It was finally the night of the Governor's Ball and both families, the Wrights and Wests, were in full swing of preparation. Being that Sonni didn't want the twins out and around people just yet, Momo and Paw were on babysitting duty. Emmie is the only baby of the family that will be in attendance.

"Auntie Ronda! Can you come help me with my dress!" Orianne shouted as she stood in the middle of her room in her lilac satin robe. She had completed her hygiene, hair, and make-up prior to. All she had to do was put her dress on, which was very pretty and made by the best.

A knock sounded at her door, making her look up from her phone.

"It's your Auntie, Juice."

Orianne walked towards her bedroom door, twisted the black knob and pulled her door open. She stepped aside and allowed her Auntie Ronda to walk in. She was covered by her robe as well, being that she was in the middle of getting ready, but she knew her niece needed help because she had to be ready first, along with her brother, Orion Sr. Ronda pulled the garment bag from the back of the closest door and pulled the zipper down—opening it.

"What type of underwear do you have on?" Auntie Ronda asked her niece as she pulled the dress out of the bag.

"The seamless nude shape wear. I gotta hold this tummy in." Orianne laughed as she rubbed her stomach.

"Girl, cut it out and come on." Auntie Ronda laughed along too, as she shook her head.

Orianne pulled her robe off and let her pasty covered breast bounce free. She held on to her auntie's shoulder as she stepped into her dress. She slid her arm through the small sleeve and held the front as her auntie pulled it up and zipped it. Ronda walked around her and fixed the dress.

"Ooo! I see why the boys be fighting niggas off you when y'all out. Body and a bomb face! You got it from me, by the way." Ronda boasted, hyping up her niece.

"Yes sirrrr!" Orianne laughed, and they hit the bankhead bounce together.

"Grab your accessories and everything and go on downstairs. The boys are ready. They're going to help you with your shoes while I finish getting ready."

Orianne nodded her head and began doing so as her auntie walked out. Being that her dress was emerald green, everything from her jewelry and shoes were gold because both colors complimented each other well. Once Junie had everything she needed, she held up the bottom of her dress and made her way downstairs to a rowdy living room.

She smiled and shook her head. "Ooo, don't you all look dapper. Can't even tell that some of you have rap sheets."

A bunch of groans and lipsmacks were heard as she laughed. "Yea yea, I love y'all too. Now who's about to help with my heels?"

It was a minute of silence which made Orianne smack her lips. She frowned. "If y'all don't love me anymore, just say that."

Tizon, who stood at 5'10 and had a muscular build, rich smooth skin, and white teeth, smacked his lips and straightened up his suit as he stood up."Y'all niggas some hoes. Sit down, Juice."

She cheesed. "That's why you're my favorite!"

"She is lying." Azaire mumbled but Orianne heard him anyway and sent a pillow upside his head.

Throwing the bottom of her dress to the side, she passed her shoes to her cousin Tizon and her jewelry to Vashun, who was seated beside her. She held her left wrist out, letting him put the gold green-faced Day-Date 36 Rolex on. He adjusted her links, so the watch wouldn't be tight on her wrist but just right so it wouldn't fall off. He then leaned forward and clasped the 14K gold Hawaiian Heirloom Bangle with Cutout Wave Edges. Tizon was seated on an ottoman in front of her as he unraveled the strings around her heels. Being that her dress had a high split, she was wearing some gold Rene Caovilla heels with Flowers Floriane.

Tizon held her leg up, putting the base of the shoe on her foot and pulled it up, wrapping the strings around her thick calf. He then repeated the same steps for her right foot.

"You need to get yourself a man, Juice. We can't keep spoiling your ass and doing all this for you." Tyson expressed as he emerged from the kitchen with a plate of hot wings in his hand, making everybody laugh, because one thing about him? He was going to eat, no matter the occasion.

"Why get a man when I have all twelve of you? Speaking of twelve, we're missing a few. I already know Quintarius is in that damn den sleeping, but where are the other seven?" She asked as she removed her scarf from around the perimeter of her head, revealing her curly updo.

"They're going to be a little late. They had a meeting with the Russians on 74th."

Orianne shook her head and frowned. "Damn, I really do be forgetting we're a part of the mob."

"That's because we keep you away from that life." Orion Sr.'s deep baritone voice spoke as he made his way downstairs.

Tyson looked up and whipped his head around. "Damn, God, is that you?"

Everybody busted out laughing and shook their heads. Tizon smacked him with a pillow. "Boy you a fool."

Meanwhile, over in Cedar Grove, the Wests were doing the same. Sonni was seated on the couch while her husband pushed the black Christian Louboutins on her feet. It was just something about a man catering to his woman.

"Are you guys sure I can go?" Savion asked as he licked the cream cheese frosting off one of Sonni's red velvet cupcakes.

"Savion Akai Buchanan, I just know that's not one of my cupcakes!?" Sonni squinted as she stood up and pulled her dress down. This was her first time dressing up since the twins were born, and she was feeling good while looking good.

Sav swallowed before speaking and looked at Xavier for a little help, but he shook his head and slid behind his wife, who was shooting daggers at her brother. "I thought Momo baked them for everybody."

"You know damn well she didn't! I oughta smack you about my cake. Ol' ugly self."

Jayden, who was in the corner of the living room holding an energetic Emerie, shook his head at his mama. He turned in circles and danced to imaginary music, making his little sister laugh as he made faces. He placed her on her feet and pulled her yellow dress down and fixed the bow that she had in her hair.

"Papa! Where's my ring?" Sonni yelled frantically as she looked at her naked finger. The only rings that were on her hand were four 3 carat Fit Round Brilliant Diamond Eternity Rings that symbolized each of her four kids. Each ring was eight thousand seven hundred ninety dollars, totaling thirty-five thousand dollars. She received the set as a late Mother's Day gift.

"Calm down, Sunflower. I have it. You left it on your vanity when you were moisturizing your body." Xavier shook his head and pulled it from his pocket, sliding it back on the designated finger.

"Our ride is here." Jayden announced as he grabbed Emmie's bag and walked through the foyer and out the door with his family in tow.

"You look beautiful, Junie." Orion Sr., told his daughter as he held her hand, helping her out of the black Rolls Royce Cullinan.

She smiled and shielded her face from the flashing lights of the many cameras. "Thank you, Pa!"

"Bitch move! I want to hold her hand! You always do it!" Tizon pushed Azaire as they both argued over who was going to help their uncle escort their cousin inside.

Everybody shook their heads and let them bicker back and forth while Quintarius eased his way to the front—hooking his arm through Orianne's right. She looked up at her cousin and smiled. There were a lot of them, and she loved them equally. They were more like her brothers than anything. But if she had to choose a favorite, it would be Quintarius, being that they were the closest because they're the same age and have the same birthday.

"You okay, Binky?" Orianne whispered, calling him by his family nickname as they walked inside.

He nodded his head and kissed the side of her face. They both stepped back, letting Senior talk with a few reporters, showing face and giving conversation before walking away. He grabbed Orianne's arm again and they entered the ballroom of the Grandé Expo, an upscale luxury hotel.

"I'm going to make my rounds, Juice. Make sure the boys are on their best behavior." Senior kissed his daughter's cheek before walking away.

"Whew, there are a lot of people here. Jay, make sure you keep Emmie in your chest until we get inside." Sonni said as she wiped some crumbs from her face.

Two hours into the ball, Orianne was tipsy and borderline drunk from the many glasses of champagne she consumed as she danced with her cousins. Being that the governor was a black man, the vibes at the ball were definitely giving out 'blacks only.' Bones Thugs-n-Harmony's "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" was blaring throughout the large ballroom. The Wrights didn't let the fact that Orion was a large political figure stop them from being who they are. And, little did the partygoers know, the Wrights were part of the largest crime syndicate that ruled New Jersey.

"But I gotta get mine, so scream out, mo, and let me hear ya holla! Not about that mighty dollar. Roll with the bone, mo' thugs will follow! Chain gang, remains the same flamin' my dank and drinkin' brew! Thinkin' about hangin', clockin' my bank, and thuggin' trues, foo's!" Orianne screamed the lyrics as she bounced around Quin, Vashun, and Tyson, who were dancing in a circle. She held her cocktail glass in the air that was holding a pink-orangeish concoction as she did her signature dance, the Bankhead Bounce.

"It's the Thuggish Ruggish Bone! It's the Thuggish Ruggish Bone! It's the Thuggish Ruggish Bone! It's the Thuggish Ruggish Bone!" Tizon wrapped his arm around her shoulder as he held the bottle of Dom Pérignon in his hand. They all screamed the lyrics together.

"Whew! Come to the bar with me, Tizon." Orianne grabbed his arm and pulled him along, making him shriek due to the aggressive pull.

"Two hours into this ball and I'm just seeing you? Come give me a hug pooh." Sonni turned around and placed her hands on her hips. It was something about Orianne that Sonni liked.

Orianne smiled and shook her head. "Hi Mrs. West."

They embraced each other and did that black people rock. They pulled back and looked at each other up and down, nodding in satisfaction.

"I'll be right back, Junie." Tizon whispered in her ear before walking away, leaving her be.

"Come on, pooh, my husband has been asking about you. We wanted to thank you personally for the invite."

Orianne nodded her head and grabbed her drink before following behind Sonni. She smiled and waved as she walked to people that spoke to her, even if she didn't recognize them. Her father has been on the state political scene since she was a child. Going from Mayor of Newark, to Secretary of State, to Lt. Governor, and now Governor.

"Xavier, look who I've found." Sonni was the first to speak as she approached the table, making everybody look up. Orianne shyly waved.

"Oo! Hey Ms. Wright!"

Orianne laughed as he slid out of his seat and pulled her into a side hug. "Please call me Orianne or Junie. Ms. Wright is too formal."

Xavier nodded his head. "Got you, but please have a seat."

He pulled her a chair out and pushed it up as she sat down. She placed her cup down and slyly focused her attention on Jayden as he held up Emmie, who was dancing in his lap.

"Are you going to continue staring or speak? I don't bite unless I want to." Jayden's smooth voice flowed, making her jump, taken back from his choice of words and because she was caught staring.

She blushed bashfully and pushed a string of hair out of her face. "Hi, Jayden, is it?"

He finally looked at her, into her eyes, and her breath hitched at the intensity of the stare. Unbeknownst to their knowledge, they had an audience and they were watching with smirks and smiles on their faces. Jayden passed his little sister off to his parents and stood up, holding his hand out to Orianne. "Can I have a dance?"

Orianne looked at his hand and took it into hers as she stood up from her seat. She grabbed the cup and threw the concoction back before letting Jayden lead the way. He pulled her to the middle of the floor and fixed her dress before placing his hands on her lower back. Troop's, "All I Do Is Think of You" was blaring throughout the ballroom. They moved and glided across the floor.

"You look good tonight. The color of your dress compliments your skin." Jayden dropped his head and whispered into her ear as he rubbed his hand up and down her back.

Orianne blushed and shook her head as she looked down. She was sporting an emerald green one-shoulder sequin high split floor-length ball gown, custom made by Ronda Wright to fit her plus-size figure. "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself. Is that a Patek on your wrist?"

She wasn't lying when she said that. Jayden West was dressed to the 9s in a blue Dolce & Gabbana Jacquard Martini Suit. His long tresses were pulled up into a high bun, showing off his nice shape up, facial features, and the 2.5 carat diamond earrings that were housed in both of his ears.

Nodding his head. "Yes ma'am, and I believe you have on a Day-Date 36 Rolex?"

Orianne smiled. "I do."

As the two danced amongst the crowd, her many protectors were watching from afar as their mothers held them back. Ronda and Shonda, Orion's twin sisters, laughed. "You guys, I promise you she's in good hands. That's Mr. and Mrs. West's son."

They all whipped their heads around. "West as Xavier and Sonni West?"

Ronda nodded her head. "Yes. You guys don't remember him from the dinner? He was our waiter that night."

"Oh shit!" Azaire exclaimed as realization set in.

"Shiddd! He just might have more money than we do. Let me go introduce myself like Tupac from Poetic Justice, "Cousinnn!" Tyson expressed making everybody laugh.

"You remember at your dinner, you told your friend that if you wanted me, you could have me, right?" Jayden asked with a smirk on his face.

Orianne nodded her head sheepishly.

Jayden licked his lips and pulled her close, letting her Victoria Secret Bombshell Celebration Parfum invade his nostrils along with an involuntary moan slip out of her mouth.

"What if I said I wanted you? Could I have you?"