Three days.
Three days since Jay had spoken to Keifer.
The mansion had become strangely quiet.
Jay laughed with Nana Rosa.
She thanked the maids.
She greeted every guard.
But whenever Keifer entered…
She walked away.
Breakfast.
Keifer sat at the head of the table.
Jay quietly served herself.
She didn’t look at him.
She didn’t even sit across from him anymore.
As soon as she finished eating, she stood.
“I’m done.”
She walked toward the door.
“Jay.”
She stopped for only a second.
Without turning around…
She continued walking.
The dining hall fell silent.
Every servant lowered their heads.
No one had ever ignored Mark Keifer Watson.
Later that afternoon…
Keifer was reading reports in his office.
Not a single word on the page registered.
His thoughts kept returning to one person.
Jay.
Luca entered with a stack of files.
“Boss.”
Keifer signed one document.
“What?”
“You’ve signed the same page three times.”
Keifer looked down.
Luca was right.
He closed the file.
“Leave.”
Luca hesitated.
“Boss…”
“What?”
“I think Madam isn’t angry anymore.”
Keifer looked up.
“She’s hurt.”
Those words lingered in the room.
Evening.
Jay stood on the balcony outside her room, watching the rain.
The bedroom door opened behind her.
She didn’t bother turning around.
Slow footsteps approached.
One.
Two.
Three.
Until she felt his presence behind her.
“Jay.”
No answer.
“You’ve ignored me long enough.”
Silence.
Keifer moved in front of her.
Jay stepped sideways to leave.
He blocked her path.
She tried the other direction.
He stepped there too.
“What do you want?”
Her voice was calm.
“I want you to stop avoiding me.”
Jay looked into his eyes.
“Why?”
Keifer frowned.
“What do you mean, why?”
“You didn’t care when I talked.”
“So why do you care now that I don’t?”
He had no answer.
Jay gave a small, bitter smile.
“I finally did exactly what you wanted.”
“I stay out of your business.”
“I don’t argue.”
“I don’t interfere.”
“I don’t bother you.”
She looked away.
“So…
why aren’t you satisfied?”
For the first time…
Keifer was speechless.
Jay quietly walked around him.
This time…
He didn’t stop her.
He simply watched her disappear down the hallway.
Standing alone on the balcony, Keifer realized something unsettling.
The silence he once wanted…
Had become the one thing he couldn’t stand.
because you are different