Keifer's POV
I stood at the head of the long mahogany table in the private conference room, looking out at the sheer, unadulterated chaos I had willingly trapped myself in.
Getting all these people into one room without Jay noticing was a military-grade operation. On one side of the room sat Section E, looking less like a cohesive unit and more like a circus.
Rory was leaning back, whispering something to Adrix and Freya that had Freya rolling her eyes. Calix were aggressively playing rock-paper-scissors over who got the last pastry from the catering tray, while Mica tried to smack both their hands away. Blaster, Drew, Eman, and Mayo were huddled over a phone, arguing in hushed but intense tones about a sports bet. Kit were trying to keep Grazel, (Denzel and Graze's 1 year little daughter), from drawing on the whiteboard with a permanent marker. Graze was just sipping her coffee, looking entirely unfazed.
Then, there was Jay's family. The tension on their side of the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Angelo sat with his arm around Honey, his eyes narrowed at me like he was calculating exactly how many ways he could disassemble me if I stepped out of line.
Next to him was Aries looking like a literal stone wall, radiating "horoscope" energy, while Ella quietly patted his arm to keep his temper in check. Tita, Lola, and Jay's father sat in a row—the elders looking deeply suspicious—while jay stepmother chatted amiably with Jay's mother, though the air between them was polite but fragile.
Baby Rosee was asleep in a carrier, the only peaceful thing in the entire room.
And rounding out the madness was the rest of the crew—Yuri, Percy ,David, Josh, Cin, and Rakki—all leaning against the back wall, grinning like wolves because they knew exactly what kind of bomb I was about to drop.
I cleared my throat, the dark, gravelly rumble cutting through the noise. The room didn't instantly quiet down, so I slammed my palm on the table. Hard.
"Listen up," I commanded, my voice dropping into that commanding tone that usually made people freeze. "I didn't sneak you all into this building for a social hour. I'm proposing to Jay next week."
For a single second, there was total silence.
Then, the room exploded.
"I fucking knew it!" Blaster yelled, slamming his hands on the table. "Mayo pay up! Ten bucks, right now!"
"Shut up, Blaster!" Aries roared, standing up so fast his chair screeched against the floor. His eyes were locked on me, blazing. "You're proposing? Just like that? You think you can just take our sister without a proper family evaluation?"
"Aries, sit down," Kuya Angelo said, his voice quiet but carrying an immense weight. He stared at me, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. "Keifer. You love her. We know this. But what's the plan? If you break her heart, Section E or not, I will personally ensure you disappear."
"He won't disappear, Kuya, because we'd protect him!" Felix chimed in, throwing an arm around Calix"We're the groomsmen, right Keifer? Tell me I'm the best man. Calix thinks he's the best man, but his face is ugly."
"Shut the fuck up Felix,i know iam handsome!" Calix shoved him.
"Order! Order in the court!" Adrix started banging a water bottle on the table like a gavel. "As the self-appointed coordinator of this marriage, I demand a budget for fireworks. Huge ones. Shaped like Jay's face."
"No fireworks, you lunatic, Jay hates loud, unexpected noises," Freya snapped, pulling Adrix back by his collar.
"Wait, can Grazel be the flower girl?" Graze asked, finally speaking up, a small smile on her face. Little Grazel immediately stopped trying to color the wall and cheered, "Flower girl! I get a dress!"
"She'd be a beautiful flower girl," Honey said softly, trying to de-escalate the rising blood pressure on the family's side of the room.
Jay's father leaned forward, his eyes stern but tired. "A surprise proposal. How do you plan on surprising a girl who can sense trouble from a mile away? She's smart, Keifer. If you act weird, she'll know."
"That's why I need all of you to keep your damn mouths shut," I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose, already feeling a headache forming. "If a single person leaks this to Jay, I'm canceling the open bar at the wedding."
A collective gasp echoed from Yuri, Percy, David, and Josh.
"Whoa, whoa, let's not make rash threats," Josh said, raising his hands in surrender. "Our lips are sealed. Cin and Rakki won't say a word either. Right, guys?"
Cin crossed his arms, smirking. "Depends on how good the food is at the reception."
"I'll double the catering," I growled.
"Deal."
On the family side, Lola leaned over to Tita, whispering loudly, "He's a good boy. Aggressive, but he looks like he can provide." Tita nodded, though she still kept a sharp eye on me. Gemma, Jay's mother, looked emotional, her eyes glistening. "My baby girl... getting married."
"She's not a baby, tita, she can bench press Keifer," Eman muttered from the back, earning a sharp slap on the arm from Drew.
"Shut up, Eman! Don't ruin the moment!" Mayo hissed.
"Alright, look," I interrupted, cutting through the bickering before Aries could launch himself across the table at Felix. "Here is how it's going to go down. I have the ring. I have the location. Next week, I'm taking her out under the pretense of a quiet dinner. Section E, you're on crowd control. Keep the perimeter clear. Family, you'll be waiting at the after-location. No one calls her. No one texts her 'congratulations' before I actually ask. Am I understood?"
Aries crossed his arms, still scowling, but slowly sat back down. "Fine. But I'm watching you, Keifer."
"You always are, Aries," I muttered under my breath.
With the plan officially set, the room descended right back into pure chaos—Rory and Felix arguing over bachelor party logistics, the brothers cross-examining my stepmother about wedding traditions, and the rest of the crew already celebrating.
I leaned back, a lazy, familiar smirk tugging at my lips despite the madness.
It was going to be a disaster to orchestrate, but for Jay? I'd tear the whole world down just to see her smile and say yes.
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