-Seven years later-

His phone buzzed loudly beside him as he sat in his desk. He picked it up and squinted at the name on the screen. Rolling his eyes, he clicked his phone back off and continued to stare at his computer screen as he typed, the clicking of the keyboard the only noise in the room. After a few minutes, his phone buzzed again, and this time he chose to ignore it altogether. Sighing, he leaned back in his seat and stared up at the ceiling.

The door to his office opened, and a pair of heels clicked inside. A young woman strolled in, wearing a very business-like outfit in all black and had her brown hair pulled back into a tight, military-like bun. She wore a pair of red framed glasses that she continuously pushed up with her index finger, and her thin lips were pinched together, "Mr. Freeman, you have a letter from Valentina Co., "the woman said plainly. She approached the desk and placed the letter in front of him gently before backing away. Her boss groaned, "Can't they use email like normal businessmen? "he asked absently.

The woman coughed, "Well, you know how Mr. Valentina is. He's very old school…for a young man. "she eyed her boss, "Aren't you going to open it now, sir? "she inquired. He waved her off, "I will, I will, "he muttered. She took this as a dismissal, and subsequently left the room.

Huey Freeman stood up from his chair and turned around, where he was met with a wall of windows that overlooked the city. It was just before sunset, and he normally liked the view from his office, but today he was tired. Today, all he could think about was going home.

His phone buzzed again, and he groaned, "What does she want? "he growled to himself. He picked up his phone and stared at the screen; he had seven text messages from his former "date" from two weeks ago: Clara Davens. Huey had only been on two dates with her before calling it off, but she still wanted to contact him for whatever reason, and it was annoying Huey to the point that he was ready to file a restraining order against her.

Huey sat back down in his chair and fixed his tie. He was done typing up a report on his laptop, and turned it off. He slouched in his chair and clasped his hands together, placing them on his lap idly. He glanced up at the wall to his left, which was decorated in awards, pictures, and so on. Huey decided to leave; he couldn't think anymore.

Grabbing his suit jacket and bag, Huey exited his office, locking it. He passed by several people as he made his way to the elevator, all of which told him pleasantries and goodbyes before he finally made his way into an empty elevator. After a few minutes, Huey reached the last floor and exited the elevator, passing by several more people in the main lobby area of the building. He made his way outside, where his car was waiting for him in the front. A valet stood on the side, Huey's keys in hand. Huey thanked him and took his keys before climbing into his car, a BMW, and drove away.

Huey did not take his work for granted, he was extremely fortunate to have his position and he knew this. But still, sometimes he just needed to get away. But it was hard to get away from work when you live in New York.

Huey had only had his company, Freeman Co., for two years now. But within those two years, Huey had done a lot to rank up in the business world and become a successful businessman. Huey did business with lots of other businesses around New York as well, and one such potential ally was Valentina Co.

His phone rang, and he glanced down at the screen: Riley. He swiped the green button, "Hello? "

"Yo man, "his younger brother, Riley Freeman, said loudly. Huey sighed, "Riley, what is it? "

"Did you get a letter from the Valentina's? "he asked. Huey rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I did, did they send you one too? "he could practically see Riley nodding his head, "Yeah man, why the fuck they gotta send letters though? I'm gonna lose this shit by the time I get home! "

"I don't know, "Huey replied, "Meet me at Sheryl's. "he then instructed. He heard Riley say okay, and he hung up.

Thirty minutes later, Huey was sitting at a table at the same café that was Sheryl's, which was another thirty minutes away from his home, but it was the most familiar thing to him in New York ever since they'd first moved there over 2 years ago. Huey waited only a few minutes before Riley had approached. He wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with some Timbs, and his cornrows had been freshly done, "Sorry to keep ya waiting, "Riley said sarcastically, "I got caught up with that mural I've been doing for the fashion show next week. "

Huey nodded, "How's that going? "he asked casually, striking up conversation. Riley shrugged, "It's a hell of a lotta work. White people don't settle for anything less than perfection, and this company has been on my ass about getting every single last detail right and then some. "Riley snickered, "But, they're paying me big bucks for this, so I ain't really complaining. "

"Have you seen granddad today? "Huey then asked. Riley nodded, "Yeah, this morning before I went to paint. Have you? "Riley ordered a glass of coke, while Huey stuck with water, "I did yesterday, but granddad hasn't even called me since then. I was wondering what's up. "

"I don't know, he didn't seem off this morning, "Riley shrugged, "He's been taking his meds faithfully for two months, I'm sure he's fine. "he then pulled out his phone, "I got some pictures of some of the work I did today, wanna see? "he grinned toothily, and Huey had to agree, "Sure, "Riley handed him his phone, and Huey began sliding through the pictures, "Wow, that's very intricate, "Huey commented, "That's probably the most work I've seen you do for one mural. "

"What can I say? "Riley's grin widened, "They love me. "

Riley was an artist at heart, and had turned his one true passion into a business, with the help of Huey. Riley did artwork for people all over New York, and even in other cities. He was known mostly for his murals, and did portraits and sceneries for any occasion. His current project was for a runway show in the heart of New York. They had a theme of "heaven", and Riley was instructed to draw a mural as a background to match the theme. Riley had been working now for 7 weeks, and was planning to be done by the next week.

"So, about the Valentina's, "Riley then said, and Huey groaned inwardly, "What about them? "he asked. Riley shrugged, "You know that we gotta do some kinda business to get them off our backs, right? "he arched a brow, and Huey nodded, "Yeah, but I promise you, none of it is going to be pleasant, not with Miss Valentina trying to run the show. "he warned. Riley nodded, "I know, I know, damn. "

Valentina Corporation was run by the Valentina twins; Nicolas and Nicolette Valentina. The twins were eerily similar in almost every way, and shared a cutthroat and greedy outlook on life. Nicolette, however, was just as bad as her brother, and was often thought to be the one behind everything they did, even though Nicolas took credit for a lot of their work.

"Nicolette's gonna wanna get a full…description of you, "Riley joked, and Huey glared at his brother, "Not funny, "he chided.

"What about that Clara girl? "Riley then asked as their drinks were delivered to them. They ordered and resumed talking, "She keeps calling me even though I told her not to anymore, "Huey replied simply, "I just…, "he trailed off.

Riley's face turned pinched, and he nodded, "Yeah, I know, you just…can't do it anymore. "

There was an awkward silence. The two had agreed to this years ago, when they'd first arrived in New York; they wouldn't talk about their past with anyone, not even with each other. But there were moments in time when they wanted to, even though talking about it could be potentially dangerous, and terribly saddening.

"But aye, I mean after I'm done with this job we can do something, "Riley offered, "We haven't done anything in months, let's go party! Let's live it up, we're still young. I'm barely twenty-three and you're only twenty-five, I'm sure we'll find something for us to do in New York, it's a big city bro. "he chuckled to himself, and Huey cracked a small smile.

They got their food and began eating hungrily.

Huey and Riley were exactly where they didn't want to be.

They had been invited to a dinner by the Valentina's at their private loft in the downtown New York area, and being businessmen, Huey and Riley couldn't refuse. It had been a week since they'd received letters from Nicolas Valentina. The letters were just invitations to the dinner, with the implication that they were going to "talk business". But upon arrival at seven-thirty in the evening, they were greeted by the smiling faces of Nicolas and Nicolette and were introduced to a few other faces in the game, including Blair Whitfield, Gabriel Maxwell, and Laura de Leon. Throughout the beginnings of the dinner, they talked about nothing other than their personal lives, which bore Huey to death.

Nicolas and Nicolette were both dressed up for the occasion. They both had platinum blonde hair; Nicolas had his cut short with a tuft at the front, and Nicolette had hers going down her back, waved out in loose curls. Both had big hazel eyes and fair skin, and had eerily similar features. The only thing that set the two apart were their heights; Nicolas was at least 5'11, while Nicolette stood a few inches shorter at 5'8. They both were long and lean, and had pearly white teeth that seemed to reflect everything around them when they smiled. They were both about twenty-five, neither Huey nor Riley knew the exact number, and weren't in the position to care or ask. Tonight, they had matched in theme: red. Nicolas wore a dark, velvet wine red suit and black dress shoes with a black tie. Nicolette wore a dark wine red off-the-shoulder dress that touched the floor and had a deep slit on the left side, paired with dark heels and dramatic makeup.

"So, Mr. Huey and Riley Freeman, "Blair said, snapping the two back into reality. Huey nodded, "Yes, Ms. Whitefield? "he wiped his mouth with his napkin. She chuckled, "Please, just Blair if you would, "Blair was a fashion designer that worked for the company Riley had been doing the mural for. She was a young woman with tanned skin, dark brown eyes, and dark brown hair. She smiled, revealing pearly white teeth, "Anyways, it is just baffling to me that you two have already made such a name for yourself when you've only been running a business for two years. "she continued.

Huey nodded, "Yes, well, it took a lot of hard work to get to this point, "Huey said slowly, "And we have not slacked since starting. "

"But I find it odd that we know almost nothing about you, "she pried. "I agree wholeheartedly, "Nicolette chimed in, "How is it that we know nothing about the two of you, when you both most likely know everything about the rest of us? "she smiled at them as she took a long sip from her wine glass. Riley smirked, "We…keep out personal lives quiet, "he stated, "We don't need to be blaring our lives out for everyone to see. "

"Oh come now, we're all friends here, "Blair smiled, but it didn't seem real, "So tell us, we know you both were born in Chicago, but where to after that? "Huey looked at Riley, who shrugged, "We were born in Chicago, "Huey said, "We moved around with our grandfather after our parents died. "

"See, that's something we didn't know, "Blair said, "I am truly sorry for your loss, how old were the two of you? "

"Nine, "Huey answered, "I was nine, Riley was seven. "Riley nodded, "I heard the two of you went to live in Woodcrest…, "Gabriel then said. Riley stiffened, and Huey knocked his knee against Riley's, signaling him to play it cool, "Yes, we lived in Woodcrest for a few years until I graduated high school. "

"Well, that's a long time, "Blair chuckled. Nicolette stood up, "Okay, Blair, I'm sure Huey and Riley are tired of you trying to pry into their lives now, "she gave Blair a look, and Blair sat back further in her seat, "Yes, of course, my apologies. I hadn't meant to be so nosey. "Blair addressed the two.

"Oh, but you always are, "Gabriel mocked under his breath. His comment earned him a deathly glare from Blair, but Gabriel only scoffed at her and turned his attention towards Nicolette, "We're here to talk business, "she began, "and I have some business to talk about. "

Huey dropped Riley off at his home an hour later. It wasn't too late in the evening for Riley to sleep, though. Riley lived in his own penthouse, which he took pride in. Riley stepped into the elevator and punched the last floor number. He waited, and waited, and after a moment of staring off into space, he heard the elevator ding and open.

Riley stepped out and walked towards his door, which he opened swiftly. Stepping inside, he switched on a light, and he smiled; home.

Riley's penthouse has an overview of the city, which he loved. His was decorated to a T, all courtesy of himself, of course. Riley had an eye for things like this, and it showed in his work and in his home. The main theme he had imposed on his house was grey and black. He had leather black couches, stainless steel grey appliances, sleek black TVs, rugs, and so on. He had pictures of artwork he had done in the past hanging in picture frames on one wall above his TV. Riley entered the living room, where he kicked off his shoes and slipped off his jacket.

Riley loved to be home, even more so because he rarely was. Riley's job may have paid him big bucks, but it was a tiresome job; he was constantly having to move around and travel around New York for his work, which led to long hours and few breaks. He could work on one project for weeks, months even, but it was all worth it in the end. For this last project he did, he painted a whole mural for a fashion show, with all the works, and had earned close to thirty grand due to the intense intricacy this place wanted. This was his fifteenth project this year, and he still had several booked for the fall and winter seasons.

Riley decided to take a hot shower and contemplate on what he should do next. By the time he got out, it was ten o'clock. He changed, got a snack, and headed into his bedroom. He had a king size bed with silky black covers and matching pillow cases and sheets. He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled out his phone, taking a bite of an apple from his pantry. He scrolled through his social medias, looking at other artwork from other artists.

Due to the past, Riley and Huey were forced to keep all of their social medias private, and they never actually posted anything that showed themselves. Riley used social media mainly to show off his artwork under the name "Reezus", which was how he began his career in the first place. Reezus was a play on of his childhood nickname, Reezy, which he never used anymore.

Riley often spent his time contemplating about his life, mainly about his past, which was something he never told Huey. He never told Huey because he knew that it would hurt him, it would make him mad, and Riley did not want to go there. So he thought about his mistakes and his life before New York alone. He'd often have dreams in his deep sleep about his troubles, and it would normally end with him waking up.

One thing he kept hidden was a picture. It was a polaroid picture, and he kept it in his nightstand drawer, away from any prying eyes. When he was alone, he'd take it out to remember. Today, he needed to remember.

He slid over to his nightstand and pulled it open. The picture was right there, alone, and his breath got caught in his throat for a moment. He picked up the picture and felt his lips go dry, so he licked them gingerly. The polaroid was taken maybe eight years ago, when he was in high school. But it wasn't him that he was trying to remember, it was the person next to him.

Cynthia McPhearson. Cindy.

This was his day one, his main one, the girl he had fallen in love with his freshman year of high school. This was the girl he did all of his misadventures with. Throughout everything that had happened in his childhood, Cindy was the only one of his friends that actually stuck it out with him. It was inevitable that they fell in love with each other. In this picture, they were standing side by side outside of an arcade. Riley had his arm slung around Cindy's shoulder, and hers was around his waist. She wore a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, her shoes weren't visible. Her blonde hair was pulled back into her signature two braids, and her big blue eyes were full of laughter.

What Riley wouldn't do to have this life back. He'd trade it all, his home, his money, his status, he'd trade everything he had to be with Cindy again. But Riley had to leave Woodcrest to protect her, just as Huey had left to protect Jazmine.

Images of smoke clouded his mind, and Riley had to force himself to look away.

"Listen Riley, "Huey said. Riley sat up from his bed, his phone in hand. "What nigga? Can't you see I was on the phone with Cindy? "he demanded, but Huey shook his head, as if dismissing his argument, "Riley, I have something really important to tell you, but you can't tell anyone just yet. "

"Nigga what? "Riley arched a brow. He stood up from his bed. Huey made sure that the door to Riley's bedroom was closed and locked before approaching him, "You know that I've…always been suspicious, "Huey began slowly, and Riley rolled his eyes, "Huey are you still caught up on how our parents died? "he asked, and he didn't wait for an answer, "Nigga you were nine! I was seven, we know what happened, we were there! It was an accident! "

"Yeah Riley…but what if it wasn't? "Huey's words shocked Riley, "Nigga what the fuck are you sayin'? "Riley demanded. Huey sighed, "Riley, I've been doing some digging about what happened that day…that night. "

"Okay and? "Riley walked over to the door, prepared to leave. He had heard enough; his brother had suddenly become interested in their parent's death a few months ago, and now it was all he wanted to talk about with Riley. Riley was done with it, he know what happened, he knew how the story went: their parents died in a fire when they were kids. They were there. End of story.

"…what if I told you it wasn't an accident, "Huey then asked.

Riley stopped dead in his tracks, his hand on the doorknob. Slowly, he turned around, "What? "he whispered hoarsely.

Huey's eyes were grim, and he nodded stiffly, "Riley, it wasn't an accident. "

Riley shot up from bed, drenched in sweat. Panting, he looked around, and in the darkness he was able to make out the familiar decorations in his bedroom. Sighing, Riley forced himself to stand up and head into his bathroom. Still shaking, he turned on the water and began to splash some on his face, waking him up slightly. Returning to his room, he looked at his alarm clock; it was four in the morning.

Riley groaned, flopping back down on his bed. He had another dream, another nightmare. He had been having more recently, and he didn't know why. It was getting bothersome, but he couldn't help but feel like it was for a reason, an important reason.

Riley didn't want to think about it. Instead, he forced himself to think of something, anything, that would make him sleep. After tossing around for a minute, his breathing went steady, and he was out.

The official 1st chapter to Empire. Hope y'all enjoy

xoxo, Queen