Chapter 29 – Dinner With Monsters
Nobody liked the dinner.
Not the food.
Not the silence.
And definitely not the way Kaizer Watson smiled like he already knew everyone's weaknesses.
The dining hall was massive.
Golden lights.
Long table.
Paintings expensive enough to buy cities.
And somehow—
Section E still managed to ruin the atmosphere.
Cin whispered toward Felix:
"If I disappear tonight, clear my browser history."
Felix nodded immediately. "Valid concern."
Rory muttered, "You're assuming we survive."
JJ kicked all three under the table.
"Can you idiots act normal for five minutes."
"Absolutely not," Cin answered proudly.
Keifer sat beside JJ while Keigan and Keiren stayed unusually close to her.
Too close.
Like her presence made them feel safer.
That alone told JJ enough about this house.
Kaizer noticed too.
Of course he did.
His gaze lingered briefly on the younger boys holding onto JJ more than him.
Interesting.
Dangerous.
Uncomfortable.
---
The First Blow
Kaizer finally rested his glass down slowly.
"So," he said calmly, "which one of you is Jasper Jean Mariano?"
Half the table turned immediately.
JJ raised her hand while eating pasta.
"Unfortunately me."
Kaizer studied her carefully.
Too carefully.
"You're close to my son."
Percy nearly inhaled water wrong.
JJ shrugged casually. "Debatable."
Keifer muttered beside her, "You literally threaten people for me."
JJ kicked him under the table immediately.
Kaizer watched their interaction silently.
Then smiled faintly.
Not warm.
Never warm.
"Interesting," he murmured.
JJ immediately disliked that word.
---
The Real Reason
Halfway through dinner—
Kaizer stopped pretending.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Colder.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
He looked directly at Keifer.
"You should come back home."
Silence.
Keifer's face hardened immediately.
"No."
Kaizer continued calmly.
"Watson Corporation needs its rightful heir."
Keifer laughed once.
Humorless.
"You mean my mother's company."
The air froze.
Even Percy stopped joking.
Kaizer's expression darkened slightly.
"Careful how you speak to me."
Keifer leaned back slowly.
"No. You be careful."
Keigan visibly tensed beside JJ.
Keiren grabbed her sleeve tighter.
JJ noticed immediately.
Because kids don't fear fathers for no reason.
---
JJ Steps In
Kaizer's eyes slowly shifted toward JJ again.
"And what exactly do you want from my son, Miss Mariano?"
Silence.
Entire table froze slightly.
Because yeah—
that didn't sound like a normal question.
JJ slowly placed her fork down.
Then smiled politely.
"Free food mostly."
Cin SNORTED instantly.
Felix almost died laughing.
Even Keigan smiled a little.
Keifer rubbed his forehead.
Kaizer stared at JJ for two long seconds.
Then surprisingly—
laughed softly.
"You're fearless."
JJ shrugged. "Fear is exhausting."
Keifer looked at her quietly beside her.
Like he couldn't decide whether to be worried or impressed.
Probably both.
---
Keiren Breaks
And then suddenly—
Keiren started crying.
Small.
Quiet.
But enough.
Everyone stopped immediately.
The little boy covered his face quickly.
"I wanna go home…"
That one sentence shattered the entire atmosphere.
Keifer moved instantly.
Kneeling beside his little brother immediately.
"Hey," he whispered softly.
Complete personality change.
Gentle.
Warm.
Protective.
JJ watched silently because this version of Keifer—
the older brother—
felt different from the boy everyone else knew.
Keiren cried harder.
"I don't like it here…"
Keifer picked him up carefully.
"It's okay," he whispered. "We're leaving."
Kaizer stood slowly.
"You're overreacting."
Keifer looked up.
And JJ had never seen anger that cold before.
"No," he said quietly.
"You just don't understand family."
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Then Keifer looked toward everyone.
"Let's go."
And honestly?
Nobody argued.
Everyone stood immediately.
Ready to leave this cursed mansion behind.
---
The Trap
But before anyone could reach the doors—
Kaizer spoke again.
Calmly.
Too calmly.
"You can't leave."
The room stopped.
Keifer slowly turned back.
"What."
Kaizer adjusted his cuffs lazily.
"As much as I enjoy this emotional rebellion…" he said smoothly, "there's still unfinished business."
JJ's instincts screamed instantly.
Wrong.
Something was wrong.
Keifer's voice lowered dangerously.
"What did you do."
Kaizer smiled slightly.
Then finally—
for the first time that night—
he struck properly.
"Your mother sends her regards."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Keifer froze completely.
Not angry.
Not shouting.
Just still.
Like his body forgot how to move.
JJ's stomach dropped immediately.
"…what did you do," Keifer repeated.
This time quieter.
Worse.
Kaizer walked toward the large windows calmly.
"Serina was very determined to reach London for the inheritance hearing."
JJ's chest tightened.
Percy whispered quietly:
"No…"
Kaizer continued casually:
"Unfortunately… she never made it to the airport."
Keigan's face went white instantly.
Keiren started crying again.
And suddenly—
everything exploded.
Keifer slammed his hands onto the dining table so hard the glasses shook violently.
"WHERE IS SHE?!"
The entire room flinched.
Even JJ.
Because this wasn't normal Keifer anymore.
This was rage.
Real rage.
Kaizer stayed calm.
"She's safe."
"That's not what I asked."
Kaizer finally turned toward him slowly.
"You'll get her back."
Silence.
Then:
"When you stop fighting me."
Dead silence filled the room.
JJ felt sick suddenly.
Because this wasn't family conflict anymore.
This was hostage-taking.
Kaizer had kidnapped Serina Watson.
His own ex-wife.
For power.
For inheritance.
For control.
And somehow—
that felt even more horrifying because of how calm he looked while saying it.
---
Keifer Breaks
Keifer looked ready to kill someone.
Actually kill someone.
JJ immediately grabbed his wrist lightly.
Not to stop him.
Just to ground him.
Keifer's breathing was uneven now.
Dangerously uneven.
"She has nothing to do with this," he said quietly.
Kaizer's expression stayed unreadable.
"She has everything to do with this."
Keigan suddenly spoke shakily:
"You promised you wouldn't hurt Mom…"
That sentence hurt more than yelling ever could.
Because Kaizer didn't even react.
Not properly.
JJ looked at Keigan then.
At Keiren crying quietly.
At Keifer standing there trying to hold himself together.
And suddenly—
she hated this man.
Truly hated him.
---
Locked In
The doors behind them suddenly clicked shut electronically.
Everyone turned instantly.
Cin blinked.
"…oh that's not concerning at all."
Felix tried the handle.
Locked.
Denzel moved toward the windows.
Security outside.
Armed.
Rory whispered:
"We're actually trapped."
Aries immediately stepped closer toward JJ protectively.
Percy's joking completely disappeared now.
Even Angelo would've been terrifyingly calm in a situation like this.
But these were still teenagers.
And suddenly—
they were trapped inside a mansion with a man dangerous enough to kidnap his own wife.
Kaizer looked toward Keifer calmly.
"You'll stay tonight."
Keifer stared at him with pure hatred.
"And if I refuse?"
Kaizer's answer came instantly.
"Then Serina suffers for your stubbornness."
Silence.
Keifer's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
JJ stepped closer beside him quietly.
Then suddenly—
kissed him.
Soft.
Quick.
Enough to interrupt the spiral in his head.
Keifer blinked at her in shock.
JJ held his gaze firmly.
"Breathe first," she whispered.
Silence.
Then quieter:
"We'll figure it out."
For one second—
just one—
Keifer looked exhausted instead of strong.
And that honestly hurt more to see.
Then JJ looked toward everyone else.
Toward Section E.
Toward the younger boys.
Toward the locked doors.
And realized one terrifying thing.
Nobody was leaving tonight.