--: Author's POV: --
The morning at the Watson Estate was no longer silent. While the upper floor still echoed with the frantic sounds of showers running and zippers closing, the downstairs was a masterpiece of organized chaos.
Keifer and Jay-Jay had moved with lightning speed. By the time the convoy of SUVs roared into the driveway, two large suitcases were already standing by the grand staircase, and the dining table was set for a quick, high-protein breakfast.
Outside, the doorbell echoed through the mansion. A maid quickly moved to open the heavy oak doors, and the floodgates opened.
Aries stepped in first, his face a mask of stern authority. Behind him, the F4 pushed their way in, their eyes scanning the foyer like detectives. Gorya and Kaning followed last, both of them stopping dead in their tracks as they looked up at the vaulted ceilings and the crystal chandeliers.
"Whoa," Kaning whispered, her eyes wide. "I knew Keifer was rich, but this... this is a palace."
"Look at all those cars outside," Gorya added, gesturing toward the garage where Keifer's collection of cars was visible. "It's like a dealership."
Aries didn't care about the architecture. "Where are they?" he asked the maid.
"In the dining hall, Sir. They just started breakfast."
Aries led the group into the dining hall, where Keifer and Jay-Jay were sitting across from each other. They looked remarkably composed. Keifer was scrolling through his phone with one hand while eating with the other, and Jay-Jay was sipping her coffee, though the slight dampness of her hair and the faint pink on her cheeks told a different story.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I tried to keep my hand steady as I poked at my scrambled eggs. I could hear the loud, familiar voices echoing through the foyer, and my heart was doing a frantic drumroll against my ribs.
"Stay calm," Keifer murmured from across the table. He looked annoyingly relaxed, his hair perfectly styled and his shirt crisp, as if he hadn't just been tangled up in a hoodie with me an hour ago.
My heart nearly stopped when I saw Aries walk into the room. I tried to keep my hand from shaking as I put my cup down.
"Explain," Aries said, standing at the head of the table, his arms crossed over his chest. "Thirty-two calls from me. More from Angelo. Why wasn't anyone picking up?"
Keifer didn't even look up from his phone at first. He took a bite of his toast, swallowed, and then leaned back with that calm, unbothered Watson expression.
"We woke up late, Aries," Keifer said simply. "The phones were on silent from last night. We didn't want to be disturbed while we were finalizing the LSE forms. By the time we woke up and saw the mountain of missed calls, we realized how late it was. We had to shower, get ready, and pack our bags. Calling you back would have just wasted more time, so we focused on getting ready to meet you."
Aries narrowed his eyes, his gaze darting between us. "On silent? For ten hours?"
"It was a long night, Aries," Keifer replied, his voice dropping an octave, carrying a hidden meaning that made my face burn. "The forms were complicated."
"Yeah, I bet they were," MJ chimed in, leaning against the doorframe with a devious smirk. "Must have been some really... intense data entry."
"Shut up, MJ," I muttered, hiding my face behind my toast. "We're here, aren't we? Let us finish eating so we can leave."
We finished our breakfast in record time under the watchful, suspicious eyes of the F4. Within fifteen minutes, the luggage was loaded into the SUVs, and the convoy was speeding toward the docks.
--: Author's POV: --
When the cars finally pulled into the private dock, the scene was already buzzing. The entirety of Section E, along with the girls and Percy, were standing by the pier, surrounded by piles of luggage and coolers filled with drinks.
As soon as Keifer's car came to a halt, a chorus of complaints erupted.
"Finally!" Drew shouted, throwing his arms up. "We've been standing here for forty-five minutes! I'm sweating through my shirt!"
"What took you guys so long?" Blaster asked, walking over with a frown. "The captain said we missed our original departure slot."
MJ jumped out of the car, pointing a finger back at the backseat where Keifer and Jay-Jay were. "Don't look at us! It was because of these two! They were oversleeping like they were in a coma and ignoring every single call!"
Kavin added with a laugh, "We practically had to break down the door to get them out of bed. They were 'finalizing forms,' apparently."
The Section E boys started whistling and catcalling, making Jay-Jay turn a shade of red that matched the life jackets on the dock.
"Is that right, Jay-Jay?" one of the boys teased. "Was the 'form' that hard to fill out?"
Before the teasing could spiral out of control, Thyme stepped forward, his voice booming over the noise. "Alright, that's enough! Continue this in the ship, not here. We're burning daylight and the tide is changing. We need to leave now!"
The group finally started boarding. Keigan and Keiran weren't joining they had stayed behind to enjoy the quiet of the mansion. Denzel and Grace had also decided to leave Grazel with the nanny for this trip to ensure the baby wasn't subjected to the chaos of a Section E island party.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
The ship was massive—a luxury cruiser with white leather sofas and a full bar. As the engines hummed to life and we began to pull away from the dock, I thought I might finally get a moment of peace.
I was wrong, Ofcourse. Is it even possible with Section E and F4 around??
As soon as we all settled onto the plush sofas in the main lounge, the circle closed in. The Section E boys, the F4, and even the girls were all staring at us.
"Okay, seriously now," Ci-N said, leaning over the back of the sofa with a wicked grin. "Why were you guys so dead to the world this morning?"
Ohh this kid.
"Yeah," Felix added, smirking. "You're never late, Keifer. What happened? Did the alarm 'accidentally' break?"
Keifer sat next to me, his arm draped casually over the back of the sofa, his fingers occasionally brushing my shoulder. He looked like he was enjoying their curiosity.
"The LSE forms were the priority," Keifer said smoothly. "We didn't sleep until they were done."
"Right, 'forms,'" David cackled, nudging Ci-N. "Is that what the kids are calling it these days? Must have been some really 'strenuous' paperwork, huh Jay-Jay?"
Calix leaned in, laughing. "I'm just saying... if I had a mansion to myself with Mica, I wouldn't be looking at admission forms either."
I grabbed a sofa cushion and buried my face in it, feeling the heat radiating off my skin. "Shut up, guys!"
But Section E was just getting started. They didn't care about Aries' stern looks or the girls' sighs.
"I'm just saying," Drew teased, his voice getting louder so the whole lounge could hear. "The way you guys were 'sleeping in'... it makes a guy wonder. Are we getting a Grazel Jay 2.0 in nine months? Is that the real reason you couldn't hear more than thirty-two phone calls?"
Mayo and Kit started hooting, while Eman and Eren began a rhythmic clap.
"Grazel 2.0! Grazel 2.0!" they started chanting.
"Oh my god, stop it!" I screamed into the pillow. "You guys are so annoying!"
I looked at Keifer, desperate for him to shut them down, but he just let out a low, dark chuckle. He didn't look offended at all. Instead, he pulled me closer to his side, his hand resting possessively on my waist for everyone to see.
"Maybe," he said, his voice cutting through their noise with that arrogant Watson confidence.
Ohh my godd this handsome asshole..
I couldn't even speak. I just stayed hidden behind the pillow, my heart racing, while the others continued to howl with laughter as the ship surged forward toward the horizon.