Watson Enterprises was louder than usual that morning.
Not because of noise—but because of tension.
Jay could feel it the moment she stepped into the office. Keifer was already there. Standing by the glass window. Arms crossed. Silent.
Waiting.
"Good morning," Jay said carefully, placing her files on the desk.
Keifer turned slowly. "You're late."
Jay frowned. "I'm on time."
"You were supposed to be here earlier."
She sighed. "That wasn't in my schedule."
His eyes narrowed. "Now it is."
That was it. The air shifted.
Jay crossed her arms. "You can't just change things last minute and expect me to read your mind."
Keifer walked toward her desk. Slow. Controlled.
"I don't expect you to read my mind," he said coldly. "I expect you to keep up."
Jay scoffed. "Then maybe stop making everything impossible."
Silence.
Sharp. Heavy.
Then—
"You think this is impossible?" Keifer asked.
Jay met his gaze. "Sometimes, yes."
That did it.
He dropped a folder on her desk. Hard.
"Board presentation. Today. You will fix it."
Jay blinked. "This is already finalized—"
"Fix it," he repeated.
Her patience snapped. "I'm your secretary, not your punching bag."
Keifer leaned in slightly. "Then act like it."
Their faces were inches apart now.
The office froze.
Even the staff outside the glass walls stopped moving.
Jay lowered her voice. "You don't talk to me like I'm beneath you."
Keifer's eyes darkened. "Then stop acting like you can challenge me."
"I can challenge you."
A beat.
Then Keifer smirked.
That dangerous, quiet smirk.
"Prove it."
Meanwhile…
On the other side of the city, Yuri Hanamitchi was laughing.
"You hired a disaster," Yuri said, watching Keifer through a phone call. "She's arguing with you already?"
Keifer didn't respond immediately. His jaw was tight.
"She's efficient," Keifer said finally.
"That's not what I asked."
Keifer ended the call.
Yuri chuckled. "Interesting…"
At the Mariano House
Jay was venting loudly in the living room.
"I swear, he thinks I'm his robot!" she complained.
Percy leaned back. "Sounds like him."
Aries frowned. "You need boundaries."
"I HAVE boundaries," Jay said. "He just walks through them like they don't exist."
Mama Reycee sighed. "Just be careful, Jay."
Jasfer nodded. "That man is powerful. Don't let pride put you in danger."
Jay softened a little. "I know."
Her phone buzzed.
Keifer: Fix it by 3 PM.
Jay groaned. "I hate him."
But she still stood up and went back to work.
Back at Watson Enterprises
Jay slammed the revised documents on Keifer's desk at 2:59 PM.
"Done," she said flatly.
Keifer flipped through them.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
Jay waited, arms crossed.
Finally—
"…Acceptable," he said.
Jay blinked. "Acceptable?"
He looked up. "Don't get used to praise."
She scoffed. "Don't worry. I don't need it from you."
A pause.
Their eyes met again.
Something unspoken lingered there.
Tension.
Hate.
Something dangerously close to interest.
Keifer spoke first. "You're still late tomorrow."
Jay grabbed her bag. "Try me."
And she walked out.
Keifer watched her leave.
For the first time—
he didn't look annoyed.
He looked curious.