quarterly reports. At 2:00 PM, the board wants a short update meeting. And at 4:00 PM, there is a call with the Singapore branch."
I nodded while walking.
Typical.
Business never sleeps.
Then Ellie hesitated.
"Oh, and Jay…"
I glanced at her.
"Yes?"
"Watson Enterprises sent us a partnership proposal this morning."
That made me stop walking.
Ellie also stopped.
"They want a strategic partnership," she continued. "Their representatives are already in the building."
I thought for a moment.
Watson Enterprises.
They were big.
Very big.
Partnering with them would expand our international market significantly.
But they were also extremely cautious about who they worked with.
Which meant one thing.
They were testing us.
Or more specifically…
Testing me.
Well but then I thought maybe I will be able to see Keifer, just maybe .
Ellie looked at me carefully.
"Should I approve the proposal?"
I answered immediately.
"Yes."
She blinked in surprise.
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
I resumed walking.
"Approve it and schedule the meeting today."
Ellie quickly checked the schedule.
"After 10:45?"
"Perfect."
She nodded.
"I'll inform them."
We reached my office.
The doors opened automatically.
For a moment, I stood there silently.
The room looked exactly the same.how I designed it.
Large desk.
Floor-to-ceiling windows.
A clear view of the city skyline.
And on the desk…
A massive stack of files.
Ellie walked in behind me and placed another pile of documents beside them.
"These have been waiting for your signature," she said carefully.
I stared at the files.
Then sighed.
"Of course they have."
I sat down.
The chair felt familiar.
Comfortable.
Dangerous.
The throne of Jasper Jean Mariano, CEO of J&'Elvara Global.
I picked up the first file.
Contract approvals.
The next one.
Financial audits.
Another.
Investment reports.
One after another, I signed them.
Time passed quietly.
The office remained peaceful.
Only the sound of turning pages and the scratching of my pen filled the room.
Then suddenly—
My phone vibrated loudly on the desk.
I frowned.
"Now who the hell is messaging me?"
I picked up the phone.
The notification showed a name I hadn't seen in a long time.
For a moment, my fingers froze.
It was a chat I hadn't opened in two years.
Two years since that horrible day.
Yet the chat window looked the same.
Same group name.
Same members.
Same chaotic conversations.
The Justice Veil.
A group that once meant everything to me.
My eyes moved to the new message.
It was from Sarah.
Her message read:
Hey Jay, how are you , I miss you , well .....what is this shit about your and that fucking Hanamitchi's engagement...are you really sure about marrying a walking rooster 🐓, you can marry a snorlax also , but not a rooster .
I leaned back in my chair.
Right.
That nonsense.
I had almost forgotten about it.
I typed a reply.
"Yeah. Had to do it. Angelo was pressurised. Don't do anything. I'll handle it myself. And I am not going to marry a rooster or even a snorlax , I can die single. By the way I'm in London right now."
Almost immediately another message popped up.
Mia
"OMG! Why does this happen every time? When we were in London, you were in the Philippines. Now we're in the Philippines and you're in London!"
A small smile appeared on my face.
Some things never changed.
I replied.
"Guess that's our fate. Had to come here for company work."
Another notification appeared.
Noah
Jay… I missed you. We all miss you."
For a moment my chest tightened.
These idiots.
I typed back.
"Yeah. I miss you too idiots."
Another message appeared.
Adam.
"You better show up soon. It's been two years."
Before I could reply, another message popped up.
Sarah .
"Sorry for being late. Well it is not my fault that you started a secret mission without me .But I miss you the most."
I chuckled softly.
Same chaotic group.
Same ridiculous arguments.
Same people who refused to disappear from my life.
I typed one final message.
"Alright, I'm leaving now. Got work to do."
Then I locked my phone and placed it back on the desk.
Silence returned to the office.
For a moment, I stared out the window.
The city stretched endlessly beneath me.
Busy.
Loud.
Alive.
Just like before.
I stood up and adjusted my coat.
Work mode again.
No distractions.
No emotions.
Just business.
I walked toward the door of my office.
Before leaving, I glanced once more at the massive stack of signed files.
Looks like I was truly back.
Ellie was waiting outside.
"The representatives from Watson Enterprises are ready in the boardroom, Jay."
I nodded.
"Good."
Then I started walking down the hallway.
Employees quickly moved aside as I passed.
Whispers followed behind me.
"Boss Jay is going to the boardroom…"
"The Watson Enterprises team is here…"
"This meeting is going to be huge…"
I ignored everything.
The boardroom doors stood ahead.
Large.
Imposing.
Just like every important decision that had ever been made inside.
I pushed the doors open.
Several suited executives turned toward me immediately.
The room went silent.
One of them stood up.
"Ms. Mariano," he said respectfully.
I walked to the head of the table and sat down.
Calm.
Composed.
Unshaken.
"Let's begin," I said.
Because Jay-Jay was officially back in the game.
....