Chapter 44 – The Video Call Breakdown
Rain poured over London like the city was trying to drown itself again.
Lights reflected across wet streets.
Black cars moved below skyscrapers.
And inside the top floor office of Watson Corporation—
Mark Keifer Watson finally loosened his tie after another fourteen-hour day.
"Sir, your remaining meetings—"
"Tomorrow."
The assistant immediately stopped talking.
Because Keifer looked exhausted enough to kill someone professionally.
The moment the office emptied—
Keifer grabbed his phone instantly.
No hesitation.
No thought.
Just habit now.
One contact.
Wifey. ❤️
And somewhere across the world—
JJ's phone lit up while she laid upside down on her bed eating chips dramatically.
Her eyes immediately softened seeing his name.
"Finally," she muttered before answering. "I thought London kidnapped you."
The screen opened.
Keifer appeared wearing a black dress shirt with sleeves rolled up.
Hair messy.
Tie hanging loose.
Sharp eyes slightly tired.
And unfortunately—
JJ's brain short-circuited for half a second.
"You look ugly," she informed him immediately.
Keifer smirked softly.
"You stared for five seconds before saying that."
"Research purposes."
"Liar."
"Capitalist."
Keifer actually laughed quietly.
God.
He missed her voice.
---
Distance Feels Smaller At Night
JJ adjusted her blanket while Keifer walked toward the massive office windows.
The London skyline glittered behind him.
Rain hitting glass softly.
"You're still working?" JJ asked.
"Unfortunately."
"You should resign."
"And become what?"
JJ gasped dramatically.
"A trophy husband obviously."
Keifer looked thoughtful for a second.
"That does sound peaceful."
JJ pointed at the screen.
"Exactly."
Keifer turned the camera slightly showing the skyline outside.
Bright city lights stretched endlessly.
JJ's eyes widened softly.
"…okay that's actually pretty."
"London?"
"No," JJ answered instantly. "Me for tolerating you long distance."
Keifer sighed.
"You're unbearable."
"And yet you're obsessed with me."
"Very."
That answer came way too naturally now.
Neither even got embarrassed anymore.
Which honestly terrified everyone around them.
---
The Profanity Rule Returns
JJ reached for another chip dramatically.
Then suddenly cursed when crumbs fell onto her blanket.
"Sh—"
Keifer immediately narrowed his eyes.
"Profanity."
JJ froze.
"…you're in another country."
"And?"
"You can't punish me internationally."
Keifer leaned closer toward the camera slightly.
"Wanna test that theory, wifey?"
JJ rolled her eyes aggressively to hide her smile.
"You're literally insane."
"Profanity again."
"Oh my God."
"That counts too."
JJ threw a pillow at her own phone dramatically.
"I hate you."
"No you don't."
Unfortunately—
he was correct.
Again.
---
Something Changes
For a while—
everything felt normal again.
Safe.
Just them talking nonsense for hours like always.
Keifer even started telling her ridiculous stories about London executives fearing him.
"One guy dropped his coffee when I looked at him."
JJ looked emotional immediately.
"That's my boy."
"I'm becoming evil."
"You already kidnapped my heart Watson."
Silence.
Then Keifer stared at her suspiciously.
"…that was smooth."
JJ looked offended.
"I have talent."
Keifer smiled softly now.
And that expression—
that soft quiet smile he only gave her—
made JJ's chest ache unexpectedly.
Because suddenly—
she missed him too much again.
Then—
it happened.
Fast.
The room blurred suddenly.
JJ blinked hard.
Once.
Twice.
But her vision only got worse.
The screen became distorted.
Voices muffled.
Her head spun violently.
No no no—
Not now.
Keifer's voice sharpened immediately through the phone.
"JJ?"
JJ tried answering.
But the dizziness hit harder this time.
Her fingers loosened accidentally—
And the phone slipped from her hand completely.
CRASH.
The screen hit the floor sideways.
---
Panic
"JJ?!"
Keifer's voice exploded instantly through the fallen phone.
In London—
he stood up so fast his chair nearly crashed backward.
"JJ!"
The camera only showed part of the ceiling now.
No response.
Keifer's heartbeat sped up violently.
For one horrifying second—
he genuinely thought something happened to her.
"JAYJAY."
Meanwhile JJ sat frozen beside the bed gripping her head tightly.
Breathing uneven.
Vision slowly stabilizing again.
She heard the panic in his voice.
And immediately forced herself to move.
No.
He cannot know.
Not yet.
JJ quickly grabbed the phone again forcing a weak laugh.
"Relax."
Keifer's face looked genuinely pale now.
"What happened?"
JJ swallowed quickly.
Think.
Lie.
Now.
"My phone slipped."
"That's not all."
JJ forced another laugh.
"Sleep deprivation."
Silence.
Keifer stared at her through the screen quietly now.
Too quietly.
JJ hated that look immediately.
Because Keifer Watson noticed things.
"JJ."
"I'm fine."
"You dropped unconscious for a second."
"I DID NOT."
"You disappeared."
JJ forced herself calmer.
"My head hurt. That's all."
Keifer still looked unconvinced.
Not fully suspicious yet.
But enough.
Enough for something dangerous to begin forming inside him.
Concern.
Real concern.
He leaned closer slightly.
"…you sure?"
JJ smiled softly now.
Gentler.
Safer.
The smile she used when calming people.
"I'm okay, Watson."
Lie.
Again.
Keifer exhaled slowly.
But his expression never fully relaxed afterward.
And JJ noticed.
Of course she did.
So she immediately changed the topic dramatically.
"Anyway if you become more emotionally unstable I'll replace you with Yuri."
Keifer narrowed his eyes instantly.
"You wouldn't survive five minutes."
"True."
"Profanity rule still active by the way."
JJ groaned loudly.
"Please leave my life."
But even while joking—
Keifer kept watching her carefully now.
And for the first time—
a small terrible thought entered his mind.
Something's wrong.
---
Meanwhile In London…
At 2:13 AM—
far away from Keifer's office—
another Watson elder disappeared.
No guards heard anything.
No cameras caught anyone entering.
One second—
the elder was inside his private estate.
The next—
gone.
Only one thing remained behind.
A black chess piece.
King.
And beneath it—
a message written neatly:
> "One move left."
When Kaizer Watson received the news—
even he went silent.
Because suddenly—
this no longer looked like revenge.
It looked like a warning before execution.
And somewhere hidden in London's shadows—
someone watched the Watson empire crumble slowly…
while Keifer unknowingly sat awake all night thinking about JJ's trembling hands.
---
The Fernandez mansion was unusually quiet that night.
Too quiet.
Percy had somehow fallen asleep downstairs while watching conspiracy videos about aliens controlling politicians.
Aries still wasn't home yet.
Angelo was working in his office.
And JJ—
sat alone near her bedroom window holding two letters tightly in her hands.
Two letters from India.
From home in another way.
From the only two people who knew the truth now.
Care.
And Lyra.
JJ stared at the envelopes for a long moment before finally opening the first one slowly.
---
Letter From Care
JJ,
First of all—
I hate you.
Actually no. Let me correct that.
I DESPISE you.
You really thought you could casually write: "Oh by the way I have a terminal neurological disease lol" LIKE IT WAS A NORMAL SENTENCE???
Do you know what Lyra did after reading your letter?
She cried.
Actually cried.
I stared at her for ten whole minutes because I genuinely thought she was possessed.
And me?
I got angry.
Very angry.
Because you idiot— why were you carrying this alone?
Why didn't you tell us earlier?
Do you know how unfair that is?
You were listening to my stupid rants about Cole annoying me while YOU were suffering alone.
Speaking of Cole— that irritating man is currently outside India for business meetings and somehow he STILL argues with me every night on calls.
Yesterday he literally called me at 2 AM just to say: "Did you eat properly?"
I said: "Mind your own business."
Then he replied: "You ARE my business."
DISGUSTING.
Lyra screamed for ten minutes after hearing that.
I unfortunately smiled like an idiot afterward.
Don't laugh at me.
Actually no— laugh. You deserve to laugh.
And JJ…
I'm scared.
There. I admitted it.
I know you always act strong. I know you joke around. I know you hate pity.
But you don't always have to survive things alone.
Not with us.
You hear me?
You better survive long enough for me to personally hit you for stressing us like this.
And if some stupid disease thinks it can take my friend away—
then I'll fight the disease itself.
Sincerely, Your emotionally unstable future doctor, Care
---
By the time JJ finished reading—
her vision had already blurred again.
But this time—
not because of illness.
Tears slid silently down her cheeks.
JJ laughed weakly while wiping them quickly.
"Drama queen," she whispered softly.
But her chest hurt painfully now.
Because for the first time since diagnosis—
someone sounded genuinely scared of losing her.
And somehow—
that scared JJ too.
---
Letter From Lyra
JJ BABY,
Okay first of all.
HOW DARE YOU.
I was peacefully eating noodles and then suddenly BOOM— emotional damage.
Care acted tough for like three minutes after reading your letter and then started aggressively cleaning the room because she was upset.
Which means yes. She was VERY upset.
Also before you die— NO DYING YET— you need to witness something important.
Care misses Cole.
DESPERATELY.
She denies it every single day but literally waits near her phone at night for his calls.
And they STILL fight constantly.
Yesterday's conversation:
Cole: "Sleep early."
Care: "Control your own life first."
Cole: "You sound tired."
Care: "You sound ugly."
Cole: "You miss me."
Care: "…shut up."
ROMANTIC TENSION EVERYWHERE.
Meanwhile Alex came over again yesterday.
I almost fell down the stairs trying to act normal.
I smiled at him and accidentally called him "bro."
Kill me immediately.
Also he helped me study physics and JJ—
he smells REALLY nice.
Care almost threw a pillow at me for saying that out loud.
Anyway.
Now serious part.
I know you're scared.
You don't say it directly. But I know.
You always joke more when you're hurting.
And your letters lately? Too cheerful.
That's how I know.
So listen carefully:
You are not temporary to us.
No disease changes that.
No countdown changes that.
No future changes that.
Even if things become difficult— we stay.
Okay?
And if your Keifer guy breaks your heart I'll personally fly there and destroy him.
Though honestly from your letters… he sounds deeply gone for you already.
Also "annoyingly cute"??? JJ Mariano YOU ARE IN LOVE.
I'm framing that sentence forever.
Write back soon. And don't you dare disappear emotionally again.
Love, Lyra
---
JJ pressed the letter against her chest quietly afterward.
Silence filled the room softly.
Warm silence.
Painful silence.
Loved silence.
Then slowly—
JJ reached for paper again.
And began writing back.
---
JJ's Reply
Care and Lyra,
First of all— both of you are dramatic.
Second— I'm okay.
…mostly.
Please stop imagining me dying every five minutes.
I still have enough energy to bully Percy daily.
And unfortunately enough energy to deal with Keifer Watson too.
Speaking of him— he has become worse.
His ego now increased because he's officially CEO.
Yesterday he literally called himself "attractive under pressure."
I almost threw my phone.
Also yes— Lyra shut up.
I am NOT in love.
…probably.
Okay maybe slightly.
But only because he's annoyingly kind sometimes.
DON'T MAKE THAT WEIRD.
And Care— you absolutely miss Cole.
You literally described a married couple argument in your letter.
Accept your fate.
Also Lyra calling Alex "bro" might genuinely be the biggest tragedy here.
I laughed for ten minutes.
Now serious part.
Thank you.
For not treating me differently.
For not looking at me like I'm already disappearing.
I think that's what scares me most.
Not dying.
Being slowly treated like a memory before I'm even gone.
And somehow— you two didn't do that.
So thank you.
Really.
I miss you both too.
— JJ
---
She stopped writing there.
Because suddenly—
her chest tightened painfully again.
Not physical.
Emotional.
JJ looked toward the dark window quietly.
Then whispered softly into the empty room:
"…I don't want to leave yet."
And somewhere far away—
London's shadows continued moving closer toward war.
___________🧿🫶🏻
hey Cuties
This is one of the biggest chapter of my this book...
I am so motivated due to your comments that I will upload two more chapters today after some editing.....
Thanks for your support guyss...
Regards,
Yours lovingly,
Author ~ CARE...🧿💕