This was a dangerous game. It had been exactly one year since we stood on that cliffside in Japan and promised ourselves to each other. One year since the "Monster's" son became my hubby and I became his weify.
But today, we were just students. Or at least, we were supposed to be.
The university was hauntingly quiet at 11:00 PM. The humid Manila air was thick, and the crickets in the campus gardens were louder than the distant city traffic. I was supposed to be at the "Black Box" mansion, but a cryptic text from Keifer had led me to the gates of the University's Old Museum building.
"The side door is open, honey. Come to the rooftop."
I pushed the heavy oak door open. My heart was thumping against my ribs. I felt like a teenager sneaking out, even though I was a married woman. I climbed the marble stairs, my footsteps echoing in the empty hall, until I reached the roof.
The Secret Oasis
I stepped out and gasped.
The rooftop, which was usually just concrete and old air conditioning units, had been transformed. Thousands of fairy lights were draped like a canopy overhead, mimicking the stars. A table for two was set in the center, covered in white linen, and the smell of fresh Sampaguita flowers filled the air.
Keifer was standing by the edge, looking out at the city lights. He had ditched his usual suit for a simple white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, looking every bit the "Green Forest" hero I fell in love with.
You're late, weify," he whispered, turning around. The look in his eyes wasn't just love—it was worship.
"The security guard almost caught me!" I laughed, running into his arms. He lifted me off my feet, burying his face in my neck.
"He didn't almost catch you," Keifer murmured, his voice a low vibration against my skin. "I paid him a month's salary to take a nap in the guardhouse. For the next three hours, this university belongs to us."
A Toast to the Year
He pulled out my chair with a grace that made my breath hitch. He had ordered my favorite—not the expensive French food from the Marianos' world, but the comfort food we shared when we first met.
"One year," I said, raising my glass of sparkling cider. "One year since you rescued me from the shadow of your father."
"And one year since you rescued me from becoming him," Keifer replied, his face turning serious. He reached across the table, taking my hand. "People think I'm the one protecting you, Jay. But every time Keigan and Keiran call you Mumma, or every time you call me hubby, it reminds me that I'm not a monster. I'm just a man who belongs to you."
The Anniversary Gift
As the clock struck midnight, marking the exact moment we had signed our papers a year ago, Keifer reached into his pocket.
He didn't pull out a ring—I already had the best one. Instead, he handed me a small, old-fashioned key.
"What's this, babe?"
"It's to a small clinic in a village two hours from here," he said softly. "I bought it in your name. It's fully funded. When you graduate and become the surgeon I know you'll be, you won't have to work for my hospitals or your father's. You'll have your own place to heal people who can't afford it."
I felt tears sting my eyes. He wasn't just giving me jewelry; he was giving me my dream. He was supporting the woman I wanted to be, not just the wife he wanted to keep.
"You're too good to me, hubby," I sobbed quietly, moving from my chair to sit in his lap.
The Near-Miss
We were lost in a kiss—the kind of kiss that made the rest of the world disappear—when the heavy rooftop door suddenly creaked.
"Hello? Is someone up here?"
It was the voice of a student—probably a late-night library crawler or a campus journalist.
Keifer didn't panic. He moved with the speed of a predator, pulling me behind a large stone pillar and shielding my body with his. He pressed a finger to his lips, his eyes dark and intense. We stood perfectly still, our chests heaving in unison.
The student walked past our hiding spot, flashlight beam dancing off the fairy lights. "That's weird... I thought I saw lights..."
After a few tense minutes, the footsteps faded away.
The Escape
Keifer let out a breath and looked down at me, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. "I think that's our cue to leave before we end up on the front page of the school paper."
We packed up quickly, laughing like kids as we snuck down the back stairs. When we reached the black SUV waiting at the curb, the Section E boys were nowhere to be seen—Keifer had given them the night off to ensure our privacy.
As we drove back toward the "Black Box" in Tagaytay, I watched the moon follow us over the mountains.
"Happy anniversary, honey," I whispered, leaning my head on his shoulder.
"Happy anniversary, weify," he said, taking the long way home just so he could spend a few more minutes alone with me in the dark. "Here's to a hundred more."
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