[Jay's POV]
The Grand Reception was in full swing. The Pavilion had been transformed into a dreamscape of floating candles and white orchids, but the "peace" was about to be shattered. According to the timeline, it was time for the most dangerous event of the night: The Bouquet Toss.
"Attention! All single ladies to the dance floor!" Calix shouted into the microphone, his tie already tied around his head like a headband. "Clear a path! We have high-velocity floral projectiles incoming!"
The Battle Lines Are Drawn
I stood on the elevated DJ platform, looking down at the crowd. The "Squad" was out for blood.
Lia was in the front, crouched low like a professional athlete, her eyes locked on the orchids in my hand. "Throw it here, Jay-Jay! I have the wingspan!"
Freya and Mica were shoving each other playfully, trying to secure the "center-gravity" position.
Ella and Rakki had formed a tactical alliance, standing back-to-back to cover more ground.
Even Bridget was there, hovering near the back, looking skeptical but secretly adjusting her grip, her jealousy replaced by a desperate need to win something tonight.
The Countdown
Keifer was standing just behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder. He was watching the chaos with a smirk of pure amusement.
Analysis, Jay?" he whispered, his breath warm against my ear. "The wind speed is negligible, but the atmospheric tension is currently at $100\%$. If you throw that too hard, Lia might actually tackle a waiter.""I'm aiming for the center, Keif," I giggled, feeling the weight of the Watson orchids. "But with this group, logic doesn't apply.""Three!" the crowd roared. David and Erdix started a drumroll on the tables."Two!" Kuya Angelo was cheering from the sidelines, filming the whole thing. "Go for it, Lia! Use your elbows!""ONE!"
The Launch
I spun around and tossed the bouquet high into the air.
It sailed over the crystal chandeliers in a perfect arc. For a second, it looked like it was heading straight for Freya, but a sudden gust from the air conditioning sent it veering to the left.
"MINE!" Lia screamed, leaping into the air with a vertical jump that would have impressed an Olympic scout.
"NO!" Mica lunged, her silk dress fluttering as she collided with Ella.
It was a total system crash. A pile of silk, lace, and high heels tumbled onto the dance floor. Flowers were flying everywhere. Mayo and Kit were ducking for cover as Rakki did a literal dive over a lounge chair.
The Unlikely Victor
The pileup settled. Everyone held their breath.
Slowly, a hand emerged from the center of the chaos. It wasn't Lia. It wasn't Freya.
It was Mamma Serina.
She had been standing near the edge, minding her own business with a glass of champagne, when the bouquet had bounced off Lia's fingertips and landed perfectly, comfortably, right in Mamma's spare hand.
The room went silent.
Lia: (From the floor) "Wait... did Mamma just intercept the primary objective?"
Pappa Keizer: (Stepping forward with a rare, dashing wink) "It seems the system knows who the real Empress is."
The squad erupted into laughter. Calix started playing "Another One Bites the Dust" over the speakers, and Keigan and Keiran began chanting, "Pappa's getting married again! Pappa's getting married again!"
The Quiet Constant
Keifer tightened his grip on me, pulling me back against his chest as we watched our family and friends dissolve into a mess of hugs and laughter.
"See?" Keifer murmured, kissing the side of my head. "Even the flowers know that once a woman enters this family, she stays at the center of the map."
"I'm just glad I didn't hit the cake," I whispered, leaning my head back against his shoulder.
"The cake is safe, Jay," he said, turning me in his arms to look me in the eye. "And so are you. 100%. Always."