Housebound with the Blackridge Heirs novel Chapter 33

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**Change Begins With You — Jayden Collins**

**Chapter 33**

**Maya**

“What do you mean by that?”

Tylon’s voice sliced through the thick atmosphere of disbelief in the room, low yet sharp enough to make me flinch involuntarily.

In that moment, every gaze in the office shifted toward me, as if I were the center of a spotlight I hadn’t asked for. I hadn’t truly grasped the weight of my words until now; I hadn’t realized how loudly they had escaped my lips.

My eyes flitted around the space, taking in the reactions. Miss Vale’s complexion was ashen, her expression etched with concern. A few interns were wide-eyed, their curiosity palpable, while Jamille wore a look that suggested she had just been handed the most tantalizing gossip of the year.

“I—” The word lodged in my throat, refusing to come out. The heat of embarrassment crept up, blurring my vision as tears threatened to spill. “It’s nothing,” I managed to whisper, my voice so faint it was almost lost in the tension of the moment.

Miss Vale stepped forward, her brow furrowed with worry. “Maya, what do you mean ‘he’ll come for you’? Who—”

But I didn’t wait to hear the rest of her question.

I pushed through the maze of desks, ignoring the startled murmurs that erupted behind me. The walls felt like they were closing in, the air thickening with too many eyes and too many questions I wasn’t prepared to face.

By the time I burst into the hallway, my chest felt as if it were in a vice, breaths coming in shallow gasps.

I needed air.

Stumbling through the main doors, I stepped into the open courtyard, inhaling the cool afternoon breeze desperately. But even the fresh air did little to soothe the tightness in my lungs, which felt as if they were still encased in a cage. I pressed a trembling hand to my chest, attempting to regain some semblance of calm.

“Maya!”

I turned sharply, startled as Tylon caught up with me. His hand grasped my elbow, firm yet gentle, halting my escape. “What did you mean back there?” he pressed, his voice steady but laced with an undertone of concern that was unusual for him. “Who do you need to send money to?”

I yanked my arm away, trying to break free from his grip. “Why do you care?”

He hesitated, his gaze locked onto mine, flickering between anger and something softer—something dangerously close to worry.

“Because,” he finally replied, his tone quieter now, “you just said someone would come for you.”

That hint of fear in his voice cracked something within me, and my throat tightened. Before I could stop the floodgate, the words spilled out.

“I didn’t get here all on my own, okay?” I blurted, frustration bubbling to the surface. “I didn’t just magically land this internship or the scholarship. Sure, I had good grades and all the right credentials. But this is Blackridge University, for crying out loud—one of the most prestigious institutions in the world.”

“What are you saying?” he asked, confusion knitting his brow.

I sighed, feeling the weight of my truth pressing down on me. “My last foster family pulled strings for me. They… they knew people. Not good people, Tylon.”

His frown deepened, his grip on my elbow loosening but remaining firm enough to keep me anchored. “What kind of people?”

I shook my head, tears threatening to spill over. “People who make things happen for a price. And at first, I thought I wouldn’t have to pay it back. I thought they just wanted to help me get out. But then, when I got accepted here and the internship came through, they called me. Demanding their ‘cut.’”

I could almost hear Mrs. Hargreeves’ voice in my mind, syrupy sweet yet dripping with malice: “You owe us, sweetheart. We don’t raise charity cases for free.”

“They said if I didn’t keep sending money,” I whispered, my voice trembling, “they’d find me. And they’d make me wish I hadn’t left…” My lips quivered as I fought back the tears. “That I was an ungrateful brat who should remember where I came from…” I lowered my voice, barely above a whisper. “And what they can do.”

Tylon’s expression hardened, but not with anger… at least, not directed at me. “You’re telling me they’re threatening you?” His eyes narrowed, a storm brewing in their depths. “What did those people do to you, Maya?”