Jayjay'sPOV
I didn't wake up until 10:30 a.m. I had zero intention of going to the university today. Since I didn't have my car here, I would have been forced to ride with Keifer, and I wasn't ready to look at his face yet. I was staying away, simple as that.
I walked downstairs in my pajamas, the house feeling eerily quiet. On the dining table, I spotted a plate covered with a lid and a sticky note attached to it. My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly brushed the feeling aside.
"Baby, I know I should have pushed her away but I didn't, so I'm so sorry, darling. I've made breakfast for you, eat well. If it isn't enough, I made some extra food and it's in the fridge—you just need to microwave it. Take care, my queen."
I couldn't help the small, involuntary smile that tugged at the corners of my lips. He knew exactly how much I hated the cooking of the new maids; he had gone out of his way to make sure I was fed. But that didn't mean I was ready to forgive him. I sat down, ate the breakfast he made, and then retreated to my room to check my phone.
Three new messages from Keifer were waiting for me:
From: Keif ❣️
• Baby, have you eaten?
• I'm so, so, so sorry.
• Please forgive me.
I stared at the screen, my thumb hovering over the keyboard, but I locked the phone without replying. I opened Instagram, and there he was again, sending the same messages. I checked TikTok—same thing. Why does he care so much about whether I've eaten?
Suddenly, there was a knock at my bedroom door.
"Come in," I called out. One of the main maids entered, looking slightly hesitant. "Yes?"
"Ma'am, Sir Keifer has sent some food for you," she said.
Before I could even ask what she meant, more maids started filing into my room, balancing a mountain of pizza boxes, bags of fries, and stacked hamburgers. My jaw dropped. Is this guy out of his FREAKING MIND!? How on earth was I supposed to finish all this? Still, I couldn't let it go to waste.
"Ah, thanks," I said, trying to keep my voice neutral. "Just put it on the bed."
They quickly complied and left. The moment the door clicked shut, I dove in. I started eating, turning on my TV to distract myself. I went on a full-blown marathon, binging Monsters vs. Aliens, Beauty and the Beast, and then jumping into series: six episodes of Never Ending Summer, eight of How to Train Your Dragon, five of Unforgettable Love, seven of Speed and Love, and nine of My Demon.
I watched everything on high speed, my brain buzzing between the drama on screen and the mountain of food, successfully avoiding the silence in the house.
Keifer'sPOV.
The evening sun was hitting the university courtyard, but my mind was stuck in a pitch-black storm. Jayjay hadn't spoken a word to me since yesterday. Even this morning, she had told the maids she wasn't coming to university, but she wouldn't talk to me directly. She hadn't even replied to my texts. Every time I closed my eyes, I just saw her standing at the library door, that look of pure heartbreak on her face because of my stupid, frozen, "polite" reaction.
Never again, I swore to myself, my fists clenching so tight around my backpack strap that my knuckles turned white. I didn't care about being polite anymore. Being polite had almost cost me the most important person in my life.
"Keifer! Good morning!"
Ayla's sweet, high-pitched voice echoed across the crowded courtyard. She walked toward me with a smug, satisfied smile on her face, completely aware of the students walking all around us. She looked like she thought she had won. She really thought she had successfully put a wedge between me and my girl.
I stopped dead in my tracks right in the middle of the courtyard. The air around us felt like it instantly dropped ten degrees.k
"Keifer, about yesterday—" Ayla started, stepping closer, reaching her hand out toward my arm.
"Don't touch me," I spat out, my voice dropping to a deadly, razor-sharp hiss that stopped her dead in her tracks.
Ayla froze, her hand hovering in the air as her smug smile faltered into a look of genuine confusion. "What? Keifer, I was just trying to help you with your—"
"Shut up, Ayla," I cut her off loudly, not caring in the slightest that the surrounding students were turning around to look at us. Whispers instantly broke out across the courtyard. "You knew exactly what you were doing. You intentionally crossed the line, and you did it knowing my fiancé was standing right there watching."
Ayla's face went completely pale as she looked around at the crowd of students now staring and whispering. "Keifer, please... everyone is looking. Can we talk about this quietly?"
"No," I said flatly, stepping closer so she could see the absolute, burning fury in my eyes. "Let's make one thing crystal clear to you and anyone else watching. The only reason I didn't push you away yesterday was because my brain couldn't process how someone could be so shameless. You are absolutely nothing to me. You are just a temporary project partner, and the moment we submit those files, you don't exist to me anymore."
Ayla's eyes pricked with tears of absolute humiliation as the students around us started muttering and snickering, pointing at her.
"My loyalty, my respect, my love, and my entire heart belong to Jayjay," I announced, my voice booming across the courtyard so there was no room for any doubt. "If you ever come within five feet of me, look at me, or even breathe in my direction again, I won't just look at you with disgust—I will make sure you are kicked out of this university. Am I clear?"
Ayla couldn't even manage an answer. She let out a choked sob, covered her face with her hands, and scrambled past the whispering crowd in pure, unadulterated embarrassment.
I didn't waste a single second watching her run away. I whirled around and marched straight toward the parking lot. I had a queen to beg for forgiveness, and I wasn't going to let anyone or anything stand in my way. I threw myself into my car and pushed the engine to its limit, driving toward the mansion.
I was coming home to make things right.
Jayjay'sPOV.
After hours of binge-watching and finally getting bored of the screen, I decided it was time to move. My legs were stiff, and the mountain of half-eaten pizza and burger wrappers was starting to make me feel a little guilty. I stood up, stretched, and began slowly exploring the rest of our new house, just wandering from room to room to get a feel for the place where we'd eventually be spending our lives together.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I wandered over to the living room, flopping down onto the plush sofa to check the notification. It was a message from Lara, one of my classmates.
From: Lara
Dude, your fiancé—he literally said what Ayla deserved. The video is attached.
My heart did a little flip. I tapped on the file, and the video started playing. My eyes widened as I watched Keifer in the middle of the courtyard, his face twisted in genuine fury, telling Ayla exactly where she stood. Seeing him stand up for me so publicly, not caring who was watching or who was whispering, made the knot of frustration in my chest finally start to unravel.
He really meant it.
A slow, mischievous smirk spread across my face as I leaned back against the cushions. Part of me felt relieved, and I knew deep down it was time to forgive him. But... I couldn't just make it too easy for him, could I? I decided I wasn't done yet. I wanted to see him squirm just a little longer. It was time to tease him.
The front door creaked open, and Keifer stepped inside. The moment his eyes found me on the sofa, his entire posture relaxed, as if he'd been holding his breath for hours.
"Jay," he breathed, and he was about to rush toward me.
"Don't," I said, putting up a hand to stop him. He froze, looking at me with wide, confused eyes. "I know what you did in the courtyard and..." I muttered the rest of the sentence, not intending for him to actually hear it.
"What? How do you know?" he asked, stepping closer despite my warning.
"Our classmate sent me the video," I said, my voice as steady as I could make it.
"So... am I forgiven?" he asked, hope radiating from his every movement.
"Not yet. You made me cry," I said, crossing my arms firmly across my chest.
"Then tell me, what should I do to earn your forgiveness?" he asked, looking ready to move mountains.
"Go on your knees, grab your ears, and say 'sorry' for 100 times," I said, my lip twitching. He didn't even hesitate.
"Okay," he said, and to my absolute shock, he went down on his knees and grabbed his ears exactly as I'd asked.
"Sorry, Jay,"
"Sorry, Jayjay,"
"Sorry, Jasper Jeen Mariano,"
"Sorry, Ms. Mariano,"
"Sorry, Mrs. Watson,"
"Sorry, my queen,"
"Sorry, baby,"
"Sorry, babe,"
"Sorry, darling,"
"Sorry, sweetie,"
"Sorry, sweetheart,"
"Sorry, love,"
"Sorry, honey,"
"Sorry, my possessive girl,"
"Sorry, my loveliest fiancé,"
"Sorry, my life,"
"Sorry, my everything,"
"Sorry, my angel,"
"Sorry, my fairy,"
"Sorry, my love of my life,"
"Sorry, my light of my eyes,"
"Sorry, my charming queen,"
"Sorry, my gorgeous lady,"
"Sorry, my moon,"
"Sorry, my precious gem,"
"Sorry, my sun,"
"Sorry, my soulmate,"
"Sorry, my star,"
"Sorry, my partner,"
"Sorry, my cloud,"
"Sorry, sunshine,"
"Sorry, my dearest,"
"Sorry, my beloved,"
"Sorry, sweetheart,"
"Sorry, beautiful,"
"Sorry, my princess,"
"Sorry, treasure,"
"Sorry, my heart,"
"Sorry, my joy,"
"Sorry, cutie,"
"Sorry, my rose,"
"Sorry, my dove,"
"Sorry, my wonder,"
"Sorry, my dream,"
"Sorry, my destiny,"
"Sorry, my treasure,"
"Sorry, my inspiration,"
"Sorry, my dear heart,"
"Sorry, my softest soul,"
"Sorry, my quiet storm,"
"Sorry, my radiant one,"
"Sorry, my moonlight,"
"Sorry, my starlet,"
"Sorry, my melody,"
"Sorry, my velvet touch,"
"Sorry, my breath,"
"Sorry, my flame,"
"Sorry, my guiding light,"
"Sorry, my favorite person,"
"Sorry, my serene beauty,"
"Sorry, my gentle grace,"
"Sorry, my wild heart,"
"Sorry, my true north,"
"Sorry, my calm sea,"
"Sorry, my sapphire,"
"Sorry, my morning mist,"
"Sorry, my evening star,"
"Sorry, my wonder girl,"
"Sorry, my shy love,"
"Sorry, my perfect match,"
"Sorry, my riddle,"
"Sorry, my sunshine girl,"
"Sorry, my bright spark,"
"Sorry, my little bird,"
"Sorry, my midnight rose,"
"Sorry, my velvet eyes,"
"Sorry, my quiet prayer,"
"Sorry, my golden girl,"
"Sorry, my heart's keeper,"
"Sorry, my endless dream,"
"Sorry, my sweet escape,"
"Sorry, my favorite view,"
"Sorry, my blooming flower,"
"Sorry, my gentle lady,"
"Sorry, my soft whispers,"
"Sorry, my graceful queen,"
"Sorry, my silver lining,"
"Sorry, my eternal love,"
"Sorry, my dearest friend,"
"Sorry, my shy blossom,"
"Sorry, my warmth,"
"Sorry, my pure heart,"
"Sorry, my lovely shadow,"
"Sorry, my morning glory,"
"Sorry, my nightingale,"
"Sorry, my sweet melody,"
"Sorry, my gentle breeze,"
"Sorry, my lovely wonder,"
"Sorry, my shining grace,"
"Sorry, my one and only."
All the time he was kneeling, I couldn't stop giggling as he came up with a different, sweet nickname for every single apology. I had actually told him to stop at fifty, but he didn't listen—he was determined to earn his way back into my good graces. I had made sure to record every single apology to send to Kuya Angelo later so he would know that my strikes were wiped clean and I was officially back to being happy.
After he finished the hundredth apology, I motioned for him to stand up.
"You are..." I paused, looking deep into his eyes. "...forgiven," I said. He immediately beamed, that bright, relieved smile finally returning to his face.
"My back hurts," he muttered, but I heard him clearly.
"Why? What happened?" I asked, frowning.
"I slept on the floor yesterday," he said, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. I couldn't help it—I reached out and smacked his head.
"You idiot! Why would you sleep on the floor?" I scolded him.
"I don't know, I was just sitting there waiting for you, and I guess I fell asleep without even knowing it," he admitted with a shrug.
"Never do that again," I said firmly, and he nodded quickly.
"To make it up to you, let's go get some ice cream," he suggested. My eyes lit up, and I immediately nodded. "I'll go get changed," I said, and I sprinted toward my room to get ready.
A little while later, as I was finishing up, the lights flickered and went out. A few moments passed before they buzzed back on. I walked downstairs and saw Keifer emerging from his room; we both headed toward the main door. Keifer reached out and turned the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge.
"What?" I asked.
"The door is locked," he said, jiggling the handle harder.
"Let me do it," I said, stepping in to try, but it was completely jammed. We both stared at the door, then back at each other. Suddenly, it clicked. I remembered! I had given all the keys to the main butler earlier and told him to lock everything securely before leaving, since I had given all the other maids the night off.
"Keifer," I said softly, meeting his gaze.
"Don't tell me you told the butler to do this," he said, his eyes widening. I sheepishly nodded.
We both exhaled sharply, looking at the locked door and then at each other. We were stuck together, completely alone in the mansion, with no way out.
The End 🌸.
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