JAY JAY POV
Percy kept hammering on the wood, and on the third obnoxious round of knocks, I finally yanked the door open just to glare at him.
He didn’t even wait for an invitation.
He strolled right past me with a loaded plate in his hands and made himself comfortable in the middle of my bed.
For half a second, I thought the asshole actually brought the dinner up for me.
But of course not.
He dug a spoon straight into the rice, shoveled a massive bite into his mouth, and started chewing with complete satisfaction.
“What?” Percy asked around a mouthful of food, blinking innocently.
I glared daggers at him, my stomach betraying me with a loud, pathetic rumble.
Defeated and exhausted, I dragged myself over and dropped onto the edge of the mattress beside him.
Without missing a beat, Percy scooped another spoonful and held it right up to my lips.
My pride told me to slap it away, but my brain was running on pure starvation mode.
I gave in, opened my mouth, and let him feed me without overthinking it.
God, I was hungry.
Percy burst out laughing.
“What?” I mumbled around the bite, genuinely confused.
“If you were that starving, why didn’t you just come down to the kitchen?” he asked, smirking.
“I think that question answers itself,” I grumbled, but I didn’t stop him when he lifted another spoonful toward me.
This was our stupid little ritual.
Whenever one of us had a massive blowup with the family, the other would show up with food and spoon-feed peace offerings until the yelling stopped.
It had been that way since we were kids.
“You know what you guys are doing is completely wrong, right?” I asked quietly, looking straight into his eyes.
Percy paused for a second, then gave a slow, reluctant nod.
“I don’t understand why you hate Keifer so much.”
I went completely still, looking down at my hands.
“All of us are swimming in the exact same bloody world, Jay,” Percy continued, his voice softer now, almost pleading for an explanation.
“Dad, Aries, me, Keifer. So why do you hate him more than the rest of us?”
I stayed quiet, letting the silence swallow the room, because saying the real reason out loud felt like bleeding all over again.
“Forget about it,” I told him, looking away.
Percy studied my face for a second, then gave a quiet nod and let it drop.
He knew when to push and when to leave me alone.
“So, your engagement will be announced next week,” Percy said, setting the empty plate on my nightstand.
“At the Marianos’ hundredth anniversary gala.”
I just nodded, my throat too tight to give him a real response.
Once we finished eating, Percy ruffled my hair, took the plate, and finally left the room.
I collapsed backward onto my bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling.
My mind was spinning out of control.
I haven’t spoken to Keifer in a really long time.
Years, honestly.
But even without speaking to him, his face was practically unavoidable.
I still see clips of him all over TikTok, Instagram.
looking lethal in tailored black suits, surrounded by bodyguards, towering over crime syndicate tables.
What drives me insane are the people online who actually ship us.
High society blogs and party pages constantly post old photos of us together, obsessing over the idea of the Mariano princess and the Watson king.
I have no idea how anyone can still have hope for that fantasy.
We didn’t even date back then.
Before things could ever get that far, I opened my eyes and realized the kind of cold-blooded killer he really was.
Maybe that was the real reason I pulled away so violently.
I didn’t want to end up hating him the way I resent the blood on Papa’s hands, or Aries’ hands.
Percy, on the other hand, is just ridiculous, loud, and stupid, which makes it almost impossible for my brain to picture him covered in someone else’s blood, even though I know he is just as deadly.
But Keifer?
Keifer was built for the dark.
Just go to sleep, Jay Jay, I told myself, curling onto my side and pulling the blanket up to my chin.
Just close your eyes.
KEIFER POV
I couldn’t fucking sleep.
Every second ticking on that grandfather clock felt like someone dragging a blade across my skull.
How the hell was I supposed to just sit here waiting for word from the Marianos?
I knew the answer was going to be a yes.
Jasfher had no real choice, and Aries was completely on my side, so was Percy.
But fuck, I needed to hear the confirmation with my own ears.
I needed to know if she gave in.
It has been years since I last heard her voice, years since I last spoke to her, and every single second of that separation eats me alive.
All of it because of that piece of shit Yuri.
The heavy mahogany doors swung open, and David walked into the study.
He is practically the only man in this rotten underground empire I trust with my life.
“Did you receive any news yet?” David asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the bookshelf.
“No, and I’ve been waiting for hours,” I growled, sinking back into my leather chair and dragging a hand over my face.
Before David could answer, Honey stepped into the office with a tablet clutched against her chest.
She is useful, and she runs my network like a machine, but she is completely unhinged and has a hair-trigger temper.
She is a loyal ally, but I wouldn’t trust her with my life the way I trust David.
“What did they say?” I demanded, leaning forward instantly.
” Jasfher called,” Honey said, pausing for theatrical effect.
“She agreed.”
“FUCK YES!”
The chair flew backward as I shot to my feet.
A raw, manic laugh ripped out of my throat.
I practically lunged at David, throwing an arm around his neck and violently shaking his shoulders with enough force to rattle his teeth.
“Fuck, David! My Jay Jay agreed to marry me!” I yelled, grinning like a madman as I shoved him back.
“My fucking sweet Jay Jay is going to be my wife! She is mine. Finally fucking mine!”
“Keifer,” Honey cut in.
Her tone immediately killed the high.
I snapped my head toward her, my jaw clenching.
“What?”
“They specifically mentioned she wasn’t happy about it,” Honey said cautiously, eyeing me like I was a bomb about to detonate.
“At all.”
A slow, vicious smirk spread across my face.
I walked over to the bar cart, poured a heavy measure of whiskey into a crystal tumbler, and downed it in one smooth burn.
“Of course she isn’t happy,” I murmured, staring at the amber glass in my hand.
“She hates the monster she thinks I am. But trust me, once that ring is on her finger and she is living under my roof, she will never want to leave me. I will make damn sure of it.”
I looked out into the night, letting the promise settle into my bones.
She was coming home.