Hey, gladiators! So I'm super annoyed. I had almost all of what was supposed to be this chapter typed up and somehow half of what I wrote disappeared 😭, so I'm in the process of rewriting it. This update is a small chunk of what I had written before. I know it's not long, but I didn't want to keep y'all waiting longer than I already have. Without further ado, here's chapter 5!

High-intensity fluorescent lights buzzed, casting a harsh glow over the security checkpoint. As usual, the security screening was a breeze for Olivia, her eight-year-old niece, Kiara, and Terrence's baby mama, Shante. After years of visiting Terrence Pope in prison, they developed a routine that was both quick and efficient.

Still, Olivia hated that she had to surrender her bag, carrying all of her personal belongings—phone, keys, wallet, self-defense kit, etc.—before she could see her brother. It didn't matter that they were stored inside lockers, located in the visitor reception room. The feeling of being stripped of her essentials always unsettled her.

Shante, on the other hand, had long since stopped looking forward to these visits. She only tagged along for Kiara's sake. Once a month, like clockwork. She wasn't there for Terrence… not anymore.

There had been a time when Kiara didn't want to visit her dad at all. She knew prison was for bad people, and in her young mind, that meant Terrence must had been bad too. Olivia and Shante had to reassure again and again that her daddy wasn't a bad man. He had just made a really bad mistake when he was younger.

Eventually, Kiara understood and agreed to go with them to see Terrence. She was apprehensive with him for the first few visits, but little by little, she warmed up to him. Now, she counted down the days until each visit and never missed his phone calls.

The trio followed a guard down a narrow hall, making the familiar trek to a heavy steel door. The guard unlocked it with a loud clank before pushing it open. The visiting room was plain, containing rows of octagonal metal tables, each anchored to the floor by heavy pedestal bases. Inmates sat with their loved ones while their quiet conversations filled the stark space.

Olivia stepped into the room first, scanning it with her eyes. She spotted her brother almost instantly. Terrence occupied one of the tables. Olivia took in his appearance as she weaved between tables with Kiara and Shante following closely behind. Terrence's navy blue prison jumpsuit stretched over his hulked frame. He was still rocking a low drop fade, but his beard had grown out—full and thick—aging him at least five years. As they neared, Olivia also noticed that he'd gotten some new ink on his neck and arms.

Terrence's gaze lifted as he felt their presence. He softened upon seeing them, especially his baby girl bounding toward him.

"Daddy!" Kiara yelled happily and flung herself into his awaiting arms.

"Keep your voice down!" Shante hissed, feeling embarrassed by the few glances they received. She offered them an apologetic look in return.

"Hey, Kiki!" Terrence beamed as he hugged his daughter tightly—not enough to hurt her, but so that she could feel how much he loved her.

"Happy Thanksgiving, daddy!"

Terrence chuckled, "Happy Thanksgiving, baby girl." He smoothed his tattooed hand down her long, box braids with pink extensions woven in. "Look at you. So beautiful. You got bigger since I last saw you. You're almost taller than your Aunt Liv."

That was true. Kiara was already at Olivia's shoulder.

Olivia kissed her teeth and playfully shoved him, however he didn't budge, but she somehow ended up stumbling back an inch. "We all know I'm short. You don't have to point that out every time."

"I be forgettin'." Terrence quipped and hugged Olivia in his strong arms. "Hey, sis. Thanks for comin'."

"I wish you'd let me visit more often." Olivia said low enough so only he heard her.

"It's better this way." He replied and kissed her temple before releasing her and turning to Shante.

"Hey, baby."

"Hey." Shante greeted through a forced smile, trying to appear happy to see him.

Terrence gathered her in his arms and leaned in for a kiss, but she turned her head just enough for him to miss. He hesitated before pressing a kiss to her cheek instead, lingering a moment too long. Shante tensed, then gently pulled away.

They all sat down at the table, with Kiara climbing onto her daddy's lap.

"Daddy, guess what?" she said, her eyes bright with excitement.

"What's up, Boo Boo?"

"I made the honor roll again, and Mrs. Smith told mommy I'm the smartest kid in the whole class!"

Terrence grinned. "That's what I like to hear! Keep those grades up so you get into a good college and get you a high-paying job."

"I'm gonna be a lawyer and get you outta here, daddy." Kiara declared.

Terrence's smile faltered. For a second, the warmth in his eyes dimmed, and a weight settled behind them. He tried to hold on to his pride for his daughter, but sadness crept in anyway. His little girl shouldn't be worrying about him… none of them should.

He was proud of Kiara, proud that she had aspirations, but if she wanted to be a lawyer, he wanted it to be because that was her dream—not because she felt an unspoken responsibility to repair the damage he had caused. The thought pained him. He refused to let his past shape her future, just as he didn't want Olivia sacrificing her life for his mistakes. They deserved to live for themselves, to chase their own dreams. No matter how much he loved them and appreciated their efforts to help him, he wouldn't let them carry the burden of his poor choices.

"That's really sweet of you, but I don't want you worrying about me, okay? I want you to be happy and live your life." Terrence told her.

"But helping you would make me happy." Kiara pouted. "I want to be like Auntie Liv and help people too."

Olivia's heart swelled at hearing that. Kiara never expressed an interest in humanitarian work before, at least not in a way that connected back to her aunt, and they were incredibly close. Olivia frequently planned sleepovers as a way of spending quality time with her niece while giving Shante a break, yet this was the first time Kiara had openly admired what she did. Everyone always said Kiara was just like Olivia—kind and compassionate—and Olivia had just come to the realization that her niece learned those traits from her and looked up to her. She certainly didn't learn them from Shante. Shante wasn't mean-spirited, but she also didn't go out of her way to help others. She certainly didn't show much concern for people she didn't consider family.

"Aww, c'mere, Keeks." Terrence shifted Kiara from his lap to Olivia's, which was a little comical since Kiara was almost the same size as her aunt. "What happened? I thought you wanted to be a vet."

"They only help animals."

"Not true. Vets help people too by taking care of their pets. Doesn't it make you sad when Chief isn't feeling good?" She asked, mentioning Kiara's Boxer, Chief.

Kiara frowned, remembering the times Chief had been sick or hurt. "Yeah."

"And didn't you feel better once the vet made him better?"

Kiara nodded. "Yeah."

"See? Helping animals means helping their owners too, especially little kids who love their pets as much as you love Chief."

Kiara perked up again, "Ohhhh! I never thought about it like that!"

"That's okay." Olivia smiled. "You let me handle getting your daddy out of here."

Terrence and Shante frowned at Olivia's last statement.

Terrence sighed, "Liv, I already told you—"

Before he could finish, Olivia covered Kiara's ears. "You've already done enough time on trumped-up charges. Do you really want to miss the rest of your daughter's childhood?"

Terrence's jaw ticked. "You know I don't, but what can I do? I filed two appeals and got denied both times."

"That's because we couldn't afford to get you a good lawyer. I recently made a connection with someone who I know can help us." She informed him.

Terrence considered it, then glanced at Shante. "What do you think, baby?"

Shante shrugged. "Do what you want. I'mma keep grindin' and makin' sure my daughter's good."

The resentment in her tone was evident. Neither Olivia or Terrence could understand why she was being hostile all of a sudden.

Terrence let out a deep breath and turned back to Olivia. "Fine. We'll give it another shot. If it don't work, I'mma finish out my sentence. I ain't gettin' my hopes up for nothing again, on dead dawgs."

Olivia uncovered Kiara's ears. "Bet."

"I missed y'all, man," Terrence looked at each of them. "How's Kennedy?"

Olivia's tone was flat, "Wouldn't know."

"Y'all still ain't talkin'?"

"I have nothing to say to her."

"Liv, come on. She's our baby sister. Be the bigger person. We're all she's got."

"Already did, and she tried to fight me. I'm not her keeper."

There was an awkward beat before Shante spoke up. "Neddy's good. She's still with Orion."

All eyes turned to her. Olivia narrowed hers slightly. "I didn't know y'all kept in touch."

She was trying not to seem jealous, but she felt some type of way knowing her sister kept in touch with their brother's girlfriend while cutting off all contact with her. She shouldn't be surprised though. Kennedy always preferred Shante over Olivia because they shared similar personalities and interests.

"We talk here and there. Last time was maybe a week ago. She said O signed a deal with a small record label. I forgot the name."

Terrence made a face, "How the fu—" He caught himself, remembering his daughter was right there. "How? His music is stale buns."

"Terry!" Olivia laughed.

"Am I lyin'? He got no bars, no talent, no life experience but walks around actin' hard, like he's about that street life. If he were in here, he'd be walking around, holding onto some guy's pocket."

In other words, Orion would be someone's prison bitch, but Terrence couldn't say that in front of Kiara. He'd gotten better at censoring himself in front of her.

"At least he's making something of himself." Shante mumbled under her breath.

Olivia heard what she said. Unfortunately, so did Terrence, but he wanted to make sure he heard her correctly.

"What'd you say?" He asked with an edge to his voice. He'd been patient, but he was only going to take so much of her stank-ass attitude.

"Nothing." Shante said louder.

"No, say what you gotta say."

"I ain't got nothing to say to you."

Olivia set Kiara on her feet and took her hand. "Hey, Kiki, let's go grab a snack from the vending machine."

Kiara nodded and spun around to face Terrence. "Don't go anywhere, Daddy! Me and Auntie Liv will be right back, okay?"

Terrence's expression softened as he addressed his daughter. "Okay, Boo Boo. Get something good."

Terrence met his sister's gaze and gave her a grateful nod. He'd been itching to talk to Shante alone, and Olivia had thankfully picked up on it. Once she and Kiara were out of the room, he addressed Shante once again.

"Yo, what's your problem? You been actin' real different lately."

Shante didn't respond. Instead, she looked around the room, purposely avoiding his eyes.

Terrence waved an impatient hand in front of her face. "Hello, I'm fuckin' talkin' to you!"

She huffed and finally made eye contact with him, "What?!"

"Why you bein' like that?"

"Like what, T?"

"Fuckin' cold. It ain't just my fault I'm in here."

Shante rolled her eyes, "Don't start this shit again."

"Why not? I'm spittin' facts. You just had to have that beauty salon? Didn't matter how I got the bread for it."

"My clientele was expanding, and I wasn't finna keep doing hair in my mama's kitchen."

He brushed her off with a dismissive scoff. "Whatever, bruh."

A tense silence settled between them. Shante folded her arms over her chest, shifting uncomfortably.

"Look… I can't do this anymore… Us." She exhaled deeply. "I thought I could. I tried. But twenty years? That's a long-ass time, T." She shook her head, "You tell Kiki and Liv to move on with their lives, but you expect me to stay put. That ain't fair."

Terrence sat back, his face remained stoic as he processed what she said.

"So you're fuckin' somebody else." It wasn't a question but an accusation that caught Shante off guard.

"What?! No—"

"We were good till a few months ago. Then you started actin' weird. That would be around the same time you started fuckin' buddy, right?" Shante was too shocked to respond. Terrence snorted bitterly, getting his answer. "I ain't stupid. I know when bitches are movin' funny."

"First off, I ain't no bi–"

"If you see Juju's punk-ass, tell him I need to talk to him asap." Terrence said, cutting her off again, no longer caring about anything she had to say.

Shante sat up straight at that, "For what?"

"Don't worry 'bout it. You ain't my girl no more." Terrence retorted.

"Auntie Liv, can I tell you a secret?" Kiara asked, her voice hushed.

Olivia glanced down at her niece, who sat adjacent to her in the reception room, swinging her legs as she contentedly nibbled on a strawberry NutriGrain bar. Olivia too snacked on a NutriGrain bar—hers, apple cinnamon. She reached over and wiped the crumbs from Kiara's mouth, amused.

"A secret, huh?" Olivia took another bite of her bar, chewing thoughtfully. "Alright, lay it on me."

Kiara shifted closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "You can't tell my mommy I told you, though. It's supposed to be a secret. But I don't like keeping secrets from you." She held up her pinky finger. "Pinky promise?"

Olivia hesitated. She didn't want Kiara thinking it was okay to go behind her mother's back and tell her business or keep things from her. But curiosity got the best of Olivia. Maybe whatever Kiara was about to say would shed some light on Shante's recent, distant behavior.

Olivia hooked her dainty pinky around Kiara's smaller one. "Pinky promise."

Kiara glanced around the empty room, then leaned in closer. Olivia hunched to hear her better.

"I'm gonna be a big sister soon!"

Olivia froze mid-chew. "W-what?"

Kiara, misinterpreting her aunt's shock, beamed. "My mommy's having a baby!"

Olivia swallowed hard, forcing a smile. "Oh wow! That's… exciting, Kiki! Congratulations!" She hoped her voice sounded more enthusiastic than she felt.

Her mind went into overdrive. Shante's pregnant? Was it Terrence's baby? He was allowed conjugal visits, however, Olivia had no idea if Shante had ever taken advantage of them. She didn't even want to think about her brother's sex life, but something about this situation didn't sit right. Was Shante cheating on him? So many questions clawed at her mind, and while she tried to keep them to herself, the biggest one tumbled out.

"Uh… do you know who your mom is having a baby with?"

Kiara scrunched her nose in confusion. "She's only allowed to have babies with my daddy."

Oh, to be young and blissfully unaware.

Kiara didn't yet understand that relationships didn't always last, that people move on and have children with different partners. She hadn't quite been introduced to the concept of a broken home. One day, she would. For now, she held onto the way things should be, and Olivia wasn't about to be the one to change that. Even if it were her place, she still wouldn't. She wanted Kiara to maintain her innocence for as long as possible.

However, Olivia knew better, and because of that, she was going to find out if the baby in Shante's belly was her brother's or someone else's. She'd wait until after she received her answer to decide what to do with that knowledge.

Shante was relieved when Olivia and Kiara returned. She couldn't bear another second of the heavy silence between her and Terrence. As they were approaching, she stood abruptly.

"Kiki, say goodbye to your dad. We're leaving."

Olivia immediately caught the impatience in Shante's tone, which rubbed her the wrong way, especially after what she had just learned. Her gaze flicked between Shante and Terrence. Terrence looked pissed, and it was obvious Shante was ready to bolt by the way she fidgeted and kept her eyes averted. It wasn't hard for Olivia to tell they had just gotten into a bad argument… well as bad as it could get in a monitored, communal setting like the one they were in.

"Do we have to go now?" Kiara pouted, her big brown eyes welling up with tears.

"Yes. Auntie Liv has an event to get ready for, and we're going to Nana's house."

Kiara's lower lip trembled. "But I wanna stay with daddy a little longer."

"Kiara!" Shante snapped. "Say goodbye and bring your ass on!"

Terrence shot up from his seat. "Aye, the fuck is wrong with you?!" His voice was sharp and dangerous, making every guard in the room tense. Most of them instinctively reached for their holstered guns—except for one, who knew Terrence well enough to know he wasn't a threat.

Kiara flinched, gripping his shirt as she buried her tear-streaked face into his chest.

Terrence glared at Shante. "I don't know what the fuck you got goin' on, but you ain't finna take it out on my daughter, real talk."

Shante rolled her eyes, "Whatever, man. I'm outta here, and I won't be back."

She spun on her heel and stormed out, no longer caring about the scene she was making or the attention she drew.

Kiara's small body trembled as she sobbed harder at her mother's harsh words. Olivia, reading her mind, gently rubbed her back in slow circles.

"Don't cry, Kiki. I'll bring you to see your dad whenever you want, okay?"

Kiara sniffled and nodded, hiccuping as her cries waned.

Terrence scooped her up effortlessly, holding her close as she rested her head on his shoulder, her skinny arms winding around his thick neck.

"I love you, Boo Boo. I'll see you soon, aight?" He murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

Kiara nodded again, her voice small. "Love you too, daddy."

Terrence kissed her one more time before setting her down. He turned to Olivia, pulling her into an embrace. Olivia did her best not to get emotional. This part wasn't just hard for Kiara.

"Love you, lil' big sis."

"Love you too, Terry." Olivia exhaled, forcing herself to stay composed. "I'm gonna put some money on your books before we leave."

"Liv, you don't—" Terrence sighed.

Olivia shook her head, stopping his protests. "I know, but nothing's gonna change. You can't and won't push me away. I got you, bro. Trust me."

Terrence kept his mouth shut this time, knowing full well there was no use in trying to talk her out of it. His sister was stubborn. Once her mind was set, there was no changing it.

They did their signature handshake before ending it with one last hug. Olivia grabbed Kiara's hand, leading her toward the door as Kiara turned back, waving to her father the entire way.

The guard Terrence was cool with stood by, waiting for them to leave before stepping forward. Terrence lifted his wrists and allowed the guard to cuff him. That guard knew he didn't like his family seeing him in cuffs and respected him enough to wait until they left to put them back on him.

Fitz was hiding out in the den, pouring himself a scotch neat, when Big Gerry sauntered in like he owned the place—which, unfortunately, he did. Fitz didn't look up, still stewing over the fact that his father had tricked him into arriving early. His plan had been simple: show up fashionably late, endure some stiff small talk with wealthy sycophants, and avoid his father altogether. But no. Gerry had to throw a wrench in it before Fitz even had the chance to make a move.

"I'll take one of those," Gerry announced, settling into a plush accent chair like a king on his throne.

With his back to his father, Fitz rolled his eyes but poured a second drink anyway, handing it over before taking a seat on the opposite settee. They sat in deafening silence, nursing their drinks. Fitz could feel his father's burning gaze and exhaled sharply.

"What?"

Gerry took another slow sip, savoring it before replying. "I thought we had an understanding."

"For God's sake—We are not having this discussion again."

"Poor little Fitzy. Spend a few evenings in the company of beautiful, blue-blooded women. That was too much to ask huh?" Gerry taunted. "Most men would give a testicle to be in your position, yet here you are, sulking like a spoiled teenager."

Fitz let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "And they'd regret it the second they had to deal with you as a father." He downed the rest of his drink, letting the burn dull the headache forming behind his eyes.

Gerry scoffed. "You should be grateful to have a father who actually gives a damn. One day, when I'm gone, you'll regret treating me like a burden."

Fitz snorted, already reaching for the decanter to refill his glass. "Doubt it. But hey, why don't you drop dead and we'll test that theory?"

Gerry's jaw tightened, but he ignored the dig. "The dates have been rescheduled. This time, I'll personally see to it that you attend every single one."

Fitz leaned back against the built-in dry bar, a slow smirk curving his lips. "Lillian Forrester…" He started randomly. "Five stints in rehab, most recent was last year, right? Let's see…"

He looks up briefly in thought, then cuts his eyes back to Gerry.

"Janelle Adams—let some deadbeat, in his twenties, knock her up at the tender age of fourteen. Her sixteen-year-old sister would probably be devastated if she learned Janelle is actually her mother."

He paused to take a slow sip, eyes glinting as he watched Gerry's dumbstruck expression darken.

"Who's next? Hmm… Oh! Penelope Voight. How could I forget that blonde bombshell?" His voice was deceptively casual. "In college, she got wasted at a frat party, drove home, and ran over a pedestrian, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. Good thing daddy dearest, DA Roger Voight, called in a few favors, had the charges reduced to a misdemeanor. Must've helped that he and the judge were old buddies. The victim got a nice payout in exchange for his silence, but from what I hear, he's not doing so well these days. Poor guy. He won't be needing the money much longer. DA Voight is seeing to that."

Fitz tossed back his drink and flashed his father a smug grin. "Shall I go on?"

Gerry's grip tightened around his tumbler, "Where the hell did you get that information?"

Fitz arched a brow, eyes gleaming with something between amusement and warning. "Your concern should be what would happen if someone leaked it."

Gerry narrowed his eyes and sat forward, "You wouldn't dare." He challenged.

Fitz's smirked widened, "Try me."

The loud chime of the doorbell echoed through the mansion, but neither Grant moved. It wasn't until Henry, Gerry's long-time butler, appeared in the doorway and cleared his throat that they finally broke their stare-down.

"Sir, your guests have arrived."

Neither man spoke as the tension hung thick between them. Gerry was the first to move, standing with an air of finality. "This isn't over," he muttered before throwing back the last of his scotch and leaving the room.

Fitz blew out a long breath, setting his empty glass on the bar with a quiet clink. "We'll see." He mumbled and took a moment to mentally prepare himself for what was to come.

He rolled his neck and shoulders, straightening his suit jacket. He had been dreading today, and now, the time had come to endure it. Without having to look at the guest list, Fitz knew it was stacked with politicians, corporate elites, and old-money aristocrats, all looking to schmooze and swap favors over overpriced food and alcohol. Even worse, there was a good chance Gerry had invited a few carefully selected women—handpicked, pedigreed, and undoubtedly eager to be the next Mrs. Grant. Fitz could already hear the forced laughter, the veiled attempts to impress him, the strategic arm touches. Just the thought brought on the beginnings of a migraine.

God, he really hoped he made it through today with minimal stress. The second he found a plausible excuse to leave, he was going to hightail it out of there—no questions asked.