Chapter 375

Jaden’s POV

He gave me a long, hard look before shaking his head. “You’re making a mistake, Jaden. But you’re a grown man. Do what you think is right.”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t need to. My decision was made. Layla would stay. She would choose to stay.

As I continued down the hall, I felt the weight of the situation on my shoulders. I couldn’t afford to be weak or second-guess myself.

If I was going to help Layla, if I was going to be there for her, I needed to stay strong. She had suffered enough at the hands of others. I wouldn’t be one of those people.

I reached the stairs and heard my grandfather’s footsteps fade behind me. But just as I reached the bottom, I turned to look back, the sound of Layla’s door opening ringing in my ears.

***

Layla’s POV

I was still sitting on the bed, the tears