JAY JAY POV
I made sure Keifer was tucked in and smelling like Vicks before I left for school this morning. Since the billionaire-volcano had finally cooled down, I figured I could safely return to my natural habitat: the classroom.
But man, being a teacher is exhausting. By the time the final bell rang, I was daydreaming about a mountain of siomai and a long nap. I was making my way to the parking lot when one of the parents caught up to me.
"Miss Mariano, can I talk about my daughter, Val, today?" he asked.
"Sure, Mr. Rivera," I said, giving him my professional smile
We walked toward the parking lot as he started explaining his concerns. "Ma'am, Val's grade in this class is... well, it's not perfect. Especially the exams. Your class seems to be the one she is struggling with to keep her best."
"I understand," I said, stopping near the gate. I started explaining the curriculum, getting into my teacher zone. "Science really requires a lot of memorization and—whoops!"
I tripped slightly over a stray pebble (because of course I did, it's a Tuesday). Mr. Rivera quickly reached out to steady me, catching my elbow. But instead of letting go, he stepped a little closer—like, uncomfortably close—to look at the grade sheet I was holding.
"See here, Miss Mariano," he whispered, leaning in until I could smell his cologne. "Maybe we can talk about extra credit? Somewhere more... private?"
I froze. Hala. Is this a bribe? Or is he just really into Science? My brain hit a 404 Error. I was about to awkwardly shuffle away when a black SUV screeched to a halt right behind us.
The door flew open with a bang that sounded like a gunshot.
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KEIFER POV
I was supposed to be resting. The doctor said "minimal stress."
But when I checked the GPS on Jay-jay's phone (purely for security reasons, obviously), and saw she was still in the parking lot ten minutes after her shift ended, I decided my fever was officially over. I drove myself to the school, my head still a bit heavy, only to find my wife standing entirely too close to some guy I didn't recognize.
I sat in the car for thirty seconds, watching.
He was holding her arm. Then he leaned in, his face inches from her ear. Jay-jay looked flustered, her face red, looking like she didn't know how to handle the situation.
That was it. My minimal stress went straight out the window and was replaced by a cold, sharp anger that felt a lot like a second fever.
I stepped out of the car, the slammed door echoing through the quiet lot. I didn't walk; I marched.
"Is there a problem here?" I asked, my voice sounding like a low-frequency growl.
The guy jumped back, finally letting go of Jay-jay's arm. He looked at me, then at my car, then back at me. "No, we were just... discussing grades."
"The discussion is over," I said, stepping between him and Jay-jay. I didn't even look at the man. My focus was entirely on my wife, who was looking at me with wide, terrified-panda eyes.
"K-Keifer? What are you doing here?! You're sick!" she squeaked.
I didn't answer her. I didn't have to. I grabbed her hand—firmly, so she knew I wasn't playing around—and started dragging her toward the SUV.
"Wait! My bag!" she yelped, stumbling behind me.
I ignored her. I ignored the guy calling out behind us. I ignored everything except the feeling of her hand in mine and the absolute need to get her away from there. I opened the passenger door, practically tucked her inside, and slammed it shut before walking around to the driver's side.
I didn't say a word as I pulled out of the parking lot, my knuckles white on the steering wheel.
"Keifer? Are you mad?" she asked softly, peeking at me from the corner of her eye. "He was just a parent! He was worried about Val!"
"He was worried about more than Val's grades, Jay-jay," I snapped, the jealousy finally leaking into my voice. I didn't look at her. I couldn't. If I looked at her, I'd probably lose my edge
My vision was narrowed to the asphalt in front of me. Every time I thought about that man's hand on her arm—the way he leaned into her space like he had any right to be there—my foot pressed harder on the gas. The engine of the SUV roared, reflecting the storm brewing in my chest.
"Keifer, slow down!" Jay-jay pleaded from the passenger seat. Her voice was shaking, a mix of genuine fear and confusion. "You're driving like a maniac! The school zone is way back there!"
I didn't answer. I couldn't. If I opened my mouth, I'd say something I might regret, or I'd admit just how much it killed me to see her look flustered because of someone else.
I felt her reach out. Her small, soft hand covered mine on the gear shift, her fingers trembling against my knuckles. It was a gesture meant to ground me, to calm the monster she didn't realize she'd awoken.
I didn't budge. If anything, I felt my jaw lock even tighter. I shifted gears and pushed the speedometer further right, the trees outside blurring into a messy green streak.
"Keifer, please... my heart is dropping to my toes!" she squeaked, her grip on my hand tightening.
I didn't slow down until the gates of the mansion swung open. I took the driveway on two wheels, the tires screeching as I slammed the brakes in front of the main entrance. The sudden halt threw us both forward against our seatbelts.
Silence followed, heavy and suffocating.
"What is wrong with you?!" Jay-jay snapped, finally finding her voice. She let go of my hand like it had suddenly turned into a hot coal. "You almost got us killed over a parent-teacher meeting! Are you still delirious from the fever? Do I need to call the doctor back?!"
My vision was completely red. The image of that man leaning into her, his face inches from the skin I had spent all night trying to protect, was playing on a loop in my head. Every time I blinked, I saw his hand on her elbow.
I didn't lead her. I dragged her.
"Keifer, let me go! You're being too much!" Jay-jay cried out, her heels clicking frantically against the marble floor as she tried to dig in her feet.
"Kuya, what are you doing?" Keigan's voice cut through the air. He was standing by the stairs, his face tight with confusion.
"Kuya, let Ate Jay go! You're hurting her!" Keiran shouted, his eyes wide and horrified. He started to step toward us, his hand reaching out to intervene.
"Go to your room," I growled, not even looking at them. My grip on Jay-jay's wrist tightened—not enough to bruise, but enough to show I wasn't letting go.
"Kuya—" Keiran tried again, his voice trembling.
"GO TO YOUR FUCKING ROOM!" I yelled.
The sound echoed through the high ceilings of the foyer like a thunderclap. Both of them flinched. They had seen me angry, they had seen me cold, but they had never seen me like this—unhinged.
"Keifer, are you out of your mind?!" Jay yelled at me, her voice cracked with shock.
I didn't say anything. I dragged her up the stairs, ignoring the silent, terrified stares of my brothers. Once we reached our room, I threw the door shut and turned the lock with a sharp click.
I shoved her back against the door, pinning her there with my body. My hands were on either side of her head, locking her in. I was breathing hard, the heat of my anger—or maybe the remnant of the fever—making the air between us feel like it was on fire.
"Who do you think you are?" I hissed, my face inches from hers.
"Keifer..." she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears, her chest heaving.
"Who do you fucking think you are?!" I yelled, the words ripping out of my throat. "You were letting that man come near you like he had the right to! You were standing there, blushing, letting him touch you while I was at home waiting for my wife!"
Jay-jay flinched, her eyes snapping shut as if the volume of my voice was a physical blow.
"He was just a parent, Keifer!" she said, her voice small and broken. "I was just doing my job!"
"Your job is to teach, not to let some stranger breathe down your neck!" I snarled, my hand slamming against the wood of the door next to her ear. "Do you have any idea what it felt like? Seeing him look at you like you were something he could just... take?"
I leaned in closer, my forehead dropping to rest against hers. I was shaking. I hated this. I hated how much power she had over me, how one second of her being near another man could turn me into a monster
I lost it. The control I pride myself on—it all burned away the moment I saw her flinch. But instead of pulling back, the monster in me doubled down. I needed to mark her. I needed to drown out the memory of that man's voice with my own.
I crashed my lips onto hers.
It wasn't the soft, tentative kiss
This was a collision. It was desperate, territorial, and fueled by a dark, jagged jealousy that I couldn't contain.
I felt her hands push against my chest, her small palms trying to create distance. She tried to resist, her head turning to the side to escape, but that only made the fire in my blood flare hotter. I gripped her waist tighter, my fingers digging into the soft fabric of her blouse, and I kissed her harder, deeper—forcing her to feel the sheer weight of my possession.
Then, I tasted it.
Salt.
The metallic, bitter taste of her tears hit my tongue.
I froze.
Her soft whimpers finally broke through the roar in my ears. She wasn't kissing me back. She wasn't melting into me. She was trembling. Shaking like a leaf in a storm I had created.
I pulled back just an inch, my chest heaving, my lips tingling and bruised. I looked down at her.
Her eyes were squeezed shut, her long lashes clumped together by tears that were streaming down her flushed cheeks. Her breathing was frantic, shallow, and she looked… broken. Not by the parents at school, but by me.
My heart, which had been thumping with rage, suddenly felt like it was being squeezed by a cold, iron fist. The red in my vision vanished, leaving behind the gray, hollow reality of what I had just done.
I let go of her wrists like they were made of white-hot lead. I stepped back, my boots heavy on the floor, the distance between us feeling like an ocean.
"Jay…" I rasped, my voice breaking.
She didn't open her eyes. She just slid down the door until she was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest, her sobs finally breaking out into the quiet room.
I stood there, my hands shaking at my sides, watching my wife crumble because of me. I wanted to reach out, to pull her back and tell her I was sorry, that the jealousy made me insane—but I knew I didn't have the right to touch her. Not after that.
Outside the door, I heard the faint, terrified muffled crying of Keiran and the heavy, silent footsteps of Keigan.
I had protected this family from everything—rivals, poverty, scandal—only to become the very thing they needed protection from.
I looked at the locked door, then back at the girl on the floor who wouldn't even look at me.
I didn't just lose my temper. I was losing her.
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Hi guys! I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday's chapter — I was a bit busy, but here it is now 🤍📚
Also, if any of you checked Ash's Instagram… she removed the limited post, which honestly feels like a good sign. It might mean the hate is clearing up or at least calming down. That's just how I see it, but it made me happy 😭💗