Six Weeks In: The "Low Power" Protocol
[Jay's POV]
The one-and-a-half-month mark hit my system like a complete hardware failure.
For the past six weeks, the "Glow" had been competing with a level of exhaustion I didn't know was biologically possible. I felt like a smartphone running a high-def movie on a 1% battery. Every time I tried to stand up, my "Internal Processor" signaled for an immediate shutdown.
I was currently buried under a mountain of silk duvets in the Master Suite, staring at the ceiling and trying to summon the energy to reach for my water glass. The squad's chaos from a few weeks ago felt like a distant, noisy dream. Now, the only sound in the room was the soft ticking of the clock and the distant, rhythmic typing of a laptop.
The Hubby's Surveillance: [Keifer's POV]
I wasn't in the office. I hadn't been to the Watson Headquarters in three days. I had moved my entire "Command Center" to the armchair at the foot of our bed.
I looked up from a merger contract, my eyes immediately locking onto Jay. I had my "Guardian" settings dialed to 1,000%.
"You've been awake for forty-five seconds, Weify," I said, my voice low and steady. "But your respiration rate suggests you're still in 'Power-Save' mode. Status check?"
"I'm tired, Keif," Jay whispered, her voice barely audible. "I feel like I'm carrying a tiny anchor that's dragging me toward the center of the earth. Is it normal to feel like my 'Battery' is permanently drained?"
I closed my laptop and moved to the edge of the bed, sitting beside her. I reached out, my hand sliding under the covers to find hers. Her skin was warm, but she looked fragile—like a piece of high-end tech that had been pushed past its limits.
"Cin says it's 100% normal," I murmured, leaning down to kiss her temple. "The Heir is currently redirecting all available power to 'Development.' You're essentially a living charging station right now."
The "No-Movement" Mandate
"I had a meeting with the charity board today," Jay muttered, trying to sit up.
"Negative," I said, my hand gently but firmly pressing her back into the pillows. "I've already sent a 'System Override' to the board. The meeting has been rescheduled for next month. Your current priority is 100% rest."
"Keifer! You can't just cancel my life!"
"I can and I did," I replied with a smug, "Powerhouse" smirk. "I'm the CEO, remember? I've declared a state of emergency in this wing. No one enters, no one exits, and the Empress does not leave the charging port."
I reached for the tray on the nightstand—a perfectly calibrated breakfast of ginger tea and dry crackers. "Eat. Then we're going to run a 'Sleep Cycle' for the next four hours."
The Quiet Protection: [Jay's POV]
I looked at him—my Hubby, the man who used to live for 20-hour workdays and global domination. Now, he was sitting in a dim room, monitoring my breathing and peeling ginger. The amnesia had stripped him down to his core, and his core was 1,000% devotion to me.
"You're going to be a very annoying father," I teased, taking a sip of the tea. "You're going to put the baby on a spreadsheet, aren't you?"
Keifer's eyes twinkled with a mischievous blue light. "The spreadsheet is already drafted, Jay. Milestones, growth charts, and 'Nap-Time Compliance' metrics. But for now..."
He climbed into the bed beside me, pulling me into the crook of his arm and tucking the duvet around us both. "For now, the only data I care about is making sure you're comfortable."
I leaned my head against his chest, the steady, powerful thrum of his heart acting like a lullaby to my exhausted system. The "Glow" dimmed as my eyes fluttered shut.
"Love you, Hubby," I whispered.