DEPARTURE PREP: THE WEEK OF CHAOS AND JOKES
Jay's POV
The mansion was alive—well, alive in the way a fortress alive with assistants and security can be alive. Eli was checking itineraries like a general planning a covert operation.
Chloe was pacing while making notes on who was packing what. Seb and Leo were… well, mostly trying to see who could trip over luggage first.
"Stop staring at my suitcase like it owes you money," I said to Leo, who was clearly debating the merits of packing just socks and leaving the rest behind.
"I'm making sure your clothes survive London. Some of these fabrics could file for asylum if treated poorly," he said with mock seriousness.
"I don't think clothes have that right in England," Seb quipped, and Chloe groaned.
I smiled faintly. Despite everything—the plan, the secrecy, Kiefer lurking somewhere in my thoughts—their energy was contagious. Somehow, laughter sneaked in between the briefings and the prep checklists.
"JayJay," Eli said sharply, holding her tablet like a shield, "you do realize that once we're on the plane, no one can leave. You all have to remain… coordinated."
I raised an eyebrow. "Coordinated, or choreographed?"
"Call it what you want," she said, clearly annoyed by my joke.
Chloe leaned over and whispered, "If we start choreographing, Seb will try to salsa in the aisle."
"And that would be my audition for 'most heroic CEO in emergency situations,'" Seb said with a flourish.
Mateo, of course, rolled his eyes, muttering, "You're all hopeless."
I couldn't help but smirk. It was absurd—preparing for London with a global empire waiting, but these idiots around me made it slightly tolerable.
.........
Keifer's POV
The thing about leaving for London is… you can't escape yourself.
I'd spent hours going through security protocols, inheritance plans, and tracking potential threats. And yet, my mind kept wandering back to Jay Jay. The way she held herself. The way she'd been quiet today, her notebook open like a shield.
And yes, that tiny moment when she almost… almost let herself slip.
I slammed my laptop shut and muttered,
"Focus, Kiefer. She's fine. She doesn't know. She will be fine. You are the villain. Remember?"
It sounded ridiculous even as I said it. And maybe that was the point. The world was ridiculous. But in ridiculousness, there was survival.
Tomorrow, the jet. Today, chaos with lawyers, checklists, and my own simmering nerves.
.....