JAY JAY POV
"I heard your conversation with Hazel," I admitted, the words finally coming out.
His eyes widened instantly. For a second, that cool, collected CEO mask slipped, replaced by a look of genuine panic.
"Don't listen to anything she says. She is stupid," Keifer said quickly, his voice urgent.
I just stayed quiet, listening to him, watching the way his jaw tightened.
"Ever since we were kids, she has had a missing brain cell which tends to make her say stupid stuff," he continued, his grip tightening as he pulled me even closer. He took my hands and held them firmly against his bare chest, basically trapping me there as if he was scared I was going to punch him—or worse, run away.
I smiled. Gago. He's actually nervous. The great Mark Keifer Watson is scared that I'd believe a woman who probably thinks Filipino is a type of designer bag.
"Why are you smiling?" he asked, his voice low and suspicious, his eyes searching my face for any sign of a hidden suitcase or a breakup speech.
I let my hands rest on his chest, feeling the steady, heavy thud of his heart. It felt like a drumbeat playing just for me.
"Do you really need an heir, though?" I asked him, my voice tilting into a teasing whisper. "Is that what you're worried about? That the heir-maker is going to quit her job?"
Keifer suddenly went still. The air in the room seemed to thick as he looked at me, his intensity shifting from panic to something deep, dark, and possessive. Without saying a word, he pulled me even closer, dragging my body against his until I could feel the heat radiating off his skin.
KEIFER POV
The word heir sounded so cold when it came from Hazel's mouth, but coming from Jay-Jay, it felt like a punch to my gut.
I didn't answer right away. I just tightened my hold on her, burying my face in the crook of her neck. I breathed in the scent of her hair, letting the reality of her being here, safe in my arms, settle my frazzled nerves.
"I don't need an heir, Jay," I rasped, my voice muffled against her skin. "I don't care about the next generation or the Watson bloodline. If the empire falls apart because I didn't produce a successor for the board members, then let it burn."
I pulled back just enough to look her in the eye. I wanted her to see the truth in mine.
"I only need you," I said firmly. "I married you because I couldn't imagine waking up and not seeing your messy hair on the pillow next to mine. I married you because you're the only person who calls me out on my crap and looks at me like I'm more than just a bank account."
I ran my thumb over her bottom lip, watching carefully as her breath hitched.
"If we have children one day," I continued, my voice softening, "it won't be for the Group. It'll be because I want a little version of you running around this house, probably screaming about fried chicken and pancakes. But until then... and even after that... you are the only priority I have."
JAY-JAY POV
I felt like my heart just did a backflip, a somersault, and then landed in a puddle of melted chocolate. Gago. How does he say things like that with a straight face while looking so handsome? It's a biological hazard!
"A little version of me?" I managed to squeak out, my face turning a shade of red that probably matched the emergency exit signs at school. "Keifer, a little version of me would be a disaster. They'd be failing Math and trying to eat the classroom decorations."
Keifer chuckled, the vibration of his chest tickling my palms. He leaned in, nipping gently at my earrobe before whispering, "Then I'll hire the best tutors in the world. And I'll buy them all the decorations they want to eat."
I laughed, the last of the tension from Hazel's phone call disappearing into the morning air. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss—one that definitely didn't have anything to do with business.
"Fine then," I murmured against his lips. "But for the record... if we have a kid and they inherit your grumpy CEO face, I'm making you take them to all the parent-teacher meetings. I'm not dealing with two of you."
"Deal," he whispered, a triumphant smile finally breaking across his face
KEIFER POV
The room was quiet now, the only sound being the soft hum of the air conditioner and the steady beat of our hearts. I held her closer, my chin resting on her shoulder as I inhaled the scent of her skin.
"What were you gonna tell me before the disturbances for the past two weeks?" I asked, my voice dropping to a low, husky whisper right against her ear. I could feel her shiver against me, a reaction that sent a surge of satisfaction through my chest. "No cats, no brothers, and no phone calls. Just tell me, Jay."
I pulled back just enough to look at her. Her eyes were searching mine, and I could see the battle between her shy Teacher self and the girl who had spent the last two weeks taking care of my heart.
JAY-JAY POV
Gago. Why does his voice have to do that? That low, vibrating thing that makes my knees feel like they're made of literal jelly?
He was looking at me with so much focus, like I was the only thing in the world that mattered
I swallowed hard, my palms getting sweaty against his bare chest again. I knew I couldn't run this time. The cat was out of the bag (and hopefully out of the fountain). If I didn't say it now, I was going to explode.
"I was gonna tell you that—" I started, my voice cracking slightly. I stopped, took a deep breath, and looked him right in those dark, intense eyes.
"I was going to tell you that I'm a total idiot," I whispered, a small, nervous laugh escaping me. "Because even when you're being a bossy, grumpy, possessive gago who orders too much food and scares my brothers... I still want to be the one making you pancakes. For the rest of our lives."
I gripped the skin of his shoulders, my face heating up so much I was surprised the smoke alarm wasn't going off.
"I love you, Keifer. Truly. Not because of the house or the Watson name, but because... because you're mine."
The silence that followed was so loud I could hear my own pulse. I held my breath, waiting for him to say something, to laugh, or even just to kiss the air out of my lungs.
KEIFER POV
The world stopped.
I've closed deals worth billions. I've survived fires and family wars. But nothing—absolutely nothing—had ever hit me as hard as those few words coming from her mouth.
I love you.
I felt a weight I hadn't even realized I was carrying finally fall away. I didn't say anything at first; I couldn't. My throat felt tight, and my vision blurred for a split second. I just stared at her—at my Jay-Jay—who was looking at me with so much honesty it was almost blinding.
"Say it again," I rasped, my hand moving to the back of her neck, pulling her so close our foreheads were touching.
"I—I love you," she repeated, her voice stronger this time, though she was still blushing like a tomato. "Don't make me say it a third time, Keifer, or I'm charging you for the embarrassment."
I didn't wait for a third time. I crashed my lips against hers, pouring every ounce of the love I felt—the kind that didn't fit into boardrooms or business plans—into that kiss.
"I love you too, Jay," I whispered against her lips, my voice thick with emotion. "More than the Group, more than the pancakes, more than anything. You're stuck with this gago forever."
She let out a happy, muffled sob and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down onto the pillows with her. For the first time in my life, I didn't care about being the King of the Watson empire.
I was already exactly where I wanted to be.
I pressed my forehead against hers, my hand tangling in her hair as I pulled her into me until it felt like our heartbeats were one.
"I love you so fucking much," I whispered against her lips.
The words felt raw, finally breaking free after being locked behind my pride for so long. I felt her breath hitch, her entire body shivering under my touch. For a man who usually has every word calculated, saying that felt like the most honest thing I'd ever done.
I kissed her again, deeper this time, trying to show her that she wasn't just "the teacher" or the wife or a simple girl. She was my anchor.
JAY-JAY POV
I felt like my brain had officially melted and turned into strawberry syrup. Gago. His voice was so deep and shaky, and the way he said it—like he was confessing a secret to the universe—made my toes curl under the duvet.
"Keifer," I breathed out, my head spinning. I wrapped my arms around his bare neck, pulling him closer as if I could melt right into his chest.
I've spent so much time worrying about whether I belonged in his world.
But hearing him say that... hearing the way his heart was thumping like a frantic drum against my own...
It was the best lesson I'd ever learned.
"You're really dramatic, you know that?" I whispered against his lips, though I was smiling so hard my cheeks ached. "You're lucky I love you back, Watson. Otherwise, I'd have to report you for unprofessional conduct in the bedroom."
He let out a low, rough laugh, his eyes glowing with a light I knew was reserved only for me.
"Report me all you want, Teacher," he murmured, his lips grazing my jawline. "I'm not letting you go. Ever."
Gago. I really am the luckiest girl in the world.
"Fine," I huffed, hugging him tight. "But you're still making those heart-shaped pancakes. And I want them with extra chocolate chips. Consider it a fine for the swearing."
"Deal," he whispered, kissing my forehead before pulling me back down into the pillows.
For the first time in a long time, the house was quiet. No brothers, no doctors, no cousins. Just us. And honestly? I didn't even mind that I was still in my pajamas.
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