The reception hall felt increasingly like a claustrophobic cage. Every time Jay glanced toward the head table, her skin crawled. Honey was leaning far too close to Angelo, whispering and giggling with a level of familiarity that felt like a deliberate performance designed specifically to annoy them. Angelo, for his part, seemed to be enjoying the spectacle, his arm draped possessively over the back of Honey's chair as he threw mocking glances toward Keifer.
Keifer's jaw was set so tight it looked like it might shatter. He wasn't even pretending to enjoy his meal anymore; he was staring at his brother with a cold, piercing intensity that usually preceded a corporate takeover.
"They are doing this on purpose," Jay whispered, her voice tight with suppressed fury. "If she touches his shoulder one more time, I might actually lose my mind."
"Ignore them," Keifer said, though his hand gripped his fork with enough force to bend the metal. "They are irrelevant."
Just as Keifer signaled to his security detail that they were nearing their limit, the atmosphere shifted again. Ella had stood up from the table. She moved with a practiced, elegant grace, navigating the crowded floor until she stopped directly in front of Keifer.
She looked at him with a soft, lingering smile that ignored Jay's presence entirely. "Keifer. I wanted to congratulate you properly on the twins. I saw the photos—they are absolutely beautiful.
She leaned in, her gaze lingering on Keifer's face for a heartbeat too long, her voice dropping to a tone that was far too intimate for a public wedding reception.
Jay felt a surge of heat rush to her face, a mix of pure, unadulterated jealousy and blistering irritation. She looked at Keifer, waiting for him to shut it down—but the fact that Ella felt comfortable enough to approach him at all was enough to make Jay's blood boil.
"Thank you, Ella," Keifer replied, his voice clipped and devoid of any warmth. He took a deliberate step to the side, shifting his body so that he was effectively blocking Ella's line of sight to his face, subtly pulling Jay closer to his side. "We're busy, so if you'll excuse us."
"Oh, come on, Keifer," Ella laughed, completely unfazed by his coldness. "It's a wedding. Can't we be civil for five minutes?"
Jay didn't wait for Keifer to answer. She stood up, her eyes flashing dangerously. "He is being civil, Ella. Or he would be, if you weren't standing here interrupting our evening. Perhaps you should go find Aries? I'm sure he's wondering where his girlfriend has wandered off to."
The table went dead silent. Angelo smirked, leaning back to watch the show, while Honey looked on with a smug, satisfied glint in her eyes.
Keifer didn't say a word, but his hand slid firmly around Jay's waist, his grip possessive and absolute. He looked at Ella with a gaze that was essentially a physical barrier. "You heard her. We are finished here."
As Ella finally retreated with a flustered look on her face, Jay sank back into her seat, her chest heaving. Keifer leaned down, his lips brushing the side of her head.
"She wasn't worth the breath, Jay," he murmured, his voice a low, soothing anchor. "And as for Honey and Angelo... they're just playing a game they're about to lose. Don't give them the satisfaction of seeing you annoyed."
"I hate this wedding," Jay muttered, though she finally let out a long, shaky breath, leaning into his touch.
"I know," Keifer replied, his eyes dark and resolute.