Ceo Couple-Jayfer-Chapter 34 - 33: The Ice Queen Returns

Three days after the trust talk. Things were getting back to normal. Keifer was telling Jay everything now. No more secrets. No more walls. They were working together to find out who was messing with their companies.

Jay was finally breathing again.

Until she walked into Watson Enterprises that afternoon and saw a woman sitting on the edge of Keifer’s desk. Laughing. Touching his arm. Leaning way too close.

Jay stopped. Her heels clicked once. Twice. Then nothing.

The woman was pretty. Blonde. Sharp suit. Expensive watch. She was holding a tablet, pointing at something, saying something that made Keifer nod. But the nodding wasn’t what Jay noticed.

What Jay noticed was the hand. On Keifer’s arm. Lingering.

Something cold settled in Jay’s chest. Not angry cold. Not sad cold. The cold she hadn’t felt since before Keifer. The ice.

She walked forward. Slow. Deliberate. Her heels clicked like a countdown.

Keifer’s assistant, Honey, saw her first. Honey’s eyes went wide. She opened her mouth to warn someone, but it was too late.

Jay reached the open door of Keifer’s office.

"MARK KEIFER WATSON."

The voice cut through the floor like a blade. Everyone froze. Keifer’s head snapped up. The blonde woman jumped back, hand flying off his arm. Employees at nearby desks stopped typing, stopped walking, stopped breathing. Someone dropped a pen. It sounded like a gunshot.

Jay stood in the doorway. Arms crossed. Eyes ice. Face unreadable.

Keifer’s face went pale. Not the usual pale. The "I’m in trouble and I know it" pale. He opened his mouth.

"Jay, this is—"

"Did I ask?" Jay’s voice was calm. Too calm.

The blonde woman looked between them, confused. "I’m sorry, I don’t—"

Jay’s eyes moved to her. Slow. Deliberate. The woman stopped talking. Instinct.

Jay smiled. Sweet. Cold. "Hi. I’m his girlfriend."

The woman nodded quickly. "Oh! Of course! Keifer mentioned—"

"Mentioned what?" Jay tilted her head.

The woman’s smile faltered. "That you’re... very..."

Jay waited.

"...intense."

Jay’s smile widened. "Good. Then you know not to touch what’s mine."

The woman’s face went red. She grabbed her tablet. "I was just—we were just going over—"

"Going over what?"

"The merger projections," Keifer said quietly. He was still pale. Still frozen in place. Like a man who knew better than to move when a tiger was in the room.

Jay looked at him. "Merger projections. On your desk. With her sitting on it."

"That’s not—I wasn’t—she just sat there—"

"Did you ask her to move?"

Keifer’s mouth opened. Closed. "I was about to."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "You were about to."

"Yes."

"When?"

Keifer didn’t answer.

Jay nodded slowly. "Okay."

That one word was worse than shouting. Everyone in the office felt it.

The blonde woman—Jay still hadn’t caught her name—backed toward the door. "I should go. We can finish this later. Over email. I’ll email. Definitely email."

She was gone in seconds.

The office was silent. Employees pretended to work. Badly. One woman was typing with her eyes closed. A man was holding a stapler like he was about to use it. Another was whispering something that sounded like "I told you she was scary."

Keifer stood slowly. "Jay."

She didn’t move. "Hmm?"

"Nothing happened."

"I didn’t say anything happened."

"You’re giving me the face."

"What face?"

"The ’I’m very calm but I’m actually planning something’ face."

Jay smiled. "I don’t have a face."

"You have three faces. Normal face. Happy face. And that face."

She tilted her head. "Maybe you should think about why you know that."

Keifer stepped closer. "Jay. She was a client. She sat on my desk. I was going to tell her to move. You walked in. That’s it."

Jay looked at him. Long. Hard. Then her eyes softened. Just a little.

"I know," she said quietly.

Keifer blinked. "You know?"

"I saw her hand on your arm. You were leaning away. I saw your face when she touched you. You looked uncomfortable."

He stared at her. "Then why—"

"Because," Jay said, stepping closer, "I wanted her to know. And everyone else who might think about touching what’s mine."

Keifer exhaled. Relief. Then almost-smiled. "You’re terrifying."

"Good."

"You’re also jealous."

"Good."

"You’re also hot when you’re jealous."

She raised an eyebrow. "Don’t push it."

He pulled her close anyway. "I wasn’t going to let her stay. I was waiting for her to stop talking so I could end the meeting."

"You take too long."

"I’m working on it."

She poked his chest. "Work faster."

He caught her finger. "Yes, ma’am."

Outside the office, the employees were not pretending anymore.

Whispers flew. Fast.

"Did you SEE that?"

"She walked in and called him MARK KEIFER WATSON."

"Like his mother."

"Worse than his mother."

"The way she looked at that blonde girl? I felt cold from here."

"Keifer’s face. Did you see Keifer’s face? He looked like a kid caught stealing cookies."

"Terrified. Full terrified."

"I’ve never seen him scared before. Ever."

"The Ice Queen is BACK."

"Honestly? I respect her."

"Same."

"Same."

"She didn’t even yell. She just... smiled."

"That’s scarier than yelling."

"Never mess with Jay Mariano."

"Jay Watson."

"Not yet. But soon."

Honey appeared from her desk, arms crossed, watching the chaos with quiet amusement.

Percy arrived right on time, coffee in hand. "Why does everyone look like they just survived a hurricane?"

Honey smiled. "Jay came."

Percy’s eyes lit up. "WHAT DID SHE DO?"

"Walked in. Called him Mark Keifer Watson. Made the client run away. Told Keifer to ’work faster.’ Employees are traumatized. It was beautiful."

Percy grabbed his phone. "I need to call Mom. This is the best day ever."

Inside the office, Jay had settled onto Keifer’s couch. He sat beside her, one hand on her knee, still cautious.

"You’re still thinking about it," he said.

"I’m not."

"You’re quiet. When you’re quiet, you’re thinking."

She looked at him. "Maybe I’m just enjoying the silence."

"You never enjoy silence."

She laughed. "Okay. Fair." She leaned into him. "I’m not mad. I wasn’t mad. I just... wanted to make sure everyone remembered."

"Remembered what?"

She looked at him. "That you’re taken."

His heart did something soft. He kissed her forehead. "I’m very taken."

"Good."

"Always good."

She closed her eyes. "Who was she anyway?"

"Representative from a partner company. Needed to review the merger timeline."

"She didn’t need to sit on your desk."

"No. She didn’t."

"She didn’t need to touch your arm."

"No."

Jay opened one eye. "Next time, you move her."

He almost-smiled. "Yes, ma’am."

The news spread fast. Within an hour, both families knew.

Group Chat: Jayfer Shipping Department

Keizer: JAY WALKED INTO THE OFFICE AND CALLED HIM MARK KEIFER WATSON.

Jasfer: MY DAUGHTER.

Mama Reycee: She used his FULL NAME.

Serina: Keifer hasn’t been called that since he was a child.

Keigan: I need footage. SOMEONE GET FOOTAGE.

Aries: She gets it from me.

Ella: You yell. She freezes people with her eyes. Not the same.

Aries: ...Fine. She gets it from Mom.

Mama Reycee: She definitely gets it from me.

Percy: I was there. Employees are still shaking. One guy was typing with his eyes closed. For ten minutes. He didn’t notice.

Honey: Can confirm. He’s still shaking.

Keiren (via Serina): Kuya’s girlfriend is SO COOL.

Keizer: JAYFER FOREVER.

Jasfer: BEST MERGER EVER.

That night, at home, Jay was making tea. Keifer sat at the kitchen island, watching her.

"You know everyone is talking about today," he said.

"I know."

"Keigan called it ’The Ice Queen Returns.’"

She laughed. "That’s dramatic."

"You called me Mark Keifer Watson in front of forty employees."

She turned, holding two mugs. "You deserved it."

He took the mug. "I didn’t do anything."

"Exactly. You didn’t move her. You didn’t tell her to leave. You just let her sit there. On your desk. Touching your arm."

"I was about to."

"You were about to." She sat beside him. "Keifer. You’re mine. Which means you need to act like it. Even when I’m not there."

He looked at her. Soft. "I do act like it."

"Do you?"

"Every day. Every meeting. Every conversation. Every second. You’re the only one I see, Jay. Even when someone else is sitting on my desk. Even when they’re touching my arm. You’re the only one."

Jay’s face softened. "Keifer..."

"I’m yours. Completely. That doesn’t change just because I didn’t move someone fast enough."

She stared at him. Then leaned in. Kissed him. Slow. Sweet.

"I know," she whispered. "I just like reminding everyone else."

He almost-smiled against her lips. "You’re impossible."

"Your impossible."

He kissed her again. "My impossible."

Later, Percy texted the group chat again.

Percy: Update. They’re making up. Kissing in the kitchen. Disgusting. Beautiful.

Honey: Did you take pictures?

Percy: Obviously.

Keizer: SEND THEM.

Jasfer: I WANT THEM.

Mama Reycee: FRAME THEM.

Keigan: Send to the archives.

Aries: This family is insane.

Ella: You love it.

Aries: ...I love it.

Keiren: Kuya’s girlfriend is my favorite.

Serina: She’s all of our favorite, baby.

Jay: I can see this chat, you know.

Keifer: They don’t care.

Jay: I know.

Keizer: JAYFER FOREVER.

Jay: Goodnight, everyone.

Keifer: Goodnight.

Percy: Goodnight lovebirds. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

Jay: That leaves a lot of options.

Percy: ...Fair.

Honey: Goodnight, everyone.

Aries: Goodnight.

Ella: Sweet dreams!

Keiren: GOODNIGHT KUYA GOODNIGHT KUYA’S GIRLFRIEND.

Serina: Goodnight, baby.

Keizer: GOODNIGHT MY FUTURE DAUGHTER IN LAW.

Jasfer: GOODNIGHT MY FUTURE SON IN LAW.

Mama Reycee: GOODNIGHT MY BABIES.

Keigan: Archives updated.

Jay: This family.

Keifer: Our family.

Jay: Yeah. Our family.