The university cafeteria was loud, a chaotic mix of clattering trays and shouting students, until Jay walked in. Then, the volume dropped by half.
It was the "Jay Effect."
Jay was breathtaking. He wasn't just handsome; he was pretty in a way that made people stupid. He was slim, his body moving with a careless, feline grace. His skin was flawless, pale porcelain that looked like it had never seen a bad day, and his hair was a messy, fluffy brown halo. But it was the eyes—stormy grey, framed by thick lashes—that hooked you. When he smiled, which he was doing now, it was a weapon. It was the kind of smile that could ruin your life, and you'd thank him for it.
"Stop walking like you're on a runway, you narcissist," Lara shouted, waving a french fry from a corner table. She was a ball of chaotic energy, Jay's ride-or-die since freshman year.
Jay slid into the seat opposite her, ignoring the three different guys and two girls who were openly staring at him with their mouths half-open.
"I can't help it if I have Main Character energy." Jay grinned, stealing her fries. "It's a burden, really. Being this iconic is exhausting."
"You're a brat," Lara laughed, slapping his hand. "But seriously, look around. The tea is hot today. Everyone is whispering."
"Let them whisper," Jay said, popping a fry into his mouth. "I'm trending. As usual."
"They're not whispering because you're pretty, idiot. They're whispering because the news leaked," Lara lowered her voice, leaning in. "Is it true? Are you really marrying Prince Kael? The 'Monster'?"
Jay's smile didn't falter, but his eyes went flat for a millisecond. "Yup. Confirmed. I'm entering my Royal Era."
"Jay, what the fuck?" Lara hissed. "He's terrifying! The rumors? They say he's a sadist. That he breaks people. Why did you agree? Your brother, Leo, is perfectly healthy! Why didn't he take one for the team?"
"Leo has a future," Jay said casually, resting his chin on his palm. "He's taking over the company. He's got a girlfriend. He's got... time."
Jay tapped his own chest, right over his heart.
"My warranty is expiring, bestie. Remember?"
Lara's face softened, her eyes filling with worry. "Don't joke about that."
"I'm not joking. I'm being real," Jay shrugged.
"Doctor said my heart is a ticking bomb. Could blow today, could blow next month. My dad died last month from the same shit, and look at the mess he left. The business is tanking, Mom is stressing..."
He took a sip of Lara's soda. "The King promised Dad he'd take care of one of us. So, I volunteered. The Blackwoods get the political clout, Mom gets the business saved, and I get to live in a castle until my heart finally rage-quits. Win-win."
"You're insane," Lara shook her head, though she looked like she wanted to cry. "You're treating your life like a meme."
"Life is a meme, Lara. It's a bad comedy," Jay winked. "Besides, how bad can the Prince be? Just another rich, entitled fuckboy. I'll handle him."
Suddenly, a tall, muscular guy from the football team walked up to the table, looking nervous. He was holding a rose he'd probably stolen from the campus garden.
"Uh, hey, Jay," the guy stammered, blushing hard. "I... I was wondering if you wanted to go to the party tonight? With me?"
The cafeteria went silent. Everyone watched.
Jay looked up, his grey eyes sparkling with mischief. He tilted his head, giving the guy a slow, devastating once-over that made the jock turn bright red.
"You're cute," Jay purred, his voice like honey. He reached out, taking the rose and twirling it. "Solid 8 out of 10."
The guy beamed. "So... yes?"
"No," Jay grinned, snapping the stem of the rose in half. "I'm taken, babe. Engaged to the Crown Prince. Maybe in my next life, though? If I don't come back as a cat."
He dropped the broken flower on the table. "Bye now."
The guy looked crushed, shuffling away as the cafeteria erupted in whispers again.
"You are evil," Lara giggled, though she looked impressed. "You enjoy breaking hearts."
"I don't do relationships, Lara. You know that," Jay said, his voice dropping, the humor fading just a little. "What's the point of dating someone when I'm just going to die on them? That's cringe. I'd rather keep it casual."
He checked his phone. "Anyway, I gotta go. The Royal Guards are picking me up in an hour. Apparently, I have to go meet my 'future husband'."
"You're not scared?" Lara asked, grabbing his hand. "Seriously, Jay. He's dangerous."
Jay stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He looked like an angel—fragile, beautiful, and completely unbothered.
"Scared?" Jay scoffed. "Lara, I'm walking around with a heart that's trying to kill me every single second. A moody Prince in a suit? Please. That's barely a mid-level boss fight. I'm gonna go wreck his life."
He blew her a kiss and strutted out of the cafeteria, leaving a trail of broken hearts and stunned silence in his wake.
Jay walked into the family mansion, tossed his expensive designer jacket onto the foyer floor, and kicked off his shoes. He looked flawless—hair perfectly messy, outfit curated to look effortlessly chic—but he was home now, so the mask could slip just a fraction.
"I'm home!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the high ceilings. "The Royal Date was a flop!"
His mother, Eleanor, came rushing out of the drawing room, clutching a handkerchief. She looked exhausted, the stress of her husband's death and the failing business carved into the lines of her face. Behind her was Leo, Jay's older brother—tall, broad-shouldered, and looking like he wanted to punch a wall.
"Jay!" Eleanor gasped, reaching out to touch his face, checking his temperature like he was five years old. "You're back so soon? It's barely been an hour. Did... did something happen? Did you faint?"
"Chill, Mom," Jay said, letting her fuss over him. "My heart didn't stop. I didn't even get to use my charm. The Prince didn't show up."
Leo stepped forward, his jaw tight. "He what?"
"He ghosted me," Jay said, walking past them into the living room and flopping onto the couch. "I sat at that fancy French restaurant for forty-five minutes. Drank two waters. Ate a breadstick. No Prince Kael. The waiter looked at me like I was a charity case. It was giving... humiliation."
"That arrogant prick," Leo growled, pacing the room. "He demands the marriage, demands the meeting, and then leaves you sitting there? Who does he think he is?"
"He thinks he's the Crown Prince," Jay said dryly, pulling out his phone to check his socials. "And technically, he is. So he can do whatever the fuck he wants."
A servant, an older woman named Martha who had known Jay since he was a baby, quietly placed a glass of water and a small pill bottle on the table. She looked at him with sad, fearful eyes.
"Master Jay... your medicine," she whispered.
"Thanks, Martha," Jay smiled at her—a genuine, soft smile, not the flirtatious one he used on the world. He popped the pill, swallowing it with a grimace.
The room went silent. The pill bottle was the elephant in the room.
"You look pale," Eleanor said, sitting next to him, gripping his hand. "Is your chest hurting? Are you short of breath?"
"Mom, I'm fine. I'm always pale. It's my aesthetic," Jay lied smoothly. He squeezed her hand. "Stop panicking. The ticker is still ticking."
Leo stopped pacing and looked at them, his expression serious. "We have to be careful, Jay. We have to make sure... we have to make sure they don't find out."
"About the heart failure?" Jay raised an eyebrow. "Kind of hard to hide when I can't run up a flight of stairs without seeing Jesus."
"It's not a joke, Jay!" Leo snapped, though his voice cracked with desperation. "If the Royal Family finds out you have Cardiomyopathy... if they find out your heart is functioning at, what? Twenty percent?"
"Fifteen on a bad day," Jay corrected helpfuly.
"If they know you're... sick," Leo continued, unable to say the word dying, "they will cancel the contract. King wants a consort, not a... liability. And without this marriage, the business collapses. Dad's legacy is gone. We lose everything."
"I know," Jay said. He looked at his mother. "That's why I'm doing it. I'm going to marry him. I'll play the role."
"The King assured us," Eleanor said, her voice trembling as she tried to convince herself. "He told me.. he said the rumors about Prince Kael are exaggerated. He said Kael is just... intense. Stern. But he will provide for you. We will tell them about your condition on right time. You'll have the best doctors in the palace. Maybe... maybe they can fix you."
Jay looked away. Fix me. There was no fixing a heart that was simply giving up. He was a battery running on 1%. But he wouldn't tell her that. He wouldn't break her hope.
"Sure, Mom," Jay lied. "Royal doctors. Best in the world. Maybe I'll live forever."
"We just have to get you down the aisle," Leo said, rubbing his temples. "Once the papers are signed, the merger happens. The stocks stabilize. Then... if you get sick later... well, they can't annul it then."
"So I'm scamming the Prince," Jay grinned, the mischief returning to his grey eyes. "I'm catfishing him. He thinks he's getting a healthy trophy husband, and he's actually getting a terminal patient with a bad sense of humor. Honestly? It's kind of a vibe."
"Jay, please," Eleanor whispered, teary-eyed.
"Okay, okay. Sorry," Jay stood up, stretching carefully. "I'm gonna go to my room. Being stood up is exhausting. Don't worry about the Prince. If he wants to play games, I'm the final boss. He has no idea what's coming."
As Jay walked up the stairs, taking them slowly, one by one, holding the railing tight to hide the fact that he was already out of breath, he heard his mother sobbing quietly downstairs.
He paused, his hand clutching his chest where his heart fluttered—a weak, erratic rhythm.
"Don't worry, Mom," he whispered to himself.
"I'll make sure the Prince remembers me long after I'm gone."