KEIFER POV
She's feisty. I'll give her that.
Most people see the Watson name and start choosing their words like they're walking on eggshells. But this girl? She looks like she's ready to throw my own folder at my head.
I slowly let go of her wrist, feeling the lingering warmth of her skin. She didn't run away—not yet, at least. She glared at me, her chest heaving as she reluctantly sat back down, smoothing out her skirt with trembling hands.
"Asshole," she muttered under her breath.
I felt a tug at the corner of my lips. A smile. An actual, genuine smile. I quickly forced my expression back to its usual neutral mask, settling back into my seat.
Wait. Why am I smiling? This girl just insulted me in a public place—after I basically cleared the whole cafe for this meeting—and my first instinct is to find it amusing?
Maybe Keiran was right. Maybe I am losing my edge.
"I heard that, Jay-jay," I said, my voice calm, contrasting the fire in her eyes. "And for the record, it's not stalking. It's due diligence. If I'm going to invest my time and my family's reputation into someone, I need to know exactly what I'm dealing with."
"I am not an investment!" she snapped, leaning forward. "I am a person. And you had no right to dig up things about my mother. Things that don't concern you."
"Everything concerns me now," I countered. I tapped the folder on the table. "You think I didn't notice how your hands shook when you saw those photos? You're carrying a lot of weight for a teacher who spends her days worrying about Section E's grades. I'm simply offering to take some of that weight off your shoulders."
She let out a dry, sarcastic laugh. It was a beautiful sound, even if it was laced with bitterness. "By forcing me into a marriage? You Watsons really have a distorted view of 'helping,' don't you?"
I leaned in, closing the distance between us again, though this time across the table. The scent of her peppermint coffee swirled between us, but my focus was entirely on her defiance.
"Keiran cares about you. More than he'd ever admit to a 'Teach.' He thinks you're the only person who hasn't looked at him like he's a lost cause. When he came to me and told me about his teacher—about you—he didn't just ask me to meet you," I paused, watching her eyes. "He asked me to marry you."
She didn't even flinch. Instead, she let out a sharp, incredulous breath. "He is just a sixteen-year-old kid, Keifer. Kids say a lot of things at that age. They think life is a Wattpad story where everything gets fixed by a wedding ring."
I studied her. She was trying to dismiss it as a childish whim, but I knew my brother. Keiran was a lot of things—a prankster, a headache, a rebel—but he wasn't a liar.
"Look, forget about Keiran for a second," I said, my voice dropping into a more serious tone. I fixed my gaze on hers, refusing to let her look away. "Maybe just look at me and tell me... do you want to marry me or not?"
The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something in her expression—hesitation? Uncertainty? But then, she tilted her head, a cold, mocking smile spreading across her lips.
"I'd rather marry a donkey," she said flatly.
I blinked. I've been called many things in the boardroom—ruthless, cold, arrogant—unit but never, in my entire life, have I been ranked lower than a farm animal.
I felt that strange tug at my lips again. Damn it, Keifer, stop smiling.
"A donkey?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "They're loud, they smell, and they aren't exactly known for their conversational skills. You're telling me that's a better option than a Watson?"
"At least a donkey is honest about being an ass," Jay-jay countered, crossing her arms over her chest. "You? You come here with folders and threats disguised as 'protection.' You're just a high-society version of the same thing, Keifer."
I leaned back, tapping my fingers on the table. She was tougher than I anticipated. Most people would be shaking after seeing that eviction notice in the folder, but she was using her anger as armor. It was impressive, really.
"Well," I said, my voice smooth, keeping my cool even as she compared me to livestock. "Since there are no donkeys currently available for marriage in this cafe, you're stuck with me."
"For the last fucking time, I won't marry you!" she snapped, her voice echoing in the empty space. She was shaking now, not from fear, but from the pure, unadulterated desire to strangle me.
I stayed silent for a heartbeat, watching the fire in her eyes. It was time to play the final card.
"What if I tell you I will help Angelo's company?" I said quietly.
The effect was instantaneous. Jay-jay froze, her hand halfway to grabbing her bag. The fire didn't die out, but it wavered.
We both knew the truth. The Fernandez company—her brother's life's work—was bleeding out. They were one bad quarter away from a total collapse, and in this city, a Watson's signature on a partnership deal was the only thing that could act as a tourniquet.
To be honest, I was going to help Angelo regardless. He's a good man and a brilliant businessman who just hit a streak of bad luck. But right now, I needed to see what Jay-jay would do.
If she said yes, it meant she understood the weight of the word family. It meant she was willing to sacrifice her own comfort to save the people who actually stood by her. That was the kind of woman I wanted by my side—someone who knew that loyalty wasn't just a word, but an action.
She looked at me, her lips trembling slightly. The "asshole" remark was gone, replaced by a heavy, suffocating realization.
"You're... you're using my brother?" she whispered, her voice cracking.
"I'm offering a solution, Jay-jay," I corrected her, leaning forward. "d I save your brother's legacy from the bank. In exchange, I get a wife who is smart, resilient, and clearly isn't afraid to tell me when I'm being a jerk. It's a fair trade."
I held my breath, something I rarely do. Say yes. Don't let your pride ruin this for everyone.
She looked down at the table, her gaze landing on the folder, then at the empty chairs of the cafe I had cleared just for her. The silence felt like it lasted for hours. Finally, she looked back up at me, her eyes watery but her expression hardening into something resembling a soldier accepting a suicide mission.
"If I do this," she started, her voice barely a whisper. "If I marry you... you promise? Angelo doesn't lose his company? Tita Gemma keeps her house?"
"On the Watson name," I promised solemnly.
She took a deep, shuddering breath and closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them, the defeat was there, but so was a terrifyingly sharp resolve.
"Fine," she choked out. "I'll marry you. But don't you dare think for one second that I'll ever be a Pinterest-perfect wife. You're getting a donkey-loving high school teacher who hates your guts."
I couldn't help it. The smirk came back, bigger than before.
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Teach."
"Asshole," she snapped, her voice trembling with that beautiful, sharp frustration. She looked like she wanted to dump her cold caramel cappuccino over my head just to see if it would dampen my mood.
I smiled again. This time, I didn't even bother trying to hide it. There was something addictive about the way she stared me down, like I was a misbehaving student in the back of her classroom instead of one of the most powerful men in the city.
"Stop smiling when I'm insulting you!" she hissed, slamming her hand on the table. "It's creepy. And it's annoying. You should be offended, not looking like you just won the lottery."
"But I did win, didn't I?" I countered, leaning back and crossing my arms comfortably. "I just got a 'yes' from the most stubborn woman I've ever met. And as for the insults... honestly, Jay-jay, after years of hearing people flatter me just to get into my bank account, your honesty is refreshing. Even if you think I'm an ass."
She groaned, throwing her head back for a second as if asking the ceiling for strength. "I can't believe this is my life. I'm going to be married to a man who enjoys being called names."
"Only when you say it," I teased.
She glared at me, but I noticed her hand wasn't shaking as much anymore. The deal was struck.
"Since we're officially engaged," I said, my tone shifting back to business but keeping that playful edge, "I'll have my lawyers send over the preliminary paperwork to your Kuya Angelo tonight."
She bit her lip, looking away. "...Thank you. For that part, at least."
"Don't thank me yet. You haven't seen the ring I'm going to make you wear to school," I joked.
Her eyes snapped back to mine, wide with horror. "You wouldn't. Keifer, if you bring some giant, gaudy diamond into my classroom, I will swallow it."
I laughed—a real, deep laugh. "Careful, Teach. That sounds like a challenge. And you should know by now, I never back down from a challenge."
"I hate you," she whispered, but the venom was gone, replaced by a weary sort of resignation.
"Get used to it," I said, standing up and buttoning my jacket. "You have a long life of hating me ahead of you. I'll pick you up for dinner tomorrow. We have a wedding to plan."
I walked toward the exit, feeling her eyes on my back. Just as I reached the door, I heard her call out one last time.
"Keifer!"
I paused, looking back.
"I'm still voting for the donkey!"
I just shook my head, the bell chiming as I stepped out into the night. Game on, Jay-jay. Game on.
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JAY JAY POV
Ugh! That jerk manipulated me! I can't believe I actually fell for it—or rather, I can't believe he found the only two things in this world that could actually make me say yes. My family.
Fuck you, Keifer Watson. I hate you, I hate your arrogance, and I especially hate your stupidly handsome face. Why does he have to look like that while being a total villain? It's not fair.
I sat in the empty cafe for a few more minutes, staring at the folder like it was a ticking time bomb. What am I supposed to tell Tita Gemma? "Hey Tita, the date went great, we're skipping the second date and going straight to the 'I do's' so we don't get evicted."
Just as I was about to call her, my phone vibrated in my hand. Speak of the devil.
"Tita, I was just thinking about you," I said, trying to keep my voice from sounding like I just sold my soul to a Watson.
"So? How did it go? Did you like him? Is he as handsome as Angelo said?" Tita's voice was bubbling over with excitement.
I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the cool glass of the cafe window. "I will explain everything when I get to your house, Tita. Just... wait for me there."
"Oh? Is it good news?"
"It's... news. Bye, Tita." I hung up before she could ask anything else.
I grabbed the folder, shoved it into my bag, and stormed out of the cafe. I needed air. I needed to drive. I needed to scream into a pillow for three business days.
But as I stepped out onto the sidewalk, my heart did a annoying little skip. Keifer wasn't gone. He was leaning against a sleek, black car, but his attention was on my modest little sedan parked nearby. He looked like a masterpiece standing in a parking lot, which only made me angrier.
I marched past him without saying a word, digging my keys out of my bag with more force than necessary.
"Nice car," Keifer said, his voice smooth and teeming with that dark amusement.
I didn't say anything. I refused to give him the satisfaction of a response. I just unlocked my door, hopped inside, and slammed it shut so hard the frame rattled.
Through the windshield, I saw him let out a short, quiet laugh. He didn't move, just watched me as I fumbled with the ignition. Of course, because life is a cruel joke, my car decided to chug three times before the engine finally turned over.
I glared at him through the glass. He just tipped his head slightly, that "I know something you don't" smirk still playing on his lips.
I shifted into gear and peeled out of the parking lot, leaving a Watson and my dignity behind in a cloud of exhaust. I had twenty-four hours before my life officially became a contract, but right now, I had to face the woman who started this whole mess.
God help me.
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Guys I'm actually pissed at Viva One right now 😭🔥
Vivarkada is literally coming soon, and tell me why there is NO Ashdres participating… like be serious 😭💀
I'm confused, annoyed, and lowkey disappointed because we were ALL waiting for them. And honestly… we need Ashdres back so bad 🤍✨
It's always the haters ruining everything 😭💀 They stay loud for no reason and now we're the ones suffering.