Za’miyah’s POV

The ride back to my neighborhood felt like a blur. My mind was consumed by what had just happened—the meeting with Zaire King, the man everyone feared and respected.

When the car dropped me off, I didn’t thank Carter. I didn’t say a word. I just walked away, my feet moving faster the closer I got to home. My thoughts were scattered and chaotic.

As I stepped inside, the noise of the world seemed to fall away. The smell of the house, the sound of Mama humming in the kitchen, Jayden laughing in the other room—it all felt so far removed from what I’d just experienced.

Mama looked up when I entered the kitchen. “How was it?” she asked, though there was a look in her eyes that told me she already knew.

“I’m fine,” I said, trying to hide my unease. “Mi didn’t stay long. Just a quick talk.”

“Yuh sure?” she asked, her voice full of concern. “Mi don’t trust people like that, Miyah. Him have power. Yuh know what power do to people.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had stepped into something I couldn’t easily walk away from.

Jayden ran into the room, holding up a drawing he’d done. “Look, Miyah! I drew di new car fi when mi get big!”

I smiled, taking the drawing from him. But the smile didn’t last long. In my mind, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Zaire had said—that I was already part of his world. And the more I thought about it, the more it seemed true.

But what did that mean for me? For us?

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Zaire’s POV

I sat in my office, the city lights below reflecting the emptiness I felt inside. There was a void in me—one that had existed since I was a child. It had driven me to build an empire, but it had also kept me distaand nt, cold.

But Za’miyah… She was different.

I hadn’t expected it. I hadn’t expected her to walk into my world and make me question everything.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. My phone buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was Bishop.

“Boss, word is Baines is moving in on di west side. Him think he can take control. We need to make a move before he does.”

I exhaled slowly, irritated. “Mi don’t care about Baines. We deal wid him when it’s time.”

“But—”

“No,” I cut him off. “Mi got bigger things fi focus on right now.”

Bishop paused before speaking again. “Yuh talking about the girl?”

I didn’t answer, but the silence said everything.

“You sure yuh ready to bring her in? This ain’t the kind of life you can just walk away from.”

I knew exactly what he meant. But for the first time in years, I was willing to take that risk.

“She’s not like the others, Bishop. Yuh don’t get it.”

“I get it,” he said quietly. “Just remember, this world don’t let people like her stay innocent for long.”

I hung up without replying. Bishop was right, but that didn’t matter. I had to find a way to protect her. Because whether I wanted it or not, Za’miyah was already a part of my life.

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Za’miyah’s POV

The next few days felt like a dream—unreal and too fast. Zaire’s presence lingered in my mind, his words echoing in the back of my head. There was something magnetic about him, something dangerous, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be drawn to it or run as far away as possible.

But as the days passed, I couldn’t escape the feeling that I was already in too deep.

I’d gotten used to my routine—working after and school, coming home to help Mama and Jayden. But now, there was a new heaviness to everything. I kept thinking about the choice I had to make. The choice between staying in my small world or stepping into something bigger, something I didn’t fully understand.

Mama noticed my silence, the way I seemed distant. “Yuh thinking ‘bout him again, ain’t yuh?”

I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I folded the clothes in front of me, trying to ignore the questions in my head.

“Mi don’t trust him, Miyah,” Mama said, her voice soft but firm. “People like him don’t do nothing for free. Yuh need to be careful.”

“I know, Mama,” I said quietly. But my heart didn’t believe my words.

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Zaire’s POV

I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Even with everything else on my plate, Za’miyah was never far from my thoughts.

She waand s stubborn, unafraid of me, and that intrigued me. Most people, especially in my world, would have bowed down by now. But not her.

I was used to people being afraid of me, used to controlling everything around me. But with her, it was different.

I wasn’t ready to let her go, but I couldn’t force her into my world either. If she wasn’t willing to step in, I had to wait until she was.

I wasn’t a patient man, but something about Za’miyah made me want to be.

The thought of someone else getting too close to her, of her falling into the hands of people who didn’t care, made my blood boil.

I wasn’t sure if it was love or possession, but either way, I wasn’t ready to lose her.

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