The ballroom was already tense, but everything snapped the moment Yuri Hanamitchi reached toward Jay's arm.
Jay stepped back sharply — like his touch burned.
Yuri frowned. "Jay, come here—"
Before he could finish, a voice cut through the room like a blade.
"Don't touch her."
Keifer.
Everyone froze.
His eyes were locked on Yuri — cold, sharp, furious in a way no one had ever seen.
Yuri scoffed. "This is my fiancée—"
Keifer stepped forward, jaw clenched. "Try touching her again and see what happens."
The room gasped.
Jay's breath caught. She had never heard Keifer speak like that — not even in their worst fights.
Yuri tried to laugh it off. "Keifer, stop being dramatic—"
Keifer snapped.
"Dramatic? You think this is dramatic? You announce an engagement she didn't even want, you parade her around like a trophy, and now you're trying to touch her when she clearly doesn't want you near her."
Yuri's face darkened. "Watch your mouth."
Keifer didn't blink. "Watch your hands."
Jay's heart dropped. This was going to get ugly.
Yuri shoved Keifer's shoulder.
Bad idea.
Keifer grabbed Yuri's collar and slammed him against the nearest pillar.
The crowd screamed.
Aries and Percy both groaned at the same time.
Aries: "Why am I here." Percy: "Why am I here."
Jay tried to step forward, but Serina gently held her arm.
"Let them," Serina whispered, eyes sparkling with pride.
Jasfer crossed his arms beside her, grinning like a proud parent at a school play.
"That's my future son-in-law," he said.
At the exact same time, Serina said:
"That's my future daughter-in-law's man."
They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Jay covered her face. "Mom… Dad… please."
Suddenly, a shrill voice cut through the chaos.
"YURI! YURI, MY PRECIOUS GRANDSON! Don't let that hooligan touch you!"
Yuri's grandmother stormed in, swinging her handbag like a weapon.
She pointed at Keifer. "You! You barbarian! How dare you attack my Yuri! He is a Hanamitchi! A gentleman! A—"
Percy muttered, "A headache."
Aries nodded. "A migraine."
Jay's grandma whacked Yuri's grandma with her cane. "Stop shouting, you noisy rooster!"
The two grandmas started arguing in the background like a bonus fight scene.
Yuri shoved Keifer back. "You think Jay wants you? She chose me."
Keifer laughed — a cold, humorless sound.
"She didn't choose you. You forced her into this circus."
Yuri lunged.
Keifer dodged and pinned him again.
Jay finally shouted, "STOP!"
Both men froze.
Her voice shook — not with fear, but with anger.
"I'm not something you two can fight over."
Keifer stepped back immediately, breathing hard.
Yuri didn't.
He reached for Jay's wrist again.
Jay flinched.
Keifer saw it.
And that was it.
He grabbed Yuri's arm mid‑air.
"Don't. Touch. Her."
This time, even Yuri's grandma shut up.
Jay looked at Keifer — really looked at him.
His chest rising and falling. His eyes burning. His hands shaking because he was trying so hard not to hurt Yuri.
And she whispered, barely audible:
"Keifer…"
He met her eyes.
Everything else — the fight, the noise, the chaos — disappeared.
For a moment, it was just them.
Just Jayfer.
And everyone in the room saw it.
Jasfer whispered proudly, "My daughter and son-in-law."
Serina whispered at the same time, "My son and daughter-in-law."
Aries and Percy both groaned again.
Angelo whispered, "This is better than Netflix."
Tita Gema fanned herself. "Ay, the tension!"
Jay's grandma smacked Jasfer's arm. "Stop smiling like that, you look stupid."
But Jasfer didn't care.
Serina didn't care.
Because they saw it clearly:
Jay still loved Keifer. Keifer never stopped loving Jay.
And the whole room knew—
This engagement was about to fall apart.