The University holiday was officially here. Usually, this meant Jay would bury herself in library books or office files to avoid the hollow silence of the manor.
But this time, Sophia and Keifer had a different plan. They needed to get her away—away from the prying eyes of the city and the reach of her past.
But there was a catch. Keifer knew that if he suddenly became a "perfect husband," Jay would get suspicious.
She would realize he remembered the night he "pretended" to be drunk.
She would see that he knew her secrets, and she would run.
So, he had to keep playing the part.
He had to be the man who was still "angry" at her for running away on her birthday.
He had to keep the mask of the cold, frustrated husband, even though his heart was screaming to hold her.
"Mom, you have to tell her," Sophia whispered urgently in the study. "If it comes from us, she'll think it's a trick. If it comes from you as a 'family order,' she has to obey."
Mrs. Watson sighed, looking at her two children. She saw the desperation in Keifer's eyes—the way he was forcing himself to look stern and distant. "Fine. But if this backfires, it's on your heads."
They gathered in the formal sitting room. Jay was already there, standing near the door, her posture stiff and professional.
She looked at Keifer, her eyes searching his face for any sign that he remembered the kiss on his forehead or the way he had cried in her arms.
Keifer didn't look at her. He stared at a painting on the wall, his jaw tight. "I'm going to the coastal estate for the break," he said, his voice clipped and sharp. "I need to get away from the stress of this place... and the tension."
He flicked a cold glance toward Jay. "Since we are supposed to be a 'married couple' for the public, you're coming too. I don't want the board asking why my wife is hiding in the city while I'm at the villa."
Jay flinched slightly at his tone. She felt a pang of disappointment—he didn't remember.
He was back to being the angry Keifer, the one who was hurt by her distance.
"The office needs—" Jay started.
"The office will survive," Mrs. Watson interrupted, using her commanding 'Matriarch' voice.
"It is a family requirement, Jay. Sophia is going as well. It's been decided. Pack your bags; the car leaves at dawn."
Sophia jumped in, trying to soften the blow. "Come on, Jay! It'll be fun. Just us. No gala events, no boring dinners. Just... home."
Jay looked at Keifer again. He was still avoiding her gaze, looking annoyed and impatient.
A small part of her felt a weird sense of relief. He doesn't remember, she thought. The secret is safe. He still thinks I'm just the cold girl who ruined his birthday. I can handle his anger. I can't handle his pity.
"I understand," Jay whispered, her head bowing slightly. "I'll go prepare."
As she walked away, her footsteps echoing in the hall, Keifer finally let his shoulders drop. He let out a long, pained breath.
"That was the hardest thing I've ever done," he muttered to Sophia. "Treating her like that after what she did for me last night..."
"It's the only way, Keifer," Sophia said, squeezing his hand. "We have to make her feel like nothing has changed. We make her feel secure in the 'normal' world, so we can build a new one for her at the coast."
Keifer looked at the door Jay had just walked through. He was a "Golden Boy" playing a villain, all to save the girl who was a survivor playing a ghost.
The drive to the coastal villa was three hours of agonizing silence.
Keifer sat in the backseat next to Jay, staring out of the window as if the passing trees were the most interesting thing in the world.
Every time the car hit a bump and their shoulders brushed, he felt a jolt go through his arm, but he forced his expression to stay hard and annoyed.
Jay sat perfectly still, her hands folded in her lap. She kept stealing glances at him, her heart heavy.
She was relieved he didn't remember her "confession" from the night before, but seeing him this cold again felt like a fresh bruise.
When they finally pulled up to the villa—a stunning white stone house overlooking the crashing blue waves of the Atlantic—Sophia hopped out of the car first, stretching her arms.
"Finally!" Sophia chirped, though her eyes were darting between the two of them, checking the temperature of the mood.
"The air smells like salt and freedom."
A housekeeper met them at the door, bowing slightly. "Welcome back. Since this was a last-minute trip, only the master wing and the guest suite have been aired out. Miss Sophia, your usual room is ready. And for the Master and Mistress..."
The housekeeper paused, looking at the luggage. "I've prepared the primary suite. Your things are already inside."
Jay's breath hitched. At the manor, they shared a room and a bed by "order," but there was always the safety of the massive house and the constant presence of staff.
Here, in this secluded villa, the walls felt closer. The intimacy was unavoidable.
"Is there no other room?" Jay asked, her voice small.
Keifer turned to her, his eyes narrowed in a practiced scowl.
"We're here to look like a couple, Jay. If the staff sees us sleeping in separate wings, the rumors will start before we even hit the beach. My mother sent us here to be 'together.' Don't make this more difficult than it already is."
He didn't wait for her answer. He grabbed his bag and headed up the stairs.
The primary suite was breathtaking. A massive king-sized bed stood in the center, draped in white linen, facing a floor-to-ceiling glass wall that looked out over the ocean.
The sound of the waves filled the room, a rhythmic hush-hush that felt like a heartbeat.
Jay walked in slowly, looking at the single bed. The memory of waking up on his chest that morning flashed through her mind—the warmth, the kiss she had dared to give him, and the way he had held her waist.
Keifer was already at the wardrobe, tossing his jacket onto a chair. He felt her eyes on him.
He knew he was being a jerk, but he had to keep her off-balance. If he softened now, she'd realize the "drunk" act was a lie.
"You can have the left side," he said, his voice rough. "Just... stay on your side. I'm tired, and I don't want to talk about the University or anything else."
Jay nodded, her throat tight. "I understand, Keifer."
She began to unpack her things in silence. As the sun began to set, casting long, purple shadows across the room, the reality set in.
They were trapped in this beautiful place together. For Jay, it was a beautiful cage. For Keifer, it was a mission.
He watched her reflection in the glass window. She looked so small against the backdrop of the vast ocean.
He wanted to walk over, wrap his arms around her, and tell her that the monster would never find her here.
Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off his boots, his heart aching with every silent second.
"I'm going for a walk on the beach," he muttered, needing to escape before he broke character. "Don't wait up for me."
As the door clicked shut, Jay sank onto the edge of the bed, the same bed they would have to share in a few hours.
She whispered to the empty room, "At least here, the darkness doesn't feel so loud."
The mission briefing took place in the kitchen pantry at 6:00 AM, conducted in frantic, hushed whispers.
"Okay, look," Sophia hissed, gesturing wildly with a piece of toast. "Phase one is all about proximity. We've been too aggressive. We need 'incidental contact.' The tide pools are perfect. It's slippery, it's beautiful, and it forces you to be her knight in shining armor."
Keifer leaned against a shelf of organic flour, looking deeply skeptical. "Soph, I'm supposed to be angry at her, remember? How am I supposed to be a 'knight' while I'm busy acting like she's the most annoying person on the planet?"
"It's the Grumpy Protector trope, Keifer! Get with the program!" Sophia rolled her eyes.
"You act annoyed that she's 'clumsy,' but you use that as an excuse to grab her waist. Hold her for exactly five seconds. Look at her eyes. Then mutter something about her being a nuisance and walk away. It's foolproof."
Keifer adjusted his collar, his heart already doing a nervous thud. "Fine. But if I fall in and look like an idiot, I'm telling her the whole thing was your idea."
The execution, however, was a disaster.
Jay didn't just walk; she navigated the wet rocks with the terrifying precision of someone who had spent her life learning how to move without making a sound. She was like a mountain goat in sandals.
Sophia, watching from a distance, was fuming.
Slip! For the love of God, Jay, just trip a little! she thought.
Keifer, realizing the plan was failing, decided to take matters into his own hands.
He tried to "scold" her into a trap. "Jay! Stop looking at the crabs and watch your step."
The whole journey completed but jay didn't fell.
Success rate: 0%, she noted. Romantic tension: Zero . Dignity: Zero
A/n : hey buddies, how's the chapter, tell me In comments.