KEIFER POV
"Kuya made breakfast, Ate! Come, let's eat! We also helped, by the way," Keiran said, his voice way too loud for this time of the morning, clearly trying to bridge the awkward gap between us.
Jay-Jay didn't say anything at first. She just gave a small, hesitant nod and sat down at the head of the table. I sat across from her, the wooden surface between us feeling like a vast, empty canyon.
We all started to eat. Or rather, the boys started to eat. Keiran was shoveling pancakes into his mouth like it was an Olympic sport, and Keigan was actually finishing his bacon for once. They kept up a constant stream of conversation—mostly Keiran complaining about a math project—acting like a shield for the heavy silence sitting between Jay-Jay and me.
I looked at the plate I had carefully prepared for her. The pancakes were golden, the strawberries were perfectly dipped, but she was barely touching them. She was just staring at her fork, her eyes downcast.
I reached for a piece of toast, but before I could take a bite, I felt her gaze snap up to me.
"The doctor said you can't eat anything except soup," she said. Her voice was flat, professional, and completely devoid of the warmth she usually carried.
I froze with the toast halfway to my mouth.
"I'm feeling better, Jay," I said, my voice low and a bit desperate
"I don't care if you feel like you can climb Mt. Everest," she countered, finally looking at me. Her eyes were still puffy, and there was a distance in them that made my chest ache. "A fever of 39 degrees doesn't just disappear because you decided to play Chef. You're supposed to be on a liquid diet until your temperature stabilizes for twenty-four hours."
The table went silent. Keiran, who had been mid-chew, slowly lowered his fork. Even Keigan adjusted his glasses, looking uncomfortable.
"I'm just trying to have a normal morning," I tried to explain, putting the toast back down on the plate.
"You're still sick," Jay argued back.
"I don't have a fever anymore, Jay," I said, reaching out instinctively toward her hand on the table.
My fingers barely grazed the surface before she pulled back, her hand retreating into the safety of her sleeve like I was made of live electricity.
The rejection stung more than the fever ever did.
"Just eat," she said, her voice small and tight. She didn't look at me; she just stared at her own plate, though she wasn't actually picking up any food.
I nodded slowly, my throat feeling tight. I picked up my fork and started to eat the pancakes I'd made.
The silence at the table was heavy, like a storm cloud had settled over the breakfast spread. Keigan was focused on his coffee, but Keiran? Keiran has never met a silence he didn't want to blow up with a grenade.
"Ate Jay," Keiran called out, leaning forward with a curious, mischievous glint in his eyes.
"What?" she asked, finally looking up.
"When will we get a niece or a nephew?" Keiran asked, as casually as if he were asking about the weather.
CHOKE.
I actually felt the piece of pancake go down the wrong pipe. I hacked into my napkin, my face turning three shades of purple. Next to me, Jay-Jay froze mid-sip of her juice. Her eyes went wider than the pancakes.
Pffft—!
Jay-Jay didn't just choke; she practically performed a spit-take back into her glass. She started coughing frantically, her face turning a vibrant, alarming shade of crimson.
I looked over at Keigan. He was suddenly very interested in his napkin, but I saw his shoulders shaking. He was trying—and failing—not to smile.
"What?!" Jay-Jay managed to wheeze out between coughs, her hand clutching her chest.
Without thinking, I grabbed the pitcher of water and poured her a glass, sliding it toward her. She took it with a shaky hand, gulping it down like her life depended on it. Our fingers brushed for a split second, and even through her panic, I felt that familiar jolt of electricity.
"Keiran!" I growled, finally catching my breath. My own face was still burning, but mostly from the sheer audacity of my youngest brother. "What kind of question is that?!"
"A valid one!" Keiran argued, looking totally unbothered. "You guys are married! Freshly married! Still have the receipt! And since you're doing all this kangaroo care stuff... I figured a mini-Watson was probably in the 2026 forecast."
"Keiran Watson, I will bury you in the backyard!" Jay-jay shrieked, her voice hitting a pitch that probably alerted all the dogs in the neighborhood. She was hiding her face behind her hands, her ears glowing red.
"Don't blame me! Blame the Doctor! He's the one who said you guys need to be efficient'!" Keiran cackled, ducking as Jay-jay tried to throw a grape at him.
I looked at Jay-jay. Even though she was yelling at Keiran, the cold, icy distance from five minutes ago had flickered for a second, replaced by her usual chaotic energy.
"Go to your room, Keiran," I said, though there was no real bite in my voice.
"Fine! But I'm naming the first one after me!" he yelled, sprinting out of the kitchen before Jay-jay could reach for her slipper.
Silence returned, but it was different now. The embarrassment was thick, but the fear—the look of her being afraid of me—had shifted into something else.
Jay-jay slowly lowered her hands. She wouldn't look at me, but she picked up a chocolate-dipped strawberry and took a tiny, hesitant bite.
"He's a brat," she muttered, her mouth full of chocolate.
"He is," I agreed softly, watching her
"He's a brat," Jay-jay muttered, her mouth still half-full of chocolate from the strawberry.
I thought we were finally getting somewhere—that the morning was finally turning back into something I could handle.
Then my phone rang. The sharp, abrasive vibration on the marble table felt like a warning. I picked it up, my CEO mode snapping into place instantly.
"What is it?" I barked.
"Sir, there is an emergency at the factory. I think we need you," the voice of my floor manager came through, sounding frantic. Background noise—sirens and shouting—leaked through the speaker.
"What happened?" I asked, pushing back my chair. I felt Jay-jay's gaze snap to me, her eyes widening.
"We don't know, sir! Out of nowhere, the factory got lit up—it's a fire, sir! We need you down here immediately!"
"Fucking shit! How did it happen?!" I roared. My blood, which had just started to cool, was suddenly boiling with a different kind of heat. Every second that factory burned was a threat to my workers and the Watson name.
"I'm on my way," I said, hanging up before he could respond.
"What happened?" Jay-jay asked, standing up so fast her chair nearly tipped over.
"Something came up at the factory. A fire," I said, already checking my pockets for my keys. I was operating on adrenaline now. "I will be back. Just stay inside, keep the boys here, and... yeah."
I turned to hurry out, my mind already calculating damage control and logistics. But before I could take two steps, I felt a hand wrap around my arm.
I stopped and looked down. Jay-jay was holding me, her small fingers curled tightly into the sleeve of my shirt. The anger and coldness from earlier were gone, replaced by a raw, flickering worry in her eyes.
"Keifer," she said, her voice soft.
I looked at her, searching her face for the disappointment from this morning, but all I found was... her.
"Be careful," she said.
My heart did a slow, painful thud against my ribs. After everything—after I had been a monster, after I had scared her—she was still looking at me like I was something worth protecting.
A small, genuine smile touched my lips. I didn't say anything, but I leaned down and pressed a firm kiss to her forehead. I lingered there for a second, breathing in the scent of her shampoo and the chocolate she'd just eaten.
"I will," I whispered.
I broke away and headed for the garage. Behind me, I could hear her calling out to the boys, but I was already focused on the road.
Even in the middle of a literal fire, the only thing burning hotter was the realization that I'd do anything to make sure I came back to that look in her eyes.
++++++++++++++
JAY-JAY POV
I stood in the kitchen like a statue, my forehead still tingling from where his lips had just pressed against it. My heart was doing that annoying dug-dug thing again.
Jusko. Is this even real?
One second I'm ready to ignore him for the rest of his life, and the next, he's rushing off to save his empire while looking at me like I'm the only thing that matters. My brain felt like a bowl of overcooked noodles—totally messy and confused.
"Ate Jay! Where's Kuya going?" Keiran asked, popping back into the room looking like a lost puppy.
"There's an emergency at the factory," I said, my voice sounding a bit far away. I looked down at the table—at the pancakes he'd flipped, the strawberries he'd dipped, and the glass of water he'd given me when I was choking.
The anger I had earlier was still there, but it was getting smothered by a thick layer of worry.
Gago. Why is he like this? He should be resting! He was just literally shaking with fever yesterday and now he thinks he's a firefighter?
"Is it a big fire?" Keiran asked, his face turning pale.
"I don't know, Keiran. But we need to stay here," I said, trying to sound like the adult in the room even though I felt like shivering myself.
I sat back down at the table and picked up a piece of bacon, but I couldn't even chew it. It tasted like cardboard. I kept looking at the door, half-expecting him to walk back in and say it was just another "prank."
"Ate, check the news!" Keigan called out from the living room.
I scrambled over to the sofa, my oversized slippers almost making me trip. On the TV, thick black smoke was pouring out of one of the Watson warehouses. It looked terrifying.
Mark Keifer Watson, you better not be doing anything stupid, I whispered to myself, clutching a throw pillow like my life depended on it.
I'm still mad at him for being a possessive caveman earlier, but seeing that smoke... it made everything else feel so small. I wanted to yell at him, but I also wanted him to come home safe so I could yell at him in person.
"Be careful, Watson," I muttered, my eyes glued to the screen.
If he comes back with even one scratch on that arrogant, handsome face of his... I'm definitely not giving him any gravy for its next meal. Truly!
KEIFER POV
I drove like a madman. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins, drowning out the lingering fatigue from the fever. My knuckles were white on the steering wheel, and my mind was a chaotic mess of logistics, safety protocols, and... her.
Be careful, she had said.
That one sentence was playing on a loop in my head. After the way I treated her—the way I scared her—she still had enough room in her heart to worry about me.
I pulled up to the factory gates, and the scene was worse than I expected. The sky was choked with black smoke, and workers were huddled in the assembly area. The local fire department was already there, the sirens making my head throb.
"Sir! You shouldn't be here, it's too dangerous!" my manager shouted, running up to my car as I jumped out.
"How many people are still inside?" I barked, my CEO voice cutting through the noise.
"We think everyone is out, but we're still doing a head count!"
I looked at the blazing building. All I could think about was the family I had waiting for me at home. For the first time in my life, the Watson empire felt less important than the girl in the oversized penguin slippers.
I stayed updated, coordinating with the fire chief and making sure every single employee was accounted for. Every minute felt like an hour. The smoke was stinging my eyes and itching my throat, but I didn't care.
I just needed to finish this. I needed to get back to her.
Because as much as I wanted to save my factory, I realized I'd already burnt down the most important thing I had—her trust. And I wasn't leaving until I had a way to start rebuilding that, too.
++++++++++++++++++++++
🌸💖Hey everyone 🌸💖
For my new story, I think I'll start it after Saturday since I have my exam on Friday 📚😩 Or maybe I'll start it before Friday — but I can't promise regular updates on that one 😭💀
I was thinking about bringing back the idea where Jay leaves Section E and becomes the president of Section B 👑📘 I actually wrote that story on Webnovel before, but I deleted it because it felt boring and I ran out of ideas 😭✍️ But don't worry — I have so many new ideas now 🤭✨
The storyline in my head goes like this (still not final): Jay works with Keifer's dad because he has something Jay wants 🤝💼 In this version, there's no plan with Keifer, so it would feel like a fresh start. But I'm still deciding — part of me wants the plan with Keifer to stay, and part of me doesn't 😭🤷♀️ So let's see what happens.
Story aside... Is it just me, or does it feel like Rabin might not play Yuri in Part 2? 🤔🎬 Think about it — he's Yuri in Mutya (main character) AND he's Drake in Dating Aly's Prez (main lead). Doing two big roles at the same time is CRAZY hard 😭🔥 So either Rabin is leaving one show... or they're pushing back one of the series.
And guys... I think the hate is finally clearing out for Ash 😭💗 I wish I could say the same for Andres, but I'm so, so happy for Ashtine Olviga because she's getting her solo concert in August 🎤✨ She truly deserves it — she's one of the kindest souls ever 🤍🌙
I'm literally so excited. I'm gonna ask my parents if we can visit the Philippines 🇵🇭✈️ And I KNOW my mom will say yes to the concert because she's also an Ashtine fan and section E😭💗