Page 21 of Kentrell

She exhaled. “I mean… you don’t date. So you’re not around certain crowds—certain areas.”

“Where dotheybe that you be at, that Zoe don’t go?” Mars asked, cutting through the tension with her usual bluntness. She was saying what I wouldn’t.

“I’m just saying…” Ayesha’s hands waved in the air, trying to soften her stance. “I’ve heard about them through the grapevine. Rashad probably knows more—he handles Lex and Wani’s accounts, does trades for them—but Idoknow they’ve got pull in the city. Like…Whitfieldlevel pull. On both sides.”

I stiffened.

Both sides?

What did that even mean?

“Wani?” Mars chimed in, dragging me out of my thoughts. “What the hellyanté?”

“Helly Berry.” Stacia tapped Mars shoulder, always ready for any foolishness Mars instigated.

“Kenwan Caldwell,” Ayesha sighed, clearly growing weary of the topic.

“You sure are comfortable giving out nicknames,” Stacia added, her eyes narrowing just enough to clock Ayesha’s casual tone.

“Ididn’t give him the name,” Ayesha shot back. “Rashad called him that when we met at the restaurant.”

She brushed her fingers through her hair, defensive energy rising like a tide.

“Look, I don’t need to explain myself.” Her arms crossed tightly, voice laced with tension. “Idon’tknow him or his brothers. Like I said, I onlyknow ofthem.”

But her eyes never left mine.

This wasn’t about Mars or Stacia.

This was about me.

“They run legit businesses,” she continued, “but some of that is a front.”

My stomach dropped.

“Wait—what? They’re criminals?” The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

Mars snorted. “I’m sorry.” She lifted both hands like she was trying to be respectful—failing miserably. “But I wasn’t expecting that.”

“I’m notsayingthey are,” Ayesha clarified, clearly annoyed, “because they don’t have records. But you should look intoAlexis Barksdale Sr.”

The name hit me like a file folder dropped on my desk. I stored it immediately for my late-night web search.

“That’s who Kentrell, Kenwan, and Kensei are tied to,” she added, voice quieting now that the room had shifted.

“I know people say there’s no such thing as an ethical billionaire,” Ayesha went on, “and you’ve probably seen that up close with your clients…”

She had no idea how right she was.

My mind immediately flashed to Charles Kensington, to the shell companies hiding land grabs, to the quiet NDAs protecting executive misconduct. Yeah… I’d seen it up close.

“But the Caldwells?” Ayesha said, shaking her head slowly. “They’redeepin the streets. Rashad told me flat out—don’t mess with Lex or Wani when they come into the office. He doesn’t want me tied up inanyof their dealings.”

“Then why is he even involved?” Mars scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“Because he’s aman?—”

“Bitch,please.” Mars exhaled sharply. “I’ve seen Kensei and Kentrell with myowntwo eyes, and if Kenwan looks even half as good as those two…” She threw Stacia a look, and they both started shimmying like they were on beat to some silent song.

---