Things were not going as planned for Kemi.
Why did it always seem like the moment life started to settle, chaos would come knocking again? Strange things happened around her whenever she felt calm. That's why she'd taught herself-long ago-not to relax. Not really. Calm on the outside, storm on the inside. That was the rule.
Comfort was dangerous. And Jeddah ? He was giving her way too much of it.
From offering her a place to stay, to sharing his quiet company, to that night-one she could barely process-her thoughts spun in endless circles. A night like that had never happened to her before. Her eyes drifted to the envelope on the table.
What do I do with it?
Should I give it to the police?
Should I tell Jedha?
After all, I'm supposed to be here for his help and he needs mine too.
Should I run?
That last one stuck. Of course-running.
Typical Kemi. Running from problems like they were people. Human-shaped chaos she wanted no part of.
She sighed deeply.
"Oh shoot, I'm late for work."
She grabbed the envelope, folded it as tightly as she could, and placed it at the edge of her bed. She called for a taxi. No more long walks. No more shortcuts or scenic routes. Just work and home, and work and home again. It would cost her, but she had to avoid that figure-the one she feared seeing again-until she figured out what to do.
Dragging her feet to the entrance door, she glanced at her map. The driver was already waiting by the gate. She didn't want to draw attention to herself.
"Now you listen to me," a voice snapped.
"I'm not going to repeat myself again, and I'm only going to say this once-get in there and tell Jeddah to come out. Or else... he won't like what I'll do to him."
The voice was small but sharp-impossible to ignore.
Kemi turned toward it, eyebrows drawn in curiosity. A petite figure stood outside the house, squaring up to Kamel, one of Jeddah's maids. The woman looked like she could hit her at any second.
Kemi , ever the quiet one, turned her gaze briefly toward the entrance gate, but made no move. She'd mastered the art of minding her business since coming to New York, and she wasn't about to break that rule now-not with danger lurking nearby. She hissed under her breath and walked toward the Uber.
Then someone called out behind her.
She didn't look back.
Maybe it wasn't her.
Maybe they were calling someone else.
"I'm talking to you. Are you deaf now? What kind of people live in this house? Hey!"
Kemi stopped in her tracks.
She turned slowly to see the haystack-footed figure strutting toward her-if strutting was the right word. She looked like if she walked any faster, she'd trip over herself and land face-first on the pavement. That would be a sight to behold, Kemi thought bitterly.
"Oh, it's you," the redhead sneered. "I knew it was you from that silhouette. Slut."
Kemi blinked, startled, her mouth parting in confusion. Her brain immediately reached for the usual: Excuse me? But she held it back.
"Oh, she speaks," the redhead mocked. "That's unfortunate. For humanity, I mean. You, darling, are a disgrace to the human race. Honestly, with that foul mouth of yours, I wouldn't even categorize you as human."
Kemi said nothing. She didn't have to. The girl was looking for a reaction-and she wasn't going to get one.
"Listen," the woman snapped, stepping closer. "I don't know what game you're playing, but let me make one thing clear. Jeddah is mine. He's been mine since the beginning of New York City."
Kemi raised an eyebrow. Since the beginning of New York City? Really? She almost laughed.
"And I will make sure," the woman continued, jabbing a manicured finger in Kemi's direction, "you find yourself back in the streets faster than you can blink. Don't get comfortable. At all."
She hissed and brushed past her.
Great. Just what I needed.
A threat in a note... and now a threat in words.
Kemi clenched her fists. She wanted to snap back-but she had no leverage. No power here. Her Uber fare was climbing by the second. She had to leave now.
She hurried toward the cab, ignoring the voice behind her as the woman muttered something too loud to be a mutter.
"Coward" Kemi stopped. But instead of turning back at her, she looked up-toward the house. Through the glass wall.
She could feel it.
Jeddah was watching.
She didn't know how, but she just knew he was there-his figure still, hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on them. Maybe this redhead was the reason he let her stay in his house. Maybe he hadn't let her in to protect her from Stacy. Or maybe he was just reading the situation. Maybe he was waiting to see what she'd do.
"What are you looking at?" the redhead snapped. "Got a problem? Oh, you do."
Stacy whipped her head toward the direction Kemi had been staring at-but there was no one visible. When she turned back, Kemi was already halfway through the gate, slipping into the cab.
Stacy rolled her eyes and stomped toward her own car.
Upstairs, Jeddah stood still. Watching.
Maybe he wanted to see what Kemi would do to Stacy.
Maybe he was studying them.
Maybe he was trying to read Kemi-or figure out if she'd gotten rid of Stacy.
He didn't know what he expected. But of course, he knew what Stacy would say. Her script hadn't changed.
But Kemi? Kemi was unreadable. That scared him more.
He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. He was already dressed for the meeting. A meeting to fix whatever mess Stacy and Sterling had made-and it was getting on his nerves. Weighing on his chest like bricks. Making him lose his grip on sanity.
He'd had major hits in the past. But this? This, he hadn't seen coming.
He knew Stacy would try something-but this was beyond anything he imagined.
He didn't want her near him. Not near his house. Not near his life.
Then his phone rang.
He picked it up and glanced at the caller ID.
"Hey, young man," a voice came through. "Not to disturb you or anything, but I was wondering if you've made any progress finding the owner of that phone I gave you. I still have it with me and... well, I'm not sure what to do with it."
Great. Another thing to think about.
If he got one more call from his mom, he knew exactly what would happen. She'd either disown him-or hop on the next flight to New York. And he did not want to see Mrs Abayomi. Not while his mental state was this fragile.
"I haven't found her yet," he muttered. "But when I do, I'll reach out."
He ended the call, exhaled sharply, and headed out.
Time to fix what had been broken.
The chime above the shop door jingled, and Kemi flinched.
She hated that sound now.
She'd been jumpy all day, dropping things, missing simple steps. Her boss had already asked if she was okay-twice. She lied. Said she hadn't slept well. Truth was, she hadn't slept at all.
Her eyes kept darting to the glass door, to the mirrored corners of the store, to the back room. Like something-or someone-was always about to appear.
And then... it did.
She was restocking shelves when she felt it: the unmistakable weight of a stare. Her hands slowed. Her breath hitched.
She looked up, through the corner of her eye, pretending to adjust a price tag.
There.
By the far corner of the store-just near the dressing room curtain-a shadow stood. A man. Or something shaped like one. Dressed in black. Hat pulled low. Face partially hidden. But that presence-unmistakable.
It was him.
The same figure that had followed her home once. The one that had sent the envelope. The one that had lingered just out of sight her whole life.
She froze.
He didn't move. Not a step. Just stood there. Watching.
Her throat closed.
Her fingers fumbled over a jar of scented lotion and sent it clattering to the ground. The sound snapped her out of the freeze. She turned, pretending to clean up, reaching for her phone in her pocket.
But when she looked back up-he was gone.
Like he'd never been there.
Her manager poked her head out of the office door.
"Kemi?"
"Yeah," she replied, voice tight.
"You okay?"
Kemi forced a nod. "Just clumsy today."
But inside her chest, her heart was breaking things.
The office boardroom was suffocating. Lights too bright. Eyes too many. Words too sharp.
Sterling wasn't there-of course. The coward. But his damage echoed through every headline. Fraud. Money laundering. Lies. And Jedha's name was tangled in all of it.
And Stacy?
She was the cherry on top. Feeding the blogs. Dropping "anonymous" quotes. Twisting old memories into scandalous soundbites. She'd weaponized their history like a seasoned traitor.
His investors were pulling out. Contracts on pause. Meetings turning into interrogations.
"Jeddah, we trusted your vision," one of the board members said, voice cold. "But this... this is a nightmare."
He clenched his jaw. Bit the inside of his cheek. Said nothing.
The betrayal wasn't just business-it was personal. Sterling was his boy. And Stacy... well, he should've known. But knowing didn't soften the blow.
Hours later, he slumped into the back of his car, loosened his tie, and stared blankly out the window.
His phone buzzed. His mother. Again. He didn't answer.
He needed silence. Just for a second.
Kemi stood outside the house, one hand still trembling from her shift. The street was quiet. She hadn't told anyone. What was there to say? "Hey, the demon from my past showed up at work today." No one would understand.
She walked slowly toward the apartment , head bowed, heart aching.
Jeddah's door opened with a click.
Jeddah stepped out, phone in hand, distracted-until he looked up.
And saw her.
Kemi froze.
So did he.
She looked... small. Not physically, but in spirit. The fire in her eyes was dimmed. Her lips were parted, but no words came out. She looked like a shadow of the girl who'd stormed into his life and flipped it upside down.
His brow furrowed.
"You okay?" he asked, voice low, serious.
She didn't answer right away.
Then finally-softly-"Yeah. Just tired."
But he didn't believe her.
He stepped closer. Slowly. Searching her face.
"No, you're not," he said. "What happened?"
Kemi hesitated. She looked like she was on the verge of breaking. He could see it-something she was holding in with all her might. She swallowed and forced a smile.
"I don't want to talk about it. Not now."
He studied her carefully. His own wounds from the day still raw. But something about her... something was off. Her voice. Her hands. The way she looked at shadows like they might come alive.
He didn't press.
"Okay," he said softly. "But when you're ready... I'm here."
They stood in silence for a few seconds, the cool night air settling around them.
And just for a moment, in that quiet space between fear and comfort, she almost told him everything.
Almost.