SEVENTY

SLYVIA'S POV

Sitting in my chair, I glanced up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Had I made a mistake coming back to New York? Should I have stayed in LA? But I’m helping people here, which is my primary reason for even doing this. Still, doubts crept in. I wished my parents were here. I wished I wasn't an orphan. I wished I still had my mom to talk to.

I wished... I wished Grayson was here with me. No, no... no, no, I shouldn’t think about him. I shook my head, trying to banish the thoughts. I wished Raymond was here. I wished my kids wouldn’t have to go through all this. The weight of it all felt crushing, and I couldn’t help but worry about how Zenith and Zendaya were holding up.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The thought of my kids enduring this turmoil made my heart ache. I wondered if they would be okay during all this. Their innocent faces flashed in my mind, and a pang of guilt hit me hard. They didn’t deserve any of this.

I had come to New York to make a differen