The headlines got worse.
MYSTERY WOMAN REVEALED: WHO IS THE SURGEON STEALING WATSON'S HEART?
BRILLIANT BILLIONAIRE BEWITCHED BY BEAUTIFUL DOCTOR
Jay wanted to throw her phone through a wall.
"It's not that bad," Percy said, scrolling through his own phone at her kitchen table. "They called you beautiful. That's nice."
"They called me a 'mystery woman.' I'm not a mystery. I'm a surgeon. My credentials are public."
"Babe, nobody's reading your credentials. They're reading about how Keifer Watson took you to the fanciest restaurant in the city and stared at you for two hours."
"He didn't stare."
"Every photo says otherwise."
Jay grabbed the phone. Scrolled. Photo after photo—Keifer leaning forward, eyes on her. Keifer smiling (smiling!) at something she'd said. Keifer watching her get into the car like she was the last person on earth.
She looked up. "This is a problem."
"This is a romance novel."
"This is a distraction."
Percy sighed dramatically. "Jay. When was the last time you did something for yourself? Not for patients. Not for the hospital. For you?"
She opened her mouth. Closed it.
"That's what I thought." He stood, grabbing his jacket. "Go on another date. See what happens. Worst case, you hate him and go back to being a work robot."
"I'm not a robot."
"You drink coffee for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You've slept in your office four times this week. You forgot Mom's birthday until Aries reminded you."
Jay flinched.
"Exactly." Percy kissed her forehead. "Maybe this CEO disaster is exactly what you need."
He left.
Jay sat alone in her too-quiet apartment, staring at her phone.
It buzzed.
Keifer: The articles are annoying. But the one that called you "emotionally unavailable" made me laugh.
Jay: You think I'm emotionally unavailable?
Keifer: I think you're focused. There's a difference.
Jay: You're the only person who sees one.
Keifer: Maybe that's the point.
She stared at the words.
Maybe that's the point.
What point? What was the point of any of this?
She typed before she could stop herself.
Jay: Another dinner?
Keifer: When?
Jay: Tomorrow. 7. Somewhere with no cameras.
Keifer: My apartment.
Jay: Absolutely not.
Keifer: Private. Secure. No cameras. I'll cook.
Jay: You cook?
Keifer: I'm a CEO. I can do everything.
Jay: That's arrogant.
Keifer: That's accurate. 7pm tomorrow. I'll send the address.
Jay: If you poison me, my brothers will hunt you down.
Keifer: Noted. Bring your appetite.
Jay: Bring your humility.
Keifer: I don't own any.
Jay pressed her lips together. But the smile broke through anyway.
Damn it.
Aries found out three hours later.
Not from Jay. From Percy, who couldn't keep anything secret.
"She's going to his apartment?" Aries's voice was dangerously calm. "Alone?"
"She's twenty-six, not sixteen."
"He's a billionaire CEO with a reputation."
"What reputation? The guy works twenty hours a day. His last relationship was with a spreadsheet."
Aries ran a hand through his hair. "I don't like it."
"You don't like anyone."
"There's a reason for that." He grabbed his keys. "Where does he live?"
"Aries, no."
"Aries, yes."
"You can't crash your sister's date!"
"Watch me."
Keifer's apartment was on the top floor of a building that didn't have a name. Just an address. Just a doorman who looked like he could kill someone with his pinky.
Jay gave her name. The doorman nodded. The elevator required a code.
When the doors opened, she stepped into something that looked like a museum. Floor-to-ceiling windows. City lights sprawling below. Furniture that probably cost more than her medical degree.
And Keifer, standing in the kitchen, stirring something that smelled incredible.
"You came," he said without turning.
"You sent the address."
"You could've changed your mind."
"I don't change my mind."
He turned then, wooden spoon in hand, wearing—were those sweatpants? And a simple gray shirt?
Jay blinked.
"What?" he asked.
"You own casual clothes."
"I own everything."
"That's still arrogant."
"That's still accurate." He gestured to the couch. "Sit. Ten more minutes."
Jay didn't sit. She walked to the windows instead, staring out at the city. Somewhere down there, patients were waiting. Charts were piling up. Work was calling.
But up here, in the silence, none of that existed.
"Penny for your thoughts," Keifer said from behind her.
"They're not worth that much."
"They're worth more." He moved beside her, close enough that she could feel his warmth. "You're thinking about work."
"Always."
"Stop."
"Can't."
He turned her gently. Hands on her shoulders. Eyes searching her face.
"Try," he said quietly.
And something in his voice—something soft underneath all that control—made her chest tighten.
"I don't know how," she admitted.
"Neither do I." His thumbs traced small circles on her shoulders. "But I'd like to learn. With you."
The moment hung between them. Fragile. Dangerous.
Then—
The elevator doors opened.
"What the—" Aries stormed in, Percy trailing behind him looking apologetic. "Get your hands off my sister."
Keifer didn't move. Didn't flinch. Just raised an eyebrow. "Your sister is twenty-six."
"I know how old she is."
"Then you know she can make her own decisions."
"She can. But she won't. Because she never puts herself first." Aries stepped closer. "So someone has to."
Jay finally found her voice. "Aries. Leave."
"No."
"Aries—"
"He's a billionaire, Jay. He dates models and actresses. What does he want with a surgeon who works twenty hours a day?"
Keifer's jaw tightened. "That's enough."
"Is it? Because from where I'm standing, you're either using her for PR or you're bored and she's entertainment."
The air shifted.
Keifer moved—not fast, but deliberate. Controlled. The kind of movement that said I've handled worse than you.
"I don't use people," he said quietly. "I don't get bored. And I don't explain myself to anyone." He paused. "But for her—" he glanced at Jay, "—I'll make an exception."
Aries laughed bitterly. "Pretty words."
"They're not words. They're facts." Keifer's voice stayed calm. "I've watched her work. I've read her research. I've seen how she treats patients, how she treats staff, how she treats annoying brothers who show up uninvited." He tilted his head. "She's the most impressive person I've ever met. And I've met presidents."
Silence.
Jay stared at him.
Percy stared at him.
Even Aries looked momentarily thrown.
"She doesn't eat," Aries finally said, quieter now. "She doesn't sleep. She doesn't stop. If you actually care about her, you'll make her stop sometimes."
"I know." Keifer's eyes stayed on Jay. "I plan to."
Another long silence.
Then Percy clapped his hands together. "Well! This is awkward. Aries, let's go."
"I'm not—"
"We're going." Percy grabbed his brother's arm. "Jay, text us later. Keifer, nice to officially meet you. Your apartment is insane."
He dragged Aries back into the elevator.
The doors closed.
Jay and Keifer stood alone again.
"Your family," he said slowly, "is intense."
"Yours isn't?"
"They live abroad. It's different."
"Different isn't always better."
He looked at her. Really looked. "No. I suppose it isn't."
Dinner was amazing.
Jay hadn't expected that. Hadn't expected homemade pasta and perfect sauce and bread that tasted like it came from some tiny Italian village instead of a billionaire's kitchen.
"You really cook," she said, halfway through her second serving.
"I really do."
"Why?"
He paused. "My parents weren't around much. Grandfather hired chefs, but..." He shrugged. "I liked knowing how to make things myself. Control over what I ate. Where it came from."
Jay nodded slowly. "Control."
"It's important to you too."
"Obviously."
"You run an OR like I run a boardroom. Every move calculated. Every outcome planned." He met her eyes. "What happens when something unexpected happens?"
"Adapt."
"And if you can't?"
She set down her fork. "I always can."
"Always?"
Something flickered in her expression. Just briefly. "So far."
Keifer leaned back. Studied her the way she studied patients—looking for the hidden wound.
"What aren't you saying?" he asked quietly.
"Nothing."
"Jay."
"My name."
"Jay." He said it softer this time. "What aren't you saying?"
She looked away. At the windows. At the city. Anywhere but him.
"When I was twelve," she said finally, "my mom got sick. Really sick. The doctors... they tried. But they missed things. Small things. Added up to big things." Her voice stayed flat. Controlled. "She almost died."
"But she didn't."
"No. Another surgeon caught it. In time." Jay's jaw tightened. "I decided then. I would never miss anything. Never let someone slip through because I wasn't paying attention."
Keifer said nothing. Just waited.
"So I don't stop," she continued. "I can't. Because if I stop, if I relax, if I take a breath—what if that's the moment I miss something? What if that's the moment someone dies?"
The words hung in the air.
Heavy.
Raw.
Keifer moved then. Slowly. Carefully. He took her hand—the one that had held countless lives—and held it between both of his.
"You won't miss anything," he said quietly. "Not because you never stop. But because you're brilliant. Because you care. Because you're the best."
"You don't know that."
"I do." He squeezed her hand. "I've done the research. Read every paper. Watched every interview. You're not just good, Jay. You're extraordinary."
She stared at their joined hands.
Her hand. So steady in surgery. Shaking now. Just slightly.
"Why?" she whispered.
"Why what?"
"Why do you care? About me? You could have anyone. Models. Actresses. Women who actually have time for—"
"Stop." His voice was firm but gentle. "I don't want models. I don't want actresses. I want someone who challenges me. Who doesn't fall at my feet. Who looks at me like I'm just a person." He lifted her chin. "I want you."
Her breath caught.
"Not because you're convenient," he continued. "Not because you're easy. Because you're not. You're the most inconvenient, most difficult, most frustrating person I've ever met."
A surprised laugh escaped her.
"And I can't stop thinking about you," he finished quietly. "So there it is."
They were close now. Very close. She could count his eyelashes. Could see the vulnerability beneath the control.
"You're terrifying," she whispered.
"So are you."
"That's not a good foundation for—"
"It's the best foundation." His forehead touched hers. "Because we see each other. Really see each other. The control. The walls. The fear underneath."
Jay closed her eyes.
When was the last time someone saw her?
Really saw her?
"I don't know how to do this," she admitted. "Relationships. Feelings. I don't have—"
"Neither do I." His thumb traced her jaw. "But I'd like to learn. Together. If you'll let me."
She opened her eyes.
He was right there. Waiting. Not pushing. Just... present.
"One condition," she said.
"Name it."
"You teach my brother not to hate you."
Keifer smiled. Slow. Warm. "Deal."
And then—finally—he kissed her.
Soft at first. Questioning. Then deeper when she didn't pull away.
Jay felt something crack inside her chest. Something she'd built years ago. Something that kept people out.
It wasn't gone.
But it was smaller now.
And for the first time in years, she didn't immediately try to rebuild it.
Jay didn't even realize she was moving until she found herself perched on Keifer's lap. She froze for a moment, aware of the warmth, the quiet heartbeat beneath her hand resting on his chest.
"You're comfortable there," he murmured, one eyebrow lifting in amusement.
"I—uh—don't usually sit in someone's lap," she admitted, her voice tight, breath catching as her cheeks heated.
"I don't usually let people sit in mine," he countered, his fingers brushing lightly over hers, teasing, deliberate. "But you're not like anyone else."
Jay's lips twitched into a nervous smile. "I'm… unpredictable?"
"Dangerously so," he said softly, leaning closer, his nose nearly grazing hers. "And apparently… irresistible."
She froze. Irresistible. The word felt foreign, thrilling, embarrassing. She could feel her heart racing, her stomach flipping in a way that had nothing to do with surgery.
"Keifer," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
"Hm?" His thumb traced a lazy circle on her wrist, slow enough to make her pulse quicken.
"You—don't—you—you tease a lot, do you?" she stammered.
He grinned, that confident, infuriating grin. "Only when someone deserves it. And you… you deserve a lot."
Jay swallowed. Her knees felt weak, her face on fire. She tried to focus on breathing, rational thoughts, reminding herself she was a surgeon—a professional. But every word, every glance, every touch blurred her carefully controlled world.
"You really think I'm… worthy of this?" she asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.
Keifer's hands cupped her face gently. "I don't think, Jay. I know. You're brilliant, you're fearless, and you don't let anyone see how much you care… except me. And that's why I want you like this. All of this. Right here. Right now."
Her chest tightened. Her lips parted, and for a moment, everything else—the city, the hospital, the headlines—disappeared.
She let herself lean in closer. Just slightly. Enough to feel the warmth of him fully, enough to feel safe in the closeness, enough to let her blush deepen without shame.
"Keifer…" she whispered again, softer this time.
He chuckled low in his throat, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I like it when you blush," he teased. "And I like seeing you like this. Vulnerable. Real. Just… Jay."
She blinked, heart hammering, and laughed—a little breathless, a little giddy. "You're impossible."
"I prefer… irresistible," he corrected, leaning closer, lips brushing hers in a gentle, teasing kiss. Her breath caught again. He pulled back just enough to smile, his forehead resting against hers. "You're amazing."
Jay leaned into him, letting herself sink a little deeper into the warmth of the lap she hadn't thought she'd ever occupy. It felt… right. It felt like a secret that shouldn't exist but did anyway.
They didn't talk much after that.
Just quiet touches.
Soft breaths.
The steady rhythm of two guarded people slowly letting go.
At some point in the night, Jay fell asleep first—something she never did.
Keifer placeed her in the bed like she was made of glass and slept beside her. His hand protective in her waist and even in sleep, Jay holding his hand.
Keifer smiled and finally slept peacefully in years.
Morning came in gold.
Sunlight spilled through the massive windows, sliding across polished floors and rumpled sheets.
Keifer woke before her.
He always did.
Years of early meetings, relentless schedules, disciplined routines.
But this—
This was different.
Jay was curled slightly toward him, one hand resting against his chest like she'd fallen asleep mid-thought.
Her face, without tension, looked younger. Softer. No furrow between her brows. No invisible weight on her shoulders.
He watched her breathe.
Slow.
Even.
Peaceful.
He had never seen her peaceful before.
Carefully, he brushed his thumb along her temple. She didn't wake.
He studied her like she was the rarest thing in his world.
Not a surgeon.
Not the woman in headlines.
Just Jay.
His Jay.
He shifted slightly, propping himself up on one elbow so he could see her better.
There was something fiercely protective rising in his chest. Not possessive.
Protective.
She carried too much alone.
He wanted to be someone she could lean on.
Not replace her strength.
Just stand beside it.
Her fingers twitched slightly against him.
She murmured something incoherent and pressed closer.
Keifer's lips curved.
"I could get used to this," he whispered.
A faint vibration cut through the quiet.
Jay's phone.
On the nightstand.
Buzzing.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Her brow furrowed immediately, even in sleep.
Work.
Of course.
Keifer reached over and silenced it without looking at the screen.
Jay stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly, disoriented for half a second.
Then she focused on him.
And froze.
"You're staring at me."
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Long enough to confirm you're real."
She blinked. Processing. Then her eyes flicked to the window, the unfamiliar ceiling, the warmth beneath her.
Memory returned.
Her cheeks flushed instantly.
"I fell asleep."
"You did."
"I don't fall asleep."
"You did."
She narrowed her eyes. "Stop sounding pleased."
"I am pleased."
Her phone buzzed again.
That snapped her fully awake.
She sat up quickly, sheets clutching around her as she grabbed the device.
Her phone exploded.
Percy: YOU STAYED OVER?!?
Percy: ARIES IS PACING
Percy: MOM CALLED
Percy: ACTUALLY MOM IS HERE
Percy: IN YOUR APARTMENT
Percy: WITH QUESTIONS
Percy: HELP
Jay groaned, burying her face in Keifer's chest.
"What?" His voice was rough with sleep.
"My family is insane."
"Told you."
She lifted her head. Glared at him.
He kissed her nose. "I'll handle them."
"How?"
"Dinner. Tonight. All of them."
Jay sat up abruptly. "Are you insane?"
"Probably." He pulled her back down. "But if I'm going to date the most impossible woman in the world, I need to win over her impossible family."
"You don't need to—"
"I want to." He looked at her. Serious now. "You're worth it. All of it."
Jay stared at him.
This man. This impossible, controlling, arrogant, secretly soft man.
"I hate that you're charming," she muttered.
"I'm not charming. I'm honest."
"That's worse."
He smiled. That rare, real smile she was starting to crave.
"Tonight," he said. "Your family. My cooking. Let's see if we survive."
Jay groaned again.
But she was smiling.