The evening in the mansion was quiet. Jay was sitting by the large bay window, the city lights stretching endlessly before her. She should have been reading documents for her parents' business, but she couldn't focus. Thoughts of Keifer—the way he smiled that morning, how he had looked at her with something soft and daring—kept drifting into her mind.
"You're staring again," a familiar voice said from behind her.
Jay flinched. Keifer stood there, leaning casually against the doorway, arms crossed, a teasing smirk on his face. "What are you thinking about?" he asked lightly.
Jay glared. "Nothing that concerns you."
"Oh, really?" he stepped closer, his eyes sparkling. "Because I could have sworn that gaze was full of thoughts about me."
Jay's cheeks warmed. She looked away, out at the city lights. "You're imagining things."
"Am I?" Keifer asked, moving closer until he was beside her. He leaned slightly, letting the warmth of his shoulder brush hers. "Because I notice every little thing. Every glance. Every sigh. You can't hide from me, Jay Mariano."
She swallowed, heart pounding. "And why would I want to hide?" she asked quietly, barely audible.
Keifer turned to her, a serious glint replacing his teasing smirk. "Because you're scared. Scared that if you let yourself… feel happy, feel alive, it might go away. But I'm not going anywhere."
Jay's chest tightened. Nobody had ever spoken to her like that. Not her parents. Not anyone. And yet… she wanted to believe him.
"Keifer…" she whispered.
"Shh," he said softly, lifting a hand to brush a strand of hair from her face. "I'll take it slow. I'll teach you to smile, to laugh, to enjoy… all of it. No rush. No pressure. Just… us."
Jay's lips parted slightly. The warmth of his hand, the intensity in his gaze, the sheer gentleness of his words—it all made her feel something she hadn't felt in years. Safety. Comfort. Something like hope.
"You really mean that?" she asked, her voice trembling just a little.
He smiled softly, brushing his thumb across her cheek. "I do. And one day… you'll realize you've been smiling more in a week with me than you have in years with them."
Jay laughed softly, the sound almost foreign to her ears. "You're ridiculous."
"And you love it," he teased, leaning in just a fraction closer, their faces inches apart. "Admit it."
Jay's heart raced. She wanted to resist, to remind herself that this was a marriage for business, that happiness was not hers to have. But looking into Keifer's eyes, she realized something terrifying… and thrilling: she wanted it. She wanted him.
For the first time, Jay Mariano let herself imagine a life where happiness wasn't a dream, where love wasn't forbidden, and where Keifer Watson wasn't just a stranger forced into her life—but the reason her walls began to crumble.
And as he smiled at her softly, brushing her hand gently with his, she felt something she had never felt before: a spark. A spark that could ignite everything.