Chapter 646
Demi’s call came in while I was in the bathroom, wiping Ron’s splash attack off my face. “Keira.” Her voice was flat, almost hollow—so unlike the Demi I used to know. She used to talk like every sentence was lit with fireworks, sharp and alive. Now? That fire was gone.
I didn’t know every detail of what happened, but her suicide attempt had left a mark. She wasn’t the same, and it broke my heart to hear it.
“If you didn’t call me soon, I was about to come hunt you down myself,” I said, trying to inject some levity into my tone.
“Don’t come. I’m fine,” she cut in, her tone shaky.
I tossed the crumpled paper towel in the trash and leaned against the sink. “Fine? Sure, because that sounded convincing. Spill, Demi. What’s going on?”
She went quiet for so long I thought the call dropped. Then, finally, her voice cracked through the silence. “I have nothing left. Nothing. And now I’m stuck with almost $500,000 in debt.”
Wayne had mentioned her boyfriend before, so the pieces clicked fast—she’d been played. Scammed by someone she trusted.
I gritted my teeth. “And your grand solution was to kill yourself? Is that what your life is worth—half a million dollars?”
“My debt isn’t just credit cards,” Demi said, her voice shaking. “It’s payday loans…and loan sharks. When I couldn’t pay, they started harassing me, calling nonstop. Now they’re threatening my parents.”
Guilt hit me like a gut punch. “Why didn’t you call me?”
The second I asked, it clicked—I smashed my phone back then. Maybe she had tried to reach me. Maybe she’d called, and I just wasn’t there. If I’d picked up, if I’d been there to loan her the money, maybe she wouldn’t have tried to end her life. But it was too late for “what ifs” now.
Thinking about how far she’d fled, I asked, “So, you’re in Lindale now? Working to pay, Loff?”
She let out a faint “mm-hmm,” but I wasn’t buying it. Lindale? With no connections and only a high school diploma? She wasn’t finding some magical high-paying gig there.
Even if she pulled in $3,000 or $4,000 a month—which was a stretch—that was barely $36,000 to $48,000 a year. Half a million in debt? That’d take her ten years. And that’s if she didn’t spend a dime on herself. That kind of endless grind would break her long before she ever made a dent in that debt. And her parents? They’d never survive the stress of her being so far away.
“Come back,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could overthink it. “Work for me. I’ll pay you $500,000 upfront as an advance on your salary.” As soon as I said it, I realized this was what wealth was really for—helping the people you love without hesitation.
But Demi’s answer hit me like a slap. “No.”
“What? Why?” I blurted, completely thrown.
“I know $500,000 is nothing to you, but I borrowed that money,” she said, her voice shaking. “I can’t just take yours to pay it off. And what if I can’t even repay you? I need to do this on my own.”
“Are you serious right now?” I snapped, frustration bubbling over. “I’m not asking for repayment, Demi! There’s no deadline, no pressure. Just let me help you.”
“Drop it, Keira,” she said, her tone final. “I’m not doing anything stupid again. Isn’t that enough?” Then she hung up before I could argue.
I tried calling back, but she wouldn’t answer. What a stubborn girl. But there was no way I was going to sit back and let her struggle like this. If she wouldn’t come to me, I’d just have to go to her. My mind was made up—I was flying to Lindale.
Before heading to Lindale, I decided to pay a visit to Demi’s so-called boyfriend, Jorian Kay. The fact that this guy shared my last name? Yeah, that felt like a personal insult. Wayne had tipped me off about his whereabouts, so setting up a meeting was easy.
Jorian showed up looking put together—buzz cut, pale skin, sharp features. Not exactly handsome, but there was a certain neatness about him, like he wanted to seem approachable. Too bad appearances don’t mean squat. A guy can look polished and still be trash underneath.
“Ms. Kay,” he said smoothly, clearly recognizing me. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”