Page 14

River Ashland

A wide smile spread across my face as I watched the twins' faces light up as they read over the numbers on my computer.

Life had gotten in the way of me sitting them down to finally explain where their dues were actually going.

Crown had a meeting at the mill with his brothers and Choyce, so I figured today was perfect to have the twins come to my office and show them the numbers.

"There's no way my young ass is a quarter million up," Kysre declared, unable to look away from the screen.

"I can believe it!" A cheeky grin took over Kyree's face as her eyes lit up. "I always knew I was destined to be a rich bitch!"

Chuckling, I shook my head, admiring the difference in the sisters.

Both were hotheads who stayed on go. Kyree was more of the talker and extremely full of herself, with good reason because she, like her identical twin sister, was gorgeous.

Yet she didn't command attention with softness or the allure of a woman used to admiration.

Kyree's confidence was unsettling to anyone who didn't possess the same aura.

She never begged to be noticed. The sexiness of her walk demanded it.

People didn't flock to Kyree. They reacted.

Some out of curiosity, others with hostility.

I liked to think of Kyree as the disruption, while Kysre was the quiet that loomed in the air right before lightning struck.

She wasn't the type of girl who needed to take up space to own it.

Kysre simply existed, patient and watchful but unmoved by most things.

Her confidence didn't exist in the way she walked or how she spoke, but in the way she didn't have to.

The ones who mattered noticed exactly who Kysre was, and those who didn't... realized when it was too late.

"The goal isn't to be rich. It's to be wealthy," I corrected Kyree while Kysre just nodded.

"I know, River, but damn, can't I be happy about being rich in this moment?"

"You can, and I want you both to be happy. However, I also want y'all to understand the difference between rich and wealthy. The difference will keep you both on God's soil and not the devil's playground. Now tell me the difference."

"Rich is for?—"

The moment I glanced in Kysre's direction, she snapped her mouth shut. She knew better than to step in and save her sister when dealing with me. Around me, the twins were their own people. I didn't group them as one the way their foster mother did. I forced them to embrace their individuality.

"Being rich is having the opportunity to lose it all. It's synonymous with control and used as a weapon that makes you fragile because money by itself doesn't make you untouchable."

"Nice to know you've been listening."

"I'm always listening when you talk, even when you think I'm not." Her cheeky grin and wink got a chuckle out of me.

I glanced toward Kysre and nodded for her to finish it off.

"Wealth isn't the point in which someone has money.

Wealth is when someone is money. It's rooted in legacy.

Legacy is the power that's never flaunted because it's woven into the fabric of society.

Wealth allows the world to bend at your will.

You'll own things that matter, including land, influence, and people's futures.

Wealth guarantees your ability to shape outcomes rather than react to them.

Wealth is the lineage of power that lives long after you're gone. "

"Exactly." I smiled in approval. "I want that for both of you. These accounts are the first steps in making sure wealth runs deep within the roots y'all are planting."

Soft sniffles paused my words. I grabbed a few tissues from the corner of my desk and passed them to Kysre.

Her confidence was undeniable until the mention of her future.

For a reason never told to me, Kysre didn't believe she'd live past twenty-five.

The first time she broke down was when I asked what she wanted to do after she graduated.

She was sixteen at the time, with the presence of a woman twice her age.

She cleared her throat, then answered, " Alive .

" Heavy tears treaded her cheeks right after.

In that moment, I saw what it looked like for an inner child to live without being healed.

"Thank you," she quivered as she blew her nose.

"You never have to thank me, Kysre, and you know that. For as long as you need me, I'll be in your corner, and even when you think you don't, I'll still be there."

"We know," Kyree answered, slipping her hand into her sister's.

"Not to sappy out the moment, but I swear I never thought people like you existed.

Going through the system, you hear people tell stories about kids getting adopted by genuine people.

I love Amy and appreciate everything she's done for us, but there's only so much a white woman can do for two black girls who grew up in the hood for the first twelve years of their lives.

Meeting you when we did was right on time.

God must've known we needed you, the same way he knew Chosyn needed you. "

Unable to hold back my emotions, a ragged sob tore from my throat.

"Is she okay?" Kyree quizzed.

My cries grew louder, and my chest heaved with hiccupping sobs.

"Look what you did, Kysre," Kyree smacked.

"I didn't know she was going to be this dramatic. Had I known, I wouldn't have said anything. You know I'm big on people not crying in front of me."

"I'm... I'm fi... fine," I stammered, reaching for a few tissues. I dabbed at my eyes, giggling as the twins went back and forth with each other.

"Please stop because I'm fine. What you said just got the best of me, but I'm fine."

Their eyes fell into low squints, silently questioning if I was actually okay.

"I promise I'm fine."

"Okay. How do the accounts work?" Kysre asked.

"Basically, every time you pay your dues, I transfer the money to your investment accounts.

Some of the money will go into a Roth IRA.

Basically, it's a retirement fund. It'll build interest, and later in life, you'll be able to pull from it.

The rest of the money goes into your individual investing accounts.

The money is then split between stocks, bonds, and CDs.

I set it up to where you can't start pulling from these accounts until your thirtieth birthday.

Even then, only an allotted amount can be pulled out yearly. "

"What?" Kyree gawked, twisting her mouth into a frown.

"It's so we don't blow through the money," Kysre answered, and I nodded.

"You girls are young and have so much life to figure out."

"What is there to figure out?" Kyree huffed.

"What do you want to do with your life? Street racing is cool, but it's not a career."

"I don't have a problem with it." Kysre shrugged.

"Of course, your passive ass doesn't," Kyree smacked.

"Whatever, just know I'll beat your ass with these passive hands."

Kyree sucked her teeth but knew better than to drag the situation on.

"Anyway, I'm doing this for your benefit. You'll see, who you are at twenty-one won't be who you are at thirty."

"I don't know about Grumpy over there, but I'm happy with this." Kysre smiled.

"I'm not happy that I can't touch my money, but I do appreciate this."

Kyree flashed me a smile before pulling her ringing phone from her book bag. She hit a few buttons and then set it on top of my desk with Honey's picture on the screen.

"Hey!" she answered.

"Kyree, why haven't you returned any of my texts? I need to know if you're still down to go to Philly this weekend for that job."

"Oh uh—" Kyree stammered, struggling to grab her phone and take it off speaker. I glanced toward Kysre, who held her hands up, wanting no parts.

"Leave it on speaker," I instructed Kyree.

"River?" Honey asked.

"What job is she supposed to do?" I questioned.

"Now you know I don't put you in my business," Honey replied.

"Give me a minute," I told the twins.

"Gladly." Kyree was about to leave until I stopped her. "Leave the phone."

"River," She sulked but left the phone and stomped her bratty ass out of my office.

"Honey, what the hell do you have that girl doing?"

"Nothing she doesn't wanna do. I know how you feel about them, but they're not as innocent as you think."

"I can't believe Kyree is out here like that."

"She doesn't do much. She's more of the distraction. It's Kysre you need to worry about. That girl is?—"

"Wait, you have both of them doing this shit with you?" I blacked.

"Again, they are not as innocent as you think."

"Honey, you shouldn't even be doing this shit, and you're grown. Why would you let them?—"

"First, let me stop you. I'm grown as fuck.

How I get it is how I get it. When I want an opinion, I'll ask for one.

Second, the twins are twenty-one, not sixteen.

They are old enough to make their own decisions, which they have.

When they first came to me, I told them no.

They kept asking, getting on my damn nerves.

I didn't agree until Kyree's smart mouth ass said she'd just do it herself.

I figured them doing it with me was better than them doing it on their own. "

"I guess." I sighed, knowing I had no wins in the conversation.

"They're smart girls. You don't have to worry."

"I'm always going to worry. It's just who I am. Anyway, are you coming to the race tonight?"

"Hell yeah, I'm not racing though."

"That's fine. Kyree is supposed to race."

"My girl's gonna get to the bag by any means." Honey chuckled.

"That's what I'm afraid of," I smacked.

"Listen, we're all gonna do what we feel is best. Is Crown coming out tonight?"

"He's supposed to, but I don't know."

"I thought things were good since y'all date at the racetrack."

"They are, and that's what's stressing me out."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm texting the chat right now, letting the girls know we need a day."

"It's not that deep. I'm probably just in my head about things."

"Nope, it doesn't matter. I'ma set it up. I'm sure we all can use a vent session. Now give Kyree back her phone. Love you, BB."

"Love you too, BB."

Rounding my desk, I brought Kyree her phone and locked B's with the twins before they left. I got comfortable at my desk, ready to jump back into work. I grabbed my phone to reply to Honey's group chat but noticed a text from Crown.

Crown :

I gotta make a run to Ember Hills.

Me:

For?

Crown :

Business. Love you, Four. See you 2nite.

Biting the corner of my lip, I typed I love you too, then quickly erased the text and responded with okay . I put my phone on focus mode, then turned it face down. As I clicked against the keys, I wondered if I'd ever be free of the burden Sincere placed on my heart.