The courthouse was busier than usual. Lawyers, clients, and assistants moved quickly through the marble halls, each absorbed in their own tasks. Jay walked ahead of Percy and Jane, flipping through her files and barely noticing the crowd.
Keifer, however, followed at a discreet distance. His eyes flicked constantly to every figure in the hallway—especially anyone who lingered too long or seemed out of place. The photo of the warning letter weighed on his mind. Someone had threatened Jay. He couldn't let anything happen.
A man in a dark coat leaned near the staircase. His posture relaxed, but his gaze was fixed on Jay.
Keifer noticed immediately.
Not today, he thought.
He moved silently, closing the distance between himself and the figure without drawing attention.
Jay glanced up from her files and saw Keifer approaching from behind.
"Oh great, here comes the golden boy again," she muttered under her breath, assuming he was there to micromanage her work like yesterday.
She frowned, then turned back to her notes.
Keifer's expression was unreadable as he stepped slightly in front of her path, blocking the man without making it obvious.
"Keifer, what are you—?" Jay began, annoyed.
He cut her off quietly. "Step back."
Jay blinked. "Excuse me?"
The man in the dark coat made a subtle move toward the stairs.
Keifer tightened his stance. "Stay behind me."
Jay's eyes widened. "What? Why? You're acting insane."
Keifer didn't answer. He was focused.
The man hesitated, then quickly slipped out the side door of the courthouse.
Jay frowned, her arms crossed. "You… you didn't even tell me anything! Why are you acting like you own the place?"
"I'm protecting you," Keifer said bluntly.
Jay's face hardened. "Protecting me? I can handle myself, thank you very much! I don't need you hovering over me every second!"
Keifer's jaw tightened. He wanted to explain about the letter, about the threat, about how dangerous this all could be—but he couldn't.
Not yet.
"You wouldn't understand," he muttered instead.
Jay huffed and stepped around him, glaring. "Try me sometime, Keifer."
Keifer watched her walk away, frustrated and helpless.
Percy and Aries Step In
Percy and Aries had seen part of the interaction from behind a corner.
Percy whispered to Aries, "See? I told you he's acting weird. He's watching her like a hawk."
Aries nodded, frowning. "Yeah… and she's clearly misreading him. We need to make sure she's safe, but Keifer's going to have to calm down before she freaks out completely."
Percy grinned. "Oh, this is going to get dramatic. I can feel it."
Jay returned to her table inside the courtroom, glaring at Keifer across the aisle.
Keifer caught her glare but didn't respond. His mind was on the man outside, on the photo of the letter, on every possible threat.
Jay misread his silence as arrogance. Keifer's silence was vigilance.
Neither of them realized that while they were clashing again, danger was lurking closer than either of them thought.
Luke Reyes watched from the bench, noting the sharp tension between the two lawyers. He leaned back slightly, a small smirk on his face.
Ah, he thought, so this is going to get interesting.