CHAPTER 4
(BROOKE'S P.O.V)
I sucked my teeth in irritation, as I approached Luscious' office. It was 9:00am, and half an hour ago I was called into Empire for an emergency meeting. I knew exactly what this was about. I had barely been an artist in Empire, and it was already some mess going on. It's a good thing I stay ready, when shit about to go down. I made a promise to myself that when I joined Empire, that I was going to do things differently than I did on Love and Hip Hop. So as soon as I pushed the door open, Brooke Valentine left the chat, and the diplomatic Brooke came to the surface. There Cookie and Luscious were waiting for me patiently. "Morning ya'll," I greeted them both, as Luscious gestured to me to sit in the chair opposite them. "It has come to our attention, Miss Valentine, that a video has surfaced, and gone viral on the Internet of you slapping our son Andre," Luscious explained, as he switched on his T.V.
A short Youtube clip came up of me slapping Andre, and cursing him out. "Care to explain?." Luscious inquired while Cookie frowned at me in disapproval. "If you would click the video below the one you're playing." I explained clearly seeing the second videos' thumbnail of Andre pushing up on me. "Andre met me outside the store being disrespectful giving me no choice but to react." Luscious immediately clicked the video, as I watched both him and Cookie's shocked expression of Andre's behaviour. At that exact moment the doors opened to reveal Andre. He grimaced as soon as he saw the screen of himself pushing up on me. "I would like to issue an apology to Miss Valentine," He quickly said standing next to me. "I wasn't myself that day." I glared at him openly, as I looked him up and down. "Can I go now?, now that this unpleasant encounter is over?," I asked Cookie and Luscious, clearly ignoring Andre's apology.
"I have a lot of work to do, and I'm trying to put this unpleasant experience behind me." "Go ahead girl," Cookie dismissed me. I got up and left, but not before glaring at Andre again.
(DEVON'S P.O.V)
I closed my eyes in relaxation, as I listened to my own music in solitude. It was ten o'clock in the morning, and I sat not only listening to my own music, but experimenting with rhythms on the digital mixer. I used my own music as therapy, since many of my songs that I wrote were based off of my own experiences. Suddenly the door to the studio was abruptly opened. I frowned in irritation, as I immediately turned back to the digital mixer after seeing who it was. It was no other than Tiana Brown. The woman I use to adore, and who also ripped out my heart crushing it into a million pieces. "Can we talk?,"she asked closing the door behind her. I didn't respond. "Devon I'm sorry," Tiana pleaded while I ignored her. "This is why I said nothing, because I knew you wouldn't be able to handle it!." Came her lame excuse. "Handle it?!," I suddenly exclaimed in irritation, glaring at her now. "You announced your engagement with Hakeem on IG, while you and I were still together T!." "What do you want me to say?,!" she exclaimed, dropping her hands in defeat. "I'm sorry for leading you on?..." "You're selfish T," I said coldly. As I continued to glare at her, I remembered walking right out of her house in anger, after discovering on IG what she did. She wasn't even woman enough to tell me herself. And if that wasn't enough, I became the laughing stock of Andre and Hakeem, and the rest of the world. But it's okay, 'cause I took that shit like a man, and realized that Tiana Brown is not the woman for me. "It's okay T. It is what it is, and I accept your decision to move on." "Devon I-" "It's okay T," I cut her off. "I admit I was mad when I first found out, but I'm over it now." I said glancing at the studio door, since Tiana was still standing there.
We suddenly saw Brooke swiftly walking past the door with Andre hot on her heels. I immediately got up, and headed to the door. By the looks of things, Brooke might be in trouble if Andre was tailing her again. "Hold up," Tiana snickered in realization, blocking my path. "Please tell me you're not gonna be that bitch Valentine's Knight and shining armor are you?." "What do you care?," I suddenly responded. "Unlike you T, I date with a purpose." With that I headed out the studio.