Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
JAZZLYN
Last time I saw Abraham was when Ahk and I sat down with him to discuss the terms of our prenup.
He and Ahk’s lawyer went back and forth while Ahk and I sat patiently waiting for them to smooth shit over for the best interest of the both of us.
We wanted to get married, and at one point, that was all that mattered to us until Priest and Britain suggested we look into a matter of a prenup just to be a little on the safe side.
At first, it offended the fuck out of me since they didn’t have one.
I felt like they were assuming my and Ahk’s marriage was gonna fail, but once Abraham explained to me the importance of securing my assets, we came to an agreement that it would be best to have one.
Today, we weren’t discussing the matter of a prenup. I sat along a lengthy oak table with Abraham and Priest at my side. Across from us was our so-called sister, Giselle, and her lawyer Elijah Carter.
I couldn’t front. The minute Giselle stepped into the room, my breath hitched.
She looked so much like me that it was kinda freaky.
Her pictures served her no justice, as did mine.
She had exceptional cheekbones, and her hair was so silky.
She was a little taller than me and was more on the thin side.
I was cut and in shape, but this ass was two handfuls, and I took pride in it, especially when my man smacked it.
Since we had taken our seats, we had spent the entire time just staring at each other, taking in each other’s mannerisms, facial expressions and looks.
It baffled the fuck out of me how much we looked alike.
I could guess her aesthetic and day to day routine.
She was the type of chick who wore her hair in a claw cup for most of the week and drank matcha every morning.
She was so… different from me and Priest.
While Giselle and I were eyeing each other, Priest was leaned back in his seat, running his fingers through his beard. He finally had enough of shifting his eyes between us before he chuckled. “This shit trippy as hell.”
Her lawyer, Elijah, cleared his throat as he adjusted his thin framed glasses on his face. “My client is the biological daughter of Sylvia and Terrence Barette. She was deliberately excluded from all estate planning and insurance benefits.”
I scoffed. “Wasn’t shit left in the estate. She didn’t own shit because she sold everything for crack. Terrence was a bum and lived off her while she lived off my brother. We finished here?” I batted my lashes while tilting my head to the side.
She was probably hoping for some touching background of Sylvia and Terrance, and I gladly popped her bubble of hope. Wasn’t shit to look forward to.
She said nothing, but she did turn her head to her lawyer and give him a curt nod.
“Not yet. Our records show that there was a life insurance policy for Mrs. Sylvia Barrette and a trust fund.” He cracked opened his folder.
“Which were all funded by me. Sylvia ain’t work a job since the early 2000s. Life went up for her when I made it happen. The money you’re referring to wasn’t earnings. It was just me taking care of my mother and her husband,” Priest explained.
“While all that sounds very nice of you, Mr. Justice, that doesn’t mean my client wasn’t deliberately excluded.”
This time, Abraham scoffed. “I don’t believe deliberate is the term. My clients didn’t even know your client existed.”
I laughed sharply. “You’re giving Sylvia and Terrance too much credit if you think they told us about you.”
Finally, Giselle leaned up and narrowed her eyes at both of us. “Whoever they were to you doesn’t minimize what they did to me. You lived a lie just as much as I did, so step off your high horse.”
I was fixing to fire off on her, but Priest placed a hand on my shoulder. “You angry at the wrong people, sweetheart. Their plots are next to each other. You can sit right in the middle and let out all your frustration. Me and my sister don’t got shit for you.”
“You always get in front of her and make her think she’s untouchable?” She tilted her head to the side, just like I would whenever I asked a question.
She was as fiery as I was. I shouldn’t have expected anything less. She was, after all, Sylvia’s daughter. She blessed and cursed us with her slick-ass mouth.
“You thinking you can touch her makes you stupid. I would hope you got some brains.” Priest’s jaw clenched. Just like me, he didn’t do well with threats and intimidation, and Giselle was dancing on a thin line.
“You don’t get to walk into our lives and demand compensation for people who ruined it,” I coldly snapped. “We don’t owe your truth a payout, especially when it’s wrapped in entitlement after you were spared.”
“Spared? You lived a life with our parents.”
Priest and I exchanged glances with each other before we erupted into laughter. The shit was so comical, all Abraham could do was pinch the bridge of his nose and shake his head.
“We didn’t live the fairytale you’re trying to portray. We survived they asses. And you got the best of it ‘cause you didn’t have to go through half the shit we did,” I coldly let out.
“Look, I would’ve respected you a lot more if you approached this shit differently.
You came in ready for a fucking come-up off money that don’t got shit to do with you.
You not genuine, and you clearly not looking for shit but some fucking money.
If it make you feel any better, I would’ve traded anything to be the kid who was given to a family that actually gave a fuck.
You lucked up, shorty. You just so blinded by a couple dollars that you can’t realize that shit,” Priest concluded as he pushed his chair away from the table and got up.
I followed suit, grabbing my Chanel bag from the table. “Abraham, speak that legalese and tell her lawyer she’s not getting shit.” I followed my brother out of the conference room and made sure to look over my shoulder and shoot Giselle a taunting smirk.
To think she was about to get paid off my pain and suffering… this bitch was nuttier than her dead-ass mama.
“I don’t trust her.” Priest shook his head as we approached my car.
A few feet away, Elijah was walking Giselle to her car since they left shortly after us.
By the look on her face, I could tell she was pissed.
Like Priest said, she had the wrong fucking approach.
The apple didn’t fall too far from the tree; she was just as much of a greedy bitch as Sylvia.
“I never did. There’s no telling how long she’s been watching our lives to see how much money she could come up on.”
“She ain’t coming up on shit,” he scoffed. “How it feel seeing that she’s your fucking twin?”
I folded my arms against my chest before rolling my eyes. “She’s gorgeous. I can’t even front.”
“Look just like you and Sylvia.”
“Unfortunately. What are we going to do about her?”
“Let Abraham handle that shit in court, and if it go past the courts, you’ll handle it.”
“Oh, you don’t just handle shit anymore?” I teased him.
He shook his head with a sly smirk. “It ain’t on me no more. You married to the king of the city now; I think he can handle Ms. Pumpkin Spice From Starbucks. I gotta go plan this baby-moon for my wife.”
“Ouu, where you taking my girl?”
He ran his fingers through his beard before shrugging. “Thinking about Sint Maarten. Her mom and step-pops went last June, and they talked about it over the phone for hours.”
“Awee, PJ! That’s so sweet!”
“Yeah yeah. It’s a surprise, so don’t go running your mouth to her.”
“I won’t. You got my word.” I set my hand over my heart just like he always would, prompting him to chuckle.
“’Preciate it. How you been? I ain’t got the chance to chop it up with you since everything at the club.”
At the mention of the club, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of heaviness weigh down on me.
With everything going on with this meeting with Giselle and her lawyer, I was able to push it to the back of my mind for a little while.
Ahk swore he was gonna figure some shit out, but as much as I trusted him, I just couldn’t see a way out of this.
Club Reign turned into a fucking cemetery that night.
There was no way in hell the Feds were gonna let up until they got answers.
Until then, I was just gonna have to sit and wait.
“I’m good. Can’t complain.”
He eyed me, searching for any reason to pry, but ultimately opted against it. “He mentioned it again.”
“Mentioned what?”
“A baby, Jazzy. What else?”
A deep sigh aired out of me as I looked up at the sky. He noticed my reaction and chuckled. “You married a persistent man, sis.”
“I fucking see,” I muttered.
“Still ain’t figure out when you gonna tell him?”
I groaned. “Why does this shit matter to you so much? Usually, when I’m making horrible decisions, you let me fall on my ass.”
He shrugged his broad shoulders before responding. “You got a good thing with Ahk. It’s still early in y’all marriage, so y’all can work this shit out if it does hit the fan. I like his big-headed ass for you. I just don’t want you to fuck this up too bad.”
“You enjoy having a brother, don’t you?” I lightly punched his arm.
He tried his best to conceal his smile but failed. “Fuck up. The nigga cool. That’s all I’m saying. I know I told you I’d mind my business, but for real, Jazzy, you need to tell him.”
My smile dropped as I nodded. “I’ll tell him this week.”
“You fucking with me?” He raised his thick brow, unconvinced.
“No. I’ll tell him this week for real.”
He pulled me into a hug before dropping a kiss on the top of my head. “Call me if you need anything. Be safe, kid.”
“You too.” He helped me into my car, and we went our separate ways.
As I drove, all I could think about was how the conversation I was gonna have with Ahk could break our marriage.