chapter ⅳ

Michael found Giselle in their bedroom, brushing her hair in front of the mirror. The soft glow of the bedside lamp reflected in her eyes as she met his gaze through the glass. He walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently.

"We need to talk," he said, his voice serious.

Giselle set her brush down and turned to face him. "What's wrong?"

Michael sat beside her on the bed, rubbing his hands together. "Lisa isn't done. She's been making moves, trying to take my business from the inside. I have a man feeding her a trap, but I need you to be careful."

Giselle straightened, her jaw tightening. "What does that mean for us?"

"It means you can't let your guard down," he said. "She's unpredictable, and I don't want her trying to get to you again."

Giselle folded her arms. "She can try, but she won't get far."

Michael smirked at her confidence but cupped her face in his hands. "I mean it, baby. I already taught you how to protect yourself, but I need you to stay close to Solange and Aaliyah when I'm not around. No going out alone. No slipping away without security."

Giselle sighed but nodded. "Alright."

"I'm serious, Gigi."

"I know," she whispered, placing her hand over his. "We'll be careful."

-

The next morning, Giselle wasted no time. She called Solange and Aaliyah, telling them to meet her at Havenhurst. When they arrived, she wasted no time getting to the point.

"This is about Lisa," Giselle said, crossing her arms as she leaned against the table.

Solange frowned. "What now?"

"She's still coming for Michael. And that means she could come for any of us," Giselle explained.

Aaliyah shook her head, anger flashing in her eyes. "That woman is crazy. She already tried to take you once, and now she wants more?"

"She doesn't know when to quit," Solange muttered. "What's the plan?"

"I don't know yet," Giselle admitted. "Michael is setting a trap for her, but I don't want us sitting around waiting for her next move. We need to be ready."

Aaliyah leaned forward. "Then let's prepare. Whatever she's planning, we'll be one step ahead."

Giselle nodded. "That's why I called this meeting."

They had each other's backs. No matter what Lisa had planned, they wouldn't go down without a fight.

-

Giselle, Solange, and Aaliyah knew they couldn't just sit around waiting for Lisa's next move. If Michael was setting a trap, they needed to be prepared too. That's when Solange had an idea.

"We should get our own protection," she said, crossing her arms.

Giselle raised an eyebrow. "You mean guns?"

Aaliyah nodded in agreement. "I hate to say it, but yeah. If Lisa or anyone else tries something, we can't be unarmed."

Giselle hesitated for a second. She had never been the type to carry a gun, but after everything that happened, she knew it was necessary. "Alright. But we need someone we can trust to get them for us."

"Javon," Aaliyah said immediately.

Solange pulled out her phone. "I'll call him."

A few hours later, they met Javon in a secluded parking lot. He leaned against his black SUV, his arms crossed. "Y'all sure about this?" he asked, looking them over.

"Absolutely," Giselle said firmly. "We're not waiting around to be victims."

Javon nodded. "Alright. I'll get you what you need. But you have to promise me you won't do anything reckless."

Solange smirked. "No promises."

Javon rolled his eyes but handed each of them a small box. "Here. Handguns. Easy to use. I'll take y'all to the range later, teach you how to shoot properly."

Giselle took hers, feeling the weight of it in her hands. She never thought she'd be in a position where she needed a gun, but this was her reality now.

-

After securing their protection, the girls started planning how to throw Lisa off their trail.

"We need to make it seem like we're moving around more than we actually are," Aaliyah suggested.

Giselle nodded. "We can book hotel rooms under fake names, leave town for a few days, post misleading pictures online."

Solange grinned. "I love it. Make that bitch chase ghosts."

With their plan in motion, they decided to take a break and do something more enjoyable—shopping for the baby.

They spent the afternoon in a high-end baby boutique, admiring tiny clothes and soft blankets.

"So... what do you think it's gonna be?" Aaliyah asked, running her hands over a baby onesie.

"I don't know," Giselle said, rubbing her growing belly. "Michael says it's a girl. I think it might be a boy."

Solange laughed. "Y'all should bet on it."

Aaliyah smirked. "Winner gets to name the baby."

"Oh, hell no," Giselle laughed. "We're not naming my child based on a bet!"

They all laughed, but deep down, Giselle couldn't help but wonder. Would she have a little boy to protect like his father, or a little girl to cherish and love? Either way, she was ready for this next chapter in her life.

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Lisa paced back and forth in the dimly lit room, cigarette smoke curling in the air as her mind raced. She had lost control, and she knew it. The men who once followed her without question had started doubting her, whispering behind her back.

"Michael got them scared," she muttered to herself, gripping the edge of the table. "That bastard."

A week ago, she had been sure she was closing in on taking everything from him. She had a plan—take over his operation, destroy his name, make him pay for leaving her behind. But now? Now, her own people were turning against her, and she could feel the walls closing in.

One of her most trusted guys, danny, had even dared to speak up to her last night.

"Lisa, we ain't got the power to take him down. He's too deep in this city," he had told her. "You're running off emotions, not strategy."

She had nearly shot him on the spot, but the truth in his words burned more than anything else.

Michael did have control in L.A. He had the respect, the loyalty, and the fear of everyone in the game. Meanwhile, she was barely holding on.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the shrill ring of her burner phone. She snatched it up without checking the caller ID.

"What?" she snapped.

The voice on the other end made her stomach twist.

"Lisa Marie Presley, what the fuck are you doing?"

Her mother.

Lisa rolled her eyes and took a slow drag of her cigarette. "Not now, Mother."

"Oh, no. We are talking about this," Priscilla hissed. "I just got off the phone with someone who told me you've been running around Los Angeles playing some drug queen bullshit—"

Lisa clenched her jaw. "So what? Since when do you care?"

"Since you started embarrassing yourself!" Priscilla snapped. "Jesus, Lisa, you're acting like a damn fool. I told you not to mess with Michael, but you just had to make it your mission to take him down—"

"He ruined me!" Lisa shouted, slamming her fist against the table.

"No, you ruined yourself," Priscilla shot back. "You're out here looking crazy, getting outplayed at every turn. You're not him, Lisa. You never were."

Lisa's breathing grew heavy, her fingers twitching. The words cut her deep because, for a split second, she wondered if her mother was right.

But she refused to admit that.

Instead, she let out a bitter laugh. "You know what? Fuck you."

"Lisa—"

She hung up.

The room fell silent except for the sound of her own breathing.

Her mother thought she had lost. Michael thought he had won.

They were both wrong.

Lisa narrowed her eyes, gripping her phone so tightly her knuckles turned white.

If they thought she was reckless now, they hadn't seen anything yet.