The morning of the press conference arrived like a storm waiting to break.
Jay stood in front of the full-length mirror in her room, adjusting the lapels of her power suit—crisp white, tailored perfectly, the kind of outfit that screamed I own this room. Her hair was swept back in an elegant low ponytail, minimal jewelry, maximum impact.
She looked like a CEO.
She looked like someone ready to change the world.
She also looked like someone who hadn't slept because she kept replaying the last three days on loop.
Keifer's forehead kiss. Keifer holding her. Keifer saying "I'm not afraid." Keifer sleeping beside her like he never left.
A knock on the door.
"Come in."
Serina entered, glowing in a deep burgundy power dress that made her look like she'd stepped out of a magazine. Her hair was pinned elegantly, her smile warm but sharp.
"Ready, Ms. Mariano?"
Jay smirked. "Ready, Mrs. Watson."
They'd decided on the names carefully. Jay would represent J&S Enterprises as Ms. Mariano—keeping her family name but stepping into her role as co-founder. Serina would use Mrs. Watson, the alias she'd built the company under.
Today, the world would finally meet the women behind the mysterious empire.
Today, Keizer would know his wife was alive.
And there was nothing he could do about it.
Downstairs, the Fernandez household was in complete chaos.
Tita Gema was running around with a lint roller, attacking everyone who got too close. "YOU HAVE CAT HAIR ON YOUR BLAZER—HOLD STILL, PERCY!"
Percy posed dramatically. "I don't have cat hair. I have aura."
"Your aura has lint. HOLD. STILL."
Aries sat on the couch, watching the chaos with the exhaustion of a man who had given up on life. "Why am I here. I don't work for J&S. I don't work for anyone. I'm just here."
Jasfer patted his head like a dog. "Because you're family, anak. Suffering is part of the package."
"I want a refund."
"No refunds."
Angelo paced near the door, phone in hand, coordinating security like a general preparing for war. "The venue is secure. I have ten guards positioned at all exits. Anyone looks at Ms. Mariano wrong, they're on the floor."
Jay's grandma nodded approvingly from her rocking chair. "Good. Break their knees."
"That's… not exactly protocol, Lola."
"Protocol is boring."
Keigan and Keiren were bouncing on the couch, hyped on sugar and excitement.
"ATE JAY IS GONNA BE ON TV!"
"CAN WE WAVE? WILL SHE SEE US?"
Keifer sat in the center of the chaos, calm as still water, eyes fixed on the staircase.
Waiting.
Then—
She appeared.
Jay descended the stairs like she owned every step, every breath, every heartbeat in the room.
The chaos stopped.
Tita Gema froze mid-lint-roll. Percy's mouth fell open. Aries actually sat up. Angelo pocketed his phone. Jasfer grinned like a proud dad at a graduation. Jay's grandma nodded slowly, approval radiating from every wrinkle.
Keifer?
Keifer forgot how to breathe.
Jay reached the bottom of the stairs, Serina beside her looking equally stunning, and met Keifer's eyes.
For a moment, the world disappeared.
Then Percy ruined it.
"HOT DAMN. Okay, I get it now. I fully understand why my brother has been lovesick for years. YOU ARE A VISION."
Jay raised an eyebrow. "Percy, if you don't shut up, I'll make sure your next photoshoot has no natural lighting."
Percy clutched his chest. "You wound me."
"I'll wound you more."
Keifer finally stood, walking toward Jay like she was the only thing in the room.
He stopped inches away, voice low.
"You look…"
Jay waited.
Keifer swallowed.
"I don't have words."
Jay's heart flipped.
Jasfer whispered loudly to Serina: "Our son is down bad."
Serina whispered back: "Our daughter is too. Look at her ears—they're red."
"THEY'RE SO CUTE."
"JAYFER FOREVER."
Jay shot them both a look. "I CAN HEAR YOU."
Percy snorted. "They don't care."
Keifer reached out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Jay's ear.
"You're going to kill them out there."
Jay smirked. "That's the plan."
He smiled—soft, proud, full of so much love it made her knees weak.
"Go get 'em, future Mrs. Keifer."
Jay's brain short-circuited.
Before she could respond, Tita Gema shoved them toward the door. "GO GO GO! You're gonna be late! Kiss later! Conquer now!"
The press conference venue was packed.
Journalists, cameras, lights—everything J&S Enterprises had avoided for years was now focused on one stage.
Jay and Serina walked in like they owned it.
Because they did.
The moment they sat behind the table with their name plates—MS. MARIANO and MRS. WATSON—the room erupted in camera flashes.
Angelo stood at the side, scanning the crowd like a hawk. Ten guards positioned exactly where he'd ordered. Jay's grandma would be proud.
The host, a bubbly reporter named Tessa, opened with the question everyone was thinking:
"Ladies, thank you for being here. The business world has been buzzing about J&S Enterprises for months—some call it a ghost company, others call it a revolution. Today, you're finally revealing yourselves. Why now?"
Jay leaned into the microphone, calm and composed.
"Because shadows only protect for so long. J&S was built to fight—not hide. Today, we step into the light."
Serina added smoothly, "And we're not alone. Our partnership with Angelo's company is just the beginning. We're here to build, to innovate, and to remind everyone that the old powers don't get to decide the future."
The room murmured with approval.
Tessa smiled. "Ms. Mariano, you're young—some might say too young—to be running an empire. How do you respond to that?"
Jay didn't flinch.
"I respond by showing them my track record. J&S has tripled its revenue in two years. We've saved companies from bankruptcy. We've created jobs, opportunities, and a network that supports small businesses instead of crushing them. Age is just a number—results are forever."
Applause rippled through the crowd.
Tessa's eyes sparkled. She was clearly enjoying this.
"One more question—purely personal, if you don't mind."
Jay raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."
"There are rumors—just rumors, of course—that your heart is already taken. That there's someone special in your life. Care to comment?"
Jay's composure flickered—just slightly.
In the Fernandez living room, everyone leaned forward.
Percy: "OH THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD."
Aries: "Why am I—"
Everyone: "We know, you're here."
Keifer's eyes stayed locked on the screen.
Jay smiled—small, soft, genuine.
"There is someone, yes."
The room gasped. Cameras flashed faster.
Tessa leaned in. "Can you tell us about him?"
Jay's smile widened.
"His name is Keifer. And he's…" She paused, thinking. "He's the reason I believe in love. Even when everything fell apart, even when the world tried to break us—he never stopped fighting for me. And I never stopped loving him."
Keifer's heart stopped.
Jay continued, voice warming with every word.
"He's kind. Protective. Ridiculously handsome—"
Percy snorted. "FINALLY, she admits it."
"—and he has this smile that makes me forget why I'm angry. He's an amazing brother to his siblings, loyal to his friends, and so stubborn it's infuriating. But that stubbornness? It's also what saved me. What saved us."
She looked directly at the camera—directly at him.
"He's my future husband. He just doesn't know it yet."
THE FERNANDEZ LIVING ROOM EXPLODED.
Tita Gema: "AAAAAAAAAAAAA—"
Jasfer: "THAT'S MY FUTURE SON-IN-LAW!"
Serina: "THAT'S MY FUTURE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW!"
Percy: "SOMEONE RECORD THIS—THIS IS HISTORY!"
Aries: "Why am I—actually, I'm glad I'm here. This is insane."
Keigan and Keiren: "KUYA IS GONNA BE A GROOM!"
Jay's grandma: "FINALLY, A WEDDING TO PLAN!"
Angelo, still on security duty, muttered into his phone: "Tell Ms. Mariano her family is losing their minds. Actually, don't. Let her enjoy the moment."
Keifer?
Keifer sat frozen, face slowly breaking into the widest, most emotional smile any of them had ever seen.
His eyes were glassy.
Jasfer noticed. "Oh no. Our son is crying."
"I'M NOT CRYING."
"Yes you are. And it's beautiful."
Percy snapped a photo. "Blackmail material acquired."
Keifer didn't even care.
All he could see was Jay—his Jay—telling the whole world that he was her future.
Back at the press conference, Tessa was practically swooning.
"That is the most romantic thing I've ever heard. Ms. Mariano, if Keifer is watching—sir, you are the luckiest man alive."
Jay laughed—bright, real, free.
"Don't let the fame go to his head. He's already cocky enough."
Serina patted her hand. "She gets it from his father."
Jay snorted. "And his mother."
The two women shared a look of pure mischief.
Tessa, sensing gold, turned to Serina. "Mrs. Watson, any thoughts on your business partner's love life?"
Serina's smile turned elegant and dangerous.
"Only that I've known Keifer since he was born. And I've wanted him to marry Jay since they were teenagers. So this?" She gestured between herself and Jay. "This is destiny finally catching up."
Jay blinked. "Mom…"
Serina winked. "What? It's true."
The room melted.
Cameras captured everything—the laughter, the warmth, the unshakable bond between the two women.
The interview continued, covering business plans, partnerships, and the future of J&S. But everyone knew the real story was already written:
Jay Mariano was in love. And she wasn't hiding it anymore.
Hours later, the Fernandez house braced for impact.
Tita Gema had prepared a feast. Jasfer had set up party poppers. Percy had written an entire speech no one asked for. Aries had accepted his fate. Keigan and Keiren made signs that said "WELCOME HOME ATE JAY" and "KUYA IS LUCKY."
Jay's grandma sat in her rocking chair, ready to officiate… something.
The door opened.
Jay stepped in, still glowing from the conference, Serina behind her.
Before anyone could speak—
Keifer moved.
He crossed the room in three strides, cupped Jay's face in his hands, and kissed her.
Not a forehead kiss.
Not a gentle peck.
A real kiss. Deep. Long. Full of every word they hadn't said, every year they'd lost, every moment they'd fought to get back here.
Jay melted into him instantly, arms wrapping around his neck.
The room exploded.
Tita Gema: "JESUS MARY JOSEPH—"
Jasfer: "THAT'S MY DAUGHTER AND SON-IN-LAW!"
Serina: "THAT'S MY SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW!"
Percy: "FINALLY! THE PAYOFF! THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! THE—"
Aries: "Why am I—actually, this is beautiful. I'll allow it."
Keigan covered Keiren's eyes. "You're too young!"
Keiren: "BUT I WANNA SEE KUYA BE ROMANTIC!"
Jay's grandma: "THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT, BOY!"
Angelo, walking in late: "Did I miss—oh." He paused. Smiled slightly. "Good for them."
The kiss lasted long enough to be scandalous.
When they finally pulled apart, breathless, foreheads resting together—
Keifer whispered, "Future husband, huh?"
Jay smirked. "You heard that?"
"The whole world heard that."
"And?"
"And…" He kissed her forehead gently. "I like the sound of it."
Jay's heart soared.
Percy shoved between them dramatically. "OKAY, OKAY, ENOUGH BEING CUTE. I HAVE A SPEECH PREPARED."
Jasfer grabbed him. "No one wants your speech."
"It's three pages single-spaced!"
"THAT'S WORSE."
Tita Gema herded everyone toward the dining table. "EAT FIRST! ROMANCE LATER! FOOD GETTING COLD!"
Jay laughed, hand in Keifer's, surrounded by chaos and love and the family she'd never thought she'd have.
Serina caught her eye from across the room and smiled—warm, proud, motherly.
Jay smiled back.
For the first time in so long—
Everything was exactly as it should be.