— JAY POV —
I woke up slowly because of the embarrassing sound of my own stomach growling.
Wonderful.
Peak elegance.
I kept my eyes closed for another second before realizing something warm was wrapped tightly around my waist.
Keifer.
His arm was locked around me like I was going to disappear overnight.
I slowly turned my face toward him—
and paused.
He was still asleep.
And somehow…
Keifer Waston looked unfairly innocent while sleeping.
No smug grin.
No teasing.
No annoying comments.
Just soft breathing and peaceful features.
Honestly, it was hard to believe this was the same man who caused ninety percent of my stress.
I stared at him quietly for a few moments before my hand moved on its own.
My fingers brushed softly against his forehead.
Then his eyebrow.
His nose.
His cheek.
Every tiny touch made him move slightly in his sleep.
Like my fingers were tickling him without fully waking him up.
My fingertips slowly traced near his lips and suddenly—
the memory hit me.
The retreat.
That tent.
That peaceful night where he came to my tent after what felt like forever.
Back then, for the first time, everything felt calm between us.
No revenge.
No danger.
No family drama.
Just him sleeping beside me peacefully while I secretly stared at him exactly like this.
And somehow…
seeing him sleep peacefully now made my chest ache the same way.
Before I could stop myself, a tiny smile appeared on my face.
Then suddenly—
his grip around my waist tightened.
I gasped softly.
In one smooth movement he pulled me closer until our faces were inches apart.
Too close.
Way too close.
One move and I'd literally kiss him.
My breath got stuck in my throat instantly.
I slowly tried moving away carefully—
but he pulled me even closer again.
This time my forehead almost touched his.
I stared at him helplessly.
And annoyingly enough…
seeing him sleep peacefully like this made my heart soften again.
Finally.
No drama.
No father.
No relatives.
At least for now.
Then suddenly—
"If you want to kiss me," his sleepy voice murmured, "you can just do it."
My eyes widened immediately.
That idiot slowly opened his eyes before grinning lazily at me.
"My charges for kisses are usually expensive," he continued dramatically, "but for you I can give unlimited free service."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"YOU WERE AWAKE?!"
He smirked proudly.
"You kept touching my face."
"Oh my god, you animal!" I immediately smacked his chest. "You were pretending to sleep?!"
"Not pretending," he corrected smugly. "Your fingers kept tickling my face so I woke up."
I froze slightly.
"…Oh."
His grin widened instantly seeing my embarrassment.
"Good thing I woke up though," he said innocently. "Otherwise you would've taken wrong advantage of me."
I blinked slowly.
Then stared at him up and down dramatically.
"For someone to have advantage taken of them," I replied sweetly, "they should at least have an advantage first."
Silence.
Keifer looked genuinely offended.
"Ouch."
"It's true."
"You just attacked my masculinity at eight in the morning."
"You deserved it."
He narrowed his eyes before suddenly trapping me closer against him again.
"Careful," he warned teasingly. "You're getting very brave for someone in hugging distance."
"I'm not scared of you."
"That's because you haven't seen my morning strength yet."
"Oh my god shut UP."
He burst out laughing while I aggressively tried escaping his arms.
But the idiot only held me tighter.
"No escaping."
"Keifer!"
"You touched my lips first."
"FOR HALF A SECOND!"
"That's still emotional harassment."
"You're insane."
"And you like me insane."
"I liked peace."
"Ouch again."
I grabbed the pillow beside me and smashed it directly into his face.
He laughed so hard he almost fell off the bed while I glared at him dramatically.
Honestly?
This idiot was impossible to stay angry at for too long.
—
After nearly fighting for my life trying to escape his arms, I finally managed to push him away slightly.
"Enough," I huffed dramatically. "I'm hungry."
Keifer looked way too comfortable laying there.
"Mhm."
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Go bring breakfast."
He blinked lazily.
"I'm sleepy. You do it yourself."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
He looked completely unbothered.
"You kidnapped me to some unknown island," I continued accusingly, pointing at him dramatically, "and now you're showing me attitude?"
He started laughing quietly already.
"Bring me breakfast while I freshen up," I ordered like some angry queen. "Otherwise I'll bury you in this island only, okay? You got it?"
I pointed my finger threateningly at him.
Keifer immediately raised both hands in fake horror.
"Okay okay."
I nodded proudly.
Good.
#womeninmaledominatedfield
"Now go FAST," I complained dramatically. "I'm hungry."
"Ouch," he sighed while slowly sitting up. "Okay okay. It's hard serving a wife really."
My entire body froze.
Wife.
My face instantly heated up so badly it should've been illegal.
I could literally feel my cheeks turning red.
Oh my god.
I quickly turned my face away before he noticed the flustered expression threatening to appear.
"W-wife your face, idiot!" I stuttered aggressively. "Don't say nonsense this early in the morning!"
His grin widened immediately.
Too late.
He noticed.
"You're blushing."
"I AM NOT."
"You are."
"I'll kill you."
"That's not very wife-like behavior."
"KEIFER."
He burst out laughing while I jumped out of bed immediately to escape the situation before my embarrassment killed me first.
I walked toward the bathroom as fast as possible while he kept laughing behind me like the menace he was.
Before entering, I turned around one last time and pointed at him threateningly again.
"And don't forget breakfast!"
He saluted dramatically from the bed.
"Yes ma'am."
"And no weird things in my food!"
"I only poison emotionally."
"KEIFER!"
His laughter followed me all the way into the bathroom while I shut the door aggressively to hide my burning face.
—
After finally escaping that menace and locking myself inside the bathroom safely, I took a long shower trying to recover mentally.
Because apparently waking up beside Keifer reduced my IQ immediately.
The cold water relaxed me a little.
At least until my stupid brain replayed—
"It's hard serving a wife really."
My face instantly heated up again.
"Oh my god," I groaned dramatically while covering my face. "Who even says that?"
Mark Keifer Waston.
Professional flirt.
Full-time problem.
Part-time emotional disaster.
After my bath, I wrapped one of the soft bathrobes around myself and paused.
Okay.
Why did this robe feel more expensive than my future?
I looked at myself in the mirror suspiciously.
"Just wait," I muttered proudly while fixing my hair. "When everyone finds out I'm the secret Mariano princess, I'll show my wealth too."
A smug grin appeared on my face immediately.
Honestly though…
Keifer actually matched me in everything.
Money.
Drama.
Attitude.
Stubbornness.
Mental instability.
Very romantic honestly—
WAIT.
No.
Absolutely not.
I pointed at my reflection dramatically.
"Jasper Jean Mariano, control yourself."
After calming my thoughts, I walked toward the huge walk-in closet.
And immediately froze.
"…Okay wow."
The closet genuinely looked like a luxury fashion store.
Everything was organized perfectly.
Island clothes.
Casual clothes.
Dresses.
Shoes.
Accessories.
That idiot seriously prepared all this.
I slowly looked through the clothes before spotting a cute white tropical dress with pink flowers and seashell patterns.
(Image in comment)
The moment I held it up, I gasped dramatically.
"Okay this is adorable."
I quickly changed into it and tied my hair into a messy bun because honestly?
The island weather was trying to kill me.
But surprisingly the messy bun actually turned out cute.
Love that for me.
I looked at myself one last time proudly before suddenly—
the smell of food hit me.
My stomach growled aggressively.
"Oh my god FOOD."
I immediately rushed downstairs at full speed because I was starving.
But the second I reached the kitchen entrance—
I stopped.
Keifer was standing there cooking pancakes.
And unfortunately…
he looked annoyingly handsome.
His hair was still wet from the shower, little strands falling over his forehead while he moved around the kitchen wearing just a loose t-shirt and shorts.
The morning sunlight coming through the windows made everything worse somehow.
Or better.
Unfortunately better.
Disgusting honestly.
I opened my mouth to insult him—
but before I could speak, he turned around holding a plate.
And froze.
Completely froze.
The spatula in his hand literally stopped moving.
His eyes slowly traveled over me once.
Then again.
And again.
Like his brain completely disconnected.
I blinked awkwardly.
"…Why are you staring at me like that?"
He still didn't answer.
That idiot just stood there looking at me like he forgot basic human functions.
Then finally he leaned back slightly against the counter and let out a quiet breath.
"Wow."
My face heated up immediately.
"What wow?!"
"You look…" He paused like he genuinely couldn't find words for a second. "…dangerously pretty."
I stared at him in disbelief while my cheeks betrayed me instantly.
"Oh my god shut up."
"I'm serious."
"Stop talking."
"You walked in looking like an island princess and expected me to stay calm?"
"I expected you to make breakfast quietly!"
He placed a hand dramatically over his chest.
"You wound me."
"You'll survive."
But unfortunately…
he kept staring.
Not teasing this time.
Not joking.
Just looking at me softly in a way that made my heart feel weird.
Then that idiot smiled slightly to himself.
"What?"
He shook his head slowly.
"Nothing."
"You're being suspicious."
"I'm appreciating my future heart attack peacefully."
I immediately grabbed the nearest napkin and threw it directly at his face while he laughed softly.
Then I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
"…Wait."
I looked around dramatically.
"Where's the staff?"
Keifer casually flipped another pancake.
"I sent them back."
"What?"
"They were invading our privacy."
I stared at him in horror.
"And," he added calmly, "I wanted to spend peaceful time with you alone."
My dramatic self activated immediately.
"Oh wow." I placed a hand over my heart theatrically. "So now I'm isolated on a private island ALONE with you? Amazing. Perfect setup for a murder documentary."
He snorted softly.
"You watch too many thrillers."
"You literally kidnapped me."
"I rescued you emotionally."
"You traumatized me emotionally."
"Minor detail."
I rolled my eyes before finally sitting near the kitchen island.
Then I noticed the food properly.
And froze again.
The breakfast looked genuinely amazing.
Pancakes.
Fruits.
Eggs.
Toast.
Coffee.
Everything looked perfect.
I blinked slowly.
"…You made all this?"
"Mhm."
"…By yourself?"
He nodded proudly.
I stared at him suspiciously while he continued cooking naturally.
And suddenly one horrible thought entered my head.
He's actually husband material.
Silence.
My eyes widened immediately.
WHAT THE HELL JAY.
WHERE ARE YOUR THOUGHTS GOING?!
I mentally slapped myself aggressively.
No.
Absolutely not.
We were NOT having husband thoughts right now.
Keifer turned toward me again, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"What are you thinking about?"
I panicked immediately.
"Murder."
He blinked slowly.
"…What?"
"Nothing."
He looked deeply unconvinced while I aggressively sat down before my own thoughts betrayed me further.
— JAY POV —
I was peacefully eating my pancakes while Keifer sat across from me drinking coffee and staring at me every five business seconds.
Honestly?
Being this handsome should've been illegal.
Especially when he looked all domestic cooking breakfast in wet hair and casual clothes.
Disgusting behavior.
I took another dramatic bite of pancake and almost moaned.
"Oh my god this is so good."
Keifer smirked proudly.
"Of course it is."
"You're annoyingly talented."
"I know."
"I hate confident men."
"No you don't."
Unfortunately…
that idiot said it with way too much confidence.
I quickly looked away and continued eating before he became even more unbearable.
Then suddenly he reached forward and wiped syrup from the corner of my lips with his thumb casually.
I froze instantly.
"…What are you doing?"
"You had syrup."
Before I could react, this psychopath looked directly into my eyes and licked the syrup from his thumb.
My soul left my body.
"KEIFER."
He looked innocent. "What?"
"You are literally a walking HR complaint."
He burst out laughing while I aggressively drank juice to calm myself down.
Then suddenly—
"So," he said casually while leaning back in his chair. "Are you ready for it?"
I froze mid-bite.
My brain immediately stopped functioning.
Ready?
READY FOR WHAT?
Why did he say it like THAT?!
My eyes widened slightly.
Wait.
No way.
THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING?!
I stared at him suspiciously while my brain started creating very double-minded thoughts.
Because after yesterday's "wife," "stamina," "power," and "infinite kisses" nonsense—
I absolutely did NOT trust this man anymore.
My face slowly heated up.
"Keifer Waston," I warned carefully, "if you're talking about some weird disgusting thing—"
He blinked.
"…Review?"
Silence.
I stared at him blankly.
"…What?"
"Review," he repeated slowly like I was the weird one here. "Studying?"
My soul slowly returned to my body.
OH.
Sir Alvin.
The review sessions.
The studying.
I immediately looked away dramatically.
"…Right."
Keifer narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"What did YOU think I meant?"
"Nothing."
"Jay."
"Nothing!"
His smirk slowly appeared.
"Oh my god," he whispered dramatically. "Your mind is dirty."
"YOUR EXISTENCE IS DIRTY."
He laughed so hard he nearly dropped his coffee.
"You thought I was talking about that?"
"I DIDN'T."
"You literally turned red."
"It's hot on this island!"
"Mhm."
I aggressively shoved another pancake into my mouth while he continued grinning at me like the menace he was.
Then suddenly realization hit me.
Wait.
I blinked at him.
"…Why do you even need my help?"
Keifer raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm?"
"Your grades are literally germ-killer level."
He stared at me in confusion.
"What does that even mean?"
"You know. Too clean. Too perfect. Nerd behavior."
He looked offended immediately.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
I pointed my fork dramatically at him.
"You're always topping everything. Why do you even need help reviewing?"
Keifer leaned back lazily in his chair.
"I don't."
I blinked.
"…Then why am I suffering?"
"Because Sir Alvin told you to help me."
"That old man betrayed me."
"And," Keifer added smugly, "you have to obey your academic responsibilities."
I stared at him in horror.
"You sound like a principal."
"Thank you."
"That was NOT a compliment."
He smirked before taking a sip of coffee calmly.
"You're helping me review and that's final."
I gasped dramatically.
"You kidnapped me AND turned me into unpaid tuition staff?!"
"You're welcome."
"This is modern slavery."
"You're being dramatic."
"I'm being oppressed."
"You ate six pancakes."
"That's unrelated."
He laughed softly while watching me continue my emotional breakdown over studying during island vacation.
Honestly?
This man was ruining my life peacefully.
---------------------------------
So guyss how was the chapter?? I hope you liked it 🎀
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