The "Grand Eviction": Level 10 System Lockout
[Jay's POV]
It was 11:45 PM. The 8th month was no longer a "Glow"—it was a hostile occupation. My ankles had disappeared, Alexander was using my bladder as a trampoline, and I felt 1,000% like a beached whale in expensive silk sheets.
But the real problem? The breathing.
Keifer was lying on his side, scrolling through a "Global Market Analysis" on his tablet, breathing with the rhythmic precision of a man who had never experienced a single "Hormonal Glitch" in his life. Every inhale was too... efficient. Every exhale was 2,000% too loud.
"Keifer," I snapped, staring at the ceiling. "Your lungs are being 'Aggressive'."
[Keifer's POV]
I froze. I didn't even finish reading the sentence about the Tokyo merger. I knew that tone. It was the "Binary Warning" before a total system meltdown. I slowly placed the tablet on the nightstand and turned to her, my voice dropping into its most soothing, "Primary Support" frequency.
"Weify, I am simply oxygenating my system. Is the 'Ambient Air' too warm for the heirs? Should I recalibrate the HVAC?"
"No," Jay growled, finally rolling over—a process that took three minutes and four pillows. "The way you're breathing makes me feel like you're judging my lack of lung capacity. You're lying there, being all 'Athletic' and 'Aerobic', while I'm struggling to process a single molecule of oxygen. It's an 'Insult to the Empress'."
"Jay," I said, reaching out to rub her shoulder. "I am 1,000% not judging your—"
"DON'T TOUCH THE CARGO!" she shrieked, slapping my hand away. "You're too warm! You're like a 'Human Furnace' trying to 'Overheat' my internal servers! I can't do it, Keifer. The 'Compatibility' is at zero. You have to go."
The Eviction Notice
[Jay's POV]
He blinked. Those blue eyes, usually so sharp and calculated, looked like they were experiencing a "404 Error."
"Go?" he repeated. "Go where? This is the Master Suite. The 'Perimeter' is most secure in this room."
"I don't care about the 'Perimeter'! I care about the 'Vibe'!" I pointed a shaky finger toward the door. "Go to the guest wing. Go sleep in the library. Go sleep in the garage with your 'Gradient-Colored' cars! Just get your 'Optimal Breathing' out of my 'Personal Cloud'!"
"Jay, be reasonable," Keifer argued, his "Alpha" side trying to regain control. "Data suggests that if I leave, your 'Separation Anxiety' will trigger in approximately twenty minutes, and I'll have to 'Relocate' back here anyway. It's a waste of 'Operational Energy'."
"ARE YOU CALLING ME A WASTE OF ENERGY?!"
I felt a tear—a giant, 8th-month, "System-Error" tear—roll down my cheek. "You think I'm a 'Glitch'! You want to 'Archive' me and go find a wife with 'Functional Ankles'!"
The "CEO" Retreat
[Keifer's POV]
Abort mission. Immediate retreat.
The tears were the "Red Alert." If I stayed, the "System Damage" would be irreversible. I stood up, raising my hands in a gesture of total surrender.
"I am leaving, Jay. I am 'Logging Out'. I will be in the study, exactly 45 feet away, monitoring the 'Security Feeds' from the hallway. If Alexander or Aurora initiate a 'Launch Protocol', you press the button on the nightstand."
"Take your pillow!" she sobbed, throwing a decorative velvet cushion at my head. "It smells like 'Confidence' and it's 'Distracting'!"
I caught the pillow mid-air, grabbed my tablet, and walked toward the door. I looked back one last time. She was curled up with six pillows, looking like a beautiful, angry cloud.
"I love you, Weify," I murmured.
"I HATE YOUR HEARTBEAT!" she yelled back.
I closed the door. The "Ice King" was officially sleeping on the leather sofa in the study.
02:15 AM: The "Reboot"
[Jay's POV]
The room was too quiet. The bed was too big. The "Cold Zone" where Keifer usually lay felt like a "Empty File Path."
Alexander kicked me, but this time it wasn't a "Hello" kick; it was a "Where-is-the-Main-Frame?" kick. Even the twins were glitching without their father's "Alpha" warmth.
I grabbed my phone. I didn't want to call him. That would be a "Logic Defeat." But the 8th month doesn't care about pride.
Text to: Hubby (CEO)
Jay: My feet are 'Unverified'.
Keifer: Proximity?
Jay: 1,000%.
Keifer: Entering the 'Perimeter' now.
The Re-Entry: [Keifer's POV]
I didn't even wait for the "Access Granted" message. I was already at the door. I walked in to find Jay sitting up, her arms open, her face still tear-streaked.
"You're back," she whispered.
"I never 'De-synced', Jay," I said, climbing back into bed and immediately pulling her into the "Spoons" position—carefully avoiding the "Double-Heir" bump.
"You can breathe now," she murmured, snuggling into my chest. "But keep it at 20% volume. If you hit 50%, you're 'Back to the Study'."
"1,000%," I promised, closing my eyes.