Jay's phone buzzed just as she was leaving the office. It was Percy Mariano.
"How was your first day with Mr. Iceberg?"
Jay smirked at the nickname. "Cold, annoying… and completely infuriating."
"Sounds like him," Percy replied with a chuckle. "Don't let him boss you around too much. Call me or Aries if he tries anything."
Jay smiled. She knew her older brothers, Percy and Aries Fernandez, would always have her back. They didn't trust Keifer one bit, and she couldn't blame them.
Meanwhile, across the city, Keifer Watson was closing the office with his best friend, Yuri Hanamitchi. Yuri leaned against the doorframe, smirking.
"You hired her?" Yuri asked, raising an eyebrow.
Keifer ran a hand through his hair. "She's… bold. Smart. Annoying."
"Annoying?" Yuri laughed. "Sounds like someone's got a challenge. She's going to push your buttons."
Keifer gave a flat look. "That's the point."
Meanwhile, Jay was heading home, thinking about the day. Her parents, Jasfer Mariano and Mama Reycee, were already waiting for her at the kitchen table.
"How was your first day, Jay?" Mama Reycee asked.
"Intense," Jay said, dropping her bag. "And that boss of mine… he's unbearable."
Jasfer shook his head. "Don't let him get under your skin. You're stronger than that."
Before Jay could reply, her phone buzzed again—it was Aries Fernandez.
"Report. Any verbal battles?"
Jay laughed. "Plenty. And he smirks when I argue. I hate it."
Her brothers exchanged glances but didn't comment further. They just wanted her safe.
The next morning, Jay arrived at Watson Enterprises, ready for another day of chaos. Today, she would meet Keifer's family—his mother Serina, father Keizer, and his siblings, Keiren (3) and Keigan (15).
The moment she walked into the Watson residence with Keifer for a business lunch, chaos erupted.
"Hello, Keifer!" little Keiren ran straight into Jay, giggling. "Who's this?"
Jay crouched slightly, smiling nervously. "Hi, I'm Jay. I work with your brother."
Keiren immediately grabbed her hand. Keigan, sitting quietly with a book, raised an eyebrow.
"And you're the troublemaker they hired?" Keigan muttered, smirking at Jay.
Jay laughed softly. "Apparently so."
Keifer's mother, Serina Watson, was elegant and welcoming. "It's nice to meet you, Jay. Keifer talks about his team a lot."
His father, Keizer Watson, barely glanced at her. "Do your job well. That's all I expect."
Jay froze for a second, sensing the judgment. Then she smiled. "Understood, sir."
Later, at lunch, Keifer leaned back and whispered just loud enough for her to hear:
"You'll regret being cute around my family."
Jay rolled her eyes. "I'm not trying to be cute."
Keifer smirked. "You're failing."
Jay wanted to throw a napkin at him—but refrained.
As they left, Jay could feel her brothers' eyes on her via video call—they had been checking in. Percy's text popped up:
"Survived family lunch?"
"Barely. Keifer is impossible," Jay replied.
Little did she know, Yuri and Percy were already plotting. Yuri wanted to see if Keifer could finally be challenged. Percy and Aries wanted to protect her from getting hurt.
And as for Jay and Keifer? The hate—and the sparks—were only getting stronger.