Jays POV
The mirror did not lie, but today, I barely recognized the woman staring back at me.
Gone was the silk wedding gown from twenty-four hours ago. Gone was the flushed, breathless girl who had tangled herself in Keifer's sheets, hiding her face from his low, early-morning teasing.
In her place stood the Commander. The CEO. The woman who had bled on concrete and signed deals in boardrooms thick with the scent of old money and fresh gunpowder.
I smoothed the lapels of my tailored business suit. It fit like a second skin—sharp, unyielding, and armor-thick. I pulled my hair back into a leaving them independent. My makeup was minimal.
(Check comment)
Beneath the flawless fabric of my sleeve, my wrist throbbed with a phantom itch. My phone sat face-down on the marble vanity.
"I'm coming tomorrow, princess."
The words were burned into the back of my eyelids. I didn't need to look at the screen again. I knew the weight of that voice. I knew the meaning behind the message.
The storm was here. And I had to meet it on my feet.
"You're overthinking again," a deep, smooth voice rumbled from the doorway.
I didn't flinch. I caught Keifer's reflection in the glass. He looked devastatingly handsome, wrapped in a bespoke three-piece black suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and commanding height. He was adjusting his cufflinks, but his dark eyes were fixed entirely on me, tracking the slight tension in my jaw.
"I don't overthink," I lied softly, turning around to face him. "I plan."
Keifer closed the distance between us, his leather shoes clicking softly against the tile. He stopped just inches away, his scent—sandalwood, rain, and expensive cologne—instantly wrapping around me like a protective shield. He reached out, his long fingers gently catching my chin, forcing me to look up into his gaze.
"You've been in battle mode since breakfast, Jay," he said, his voice dropping an octave, laced with a quiet, fierce intensity. "You smiled for the family, but your eyes are cold. Talk to me."
"It's just the meeting," I murmured, placing my hands against his chest, feeling the steady, reassuring thud of his heartbeat. "Merging five major global enterprises isn't exactly a walk in the park. The board members are going to be wolves today."
Keifer's lips curved into a dangerous, slow smile. He placed his hand over mine, squeezing gently. "Let them howl. They forget who built the cages. But remember what I told you last night—whatever comes through that door, we face it together. No secrets. No solo missions."
I swallowed the lump in my throat, nodding once. "Together."
We walked down to the basement garage in a charged silence. The armored black sedan was already idling, the exhaust echoing quietly in the concrete space.
The driver opened the door, and we slid into the leather interior. As the car pulled out into the bright, chaotic streets of the city, Keifer didn't let go of my hand. He held it in his lap, his thumb tracing soothing circles over my knuckles.
I looked out the tinted window, watching the skyscrapers blur past. My mind was a chessboard, moving pieces three turns ahead.
If he was coming today, the boardroom wouldn't just be a corporate battleground. It would be an ambush.
The car smoothly glided to a halt in front of the towering glass monolith that was the Watson Corporation headquarters.
Flashbulb lights immediately began to pop against the dark windows. Security guards formed a tight, aggressive human wall, pushing back a sea of reporters and photographers who had sniffed out the massive, historical shifting of power about to take place inside.
The driver hurried around and opened the door.
Keifer stepped out first. The moment his tailored boots hit the pavement, the noise of the crowd swelled. He didn't look at them. Instead, he turned back toward the open door and extended his hand to me, his palm open, his posture unmoving amidst the chaos.
I took a deep breath, letting the cold, calculating professional version of myself completely take over. I placed my hand in his. His grip was warm, solid, and absolute.
I stepped out of the car, straightening my posture to my full height.
Keifer looked down at me, a brilliant, proud glint in his dark eyes. "Ready, Mrs. Watson?" he asked, his voice cutting through the external noise with smooth, deliberate clarity.
I met his gaze, my eyes flashing with a fierce, unbreakable confidence. "Always, Mr. Watson."
We walked side by side through the grand glass rotating doors, our hands still tightly clasped. The moment we crossed the threshold into the expansive, marble-clad lobby, the air turned heavy. Hundreds of employees, analysts, and junior executives stood frozen in the open-concept space, watching our arrival.
The whispers began instantly, rippling through the crowd like a wildfire.
"Look at them... they look less like newlyweds and more like an invading army."
"Is it true? Are they actually merging all five families today?"
"She looks completely terrifying. I heard she handled the frontline logistics herself during the final siege."
" Mr. Watson looks like he'd burn the city down if anyone so much as breathes in her direction..."
We ignored them all, walking with synchronized, powerful strides toward the private executive elevator. The silver doors slid open, isolating us from the noise, and began its rapid, silent ascent to the top floor.
When the elevator chimed and the doors opened to the executive boardroom level, the atmosphere shifted from curious whispers to suffocating tension. Two massive, heavy oak doors stood at the end of the hall, guarded by two suit-clad security details.
As Keifer and I approached, the guards gripped the brass handles and pulled the doors open in perfect synchronization.
We stepped inside together.
The sheer scale of the boardroom was intimidating. A massive, polished mahogany table stretched across the room, flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the entire skyline.
Sitting around the table were dozens of high-ranking board members, international investors, and legal advisors, their expressions a mix of anxiety, greed, and calculation.
But at the center of the table sat our core circle. Aries stood near the glass, checking his tablet with a sharp frown. Angelo sat rigidly, his fingers steepled, looking every bit the ruthless patriarch. Yuri was quietly shuffling through a thick stack of legal documents, while Percy and David were speaking in low, hurried tones.
The moment Keifer and I entered, a heavy, universal hush fell over the room.
Without a single word spoken, every single board member, billionaire investor, and executive stood up from their leather chairs.
In a sweeping, collective motion, they bowed their heads deeply in respect. It was a silent acknowledgment of the power dynamic in the room.
We weren't just business executives; we were the survivors and victors of a war that had threatened to tear their financial empires apart.
Keifer and I walked down the length of the room, the sound of our footsteps echoing against the high ceilings. We reached the head of the table, where two imposing, high-backed leather chairs sat side-by-side.
We took our seats simultaneously. The rest of the room followed suit, the rustle of suits and chairs settling back into a tense, expectant quiet.
Honey, cleared her throat and stepped forward, standing near the massive digital projection screen at the front of the room. She adjusted her glasses, her voice clear and completely steady as it amplified through the room's sound system.
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your presence," Honey began, tapping her tablet. The screen behind her lit up, displaying five massive, legendary corporate crests. "We will skip the pleasantries and move directly to the main agenda. Today marks the official execution of the global restructuring initiative. We are here to formalize a historic, unprecedented corporate consolidation."
She paused, letting her eyes scan the pale faces of the board members.
"As of this hours , this morning, JJM Holdings, Watson Corporation, Fernandez Corporation, Mariano Corporation, and the Braselton Group are officially merging their primary assets, operational infrastructure, and security networks into a single, unified global entity for a powerful, multi-trillion-dollar sovereign project."
The announcement hit the room like a physical shockwave.
Gasps broke out. Multiple board members leaned forward, their faces turning completely pale. People exchanged frantic, terrified looks
. A low, chaotic murmur immediately broke out across the mahogany table. This wasn't just a powerful merger—this was a total monopoly. It was the birth of an unstoppable empire that would control the economic and security landscape of multiple continents.
"This is madness!" an older, heavy-set board member near the center of the table muttered, his hands trembling slightly as he looked at Angelo. "A merger of this scale... it completely destabilizes the regulatory balance. You are consolidating total martial and financial authority into a single boardroom!"
Before Angelo could answer, I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the polished wood of the table. The sharp movement instantly drew every eye in the room back to me.
"Wait a minute," I said, my voice smooth, cold, and cutting through the noise like a blade.
The room went dead silent.
"The announcement is incomplete," I continued, tilting my head slightly. "There is one more name that needs to be added to the registry of the unified entity."
From the side of the room, Alex stepped forward, a knowing, dangerous smirk playing on his lips. He threw a fresh folder onto the center of the table. "Add the Reyes Group to the merger profile as a primary stakeholder."
If the room had been shocked before, it was utterly paralyzed now.
"The Reyes Group?!" a cynical, sharp-tongued board member from the far end shouted, slamming his hand down onto the table.
He stood up, looking directly at me with a mocking, patronizing sneer. "Are you out of your mind, Mrs. Watson? The Reyes Group has been a ghost organization for the last three years! Their chairman hasn't been seen or heard from since the international waters incident. Their assets are frozen in litigation, and their leadership is fundamentally non-existent."
He took a step forward, his eyes flashing with a patronizing, arrogant light as he tried to intimidate me in front of the board. "You might have won a man heart ,young lady, but you cannot run a global monopoly using ghost entities and empty chairs. Who is going to sign for the Reyes estate? You? The Reyes Group is a dead weight, and frankly, your sentimental attachments have no place in a corporate merger of this magnitude."
The air in the room instantly dropped to sub-zero temperatures.
Beside me, I felt the terrifying, suffocating aura of Keifer swell. His eyes narrowed into slits, his fingers tightening against the armrest of his chair so hard the leather groaned.
Beside him, Angelo's expression turned utterly lethal, his gaze fixated on the arrogant board member like a predator sizing up a corpse.
But before anyone could speak, before Keifer could order his security to drag the man out by his throat, the massive, reinforced double doors at the back of the boardroom did not just open—they slammed back against the walls with a violent, booming echo.
The sound shattered the tension. Everyone gasped, spinning around in their chairs toward the entrance.
Standing in the doorway, framed by the bright light of the hallway, was a tall, imposing figure. He wore a flawless, midnight-blue bespoke suit that screamed absolute wealth and untamed authority. His dark hair was styled back, his sharp, aristocratic features looking as if they had been chiseled out of stone. His eyes were dark, cold, and entirely void of mercy.
The room froze. It was a deep, terrified paralysis.
"R-Rafael... Reyes..." someone whispered from the back, their voice cracking with pure terror.
Angelo's head snapped up, his entire body going rigid. His eyes widened in a rare, shocking display of disbelief. Beside him, Aries and Percy actually stood up from their chairs, their faces pale as they stared at the man who had supposedly been missing, or dead, for years.
Rafael Reyes walked into the boardroom. He didn't hurry. His steps were slow, heavy, and carried the weight of a man who commanded entire legions.
The sheer, suffocating pressure of his presence made several junior executives actively look down at the floor, unable to maintain eye contact.
He walked past the row of trembling board members, his gaze fixed entirely on the arrogant man who had just mocked me.
Rafael stopped directly behind the man's chair.
The board member was frozen, his mouth open, sweat visibly trickling down the side of his neck. He looked like a man who had accidentally stepped into a cage with a starved lion.
Without saying a word, Rafael reached out, grabbed the back of the man's leather chair, and violently yanked it backward. The chair scraped loudly against the floor, forcing the man to stumble out of it and hit the ground, sprawling awkwardly on his hands and knees.
Rafael didn't even look down at him. He calmly stepped over the man's legs, pulled out the high-backed executive chair, and sat down in it, crossing one long leg over the other. He rested his elbows on the table, interlacing his fingers as he leaned forward, his dark eyes boring into the trembling man on the floor.
"You have a very loud mouth for someone with such a fragile neck," Rafael said, his voice a low, terrifyingly smooth purr that vibrated through the room. "Let me educate you on corporate structure, since your intelligence seems to have degraded over the last few years."
The room was so quiet you could hear the frantic, shallow breathing of the fallen board member.
"The Reyes Group does not have an empty chair," Rafael continued, his eyes flashing with absolute brutality. "I am the chair. And the woman you just referred to as 'young lady' with that pathetic, uneducated sneer happens to hold the majority proxy of my estate. If she tells you to add the Reyes Group to the merger, you take your pen, you sign the document, and you thank God that you are still drawing breath to see the next fiscal quarter."
He leaned closer, his aura expanding until the entire room felt suffocated. "If I hear you, or anyone else in this room, question her authority, her logic, or her right to dictate the terms of this empire ever again... I won't just liquidate your shares. I will liquidate your family's entire existence from the global registry. Do I make myself clear?"
The board member scrambled backward on the floor, nodding frantically, his face completely white. "Y-Yes, Mr. Reyes. Crystal clear. My apologies... my profound apologies..."
Rafael waved a dismissive, bored hand. "Get him out of my sight. He smells of fear, and it's ruining my morning."
Two heavy security guards immediately rushed into the room, grabbed the humiliated board member by his arms, and dragged him out of the boardroom, his pleading cries fading down the hallway before the heavy doors clicked shut again.
Rafael turned his head, his dark eyes finally shifting away from the board and landing on me. A tiny, almost imperceptible soften occurred at the corner of his lips, but it disappeared just as quickly as he looked at the rest of the room.
Keifer leaned forward, his dark eyes locking onto Rafael. The two men stared at each other—two absolute apex predators sharing the same space. The tension between them was palpable, a silent code of mutual respect and terrifying capability.
"Now that the trash has been cleared," Keifer spoke, his voice booming with absolute, undisputed command, "let us establish the new reality of this world. This boardroom no longer operates on votes, consensus, or regulatory approval. The five families—now six—control the supply chains, the private security sectors, the technological infrastructure, and the sovereign capital of the global market."
I stood up, resting my palms flat against the mahogany table, leaning forward so that my gaze swept over every single remaining board member.
"You are not here to negotiate," I said, my voice bold, cold, and ringing with unbreakable authority. "You are here to receive your orders. You will execute the mergers exactly as planned. You will integrate the networks, and you will maintain absolute loyalty to this table. If anyone feels that this arrangement is too restrictive, or if anyone is harboring thoughts of corporate espionage or betrayal..."
I paused, letting the silence hang heavily over their heads.
"The war outside might be over," I whispered, my eyes flashing with a dangerous, lethal light. "But we are exceptionally good at starting new ones. And we do not take prisoners in the boardroom."
Keifer stood up beside me, his towering presence completely finalizing the discussion. "Sign the documents. The meeting is adjourned."
The board members didn't hesitate. With trembling hands, the lead executives scrambled to sign the digital pads in front of them, finalizing the historic merger within a matter of minutes.
Once the data was processed, they practically tripped over themselves to gather their briefcases and escape the room, bowing deeply to Keifer, Rafael, and me as they fled.
Within five minutes, the massive boardroom was completely cleared of outsiders. The heavy oak doors shut with a definitive, solid thud, leaving only our inner circle behind.
The silence that followed was heavy, thick with unresolved questions and sheer shock.
Angelo sat frozen, his gaze locked onto Rafael, his chest rising and falling in sharp, controlled breaths. Aries was staring as if he had just seen a ghost rise from the grave, while Percy looked completely bewildered.
Rafael sat back in his chair, a slow, completely genuine smile breaking across his sharp, aristocratic face. The terrifying, brutal aura he had worn just moments ago completely vanished, replaced by an expression of deep warmth.
He stood up, walking past the long table toward me.
I didn't hesitate. I walked around the head table, abandoning all my corporate stiffness.
"Princess," Rafael murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
He opened his arms, and I threw myself into them. Rafael wrapped his strong arms around me, pulling me into a fierce, protective hug that lifted my feet slightly off the floor. He buried his face in my hair, squeezing me tightly as if confirming I was real, safe, and alive.
"Kuya," I whispered against his shoulder, my voice cracking slightly as the immense weight of the last few years briefly flared up. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you more, little one," he said softly, kissing the top of my head before gently setting me back down on my feet, his hands resting protectively on my shoulders.
"Kuya?!"
The collective, explosive shout shattered the sentimental moment.
I turned around to see Angelo, Aries, and Percy staring at us with wide, completely horrified eyes. Angelo had actually slammed his hands down on the table, his stoic face replaced by utter, unadulterated shock. Percy's jaw was practically on the floor.
"Did you just call him Kuya?!" Aries gasped, pointing a shaking finger at Rafael, then at me.
I looked at the three of them, my cold, ruthless persona completely dissolving. I flashed them a bright, incredibly innocent, and mischievous smile, tilting my head.
"Oh," I said casually, blinking my eyes. "Yeah. Guys, this is Rafael Reyes. He's my Godbrother."
"WHAT?!" they all shouted in unison, their voices echoing loudly off the soundproof glass walls.
Rafael chuckled, a deep, rich sound as he looped a casual arm around my shoulders, drawing me into his side. He looked at the shocked men with an insufferably proud, smug expression. "Yes. I am her Godbrother. The absolute favorite one."
Angelo marched over, his face a mix of deep confusion and irritation, stopping right in front of us. He stared at Rafael, then glared at me, his eyes demanding answers. "Since when, Jay? Since when do you have a Godbrother ?!"
"Since you got your brain," Rafael joked smoothly, winking at Angelo.Angelo's glare turned venomous. He looked like he wanted to punch Rafael through the floorboards. He ignored the joke and fixed his intense, commanding gaze entirely on me. "Jay. Explain. Right now."
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a bit sheepish under his intense brotherly scrutiny. I looked around the room, seeing Aries and Percy crossing their arms, waiting expectantly for an explanation that made sense of the madness.
"I will, Kuya Angelo," I said softly, giving him a pleading look. "I promise I will explain everything. But... can we please do this at home? My brain is completely fried, my muscles still hurt from... well, everything, and I really don't want to recount years of secrets in a corporate boardroom."
I turned my head and looked up at Keifer, who was standing a few feet away. He had his hands in his pockets, watching the entire family dynamic play out with a highly amused, quiet smirk.
"Keifer," I whined slightly, extending a hand toward him. "Take me away from them. Please."
Keifer chuckled, walking over slowly. He looked down at me, his dark eyes dancing with absolute mischief. "Nope," he said smoothly, popping the 'p'.
I blinked, betrayed. "What do you mean, no?"
"I mean, it's going to be fun," Keifer replied, his smirk widening as he glanced at Angelo's furious face and Rafael's amused one. "I've spent the last year being grilled and interrogated by your brothers. It is deeply satisfying to watch someone else sit in the hot seat for a change. I'm staying right here to watch the show."
I stared at my husband, completely horrified by his lack of solidarity. "If I die from the stress of this interrogation, Keifer, please make sure you delete my food ordering history from my tablet. I have reputations to uphold."
Keifer burst out laughing, a rare, beautiful sound that warmed the cold room. He stepped forward, wrapping his arm securely around my waist and pulling me against his side. "You are not going to die, Mrs. Watson."
I looked back at Angelo, whose arms were still crossed, his foot tapping impatiently against the marble floor.Keifer leaned down, whispering against my ear so the others could hear, "Well... maybe you will. Angelo looks like he's about to combust."
He paused, his voice dropping into that deep, fiercely possessive tone I loved. "But don't worry. If you die, I will follow you there also. Hell won't know what hit it when the two of us show up."
Angelo let out a loud, incredibly annoyed sigh, throwing his hands up in the air. "Are you both quite done being dramatic?" he barked, though the tight, dangerous edge in his voice had softened slightly into familiar irritation. "Car. Now. All of us."
Keifer and I flinched simultaneously under his authoritative tone, exchanging a quick, amused look. Without another word, the entire group began to march out of the boardroom.
Keifer kept his arm tightly around my waist, guiding my steps as we made our way back toward the private elevator, leaving the corporate battlefield behind to face the much louder, much more chaotic storm waiting for us at home.
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A/n
Hey my cute reader ❣️
I'm so sorry for not uploading chapter past day. But trust me a lot of thing happened last days.
And I also want to inform you all that currently I'm working on 4 books.And also I'm board student.
So I decided to upload two book daily , if possible. If I get enough time I will be uploading all four or only two. I hope you all will understand me and support me.
And all I want to thank my lovely readers for supporting me and loving the chapters 💝🫂Your review means a lot to me. A special thank to all of you from core of my heart ❤️
See you soon 💕
Bye 👋
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