KEIFER POV
I stormed through the doors of my empty penthouse, kicking off my soaked shoes and tearing the drenched black shirt from my chest, letting the wet fabric drop heavily onto the hardwood.
I headed straight for the private bar in the corner of the study.
One bottle of Macallan.
Then another.
I didn’t even bother with a crystal glass, unscrewing the caps and pouring the burning amber liquid straight down my raw throat, bottle after bottle.
I squeezed my eyes shut, praying for the alcohol to finally kick in, praying for the numbness to swallow the ghost of her lips, the taste of her strawberry gloss, and the sight of her shivering behind that bedroom curtain.
Fuck.
It never does.
The burn only sharpens the ache, carving her image deeper and deeper into my skull until it feels like my brain is on fire.
Grabbing the half-empty third bottle by the neck, I staggered across the dimly lit room until I stopped in front of the grand oil portrait hanging in the center of the wall.
It was Jay.
Painted years ago in soft, warm brushstrokes, smiling that gentle, carefree smile she used to reserve only for me.
“Why are you doing this to me, Jay?” I asked her portrait, my voice rough and cracking under the quiet weight of the penthouse.
The painted canvas just stared back, smiling serenely while my entire chest bled out in the dark.
“Why always me?!” I roared at the canvas, the sound tearing out of my lungs, echoing off the high ceilings like a wounded animal.
“Huh?! Why do you hate me so much that every time I get close, all you ever want to do is run the fuck away from me?!”
I raised the heavy glass bottle, breathing in jagged, suffocating gasps, my eyes burning with bitter, unshed tears as I stared into her painted brown eyes.
“Why, Jay?” I yelled, my knees nearly giving out as my voice broke into a jagged, desperate sob.
“All I ever wanted… all I ever fucking asked for in this godforsaken world… was to be loved by you.”
“Every single time I think I’m finally getting close to you, I somehow manage to make you hate me even more,” I muttered, my voice barely above a broken whisper as my legs gave out completely.
I dropped to my knees on the cold hardwood floor, the heavy whiskey bottle slipping from my fingers and crashing against the wall, shattering into dark amber shards and soaking the baseboard.
I buried my face in my trembling hands for a second, drawing in a sharp, ragged breath before looking back up at the portrait towering over me.
“Fuck, Jay… do you honestly think I enjoy forcing you into this marriage?” I said, reaching up with a shaking hand, my fingertips tracing the edge of her painted cheek, feeling only the cold, unyielding canvas.
“Do you think I wanted our marriage to be built on threats and contract papers? It’s just that one damn hope… that tiny, pathetic sliver of hope that maybe, once you have my ring on your finger, once you’re living under my roof… you would finally learn to love me again.”
A bitter, self-deprecating laugh tore out of my throat, tasting like ash and whiskey.
“Selfish? Yeah, maybe I am a selfish, possessive bastard. But tell me, Jay, who else in this entire fucking world has earned the right to be selfish over you? Who else survived the fires with you? Who else would burn the entire city to the ground just to keep you safe?”
I clenched my jaw, my thumb pressing hard against the portrait as the sorrow in my chest hardened back into that terrifying, unyielding iron resolve.
“Mark my words, Jasper Jean,” I whispered into the empty, darkened room, my eyes burning with a dark, lethal promise.
“I will make you love me again… whether you want to or not.”
JAY JAY POV
It had been three whole days since that chaotic night, and I hadn’t spoken a single word to Percy or Aries the entire time.
The truth was, I wasn’t actually mad at them for wanting to kill Yuri.
Let’s be real, my brothers threatening people, waving guns, and plotting homicides was basically just an average Tuesday in the Mariano household.
They knew that, and I knew that.
What I was avoiding was the massive, suffocating, interrogation-style lecture they were bound to give me about running away from the gala, screaming at them in the rain, and whatever happened with Keifer.
So this morning, armed with my work bag and car keys, I tried to tiptoe past the grand foyer to head straight to my architectural office.
“Sit down,” Aries deep, commanding voice suddenly cut through the air from the living room.
I didn’t even look.
I immediately took a deep breath and screamed at the top of my lungs:
“DAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!”
“Dad already left for the docks an hour ago, sis,” Percy said, appearing out of nowhere like an annoying ninja, grabbing my shoulders from behind, and literally shoving me down onto the leather sofa.
“No! No, no, no! I am an adult, an independent career woman, and I will not listen to your stupid lecture!” I yelled, instantly slamming both hands over my ears.
“La la la la la!”
“Jay-jay,” Aries warned, stepping in front of the coffee table, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
“LA LA LA I CAN’T HEAR YOU OOOOOOO!” I shouted back, squeezing my eyes shut and aggressively shaking my head back and forth like a toddler having a tantrum in a supermarket.
“A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H—”
“JAY-JAY!” Percy yelled right into my face, leaning down and practically busting my eardrums because he genuinely thought I couldn’t hear him through my fingers.
“LISTEN TO ME!”
“—I, J, K, L, M, N, O——”
Before I could hit the letter P, Aries had reached down, effortlessly peeled both of my hands off my head, and pinched my left earlobe, giving it a sharp, agonizing tug upward.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” I shrieked, batting at his arm.
“Aries! Let go! Child abuse! Sibling violence! I’m calling the police!”
Percy just crossed his arms, leaning back against the armrest, and gave me the smuggest, most irritating smirk known to mankind.
“Actually, sis,” Percy corrected helpfully, totally unbothered by my screams.
“It’s P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.”
I sat there rubbing my red, throbbing ear, glaring daggers at the useless brother who was genuinely good for nothing except being a massive pain in my ass.
Aries finally stepped back and uncrossed his arms.
“We were actually going to say we’re sorry,” Aries said, his tone shockingly subdued for an international syndicate boss.
“Yeah, right! Might as well kneel down and kiss my shoes while you’re at it, considering you almost ripped my ear off!” I snapped, sticking my tongue out at him.
Aries rolled his eyes so hard I was surprised they didn’t get stuck in the back of his head.
“Here. Peace offering,” Percy chimed in, pulling a king-sized bar of premium Swiss milk chocolate from his suit jacket and presenting it like an olive branch.
“Next time, we promise not to threaten to murder people right in front of your delicate eyes. Deal?”
My anger vanished in 0.2 seconds.
“Deal.”
I happily snatched the bar from his hand, ripped the foil open, and immediately shoved a massive square into my mouth, chewing with pure satisfaction right there on the leather sofa.
Percy casually reached his hand out to break off a corner for himself, but I flashed him a feral, animalistic glare, pulling the candy bar against my chest.
He quickly retracted his hand, muttering something about me being a rabid raccoon.
Then, right while I was chewing happily, Aries ruined the entire vibe.
“What happened between you and Keifer that night?” Aries asked, his deep voice cutting through the crinkle of the foil.
“He looked completely heartbroken standing in that pouring rain, and we heard sobs coming from your bedroom for half the night.”
Percy and Aries exchanged a heavy, meaningful brotherly look across the coffee table.
My chewing slowed down.
The chocolate suddenly tasted like cardboard.
“Whatever happens between me and Keifer is strictly between us,” I said, swallowing the bite, standing up, and finally trying to act like a mature adult though I definitely shoved the rest of the chocolate bar deep into my handbag first so Percy wouldn’t steal it.
“Jay, listen to me,” Aries said, rising to his full, intimidating height and stepping closer.
“If an argument happens behind closed bedroom doors, that’s a couple’s private problem. But when it happens right on our front driveway, outside our family estate, it becomes our problem. Keifer was genuinely hurt that night, Jay. We’ve never seen him look like that.”
An annoying, bubbling wave of irritation flared up in my chest.
Oh, so now my ruthless mafia brothers are the presidents of the Keifer Watson Fan Club?!
“I am the one who is being forced to marry Keifer here!” I shot back, throwing my hands in the air.
“If you’re so damn concerned about his precious little feelings getting hurt, Aries, maybe you should marry him instead of me!”
Aries’ jaw dropped in absolute disbelief, his eyes narrowing into cold, lethal slits.
Percy, on the other hand, burst into such violent, hysterical laughter that his knees completely buckled, collapsing back onto the sofa while clutching his stomach, howling with tears streaming down his face.
Aries raised his hand, fully prepared to smack the back of my head into the next century, but I was already five steps ahead.
I spun around, kicked off my high-speed sprint across the polished foyer, threw the front double doors open, and bolted out to my car before his hand could even touch the air.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hey guys!
I’m honestly so excited for Ashtine’s new series, Flight for My Way!
✈️✨
I wanted to share my thoughts on something that’s been bugging me.
I really don’t understand why some Keepers are feeling so insecure about her new role especially those claiming she shouldn’t take it just because there might be intimate scenes.
Here’s where I stand: I fully support Ashtine and don’t want her stuck with only one onscreen partner.
If she wants to reach higher heights in showbiz, she needs to expand her acting range, and this project is an incredible opportunity for her growth!
We see plenty of actors and actresses who are dating or married in real life film intimate scenes with other co-stars without it impacting their personal relationships.
The only time it becomes an issue is when fans overstep.
Plus, David himself said in interviews that he respects AshDres, and Ashtine already clarified that they’ll focus strictly on promoting the series without unnecessary fanservice.
At the end of the day, if you’re a true fan, you should want to see her thrive, express her talent, and take on new challenges.
Let’s stop being insecure and support her journey!