Journey of the heart(3)

Chapter 46: Caught in the Middle(Jaylen POV)

Jaylen stood by the window, staring out at the city, the lights twinkling in the distance. His mind was racing, caught between the peace of his home and the chaos threatening to spill over from his business. Mya was asleep in their bedroom, and Zaria's soft breaths echoed through the baby monitor. Everything should've felt right, but he couldn't shake the weight sitting heavy on his chest.

He had promised Mya no more secrets. He meant it, too. But the truth was, things were getting messy, and he wasn't sure how to protect his family from it. He had been keeping the problems with his business partners quiet for months, hoping it would resolve itself, but that wasn't how these things worked. Not in the real estate game, not with the people he was dealing with.

Jaylen clenched his jaw, feeling the frustration building. His name, his reputation, was everything, and now it was being threatened by shady deals and partnerships gone bad. The real estate game wasn't as clean as people thought—especially when you're dealing with certain types of players. He thought he could handle it alone, keep Mya out of it, but today's incident had shown him otherwise.

He wasn't used to feeling out of control. That wasn't who he was. He prided himself on handling his business, staying level-headed, and making smart moves. But now, with everything piling up, he was starting to feel like the walls were closing in. And that wasn't a feeling he liked.

Jaylen rubbed his hands over his face, trying to push the tension out of his body. He had worked hard to leave the streets behind, to build something real for his family. He didn't want to go back to that life—to the fights, the drama, the danger. But lately, it seemed like no matter how far he ran, the past kept catching up with him.

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. He frowned, glancing at the clock. It was almost midnight. Nobody was supposed to be here at this hour.

Jaylen made his way to the door, his instincts on high alert. He peered through the peephole and saw a man standing there—one of his business associates, Rashad. His heart sank. Rashad wasn't supposed to show up here, especially not unannounced.

With a deep breath, Jaylen opened the door just wide enough to step outside, careful not to let Rashad inside. "What the hell you doin' here, man?" Jaylen said, keeping his voice low.

Rashad leaned against the doorframe, his face tense. "We need to talk, Jay. That deal we were workin' on? It's goin' sideways. Real quick."

Jaylen felt the irritation bubble up. "I told you, I'm out. I'm not getting any deeper into this. You gotta handle your business without me."

Rashad's eyes narrowed. "It ain't that simple. You think you can just walk away? Nah, man. You already in it, and you're gonna be in it until we're done."

Jaylen clenched his fists, his patience wearing thin. "I ain't about to let you bring trouble to my doorstep. I got a family in here, Rashad. You cross me, and it's gonna be a problem."

Rashad stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Look, I ain't here to start no drama. I'm just sayin'—if you don't play this right, you're gonna lose more than just money. These people we dealin' with... they don't play. You know that."

Jaylen's mind raced. He had been trying to clean up the mess quietly, but Rashad was right about one thing—these weren't the kind of people you could just walk away from. He had gotten too deep, and now it was a question of how he could protect his family and get out before things escalated.

"You need to get out of here," Jaylen said, his voice calm but firm. "We'll talk about this later. I ain't about to let this blow back on my family."

Rashad hesitated, his gaze shifting toward the door. "Alright. But you better handle this, Jay. Otherwise, it's all comin' down on you."

Jaylen watched as Rashad disappeared down the hallway before closing the door quietly behind him. His mind was spinning. This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid—bringing this mess into his home.

He walked back to the living room, feeling the tension settle in his muscles. He had promised Mya they would face everything together, but how could he bring this to her now? How could he look her in the eyes and tell her that the life he had worked so hard to build for them was being threatened by his past?

Sitting down on the couch, Jaylen stared at his hands. They had built so much together, him and Mya—Zaria, their home, their dreams for the future. And now all of it felt like it was slipping through his fingers.

For the first time in a long time, Jaylen wasn't sure what his next move was. He could try to distance himself from the situation, but Rashad was right—walking away wasn't an option anymore. He was in this too deep, and the people he was dealing with weren't going to just let him go. They would come after him. And worse, they might come after his family.

The thought of Mya and Zaria being put in danger made his blood run cold. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let that happen.

Jaylen took a deep breath, his mind starting to clear. He needed a plan—something to get him out of this mess without bringing harm to the people he loved. But for now, he needed to keep his cool. Mya didn't need to worry about this, not yet. He had to figure it out first.

Standing up, Jaylen walked into the bedroom, where Mya was sleeping peacefully. He stood by the door for a moment, watching her. She trusted him, believed in him, and that meant everything. But for the first time in their relationship, Jaylen felt like he was keeping something from her that could tear them apart.

Quietly, he slipped into bed beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist as she stirred slightly in her sleep. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, his heart heavy with the weight of what was to come.

"I'm gonna fix this," he whispered to himself, staring up at the ceiling. "No matter what, I'm gonna protect them."

But even as he made that promise to himself, Jaylen couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a whole lot worse before they got better.